American Mahogany Ale

Recipe

Water Profile

Calcium: 50ppm

Magnesium: 5ppm

Sodium: 27ppm

Sulfate: 50ppm

Chloride: 60ppm

Bicarbonate: 85ppm

Malt BILL

80% Briess Ashburne Mild

10% Briess Caramel 120

10% Briess Victory

Hop Schedule

35 IBU Mellennium @ 60min

Yeast

Fermentis US-05

Process

Mash In @ 60C,

Beta Rest @ 60C, 30min

Alpha Rest @ 70C, 30min

Mash Out @ 78C, 15min

Boil, 60min

Force Chill

Closed Ferment @ 21C, 7 Days

OG: 11.9P — IBU: 35 — ABV: 4.6%

Aroma

Specific Aromas

Dark Caramel, Bread, Freshly Milled Malt

Flavor

Specific Flavors

Dark Caramel, Bread Crust, Slight Wood

Overall

Impression

Slightly Bitter, Slightly Sweet, & Very Drinkable

Positives

Attractively colored ale that remained interesting to drink & never fatigued the palate

Next Time

Increase the original gravity to add more body & alcohol

Preference

A poll on people's preference for the ale, updated regularly, based on a scale of 1-5 & organized by # of people for each rating.
“This reminds me of Sam Adams Boston Lager! It is delicious!”
— A.B.

Belgian Gold Ale

Recipe

Malt

75% Briess Brewer’s

25% Briess Red Wheat

Hop Schedule

20 IBU Hallertau Mittelfruh @ 60min

12 IBU Hallertau Mittelfruh @ 20min

1 IBU Hallertau Mittelfruh @ 1min

Yeast

Fermentis Safale BE-134

Process

Mash In @ 50C, 15min

Beta Rest @ 60C, 30min

Alpha Rest @ 70C, 30min

Mash Out @ 78C, 15min

Boil, 75min

Force Chill

Closed Ferment @ 25C, 7 Days

OG: 12.6P — IBU: 33— ABV: 6.7%

Aroma

Specific Aromas

Apricot, Clove, Slight Coriander

Flavor

Specific Flavors

Dried Apricot, Clove, Slight White Pepper

Overall

Impression

Moderate, Flavorful, & Slightly Biting

Positives

Moderately successful blend of unique flavors & aromas from a Belgian or Saison-style yeast, presented with a pleasantly soft mouthfeel.

Next Time

Replace the base malts with a bill that has more presence & backbone, ferment at a lower temperature to dampen the phenols & esters, & use a hop with higher Alpha Acid content to reduce the amount of plant material (there is a slight unpleasant Earthy aftertaste that may be a result of the sheer amount of hop material)

Overall Preference

A poll on people's preference for the ale, updated regularly, based on a scale of 1-5 & organized by # of people for each rating.
“It is nice & dry. I like it, though I don’t like beer-y beer. ”
— C.C.

English Amber Ale

Recipe

Water Profile

Calcium: 50ppm

Magnesium: 5ppm

Sodium: 15ppm

Sulfate: 55ppm

Chloride: 65ppm

Bicarbonate: 35ppm

Malt Bill

90% Briess Pale Ale

5% Briess Caramel 80

5% Briess Special Roast

Hop Schedule

33.6 IBU Kent Golding @ 40min

Yeast

Fermentis Safale S-04

Process

Mash In @ 50C, 0min

Beta Rest @ 60C, 30min

Alpha rest @ 70C, 30min

Mash Out @ 78C, 15min

Boil, 60min

Force Chill

Closed Ferment @ 20C, 7 Days

OG: 11.2P — IBU: 33.6— ABV: 3.9%

Aroma

Specific Aromas

Multi-Grain Bread, Toffee, Fresh Berries

Flavor

Specific Flavors

Toasted Almonds, Dark Caramel, Dark Dried Fruit

Overall

Impression

Thin, Dry, & Slightly Bitter

Positives

Successful combination of toasted malt, British-Style yeast, & Kent Golding Hops to make a reasonably interesting ale

Next Time

Replace the multi-step mash with a higher temperature single step mash to thicken the mouthfeel as well as increase the specialty malts to add maltiness & balance the bitterness

Overall Preference

A poll on people's preference for the ale, updated regularly, based on a scale of 1-5 & organized by # of people for each rating.
“There’s a flavor in this I can’t put my finger on... wait... no... yes.... almonds!”
— B.S.