August 9th, 2015 - Movin' On Saison (different yeast)

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Movin' On Saison (HT recipe)

Batch 49

Ingredients:
Rahr US Pilsner Mal
Castle CaraBlonde
Weyermann Wheat Malt
---total grain bill 9.25#


Hop Schedule:
Hallertau (Wakata) Hops

WLP 565 Saison yeast (no starter)

Stats:
OG: 1.048 (estimated); 1.048 (measured)
FG: 1.011 (estimated); 1.004 (measured)
ABV: 4.8% (estimated); 5.8% (measured)


Brewing Steps:

• Heated 2.9 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 163 degrees
• Target mash temperature 152; volume at 1.25 quarts/pound
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations
• Added water to mash tun first (water, then grains)
• Mashed 60 minutes
• Stirred once at 25'
• After 60 minutes lautered into bucket (to measure volume)
• Lautered over about 7 minutes
• Heated 5 (about) gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun
• Took 0.3 gallon off Sparge Pal calculation 
• Let sit for 10 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.25 gallons
• Had 1/4 - 1/3 gallon left
• Boiled for 60 minutes
• Kept fairly vigorous boil going
• Added hops
• Chilled
• Pitched yeast and aerated wort 
• Pitched yeast from starter
• Poured into fermenting bucket 
• Ferment about 2 weeks (on front poor or in garage)

Notes:
-Third time making this recipe; second attempt was batch 45 and used different yeast strain.
-WLP 565 supposed to have "fruity" flavor (previous blend left a dry finish)

July 19th, 2015 - Will It Blend Black IPA

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Will It Blend Black IPA (HT recipe)

Batch 48

Ingredients:

US 2-Row

US C-40

Weyermann Chocolate Wheat

Weyerman Carafa Special III

---total grain bill 13.75#

Hops:

Aussie/NZ Bittering

Falconer's Flight

Falconer's Flight 7Cs

Zythos

Dry: Blend Blend (FF, FF7Cs)

Yeast:

WLP 001 (via 0.5 L starter)

-Second use

Stats:

OG: 1.070 (estimated); 1.064 (measured)

FG: 1.015 (estimated); *** (measured)

ABV: 7.2% (estimated); ***% (measured)

Brewing Steps:

• Heated 4 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 163 degrees
• Target mash temperature 152; volume at 1.25 quarts/pound
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations
• Added water to mash tun first (water, then grains)
• Mashed 60 minutes
• Did not stir
• After 60 minutes lautered into bucket (to measure volume)
• Lautered over about 7 minutes
• Heated 3.8 gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun
• Took 0.3 gallon off Sparge Pal calculation 
• Let sit for 10 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.25 gallons
• Volume may have been slightly above 6.25 gallons
• Had ~1/4 gallon left 
• Boiled for 60 minutes
• Added hops
• Chilled
• took about 9 minutes (hot day?)
• Pitched yeast and aerated wort 
• Pitched yeast from starter
• Poured into fermenting bucket 
• Ferment about 2 weeks 

Notes:

-Second time making this recipe

July 4th, 2014 - 20 'fer 5 Blonde Ale (SCBC)

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

20 'fer 5 Pale Ale (SCBC recipe #3)

Batch 47

Ingredients:
8# 2-Row
0.3125 Biscuit malt
0.5# Crystal 40L
---total grain bill 8.8125#


Hop Schedule:
0.25 oz Columbus @ 60'
0.25 oz Columbus @ 45
0.5 oz Citra @ 30'
0.25 oz Cascade @15'
0.5 oz Citra @ 0'

Yeast:
WLP 001 (via 0.5 L starter)
-Second use

Stats:
OG: 1.041 (estimated); 1.045 (measured)
FG: 1.010 (estimated); 1.010 (measured)
ABV: 4.1% (estimated); 4.6% (measured)


Brewing Steps:

• Heated 2.8 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 163 degrees
• Target mash temperature 152; volume at 1.25 quarts/pound
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations
• Added water to mash tun first (water, then grains)
• Mashed 60 minutes
• Did not stir
• After 60 minutes lautered into bucket (to measure volume)
• Lautered over about 7 minutes
• Heated 5 (about) gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun
• Took 0.3 gallon off Sparge Pal calculation 
• Let sit for 10 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.25 gallons
• Volume may have been slightly above 6.25 gallons
• Had ~1/4 gallon left (maybe slightly more)
• Boiled for 60 minutes
• Kept fairly vigorous boil going
• Added hops
• Chilled
• Pitched yeast and aerated wort 
• Pitched yeast from starter
• Poured into fermenting bucket 
• Ferment about 2 weeks 

Notes:
-Trying to make citrusy pale ale that we can drink during tailgating/football games, and drink it all day without dying.
---- Name is $20 for 5 gallons of beer --> cheaper than buying Natty or Coors.
---- Hops + specialty grains cost $6.29.

