This go around, it is my imperial IPA, Awesome Sauce IPA,
which sits comfortably at an OG of 1.085 and 85 IBUs (on paper). This was not
the actual recipe I wanted to make, unfortunately, because what I had written
was nearly an all-grain batch, and I still do not have a mash-tun for my grains
(next year, I swear!). I altered my recipe to match what I could make and my
wallet could survive, which turned out to be a twist on a kit that was
reasonably priced.
Coren was along for the ride on this one, which is turning
out to be a typical occurrence, as she is regularly turning into my muse. I
wanted to mention here that I really appreciate her for sticking it out with me
when I’m brewing, which I’m sure is not the most fun for her. Thanks Cocoa!
So, let’s talk about this brew. This is a monster of a beer,
as you can tell just by the stats, but the grain bill really tells the story. I
came in at just over 10 lbs. for the overall amount of fermentables going into
this batch, not to mention 6 oz. of hops during the boil and 1 oz. for dry
hopping. Yikes, that is almost enough to stand up and salute you!
The product couldn’t have come together any cleaner, as it
was all part of the now established process. I think Coren is right about me
being more comfortable with each successive batch, which makes the process so
much more enjoyable.
By the time I finished, I had it all said and done in easy
3.5 hours and felt pretty satisfied. The color, a nice amber color, is exactly
what I was aiming for and the hops mingled together nicely, even if they were
not the particular varieties I originally had incorporated into the recipe.
To ensure this big of a batch was managed properly, I
downplayed some of the fermentables by only adding half of the rock sugar at
flame out, which will be rejoined with the other half right about the peak of
fermentation (dissolved in some boiling water and cooled, of course). This was
something I picked up online as a way to ensure the yeast had a chance to make
it through the growth phase, which I suppose was already in action for a while,
but I saw no harm in it. Additionally, I made a growler’s worth of a yeast
starter with the dry yeast it came with and pitched a smack pack of liquid
yeast (Wyeast rules!), just because of how big of a batch this was.
The fermentation was not only active when I got up the
following morning, but I had a full blown krausen-saurus on my hands! Anyone
that needs advice on the use of a blow-out hose, let me advise you thusly:
ALWAYS USE ONE! If I hadn’t, the brew room would have several ounces of ruined
beer all over it.
When I get home, I’m going to probably set up the rest of
the rock sugar and pitch it. As of now, I’m pretty happy with this run, but I
want to make my recipe next time, so be prepared for this one to make another
appearance in 2013 with a whole different profile.
As always, drink well and be merry. Slainte!
Update 1: Ok, hands down, this was the best fermentation I have ever had. It lasted at a good rate for well over 5 days, and really only slowed down at the 1 week mark. This was all thanks to adding the extra candi sugar I had left over, which probably puts my OG at closer to 1.080. I wasn't willing to risk taking a sample with such an aggressive fermentation, so we will have to wait and see.
Update 2: The fermentation FINALLY is done, and I gave it another 3 days to settle down and get some of the secondary fermentation done. As soon as it was done, I moved it over to my secondary and added the rose & heather flowers. I also added one more ounce of Citra for dry hopping, so watch out!
Update 3: The flowers were in for about 5 days when I removed them (so much easier in a muslin bag). I let the hops stick around for a full week before I trainsfered it to the secondary FV. I am looking to bottle this in just about a week or 10 days, allowing the flavors to calm themselves beforehand. I'm hoping for something around 9% ABV, so here is hoping!
Update 4: The brew is in the bottles, and even if I did this one on my own (my decision, so don't give Coren a hard time), it went really quickly. I ended up with a yield that was probably closer to 5.5 gal, but I think the ABV is going to be near the 8.5-9% mark, with the possibility of hitting over 9% (I'm smiling as I type this line). The aroma, taste, and color of this couldn't have possibly made me happier. In one week, I'll test the carbonation progress and most likely be putting these in the fridge. Can someone please speed up time/give me a kegging system so I can stop waiting so long?
