The latest BAMO is closed! The order has been placed at FS and it’s time to pay up. Please paypal John Peed at john.peed@elotouch.com (check email for invoice). We’ll keep everyone updated on a delivery date, but assume next week.

More details here.

We had our own BAB a few weeks ago (my primary fermentation is almost done, just a few more days before the crash begins), but the AHA celebrates National Homebrew Day this year on May 7th. Joe’s leading a BIAB demo at our favorite spot. Bring a friend, bring some homebrew, and join us! Check out the details here.

The BAB was a great success! We managed to brew ~20 gallons of beer and that wort is happily fermenting away. We brewed a pale, yellow, fizzy beer with high wetness factor that should go well with heat, humidity, and bbq. We split the 20 gallons 4 ways with Peed taking 10 gallons and Daniel taking the other 10 gallons.

Batch 1) Normal Lager Fermentation Profile, WLP940
Batch 2) Fast Lager Fermentation Profile,  WLP940
Batch 3) Normal Lager Fermentation Profile, WLP840
Batch 4)  Normal Lager Fermentation Profile, WLP860

Some stats on the system. Measuring volumes was very spotty but I calculated that we hit a mash efficiency of 85%. My preboil volume and gravity were both above calculated values. The boil was quite anemic so I didn’t boil off nearly as much volume as I expected. This put us at 1.041 SG (v. 1.040 calculated). We left nearly 2 gallons of wort in the kettle as far as I could tell. If I had to do it again I would pump out of the kettle, not use gravity.

RECIPE

OG: 1.040
FG: 1.008
Pale Malt, 2-Row (Rahr) (1.8 SRM) 27.0 %        
Pale Malt, 6-Row (Rahr) (2.3 SRM) 27.0 %        
Pilsner Malt (Avangard) (1.7 SRM) 27.0 %        
Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) 15.0 %        
Carapils (Briess) (1.5 SRM)4.0 %

Mash@ 148 x 90min

1oz Crystal [3.60 %] - Boil 60.0 min 4.2 IBUs
1oz Mt. Hood [5.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min 5.9 IBUs
1oz Liberty [3.90 %] - Boil 30.0 min 2.3 IBUs
1oz Liberty [3.90 %] - Boil 5.0 min 0.8 IBUs
1oz Crystal [3.60 %] - Steep/Whirlpool  15.0 0.9 IBUs

The BAB is one of the recurring events for our club. This year we’re using the club’s 20 gallon system to brew a pale yellow lager. Since this beer gets poured at one of the other recurring club events, the pig roast in the middle of summer, we’re targeting something a little more sessionable and refreshing for a hot day. The plan is to try 3 different lager yeasts and 2 different temperature profiles.

Show up at Graham’s house on Saturday and bring a chair, a cup, some snacks and homebrew to share. We’ll have brats for lunch.

The 2016 version of the club’s lager comp was a bit of a shit-show with my lack of organization and three unlabeled beers but the best beers shone through despite my failings! Jesse Bowers submitted a beautiful bohemian pilsner that garnered three total 1st place wins. Super clear and super hoppy it was a pleasure to drink. David Disney’s Dunkel was substantial and malty and had two 1st place votes. Joe Edidin’s Vienna was toasty without being roasty, a difficult balance, and also had two 1st place votes.

Thanks for everyone that submitted beers and for everyone that showed up and participated. Here are the top three recipes.

Bowers Bo Pils

Pale, super clear, with a boatload of late hops.
85% pilsner
15% vienna
1.046 SG
22 ibu (tinseth)
Mittlefruh at 15, 10, 5, and whirlpool
WLP800

Disney’s Dunkel

93% Dark Munich (Weyermann II)
4% Melanoidin Malt
3% Carafa II Special
Mash @ 154
1.049 SG
40g Tettnang 4.7% @ 60
21 IBU
WLP833 Bock Yeast

Edidin Vienna

.5 oz 13.2% AA German Magnum @ 60 (targeting ~25 IBUs Tinseth)
.5 oz 2.0% AA Hersbrucker @ 10

WLP830 – 2 packs in a 2L 1.038 starter at 68F for 36 hours (last 8-10 hours off the stir plate to settle)

Some things are already on the calendar, others need to find a date. Make sure you come out to tour Fanatic Brewing in January and come Ice Brew in February.

Help Tom pick a date for the cider event by filling out this poll.

Submit your lagers for an informal bragging rights competition here. We can’t let Peed keep that cool stein! Expect to gather on February 27th.

Despite the forecast of cold and rainy we had about 15-20 club members swing by and about a dozen lookers, several of whom stayed for some time and asked great questions, attend this year’s Learn to Homebrew Day. We broke in the club’s new system and ran into some issues, but nothing that we couldn’t fix. We tried to brew 5 gallons of Mike Caylor’s mild recipe but the boil off rate got the better of us and we ended up with a little less than 4 gallons of imperial mild. We also made a successful extract batch of american pale ale. Thanks again to FermentStation for donating the ingredients, space, and some tasty snacks!

Maiden voyage of the Club’s new brew system

2015-11-08 12.58.01

Time for a fall water analysis.  Club will pay approximately half the cost (including shipping) for the Ward Labs Brewing Water Analysis of your water.  Your cost will be $15.  If you want to participate, please sign up here.

Let’s try not to duplicate sources (no point in that unless there’s some valid reason/you want to double check/whatever).

Please bring your water sample to the club event this coming Saturday, Nov 7, at Ferment Station.  The event is Learn to Homebrew Day.  If all goes well, we’ll do an inaugural all-grain batch on the refurbished club brewing system.  We’ll also be doing an extract batch.  If you can’t make it to that event, please make arrangements to get your sample to me by the end of this week (I work near the “corner” of Pellissippi and Dutchtown).