Honigbiber Bitter

Brewed: 01/21/2008
Status: Consumed

This honey bitter ale is the frontrunner of a series of four beers brewed to kick off 2008, each brewed a week after the previous. Austin Homebrew Supply's "English Honey Bitter" recipe was used to put this brew together. It is also the first of my brews to use Waco, TX tap water. I figured it couldn't hurt to use a mineral rich water in brewing an English ale. Glass carboys were used in both primary and secondary fermentation.

INGREDIENTS

• 2.5 lbs. Light Crystal Malt
• 0.5 lb. Honey Malt
• 0.5 lb. Cara-pils
• 4.0 lbs. Extra Pale Malt Extract
• 2.0 lbs. Clover Honey
• 1 oz. Challenger Pellet Hops (bittering)
  
• 1 oz. Styrian Goldings Pellet Hops (flavoring)
• 1 oz. Fuggles Pellet Hops (finishing)
• White Labs English Ale Yeast (WLP002 Pitchable Tube)

Primary Fermentation in 6.5 gallon glass carboy @ 67° F for 5 days.
Secondary Fermentation in 5 gallon glass carboy @ 67°F for 7 days.

OG/FG: 1.056/1.014
ABV: 5.46%

The Verdict
Appearance: Deep gold/copper color (≈8-9 SRM), thick & moderately rich white head, steady lacing, moderate chill haze (no clarifying agent used)
Smell: Slightly sweet pale malty aroma, faint touch of fruity esters, similar to a pale ale, but without as much hoppiness.
Taste: Distinct flavors present: light crystal maltiness with a hint of hop bitterness, and the honey leaves a touch of sweetness in the aftertaste.
Mouthfeel: Very light feel, almost too light. Not necessarily creamy.

Overall very easy to drink and refreshing. I'll have to do this one again.

Honey Weizen

Brewed: 10/20/2007
Status: Consumed

The honey wheat was brewed in much the same way that the pale ale was brewed, but with one notable exception: propane burner. The ingredients were from Midwest Homebrewing Supplies. It was another extract-based recipe, but it also included specialty grains. Purified water was also used in this batch. Although it produced a bit of H₂S during primary fermentation, the "rotten eggs" smell dissipated and left no trace in the final product. Minor equipment upgrades like bottle-filling attachment, floating thermometer, and a steel wash basin (for wort chilling) made this batch a bit easier and less stressful than the first brew I had done.



INGREDIENTS

• 6 lbs. Wheat Malt Extract Syrup
• 2 lbs. Minnesota Clover Honey
• 8 oz. Cara-pils
• 2 oz. Saaz Pellet Hops (3.2% AA)
• 5 oz. Corn Sugar
• 1 tsp. Irish Moss
• 1 pk. Lallemand Nottingham Ale Yeast (11 grams)

Fermented 10 days @ 68-77° F
Bottled: 10/30/2007
First Tasted: 11/17/2007
OG/FG: 1.056/1.015
ABV: 5.33%


Thoughts & Notes

1. Full volume boil should only be done after steeping grains. Too much water can put the pH in an undesirable range for key reactions to occur.
2. I love propane. I hope I never have to brew on a stovetop again.
3. Did not taste much like it was supposed to, and I didn't much care for the flavor; people seemed to enjoy it, though.