TripSix recipe

This is still a recipe in flux, but it's pretty much what I'm thinking of brewing soon (perhaps the first brew of the new year, 2011)... This is an extract recipe.

Target volume of brew/wort: 5 gallons
Boil time: 90 minutes total
Grain steep time: 15 minutes at ~160F

13.2#s Dark LME
8 oz Chocolate Malt
6 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt (Dark)
4 oz Roasted Barley
7#s WildFlower honey
1 oz Cascade hops (7.4% AA) 66 minute boil time
1 oz Goldings, East Kent hops (4.5% AA) 30 minute boil time
1 oz Fullges (4.8% AA) 5 minute boil time
1 package Wyeast Labs #1084 yeast (with starter) for primary ferment
1 package Lalvin EC-1118 yeast for secondary ferment, with starter (if needed).

Plan to add the honey once the wort has cooled to, or just below, 110F. Thinking of using the yeast cake from a porter that's fermenting now (using the same yeast). If the schedules sync up correctly. I might end up racking the current brew off to secondary, and reserve the sludge to use later (should be within the time frame where it would still be viable).

Planning to age over bourbon, or brandy, soaked oak chips for a spell too. Debating aging over a (one or two) split and scraped vanilla bean(s) too. Plan to sample often enough to obtain the desired flavor profile with the aging elements. Also thinking that I'll probably bulk age this for a while before bottling it... Or age some in a 2.5 or 3 gallon corny keg, and bottle the rest after a couple of months (putting into the keg and bottles at the same time). Then let them age/rest until fall 2011 and sample...

As my 'normal' process at this time, I'll be priming with honey (3.666 ounces ), not sugar. Target CO2 volume is 2.0.

Beer Smith estimates OG: 1.144; FG: 1.035; ABV: 14.41%, IBU: 31.6, Color: 36.2

I'm not pegging this as any existing, or normal, style... Going with 'monster brew' for that...

i think monster might be an understatement...

Well, it's 'calling card' is three sixes after all...

Due to the malt to honey ratio, it doesn't qualify as a braggot... Not sure if it would qualify as a barley wine either... With the estimated ABV of over 14% it should have a good kick (with spiked, steel toed boots )...

Not to resurrect an old thread, but why not? Since I'm no longer brewing extract (went all grain some time ago) I figured I'd post the updated recipe.

Batch size: 6 gallons (into primary, goal is to fill two 2.5 gallon kegs)

28# Pale Malt, Maris Otter
1# Briess Smoked Malt (cherry wood smoked, from Rebel Brewer)
1# Honey Malt
.5# Rice Hulls
2oz Northdown hops (9.60% AA) - boil 60 minutes
2oz EKG hops (6.10% AA) - boil 15 minutes
3 tsp yeast nutrient
1 tsp Irish Moss
4.39# honey added into primary
2 pkg White Labs WLP099 (three step starter due to yeast age)
4oz medium toast Hungarian oak cubes added after fermentation is complete. Aged for 2-4 months.

Estimated OG: 1.140
Estimated FG: 1.017
Bitterness: 60.2 IBU

Planning to perform a caramelizing boil with about 4 gallons of the collected wort to add color, and such.

Mash at 156F for 90 minutes using total of 38 qts water.
Sparge with 6-7 gallons to gather enough wort for caramelizing boil.

This batch is planned for the weekend of the 27th (10/27/12 or 10/28/12) depending on the weather where I am. I also might adjust the honey addition depending on my post boil gravity reading. IF I do well, I might not add it at all. Or I'll add less.

Planning up to about 3 months in primary, then 2-4 months aging on oak before transferring to serving keg. Hoping to have this ready for drinking by the fall 2013. So, about a year from now. With any luck at all, it will be strong, and epic in a glass. Of course, it's not something you'll slam back by the pint.

Updated the recipe to the actual ingredients used in the batch. Ended up with more post boil than I had expected, so the OG is lower (showing below). Mash efficiency was higher though, which is a good thing. IF I had more daylight, I would have boiled longer. I did do a caramelizing boil starting with about 3.5 gallons, getting down to maybe 1 gallon.

Actual OG: 1.130
Adjusted IBUs: 54.1
Estimated ABV: 15.3% (bummed on this part).

Due to getting about 7.5 gallons in my 7.75 gallon fermenter, I've fitted it with a blowoff assembly. I also gave it 3 minutes of pure O2 at 1.5LpM for the first infusion. I'll check on it tonight before getting to bed, and then tomorrow morning and during the day. Hoping the FG is between 1.015 and 1.020.

Next time I make something THIS big, I'll have to get started earlier. OR do it when there's more daylight. OR be brewing where lack of sunlight will no longer be an issue.

Now all that's left to do is see how it ferments and then age it as planned. In ~10-12 months, I'll keg it up to carbonate (might bottle half, it's a long way off). I do think I'll make something big again come spring time. When the days are longer, so I'll have more time to work with.