Beer 2013.07

Overview

Style: Belgian Golden Ale with Hibiscus and honey
Codename: Amber Hare Golden Belgian
Brewmaster: Eric Stein
Type: All-grain
Expected Original Gravity: ?
Expected Final Gravity: ?
Expected ABV: ? %
Initial Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.008
ABV: 5.25%
Brewed: 5/19/2013
Racked: ?/?/2013
Kegged: ?/?/2013
First served: ?/?/2013
Last served: ?/?/2013

Brew Participants

Those who stuck through thick and thin:

Eric S
Donna B
James L
Kris Huisinga
Matt Triano
Essam Khairullah

Brewing

Mash

Grain Bill:

4 pounds belgian pilsner
2 pounds organic 2row
1 pound belgian cara 45
4 oz caramel 20L

Mash Schedule:

Type: Single step in insulated mash tun, no heating
10.5 qt water at 165F
Target temp: 152F
Actual temp: 151.5F
Start pH: ?
Time: 70 mins
Start Mash: 4:06pm
End Mash: ?pm
End temp: ?F
End pH: ?

Sparge

Started cycling the mash water in pre-sparge at ?pm

5.25 gal
Target temp: 168F

Boil

60 minute boil
5 gallons expected at end of boil
Boil start 6:43pm
40mins from end: 6oz raw sugar, 4.2 oz wildflower honey
3 oz of dried hibiscus flowers 30mins from end
0.4 oz czech saaz at 26 mins from end
0.4 oz czech saaz at 16 mins from end
Boil end 7:46pm
Measured 1.048 gravity after boil

Taste after Boil

The hoppiness was quite low as expected, a nice honeyed taste with some sourness that carries an aftertaste. Of course, the ginger and chamomile isn't in there, so this isn't that representative!

Fermenting

Primary ferment: Plastic tub
Pitch Wyeast 1214 belgian abbey
Ferment temp set point: 62F, but the beer chilling system is currently down due to power issues. Eric will try to resolve this soon.

Extract Addition

7 grams ginger, chopped 4 chamomile teabags (not sure of grams) 125mL vodka 4 cycles in 250mL soxhlet extractor at hard boil

How much of this is to be added is yet to be determined, we have about 100mL of result, lost 10% to spillage and tasting so far.

Tasting at Rack

Kegging

Kegged on ?/?/2013 into Keg ?

Tasting Notes

Source

Eric made this up with the help of Donna. The team came up with some modifications after we started working! Yeah.

Photos