06.06.06 We should start planning now....

[Dude]

I regard this forum as great fun--I spend a ton of time here and not only enjoy the company but find a ton of knowledge from you guys. That said--I think we should all put our heads together and come up with a recipe for an epic beer that we can all brew and put the official name of "Homebrewtalk" on the label.

We have very knowledgeable folks here, as well as artists, and great personalities--this beer should reflect all of that. I suggest this thread be used as a brainstorm for a recipe idea, then we'll break it off and let anyone interested help design a label and we will all vote on it. Same with a unique name--we'll take suggestions and vote.

Anyway--let the games begin. First let's come up with a recipe.

Personally--I'd like this recipe completed soon--so we have enough time to experiment with brews, and then once we come up with a winner, maybe we can enter it into the NHBC judging in May/June. No one person would take credit for it, it would be from "homebrewtalk", and if the beer does well, maybe put this forum on the map even more.

Anyone interested?

My suggestions on what this beer should be like:

I think it needs to be big. An imperial. 06.06.06 only comes once, so it has to be memorable. I think we need to come up with a unique recipe that hasn't been done. Without getting too over the top--but everyone will have input.

Let's get some suggestions!!!

Me first--I'm thinking an imperial red, nicely hopped and adjuncted heavily with rye maybe? Maybe use a yeast blend from White labs with some unique characteristics?

 

[david_42]

I'd vote for Stiffy: "The bastard child of a Wee Heavy and a Left Coast IPA"

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

great idea dude. this yeast from white labsmight work:
American Ale Yeast Blend
(WLP060)


Our most popular strain is WLP001-California Ale yeast. This blend celebrates the strengths of California - clean, neutral fermentation, versatile usage and adds two other strains that belong in the same" clean/neutral" flavor category. The additional strains create complexity to the finished beer, and will taste more lager like than just WLP001. Hops flavors and bitterness are accentuated, but to the extreme of WLP001. Slight sulfur will be produced during fermentation.
Attenuation: 72-80; Flocculation: medium; Optimum Ferm. Temp: 68-73

or the 10th Ann. Ale yeast from WL.

i like the idea of the imperial American red too......

 

[Dude]

or the 10th Ann. Ale yeast from WL.

My smoked porter was done with that 10th anniversary yeast...great yeast, IMHO. White Labs won't tell me what strains it is though.

Once we get some more brainstorming going--maybe we can narrow down a beer and then get a recipe going. I'm half tempted in my excitement to put one together now and post something....

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

i was already play'n on promash. just throwing stuff together...2-row, crystal 60, munich, special b, rye........

 

[Dude]

i was already play'n on promash. just throwing stuff together...2-row, crystal 60, munich, special b, rye........

Ahh, yes. Sounds like an EXCELLENT start my friend.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

or use pilsner malt and do a decoction to eek out every bit of malty goodness

 

[Dude]

or use pilsner malt and do a decoction to eek out every bit of malty goodness

KISS.....we want the extract brewers to have a fighting chance!!!!

Plus I ain't doin' no decoction crap! Not yet anyway.....

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

KISS.....we want the extract brewers to have a fighting chance!!!!

Plus I ain't doin' no decoction crap! Not yet anyway.....

oh all right then!

you know it would be cool though....

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

I think it definatly needs some pilsenery/sulphurous edge. 666 after all, brimstone and all that. Actually, I like the idea of something red and bitter, we can keep the evilness to naming and labels.

How about 'The Apoc-Ale-Ypse'?

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

I think it definatly needs some pilsenery/sulphurous edge. 666 after all, brimstone and all that.

i like your style

brimstone ale.......nice ring to it..........

 

[God Emporer BillyBrew]

Great idea, I'm in! I am leaning more towards Davids suggestion, though. Just because I'm not real into Stouts right now.

 

[Orfy]

I've only just seen this tread.

Great Idea.

Can it be formulated for AG and exrtact.
It would be good if it could use a general rather than specific yeast type.
And not need difficult techniques.

I'd like to try the AG and Extract versions to compare notes.

 

[autoferret]

I agree that the base should be rye. This is the grain of the four fathers of this country!!!

 

[Brew chick]

Good idea but i don't wont any thing to do with those three numbers....except maybe it should have an og around 1100 (to give a real kick in the backside)

 

[2nd Street Brewery]

I'm in, that's my birthday. I would be brewing anyway.

 

[Toilet Rocker]

This is an awesome idea. I'll see if can I contribute any ideas.

Should we all sample our final product the same day at a designated time and break the most members on at once record to provide real-time results?

 

[SwAMi75]

OK, off the top of my head......

If we're going to go red, let's shoot for something in the dark range.....aka blood red.

OG around 1.075. I'm always down for really big beers, but let's do something that doesn't take ages to finish out.

I'm also thinking something that features Chinook hops, a la Arrogant Bastard. More of a "stock ale" than an Imperial IPA. 65-??? IBU, according to personal taste?

Yeast, I dunno. I think the American blend would be good, but not sure how widely available it is. Anything but 1056, Safale 56, or WLP001!

As for a name, I think we keep it to the point. I vote for "The Beast." Or, "The HBT Beast."

