Style 13 - Stout

So this weekend, it's time to continue on our brewing adventure, and we'll be playing double duty. We'll be tackling style 13 with one of our favorites - Russian Imperial Stout (RIS). This beer is a staple in our home keg rotation, and we are dangerously low. With the fermentation and aging time required for this beer to mature, it's high time we get started. To keep things interesting, we're going to make a porter off the second runnings of the same mash used for the RIS. We've experimented with this once before, and it actually turned out pretty well.

We've been graciously asked to provide brew for a charity event at the end of July. There will be a nominal minimum donation requested for each quaff, with all funds going to a local charity that supports victims of domestic violence. Who can argue with that cause? We're thrilled to be asked, and looking forward to the opportunity, but it tasks us with brewing for not only our quest to conquer the BJCP guidelines, but also increase our stash for this worthy cause.

We've never turned down a brewing challenge, so bring it on! I love it when our house smells of malted barley and I trip over fermentation buckets in the middle of the night!

Brewing details, recipes, and pics to follow later. BTW, a 'Happy Birthday' shout-out to our dear friend "Natedog" as he joins us for this particular brew day! Everyone raise their glass and wish him happiness as we create the black satin liquid that is Russian Imperial Stout!

Pic of Lambic brew day

Brewmaster adding grain.

The grains mixing with the mash water.

The title dog.  He demanded the fashion to cover his zipper.

"I need sunglasses"

Brewing a lambic.  Drink a lambic.  This bottle is imported from NE.

We started the mash at 122 F for 20 mins.  Used an infusion to raise the mash T to 148 F.  Sadly the mash only got to 138 F.  I am sure the cloud city techs fixed my promash.  Did two decoctions to bring the T to 148 F. Left it there for 60 mins.  Mid way through, I did one more decoct to keep the heat up.  Infused to bring the mash up to 165 for mash out.

Recirculating to filtering the wort.  Thanks to Don for the pump loan.  

Sparging and collecting the wort.

Ah chessy hops

The three sources of yeasts and beasts.

The assistance brewers share the Brewmistress' trippel. 

Title dog makes sure to keep an eye on the transfer.  He needed to the flow stopped three time.

Adding the inoculated wood chips. 

Close up of the lambic bottle.

Our first two tone beer.

Lambic recipe

Here is the plambic recipe we used.

5 gallon batch size
5 lbs Belgian Pale Malt
2 lbs German White Wheat Malt
1 lb Flaked White Wheat
1 lb rice hulls

4 oz 10+ years aged Hallertua whole hops @ 60 mins
Special Thanks to P dub

1 wyeast 1056 pack
1 yeast cake from Upstream lambic
1 bag of funky wood chips from Russian River

1 tsp Irish moss

carbon filtered tap water

5.2 mash buffer

Brewing is underway

So we're well into our first batch of Lambic ever. The wort is finally mashed out, and is a straw colored ribbon of experimentation. This recipe was created from the Brewmaster's knowledge of lambics, basic instructions from published writings, and the desire to use a bag of brett infused chips from Russian River's spent barrels. We hope to extract some of the magic that they have captured in the flora-rich wine country region of Northen CA. Who knows what has been trapped in those chips ready to be released into our brew! Vinnie passed them out to participants in his lecture at the AHA conference a few years ago, and we were lucky enough to be among those who were able to snag a bag.

The mash took quite a while, and has just now started to boil. The preboil gravity is 1.028. We currently have eight gallons. We hope to finish with five gallons after a 90 minute boil. Pictures to follow later.

The First Batch - Style 17 - Sour Ale

We've decided that we need to start with the style that will take the longest to ferment and develop for the optimum drinkability at the end of the two year experiment. One of our best friends bought us rare 10 year aged Hallertau hops a couple years ago, and it's about time that we used them. We're brewing a mixed lambic that we hope to flavor with fresh mulberries during the fermentation process.

There's nothing better than fresh mulberries, right off the tree. I used to sit under my grandparents mulberry tree and eat them for hours, returning to the house with my skin and clothing dyed purple from the harvest.

Today is one of the first beautiful days we've had this spring, and with the sun shining down on the newly sprouted vegetation, it's fitting that we use today to bring life to this adventure as well!! More to come as the brewing commences.