An Attempt at Honey Brown

I have to say that rehydrating the yeast was well worth the time and effort involved as fermentation started about 45min - 1hr after pitching. We transfered this to the secondary this past Sunday, took a sample hydrometer reading, I think we forgot to take an OG reading, well I wanted to see what the gravity reading was after a 7 day fermentation and it's down to 1.016 now. I will also note I didn't want to waste the sample and my co-brewer and I had a taste from the sample and it was mighty fine. Should be priming and bottling this weekend, should be ready just in time for Super Bowl Sunday.

Any feedback, suggestions, etc.... are appreciated.

DTA Honey Brew
A ProMash Recipe Report
BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------
10-C American Ale, American Brown Ale
Min OG: 1.045 Max OG: 1.060
Min IBU: 20 Max IBU: 48
Min Clr: 18 Max Clr: 35 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 5.00 Wort Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Extract (Lbs): 11.04
Anticipated OG: 1.0795 Plato: 19.227
Anticipated SRM: 19.8
Anticipated IBU: 51.4
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------
Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 5.88 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.0676 SG 16.51 Plato

Formulas Used
-------------
Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used. Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Garetz

Additional Utilization Used For Plug Hops: 2 %
Additional Utilization Used For Pellet Hops: 10 %

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
4.5 0.50 lbs. Pale Chocolate Malt GR601 1.0295 225
4.5 0.50 lbs. CaraRed GR452 America 1.0350 20
13.6 1.50 lbs. Clover Honey Generic 1.0350 0
18.1 2.00 lbs. Rice Extract DME50 Generic 1.0400 0
59.2 6.54 lbs. Alexander LME - ME10 America 1.0370 14

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Amarillo Gold Pellet 8.90 14.1 30 min.
2.00 oz. Galena Pellet 13.00 0.0 10 min.
1.00 oz. Galena Pellet 13.00 37.3 60 min.
2.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 4.75 0.0 5 min.

Extras
Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 Unit(s)Whirlfloc Fining 10 Min.(boil)

Yeast
-----
2 - 11.5gr Danstar Nottingham

Water Profile
-------------
Profile: Middeltown,CT
Profile known for:

Calcium(Ca): 9.0 ppm
Magnesium(Mg): 4.0 ppm
Sodium(Na): 6.7 ppm
Sulfate(SO4): 6.4 ppm
Chloride(Cl): 16.1 ppm
biCarbonate(HCO3): 8.5 ppm
pH: 8.15

Notes
-----
Grains in @ 4:37 , 100F, for 30mins
(start time is wrong) steeped to 160F
rolling boil @4:48pm, flame out - malt and rice in

rolling boil 5:05pm, first hops in.
(start 60min boil)
Honey in w/ 5 min left to boil.
rehydrate yeast while cooling.
acclimated yeast to temp of wort.
Pitched yeast ~ 80F

While it will be bottled and primed by SB sunday it would definetely benefit from some further aging...that is a big bad-ass brown

If you were seeing airlock activity within 45-60min of pitching that was likely because your beer was warmer then ambient temperature and the expanding air in your carboy was escaping. Your yeast need to use up the oxygen in the beer before they start fermenting, they then need to saturate the beer with CO2 before it comes out of solution and bubbles out of your beer. Both take time. I do note that you pitched an appropriate amount of yeast and by rehydrating properly gve your yeast the best opportunity to create a good beer - as demonstrated by your good attenuation. Keep it up.

GT