I don't have Pro Mash on my new laptop here (my main comp. at home took a huge dump), so I can't tinker with it. Dude, hook me up!

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Melanoidin malt would work well in a red and would lend the decoction-y flavors DRB is looking for. It has to be mashed, so extract brewers would have to do a mini-mash.

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

i like the idea of the melanoidin for the non-all grainers.

sorry sam, but there's alread ya commercial beer called "the beast". it's a big brew too.

welcome back! glad your settled in Hood.

 

[Chairman Cheyco]

It would be my first mini-mash, but where better to start than the official HB of HBT?

 

[Brewsmith]

I agree with the rye and it should be big. I like Sam75's 1.075 OG suggestion. Should anything smoked go in there? And it's gotta be hopped up like crazy.

 

[Dude]

While I agree we want the final result to be dynamic--I think we should keep it fairly simple too. I don't think it will be too hard finding the right ingredients to get the color right, but personally I think we should make the recipe interchangeable between extract/partial mash/all grain. Just my opinion.

I'm going ot work on a recipe and start getting somethign on paper. Only 8 more hours to go at work so I think I'll have some time.

Thanks for all the replies to this--I wasn't sure how it would go over. We need to nail down some more potential names and come to an agreement on 3-4 good ones, then have a vote.

Basic recipe soon to come...

 

[Dude]

I agree with the rye and it should be big. I like Sam75's 1.075 OG suggestion. Should anything smoked go in there? And it's gotta be hopped up like crazy.

Oh hell yeah....I like that route....

Sam, what was that yeast Cam used in that beer we had at the NHBC..It added that funky smoky kick which was WAY interesting....

 

[Radarbrew]

Dude, your avatar kinda reminds my kid of that creepy BK King guy. Sorry.

 

[SwAMi75]

Oh hell yeah....I like that route....

Sam, what was that yeast Cam used in that beer we had at the NHBC..It added that funky smoky kick which was WAY interesting....

I'm sure he said that was a Belgian strain from Brewtec. I don't get that at all. I think he might have screwed up his brewday notes.

Another that I'm seriously thinking of is WLP320. It's advertised as "American Wheat", but from what I've gathered is a traditional alt yeast. I've had good results with it in a smaller beer.....I think it might fly in something like we're talking about.

 

[Dude]

I'm sure he said that was a Belgian strain from Brewtec. I don't get that at all. I think he might have screwed up his brewday notes.

Another that I'm seriously thinking of is WLP320. It's advertised as "American Wheat", but from what I've gathered is a traditional alt yeast. I've had good results with it in a smaller beer.....I think it might fly in something like we're talking about.

We can definitely experiment with different ones.

I think we should put some oak chips in secondary too....

DeRoux..telll me more about this melanoidin malt--can it be steeped for the extract brewers?

 

[Dude]

Okay, this will probably get shot down, but how about "Rise of the Phoenix"?

I threw some Phoenix hops in the recipe--don't know much about them but I wanted to incorporate an English hop in it and this one seems as good (or better) than any. I have no experience with them (other than just ordering a pound from Hops Direct ), so it is a mystery to me as what they add to a recipe.

A rough draft--PLEASE contribute. I'm no recipe expert. I'm not so concerned with color right now--we can tweak that. I got as close as I could to a blood red though. Promash almost makes it look brown, but I have faith.
The wheat is in there for head retention--caramel wheat sounded nice. Brown sugar was added to up the ABV and add some depth. Yeast, I'm going to break up the batch and pitcha few different kinds, but based on research I'm thinking WLP007 will be a nice fit. we will try others too.

NOTE: I am extremely reluctant to post this, as I'd like as much "out of the box" thinking and input as possible. This has to be a unique recipe.

A ProMash Recipe Report

-------------------------------
Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 15.50
Anticipated OG: 1.077 Plato: 18.59
Anticipated SRM: 20.1
Anticipated IBU: 75.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
38.7 6.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
16.1 2.50 lbs. Flaked Rye America 1.034 2
16.1 2.50 lbs. Rye Malt America 1.030 4
12.9 2.00 lbs. Munich Malt Germany 1.037 8
6.5 1.00 lbs. Brown Sugar (dark) Generic 1.046 60
3.2 0.50 lbs. Crystal 120L America 1.033 120
3.2 0.50 lbs. Special B Malt Belgian 1.030 120
3.2 0.50 lbs. Caramel Wheat Malt Germany 1.039 46
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.

Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 oz. Chinook Whole 13.00 46.7 60 min.
1.00 oz. Phoenix Pellet 8.50 17.1 30 min.
1.00 oz. Phoenix Pellet 8.50 9.0 15 min.
1.00 oz. Willamette Whole 5.00 3.0 5 min.

Yeast
WLP007

 

[SwAMi75]

I've never seen Phoenix hops for sale anywhere. Got a source?

I'm liking the grain bill, though. Brown sugar might be interesting.

I think the yeast is going to be the sticking point in this recipe.

 

[BlightyBrewer]

To get us off the starting block with the name: Beelzebub's Birthday Ale

Edit: too slow!