More Scrambling!

I previously posted my Nut Brown woes.  I was able to get the new batch on after being down only about 36 hours.  Not great, but not too bad.

The next casualty looked like it was going to be the Weissebier.  I brewed it on Saturday and it's chugging along nicely.  I only hope we don't run out of the current batch before the next is ready. 

Finally, I was cutting it pretty close with the Amber.  This is our top seller. 

Let's talk for a moment about yeast. 

One of the beauties of brewing is that we are able to use our common ale yeast from one batch to the next.  While some brewers will allow their yeast to go for up to 20 generations, I tend to cap my generations to seven.  Over time, yeast can develop mutations that, while not harmful, can change the profile of your beer.  Yeast is one of the most expensive ingredients in brewing.  As I was on my seventh generation of ale yeast in the Nut Brown, I called the Lab to order a new pitch.  They said it would ship the second week of September.  I asked why it would take so long, and I was told that they had a "yeast infection" and they had to dump all of their supply and start from scratch!

Rock Bottom to the rescue!  I called my friend, Dave Bass, to see if he had any ale yeast to spare, and he had plenty.  Dave's been doing a bit of scrambling on his own, as Rock Bottom has been very busy lately.

A few years ago, when I worked for Dave, I asked him, "Is there a lot of competition among Milwaukee craft brewers?"  His response was something I didn't expect and have found true to this day...

"No, we help each other out.  What's good for one of us, is usually good for all of us."

And so it is.  Dave, and other Brewmasters in the area know that if there's any way I can help them out, I will.  On that end, Dave and I also swapped some stories and advice.  He also gave me a sample of his current cask-conditioned ale which is his Naughty Scot--a Scotch Ale  in which he added an oak spile for some added flavor.  Quite frankly, it was one of the best Scotch Ales I've had in some time.

If you're downtown, go to Rock Bottom and ask for a cask-conditioned pint.  You won't be disappointed.

Two Brothers Brewery

Last week, I had to take my kegs for the Great American Beer Festival to Warrenville, IL--home of the Two Brothers Brewery.

It's not easy to find.  Warrenville is a Northwest suburb of Chicago and my GPS didn't quite know the exact way to go.  It is in an industrial park with no sign.  However, the locals seem to have a good idea where it was, as I got there around lunch time and the taphouse was abuzz with activity. 

I met a burly guy at the taproom bar, "Gabe" and asked where my contact person, Jason Ebel, was.  Gabe said, "Who wants to know?"  I told him who I was and why I was there.  His demeanor turned very cordial and he said that he was the bulldog.  He said that he'd help me out as long as I stayed for lunch and a beer.  I told him that that was my plan all along!

So, I unloaded the beer, made my way to the tap room and ordered a sampler, along with a chicken sandwich with smoked gouda and sweet potato fries.  The meal was excellent and the beer was quite good:

I had previously asked if I could get a tour of their facility and Gabe was happy to oblige.  Here a a few pics:

Gabe

The new oak fermenters

Looking back toward the fermenters

The Brewhouse is in the background

It was a nice trip.  Their "Rye-PA" gave me some good ideas and I made a couple of new friends.

Finished!

Eleven gallons of Molasses Porter.  Ready in about 10 days!

Full Boil

Boil is underway.  In the meantime, I have sanitized my carboys and the counter-flow chiller.

Starch Test

The whole point of the mash is to convert all of the starch in the grain into sugars.   At certain temperatures, enzymes within the grain kernels will act upon all the starch (endosperm) and convert them to sugars.  Brewers need these sugars to provide food for the yeast.

One easy test to determine when starch conversion is complete is to add a few drops of iodine to the wort.  Basically, I draw off a small amount of wort onto a white plate and put a few drops of common tincture of iodine (the stuff old guys' moms used to put on their cuts and scrapes.)  In the presence of starch, the iodine will turn a dark blue.  In the absence of starch, the iodine will stay a rust color.

Most American malts are so highly modified that conversion usually takes place in about 10-15 minutes.

I don't often do iodine tests in the Brewery because the efficiency of our equipment is very good.  However, I like to do it at home for peace of mind.  Here is the result of my iodine test:

No blue at all.  Time to sparge.

Mashed In

I was striving to hit 158 degrees on the mash in.

Only got to 154....

Still, a very good mash temp.  The final product will be slightly drier than I would have liked.  Homebrew systems are a bit fickle.  For you beer geeks out there, I do not have a RIMS or HERMS system, so all of my mashes are direct infusion.  As a result, the only way to get the temp up is to add more hot water, and I already added more than I wanted.  154 is a good "rule of thumb" mash temp.  I'm not using any imported malts, so my conversion should be just fine.

Brewer's Helper

The family dog, "Barley" plus a miniaturized stein version eagerly await the final product.

**DISCLAIMER**  Don't give your dog beer.  They're smart.  If they like it, you'll come home to a missing six pack and a gassy dog.