June 21st, 2015 - Lagunitas Maxiums (clone)

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Lagunitas Maximus clone (Austin Brewhouse recipe)

Batch 46

Ingredients:
13# 2-Row
0.5# Carapils
---total grain bill 13.5#


Hop Schedule:
3 oz Centennial 60'
1 oz Cascade 30'
3 oz Cascade 0'

Yeast:
WLP 001 (via 1 L starter)
-New vial

Stats:
OG: 1.074 (estimated); 1.072 (measured)
FG: 1.011 (estimated); 1.010 (measured)
ABV: 8.3% (estimated); 8.1% (measured)


Brewing Steps:

• Heated 4.2 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 163 degrees
• Target mash temperature 150; volume at 1.25 quarts/pound
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations
• Added water to mash tun first (water, then grains)
• Mashed 60 minutes
• Did not stir
• After 60 minutes lautered into bucket (to measure volume)
• Lautered over about 7 minutes
• Heated 4.2 (about) gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun
• Took 0.3 gallon off Sparge Pal calculation 
• Let sit for 10 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.25 gallons
• Had ~1/2 gallon left (maybe slightly more)
• Boiled for 60 minutes
• Kept fairly vigorous boil going
• Added hops
• Chilled
• Pitched yeast and aerated wort 
• Pitched yeast from starter
• Poured into fermenting bucket 
• Ferment about 2 weeks 
• Fermenting freezer out, using swamp cooler with t-shirt over bucket

Notes:
-Second time making this recipe

May 3, 2015 - Movin' on Saison

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Movin' On Saison (HT recipe)

Batch 45

Ingredients:
Rahr US Pilsner Mal
Castle CaraBlonde
Weyermann Wheat Malt
---total grain bill 9.25#


Hop Schedule:
Hallertau (Wakata) Hops

Saison Yeast Blend

Stats:
OG: 1.048 (estimated); 1.045 (measured)
FG: 1.011 (estimated); 1.003 (measured)
ABV: 4.8% (estimated); 5.5% (measured)


Brewing Steps:

• Heated 2.7 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 163 degrees
• Target mash temperature 152; volume at 1.25 quarts/pound
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations
• Added water to mash tun first (water, then grains)
• Mashed 60 minutes
• Did not stir
• After 60 minutes lautered into bucket (to measure volume)
• Lautered over about 7 minutes
• Heated 5.5 (about) gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun
• Took 0.3 gallon off Sparge Pal calculation 
• Let sit for 10 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.25 gallons
• Had 1/4 - 1/3 gallon left
• Boiled for 60 minutes
• Kept fairly vigorous boil going
• Added hops
• Chilled
• Pitched yeast and aerated wort 
• Pitched yeast from starter
• Poured into fermenting bucket 
• Ferment about 2 weeks (on front poor or in garage)

Notes:
-Second time making this recipe (made as second batch ever as extract)
-Secondary 6/5. Gravity 1.004
-Kegged 6/27

Note - used Saison Yeast Blend that gave it a dry finish (not fruity). Need to use the right Belgian Saison yeast to make it taste more like a true saison.

April 4th, 2015 - Overachiever IPA (SCBC)

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Mosaic IPA (SCBC original recipe)

Batch 44

Ingredients:
11# 2-row
1.5# German Vienna
0.5# Caramel 40L
0.5# Caramel 80L
---total grain bill 13.5#


Hop Schedule:
1 oz mosaic @ 60'
0.5 oz mosaic @ 30'
1 oz cascade @ 20'
0.5 oz cascade @ 5'
1 oz mosaic @ 0'
Dry: 1.5 oz mosaic

Omega Yeast Labs New Jersey Ale (OYL-045)

Stats:
OG: 1.067 (estimated); 1.066 (measured) [estimated 70% efficiency]
FG: 1.016 (estimated); 1.007 (measured)
ABV: 6.7% (estimated); 7.7% (measured)
Estimated IBU 79.75, SRM 10.21
Brewersfriend.com for calculations

Brewing Steps:

• Heated 3.9 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 165 degrees
• Target mash temperature 152; volume at 1.25 quarts/pound
• Used Sparge Pal app for volume calculations
• Original temperature about 148; added 1/2-2/3g of boiling water and raised temperature to 152/153 degrees
• Added water to mash tun first (water, then grains)
• Mashed 75 minutes
• Stirred twice (50' and 25')
• After 75 minutes lautered into bucket (to measure volume)
• Lautered over about 7 minutes
• Heated 3.5 (about) gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun
• Took 0.3 gallon off Sparge Pal calculation 
• Let sit for 10 minutes, then lautered until we had about 6.25 gallons
• Had 0 volume left
• Boiled for 60 minutes
• Kept fairly vigorous boil going
• Added hops
• Chilled
• Pitched yeast and aerated wort 
• Pitched yeast from starter
• Poured into fermenting bucket 
• Ferment about 2 weeks then rack to secondary x 2-4 weeks
• Plan for dry hop x 7 days once in secondary

Notes:
-Second SCBC recipe
-Modeled after a Northern Brewer recipe online and another one randomly on the internet; both used a British Ale Yeast
-Put into secondary 5/3/15
-Kegged 6/13/15
-Tasted 6/21/15 - awesome. Named it "overachiever" because we definitely overachieved on this recipe for it being the 2nd SCBC original recipe

February 2015 - Chest Freezer Upgrade

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

 Upgrading fermentation chest freezer

Wanted to upgrade the look of the fermentation chest freezer.

Used reclaimed palette wood for the outside, and 2x4 for the base and frame.

Had to put posts to mount the palette wood; chest freezer fit into frame with 1.5" of extra space on each side to allow for ventilation.

Front is done, but still have to do the sides. Plan on leaving space open on the side for the compressor vents. Sitting on wheels, so open below to allow for more ventilation (overhang of palette wood covers most of the wheels).

Haven't decided plans for the lid, but thinking tin/metal.