September 16, 2017: Apple Pie Brew Day

Ah, winter is coming. So it is time to brew before the weather is too cold and the wind is too sharp to monitor our brew kettle outside. The amber we brewed back in July kicked a couple of weeks ago and Jess had to bring a 1/6 home from work to fill the void (The Post Brewing Company, Big Rosie Porter).

This time around we are trying an oatmeal cream-style ale. Adjuncts will be apples and cinnamon added at secondary to provide some traditional apple pie flavors. A slightly higher mash temperature, closer to what one would expect of porters, will provide a sweetness on the palate due to unfermentable sugars.

Grain bill:

• 7 lb 2-Row (domestic)
• 1.5 lb flaked oats
• 1 lb Maris Otter
• 1 lb Caramunich I

Hops (Pellet) and other boil/whirlpool additions:

• 0.5 oz  Magnum 10.8% alpha acids (60 minutes)
• 0.5 oz Centennial 6.3% alpha acids (Whrilpool)
• 1 oz Calypso 8.6% alpha acids (Whirlpool)

Yeast:

• Wyeast 2565 Kolsch; Lot #: 0637206; mfg: 07/25/17

Brew Record: 20170916BR

Comments:

Check out the brew record linked above for the nitty gritty brew day details.

The mash tun has found a new home – a shop cart. The mash tun is very heavy and we struggled to lift it to the top of the brew tree in July. Better to leave it lower and use the pumps.

We lost more heat than we expected during mash-in. The mash temperature, which was 4 degrees lower than the desired target, will result in more fermentable sugars and a drier beer. Not the end of the world, but there will be some sweetness lost that would help emulate apple pie flavors.

Whirfloc was not added. It listed on the brew sheet, but was completely overlooked.

We also lost more volume to the bottom of the brew kettle – approximately 1 gallon. This is something to keep in mind for our future recipe calculations.

Malt can be used as prop on model train tables.

Efficiency:

72.9%, lower than the 75% for the Amber. These are significant drop-offs from what we experienced in Loveland. So what gives? An educated guess points to the water profile, with solid money betting on low calcium (check out this post on why water matters). A water testing kit may be on the to purchase list.

What the future (does not) holds

• The brew shed has been postponed. We brewed in the mouth of the garage and kept the door open. The wind issues we experienced when we brewed the amber were eliminated and we were not overcome with propane exhaust fumes (woohoo!). So for the time being, money shall be saved and the brew shed will not be built.
• Water analysis. Because if there is a way to be nerdier about home brewing, this is it.
• Purchase more valves. Still needs to be done. The requisition department is slow.

Gallery