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Winter Old Ale on deck, any suggestions?
This is what I am thinking for my winter warmer old ale, should be ready by x-mas, but I am going to age most of it until the following year.
13 gallon batch
15 gallon boil (90 minutes)
1.094 - OG
1.022 - FG
SRM - 16
IBU - 58
9%ABV
85% mash efficiency
32# Thomas Fawcett Pearl english pale
.5# Special B
.5# Aromatic
1# crystal 80
.3# black patent
1# Lyle's treacle (last 15 minutes)
3# corn sugar (full boil)
3oz magnum pellets 60
2oz EKG pellets 45
4 packets US-04 (rehydrated)
Mash @ 152 60 minutes
Ferment 66
Secondary on medium toast american oak spirals for 12 weeks
That looks pretty tasty man... I can't imagine having the patience (or space) to give a beer a year and a half, though...
Rubberchrist wrote:
That looks pretty tasty man... I can't imagine having the patience (or space) to give a beer a year and a half, though...
Well I will treat it like a normal beer, the secondary will be a little long, but then I will keg it normally, and bottlegun about 4 gallons, then drink the remaining gallon. The 4 bottled gallons I will cellar and taste vertically starting this xmas. At least that is the plan.
Thirsty, I just have to ask. Do you drink all the beer you make? Reason I ask is every time I look at this forum you are making another 13 gallon batch.
dpturner wrote:
Thirsty, I just have to ask. Do you drink all the beer you make? Reason I ask is every time I look at this forum you are making another 13 gallon batch.
Every drop!
No seriuously I split the batch and share a lot. Out of my 13 gallon finished boil, about 11.5 gallons make it to the fermenters, the rest is left behind in hop absorption, trub, break, and kettle and transfer line loss. That gives me 5.5-5.75 gallons in each fermenter. I keep one fermenter at my house, my co-brewer takes the other home with him, and ferments and finishes his own beer.
Out of the 5.5-5.75 gallons, I lose .5 gallon or so to leave in the bottom, so I can transfer a true 5 gallons of clear beer. Once kegged I usually bottle some up for comps, give some away, and save the rest of the keg for tap. With 4 taps always flowing my friends and neighbors help me drink about a keg's worth a week. So with a weekly brew schedule, it works out where a keg is always in the waiting to be tapped, and one is always waiting to be kicked. A pretty even balance.
When I get backed up, it usually balances by having a long term beer conditioning, (like the plans for this old ale) and then I can build a supply of cellared bottles.
I guess I just love to brew often (and drink!)
That's awesome. I wish I lived any where close to you. I need to get my gear to start brewing AG. I love to make it, watch it as it conditions, and then drink it.
dpturner wrote:
That's awesome. I wish I lived any where close to you. I need to get my gear to start brewing AG. I love to make it, watch it as it conditions, and then drink it.
Hell even those of us who do live close wish we lived close.
Thirsty lives out on the open frontier in Massachusetts....
But its always well worth the trip to get out there and see his set up.
Heck, the way you guys talk about your brew days out there, I have half a mind to get a plane ticket one of these summers and join you for the brewing.
Of course, I'd have to fly out again on bottling day to bring any home 8(
Hey man, the garage is always open, and we are always brewing on fridays, all are welcome! (as long as I have grain- keeping fingers crossed for tomorrow!)
That would be awesome. I need a good hands on lesson in AG brewing. Oh well, for now I guess I will just jump in and learn as I go. Unfortunately none of my friends are interested in brewing, just the drinking part.
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