Owly055
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- Feb 28, 2014
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My first step in working toward a very high alcohol brew, called Rocket Fuel #1 (tongue in cheek) has been in the secondary phase of fermentation for about 4 days now. Current and probably FG is 1.015. It will go into cold crash around Tuesday. ABV works out to approximately 11% ABV, and drinking the hydrometer sample leaves you with a pretty good buzz!! (I'm a lightweight).
RF1 was brewed with 6 pounds of dark munich 20 (German), which should have given me an OG of 1.065. I missed significantly at 1.058 due to an accident with my immersion chiller that resulted in tap water diluting the wort ;-(. 2.5 pounds of invert sugar syrup were added during the ferment. In spite of the "disaster", I'm at 11% Magnum for bittering, and Calliente and Nelson Sauvin for flavor and aroma, .5 ounce each, with the latter two at 5 minutes, and an IBU of 55
Flavor is rich and body is substantial with a perception of sweetness in spite of the FG. Hops are bold and a bit brash at this point, and the presence of alcohol is very forward and distinct.... It is well named as "rocket fuel" at this point. As a whisky drinker who NEVER mixes anything with a whiskey, I do not find this offensive, but it needs to be toned down a bit. I suspect that a wino down on Skid Row would set aside his bottle of Thunderbird, or his hankie with a blob of Sterno for this in a heartbeat. It tastes good, and goes down with a pleasant warmth like a nice shot of bourbon, scotch, rum, cognac, etc.
Clearly it needs aging to make it slip through the palette without warning you that it is going to "kick your ass". Right now it says "drink me and I'll kick your ass". But it has the body and flavor presence to make the "kick your ass" presence disappear into to the medley of impressions that make up any beer. I do want a lighter body. The alcohol itself lends a perception of sweetness and body exceeding what a normal beer with this grain bill would have.
H.W.
RF1 was brewed with 6 pounds of dark munich 20 (German), which should have given me an OG of 1.065. I missed significantly at 1.058 due to an accident with my immersion chiller that resulted in tap water diluting the wort ;-(. 2.5 pounds of invert sugar syrup were added during the ferment. In spite of the "disaster", I'm at 11% Magnum for bittering, and Calliente and Nelson Sauvin for flavor and aroma, .5 ounce each, with the latter two at 5 minutes, and an IBU of 55
Flavor is rich and body is substantial with a perception of sweetness in spite of the FG. Hops are bold and a bit brash at this point, and the presence of alcohol is very forward and distinct.... It is well named as "rocket fuel" at this point. As a whisky drinker who NEVER mixes anything with a whiskey, I do not find this offensive, but it needs to be toned down a bit. I suspect that a wino down on Skid Row would set aside his bottle of Thunderbird, or his hankie with a blob of Sterno for this in a heartbeat. It tastes good, and goes down with a pleasant warmth like a nice shot of bourbon, scotch, rum, cognac, etc.
Clearly it needs aging to make it slip through the palette without warning you that it is going to "kick your ass". Right now it says "drink me and I'll kick your ass". But it has the body and flavor presence to make the "kick your ass" presence disappear into to the medley of impressions that make up any beer. I do want a lighter body. The alcohol itself lends a perception of sweetness and body exceeding what a normal beer with this grain bill would have.
H.W.