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HalfPint · 04-22-2010, 01:37 AM

Alright, I've never brewed a beer like this, but I think I'm going to give it a shot.

This is what I'm thinking-

Use your original grain bill, but with a couple of differences. First, I'll run off about 8 gallons and boil it down to around 5.5 gallons. Second, I'll add hops to achieve 100 Ibu's. I will make a 2 L starter of some washed S-05 decant and step up with another 2L twice. What do you think about pitching some champagne yeast at around 1.040 and letting it go till it gets to around 1.020. Once it hits 1.020 or so, I'll cold crash and rack to secondary for a bit of aging?

I think the added Ibu's will really help with the higher alcohol content I'll get from the champagne yeast. If I achieve a Fg of 1.020 with an OG of 1.120, I'll get around 13% ABV.

This would be a huge beer, but I think with a bit of aging (maybe 6 months-1 year), it would be AMAZING.

Comments??

Thanks,
J

**r2eng** · 04-22-2010, 02:07 AM

I would tend to disagree that IBU's help with alcohol content...

Keep in mind that a beer this big needs balance: balance between IBU's and alcohol AND malt. I think the champagne yeast would make this beer hot. Drier beers bring out the bitterness, and the roasted malts add some bitterness, too.

Skip the champagne yeast and you have a great plan. IMO

**greenbirds** · 04-22-2010, 03:54 AM

This beer scored a 41 (avg) in the Florida Sunshine Challenge competition. Beer was 5 months old at this time. I'm going to enter it one more time in a different competition at 10 months to see how it does with more aging. From a National rank judge:

Aroma: grainy, raisins, alcohol is hot, some sherry notes, no hops 10/12

Appearance: Dark brown, low tan head, good legs 1/3

Flavor: big raisin-like malt flavor, almost port-like but balanced by hop and alcohol, fruitiness lingers throughout the aftertaste 17/20

Mouthfeel: Full body, very chewy, very warming 5/5

Overall Impression: Well made beer the raisin character in the malt is really nice, would be a great night cap beer 9/10

Total: 42/50

My personal opinion pretty much mirrors this. Thanks r2eng for the recipe, very nice beer.

**r2eng** · 04-22-2010, 04:08 AM

WAY cool!

I have found that this beer goes through an interesting curve: Nice balance at first (2-4 months old), then gets sweet and almost cloying from 4-8 months, and past 8 months (especially at 1 year +), turns into something you'd sell you wife to get. Well, not quite sell the wife...

Congrats greenbirds! Keep in mind that the recipe does not make the beer... the brewer does. It's your 42, not mine.

HalfPint · 04-23-2010, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r2eng

I would tend to disagree that IBU's help with alcohol content...

Keep in mind that a beer this big needs balance: balance between IBU's and alcohol AND malt. I think the champagne yeast would make this beer hot. Drier beers bring out the bitterness, and the roasted malts add some bitterness, too.

Skip the champagne yeast and you have a great plan. IMO

Thanks for the advice.

Hmm, so you think that 100 IBU's is going to produce a more balanced beer, or should I stick with the 80 or so you had in the OP?

**r2eng** · 04-23-2010, 02:51 AM

I would up it to 100.

Keep in mind, with such a big OG, the hop utilization goes way down.

I am picking up the grain to re-brew this one and will post the results. Maybe I'll take photos this time!

HalfPint · 04-23-2010, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r2eng

I would up it to 100.

Keep in mind, with such a big OG, the hop utilization goes way down.

I am picking up the grain to re-brew this one and will post the results. Maybe I'll take photos this time!

Pictures would be awesome. Hey, I'm not sure if you already said this, but what size MLT do you have?

**r2eng** · 04-23-2010, 03:33 AM

It's a 64qt Igloo Maxcold with a CPVC manifold.

I also like to mash with more water now, too. I will be really full this time.

HalfPint · 04-23-2010, 02:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r2eng

It's a 64qt Igloo Maxcold with a CPVC manifold.

I also like to mash with more water now, too. I will be really full this time.

Hmm, well I have a 48 qt MLT. The biggest mash I've ever done had around 26.5 lbs of grain (Double batch of http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f126/bee-cave-brewery-robust-porter-56768/). It was very full, but it seemed to work out ok. I actually was over my expected OG and hit my temps perfectly.

**motobrewer** · 11-30-2010, 02:35 PM

resurrecting...

did you ever rebrew this with more hops?

what was the change?

also, was this really mashed at 158F?