Grapes of Wrath Special Ale

Grapes of Wrath all grain


A ProMash Recipe Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 22.25
Anticipated OG: 1.125 Plato: 29.16
Anticipated SRM: 24.1
Anticipated IBU: 46.2
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
78.7 17.50 lbs. Pilsener Belgium 1.037 2
1.1 0.25 lbs. Special B Malt Belgian 1.030 120
2.2 0.50 lbs. CaraMunich Malt Belgium 1.033 75
3.4 0.75 lbs. Aromatic Malt Belgium 1.036 25
4.5 1.00 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
10.1 2.25 lbs. Piloncillo Sugar Mexico 1.046 75

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Perle Pellet 7.60 27.2 60 min.
1.00 oz. Hallertauer Pellet 3.50 6.4 30 min.
1.00 oz. Willamette Whole 5.50 9.1 30 min.
0.50 oz. Fuggle Pellet 4.10 2.0 15 min.
0.75 oz. Czech Saaz Pellet 3.50 1.6 2 min.


Yeast
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WYeast 3787 Trappist High Gravity


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain Lbs: 22.25
Water Qts: 27.81 - Before Additional Infusions
Water Gal: 6.95 - Before Additional Infusions

Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.25 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 152 Time: 60
Mash-out Rest Temp : 170 Time: 10
Sparge Temp : 170 Time: 10





Notes
-----

Primary fermentation - 2 months @ 72°

Secondary fermentation - 6 months @ 72°
°

Brewed two 5 gal batches and after 8 months, racked into 15 gal Bordeaux
barrel and blended with 5 gal "Gilda" Flanders Style Red containing Bretta
nomyces Lambicus, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus.

Don, man...this is a nice beer. I just opened the bottle you brought down in March. The Bordeaux is coming through nicely, balanced very well with the Flanders...This is some fine work. Pic does no justice at all to the coloring...find job!

Wow, thanks for the kind words!

I have a bottle chilling in the fridge now. My Brother-in Law is in town so we'll be sampling later tonight. I absolutely love this beer! I must make more, that barrel is just sitting there waiting.

I'm extremely happy to be the proud recipient of a bottle of this fine brew. 'topia - I know this has been aged for quite some time already. Do you recommend laying it down for a while longer or sampling sometime in the near future?

I struggled with this Yuri...It's been screaming at me for almost 3 months. I had to give in...A little more oak coming through in the second pour. Damn good though.

I'll be bringing my bottle to NHC this weekend to share with fellow HBT'ers. I can't wait to try this, Don. :rockin:

NO! Save it for July!!!!

Kilted Brewer said:

Don, man...this is a nice beer. I just opened the bottle you brought down in March. The Bordeaux is coming through nicely, balanced very well with the Flanders...This is some fine work. Pic does no justice at all to the coloring...find job!

Click to expand...

+1. I opened my bottle a few weeks ago. Fine work is an understatement. You've really got to get another batch going on this Brewtopia!

Looks great, but I would expect nothing else from Brewtopia..

This beer is simply awesome. I had no idea it was 14,5%.

The lactic is placed perfectly and the oak is subtle but giving you that smidgen of "hmmm, that's nice...what is it?" (I didn't know exactly what this beer was when I tried it).

Great job, I'm now thinking of scaling up my Flanders so I can use some of that in this brew.

the_bird said:

NO! Save it for July!!!!

Click to expand...

I did! But just barely made it into July before I had to open it! Tasting notes:

Appearance:
After wrestling with the cork for an agonizingly long time, it opened with a slight hiss. Murky mahogany brown. A little fizz during the pour, settling to a very thin ring of bubbles. Almost no head.

Aroma:
Very lambic. Strong sour apple with sweet dark fruit and a slight medicinal twinge. Very intriguing, especially since I'm not well educated in sour beer.

Flavor:
Wow is this complex! The first sip REALLY opens up the nose, bringing out some wood and slight, sweet floral notes. The sour apple from the aroma is subtle, but cherry and raisin are very prominent. Molasses and deep caramel round out the sweet notes, then a distinct lambic sourness washes across the back of the tongue. Though I know this was extensively barrel aged, the oak is VERY subdued. Definite medicinal phenols in the finish, but they're oddly almost welcome rather than off-putting.

Mouthfeel:
Very well executed. Clearly full bodied, but lightly carbonated with relatively light mouthfeel for such a big beer.

Overall:
This is a fantastic beer. It's so ridiculously complex that every sip keeps you extremely interested, searching for more flavors and subtleties. This was a perfect way to celebrate settling on a new house. 'topia, you better make this a house specialty, brewed by small batch for limited release at least biannually.

Great review. Wish my pallet was as knowledgeable as yours.

Wow this stuff looks delicious!

Somehow I neglected to add my tasting notes after NHC '08, but this is absolutely the best beer I've ever had the pleasure of drinking.

I'm here reviewing the recipe in a feeble attempt to quasi-recreate it.

Don - if you still check in and you see this, I want to be on the recipient list for the next batch. Hell, I want a case of this stuff. :rockin:

Bump-


Drool.


Thats all.

I'm attempting to clone this. It's feeble, I know... I don't have a barrel to age it in, and I'm not Brewtopia.

If it turns out halfway decent I'll post my recipe and the pics I've taken along the way.

The Flanders is approaching 1 year old and will get blended with the Belgian Quintuple this weekend. American light oak chips soaked in a blend of fine Bourbon and Scotch will be introduced as well.

This beer should be ready to drink sometime next summer.

ohiobrewtus said:

If it turns out halfway decent I'll post my recipe and the pics I've taken along the way.

Click to expand...

And remember to send a bottle to your friends?

YooperBrew said:

And remember to send a bottle to your friends?

Click to expand...

Possibly, if my friends ever pay up.