Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Batch No. 60 - Mellow Mood Rauchbier

Mellow Mood

Brewed - November 8, 2012

Style - Classic Rauchbier

Ingredients:
  • 12.5 lbs.Weyermann Rauch
  • 4.5 lbs. Pilsner
  • 2.0 lbs. Munich
  • 0.75 lbs. CaraMunich
  • 0.75 lbs. Melanoidin
  • 0.10 lbs. Black Barley
  • 1.75 oz. Hallertaur (60)
  • 0.75 oz. Hallertaur (20)
  • White Labs WLP830 German Lager (1000 ml starter / 2 vials)
  •  Saflager S-23 Lager Yeast (dry / 1 pack)

OG – 1.058

White Labs WLP830:
Primary – 86 days
Secondary/Lager - 60 days

Kegged -April 3, 2013

FG - 1.017
Attenuation - 70.7%
ABV - 5.37%

Saflager S-23:
Primary – 30 days
Secondary/Lager - 35 days

Kegged -January 15, 2013

FG - 1.014
Attenuation - 75.9%
ABV - 5.76%

Notes:

  • First attempt at a Classic Rauchbier, a style that continues to grow on me esp. with the rich smokey and clean, crisp dark lager flavors
  • I held up at ~ 61% rauch malt and based on the brewing day aromas and flavors, I hope it's turns out smokey enough
  • Trying out two different lager yeasts and using both White Labs and Saflager for the first time (have used dry ale yeast but haven't tried with a lager until now)
  • Mash at 154° and 60 min boil
  • Carboy #1 (White Labs) - true lager fermentation; start at 40° in my chest freezer; 12/8/12: only down to 1.035!!; 1/15/13: down to 1.017 and it tastes great, so I decided to live with the FG and pull it out of chest freezer for short d-rest and now lagering
  • Carboy #2 (Saflager) - fermenting at control room ambient; low 50's to start and will monitor; 12/8/12: down to 1.014 and transferred to a keg for lagering