slowpoke cerveza (cream ale)
brewed: 24/02/14
pitched: 24/02/14
bottled: 11/03/14
subsequent batch info: n/a
ingredients:
2.38kg joe white traditional ale
11gm galena (pellets, 12 aa%, 60 mins)
11.5gm DCL yeast US-05 - american ale
420gm pre-cooked polenta
1 tablet whirlfloc
0.5 teaspoon yeast nutrient
3gm amylase enzyme
process:
20L batch, single infusion, no sparge, mash in 64C for 90 mins, plate chilled, 16C fermentation, enzyme added with yeast when pitched, 2C cold crash
estimated OG: 1.030
actual OG: 1.032
estimated FG: 1.000
actual FG: 1.000
%AbV: 4.7% bottled - 4.5% estimated
australian standard drinks (1 x 340mL glass): 1.4 - 1.3 estimated
ibu: 17
brewing notes:
22/01/14 - this bad boy will finally be brewed! has gone through a few line-up (ingredient) changes but i've finally settled on making it a cream ale, not a lager. this will mean it will be ready much sooner. i've changed the recipe literally every day and have now settled on just the polenta adjunct (to add a slight corny taste) and some amylase enzyme to get it really really dry like many of those 'super dry' beers. this will be a beer that can hopefully be thrown back on a hot summer day.
24/02/14 - made this guy today and instant polenta worked a treat. i used about 15% of the grain bill but couldn't get any kind of corn taste straight from the kettle. i'll be keen to taste it during the ferment to see how it fares. i pitched the amylase enzyme when i pitched my yeast so hopefully it revs it up for me and gets the gravity right down to 1.000. very easy brew day. hit all my targets and boil off volumes and pitched at about 23C and it's now on its way to 16C.
08/03/14 - this beer needed longer to ferment down to the right gravity. i checked this morning and it reached 1.000 like i wanted. pretty pumped. had a taste and it's still very very young. once it's bottle conditioned, i think it should be ready to go after about three-ish weeks. can't wait! still seems like such a long time. i hate bottling for that reason!
tasting notes:
17/03/14 - well well well! i've spent today brewing an IPA and it has been super hot. i thought, hmmm, what kind of beer perfectly suits this weather? although it's only been 6 days in the bottle...holy CRAP. this one is a winner. definitely not 100% ready yet but it's shaping up to be a bud or miller or coors lite clone. absolutely stoked. very excited to try this again in a week or two once the secondary fermenting off-flavours subside.
22/03/14 - i really have to learn to be patient. this beer is going down too well at this early stage. i can't fathom how good it will be in a few weeks. it reminds me 100% of a bud lite or coors lite american lager and i couldn't be happier. there is a slight corn aftertaste and it's spot on. slight corn ester and is nicer once warmed up a wee bit due to the us-05 yeast used but damn. SUPER happy that i could produce a slam-it-down, easy-drinking lager style beer in a few weeks with minimal ingredients. very keen to have some feedback on it in coming weeks when it's in full swing.
29/03/14 - tasting them lately they seem to have really dried out a LOT. very thin and very minimal flavour which i liked and wanted, but there is also a need for more 'crispness' that i think i won't be able to get without a lager yeast. i also think it improves in flavour when drunk warmer than straight from coming out of the fridge, which is stereotypical of ales.
05/04/14 - well after a good few weeks it's finally come into its own. tasting a lot more mature now and is now able to be enjoyed cold too. really good beer. will make again for sure, but probably closer to summer next year now that it's getting colder.
24/04/14 - had the last of this bad boy last night. the balance of it has seemed to have dropped off in recent weeks but it's still a very palatable "lighter" style beer. will brew one again but perhaps add a slight touch of crystal or caramalt to give it some moderate backbone.
brew pictures:
pitched: 24/02/14
bottled: 11/03/14
subsequent batch info: n/a
ingredients:
2.38kg joe white traditional ale
11gm galena (pellets, 12 aa%, 60 mins)
11.5gm DCL yeast US-05 - american ale
420gm pre-cooked polenta
1 tablet whirlfloc
0.5 teaspoon yeast nutrient
3gm amylase enzyme
process:
20L batch, single infusion, no sparge, mash in 64C for 90 mins, plate chilled, 16C fermentation, enzyme added with yeast when pitched, 2C cold crash
estimated OG: 1.030
actual OG: 1.032
estimated FG: 1.000
actual FG: 1.000
%AbV: 4.7% bottled - 4.5% estimated
australian standard drinks (1 x 340mL glass): 1.4 - 1.3 estimated
ibu: 17
brewing notes:
22/01/14 - this bad boy will finally be brewed! has gone through a few line-up (ingredient) changes but i've finally settled on making it a cream ale, not a lager. this will mean it will be ready much sooner. i've changed the recipe literally every day and have now settled on just the polenta adjunct (to add a slight corny taste) and some amylase enzyme to get it really really dry like many of those 'super dry' beers. this will be a beer that can hopefully be thrown back on a hot summer day.
24/02/14 - made this guy today and instant polenta worked a treat. i used about 15% of the grain bill but couldn't get any kind of corn taste straight from the kettle. i'll be keen to taste it during the ferment to see how it fares. i pitched the amylase enzyme when i pitched my yeast so hopefully it revs it up for me and gets the gravity right down to 1.000. very easy brew day. hit all my targets and boil off volumes and pitched at about 23C and it's now on its way to 16C.
08/03/14 - this beer needed longer to ferment down to the right gravity. i checked this morning and it reached 1.000 like i wanted. pretty pumped. had a taste and it's still very very young. once it's bottle conditioned, i think it should be ready to go after about three-ish weeks. can't wait! still seems like such a long time. i hate bottling for that reason!
tasting notes:
17/03/14 - well well well! i've spent today brewing an IPA and it has been super hot. i thought, hmmm, what kind of beer perfectly suits this weather? although it's only been 6 days in the bottle...holy CRAP. this one is a winner. definitely not 100% ready yet but it's shaping up to be a bud or miller or coors lite clone. absolutely stoked. very excited to try this again in a week or two once the secondary fermenting off-flavours subside.
22/03/14 - i really have to learn to be patient. this beer is going down too well at this early stage. i can't fathom how good it will be in a few weeks. it reminds me 100% of a bud lite or coors lite american lager and i couldn't be happier. there is a slight corn aftertaste and it's spot on. slight corn ester and is nicer once warmed up a wee bit due to the us-05 yeast used but damn. SUPER happy that i could produce a slam-it-down, easy-drinking lager style beer in a few weeks with minimal ingredients. very keen to have some feedback on it in coming weeks when it's in full swing.
29/03/14 - tasting them lately they seem to have really dried out a LOT. very thin and very minimal flavour which i liked and wanted, but there is also a need for more 'crispness' that i think i won't be able to get without a lager yeast. i also think it improves in flavour when drunk warmer than straight from coming out of the fridge, which is stereotypical of ales.
05/04/14 - well after a good few weeks it's finally come into its own. tasting a lot more mature now and is now able to be enjoyed cold too. really good beer. will make again for sure, but probably closer to summer next year now that it's getting colder.
24/04/14 - had the last of this bad boy last night. the balance of it has seemed to have dropped off in recent weeks but it's still a very palatable "lighter" style beer. will brew one again but perhaps add a slight touch of crystal or caramalt to give it some moderate backbone.
brew pictures: