Murky Woods - Kentucky Common - Beer Recipe - Brewer's Friend

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Murky Woods - Kentucky Common

224 calories 24.2 g 500 ml
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Beer Stats
Method: BIAB
Style: Kentucky Common
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 15 liters (fermentor volume)
Pre Boil Size: 19 liters
Pre Boil Gravity: 1.038 (recipe based estimate)
Post Boil Gravity: 1.048 (recipe based estimate)
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)
Calories: 224 calories (Per 500ml)
Carbs: 24.2 g (Per 500ml)
Created: Friday January 13th 2023
1.048
1.013
4.5%
22.8
15.6
5.4
17.95
 
Fermentables
Amount Fermentable Cost PPG °L Bill %
2.10 kg Viking - Pale Ale Malt2.1 kg Pale Ale Malt 1.49 € / kg
3.13 € 		37 2.5 61.4%
0.80 kg Briess - Brewers Yellow Corn Flakes0.8 kg Brewers Yellow Corn Flakes 1.88 € / kg
1.50 € 		34.5 0.8 23.4%
0.20 kg Weyermann - CaraRye0.2 kg CaraRye 3.09 € / kg
0.62 € 		33 75 5.8%
0.20 kg Thomas Fawcett - Crystal Malt I0.2 kg Crystal Malt I 2.94 € / kg
0.59 € 		34 45 5.8%
0.10 kg Viking - Chocolate Light0.1 kg Chocolate Light 2.20 € / kg
0.22 € 		32 150 2.9%
0.02 kg Viking - Black Malt0.02 kg Black Malt 3.85 € / kg
0.08 € 		21 500 0.6%
3.42 kg / 6.14 €
 
Hops
Amount Variety Cost Type AA Use Time IBU Bill %
10 g Cluster10 g Cluster Hops 0.05 € / g
0.55 € 		Pellet 7.5 Boil 60 min 14.18 50%
10 g Cluster10 g Cluster Hops 0.05 € / g
0.55 € 		Pellet 7.5 Boil 20 min 8.59 50%
20 g / 1.10 €
 
Other Ingredients
Amount Name Cost Type Use Time
1 g Calcium Chloride (dihydrate) Water Agt Mash 1 hr.
1 g Gypsum Water Agt Mash 1 hr.
2.50 ml Phosphoric acid Water Agt Mash 1 hr.
2 ml Phosphoric acid Water Agt Sparge 1 hr.
1 each Whirlfloc 0.23 € / each
0.23 € 		Fining Boil 10 min.
0.23 €
 
Yeast
Wyeast - Northwest Ale 1332
Amount:
1 Each
Cost:
10.49 € / each
10.49 €
Attenuation (custom):
70%
Flocculation:
High
Optimum Temp:
18 - 24 °C
Starter:
No
Fermentation Temp:
18 °C
Pitch Rate:
0.35 (M cells / ml / ° P) 63 B cells required
10.49 € Yeast Pitch Rate and Starter Calculator
Priming
Method: co2       Amount: 0.56 bar       Temp: 1.5 °C       CO2 Level: 2.35 Volumes
 
Target Water Profile
London (Porter, dark ales)
Ca+2 Mg+2 Na+ Cl- SO4-2 HCO3-
100 5 15 50 90 200
Mash Chemistry and Brewing Water Calculator
 
Mash Guidelines
Amount Description Type Start Temp Target Temp Time
15.5 L Strike 64 °C 64 °C 60 min
9.5 L Sparge 76 °C 76 °C --
Quick Water Requirements
Water Liters
Strike water volume (equipment estimates 25.1 L) 23.3
Mash volume with grains (equipment estimates 27.4 L) 25.6
Grain absorption losses -3.4
Mash Lauter Tun losses -0.9
Pre boil volume (equipment estimates 20.8 L) 19
Boil off losses -5.7
Hops absorption losses (first wort, boil, aroma) -0.1
Post boil Volume 15
Volume into fermentor 15
Total: 23.3  
Equipment Profile Used: System Default
 
Notes

The beer was planned as a historically accurate recreation of the style, rather than a new, modern interpretation.

Corn, flaked grains and a hint of dark malt was the base that I wanted to add to the main part of the pale malt. I added caramel malt as well to give the desired maltiness more room. Single hop Cluster was the only choice for me, since it was THE hops in that region at that time.

The beer turned out exceptionally well, even surpassing my own expectations. Since historically that style was the beer of the working class, due to cheap ingredients and simple racking techniques, before the beer finished, I expected a "simple" beer, an easy sipper, a beer which only shines through its simplicity.
I was wrong.
The complexity was astonishing, the first thing that came to the nose was a dark, malty, almost toffee-like aroma, somewhere between a strong and complex Altbeer and a "dulled down" Barleywine. The hops gave a subtle herbaceous earthiness and a grassy freshness which first stood in stark contrast to the sweet and malty body but then started to really fuse with the sweeter tones. In it's depths it even had a really nice, smoky berriness, which I can't even explain where that might come from. The overall play of aromas gave the beer the aura of barrel-ageing.
The flavor reflected the aroma, toffee-like maltiness and a subtle herbaceous earthiness, the carbonation really hitting the sweetspot. At no time harsh, bitter or roasty and with a nice dark berry-like aftertaste.

Critique:
Can be a little bit brighter in color
Can have a little more body
Can have a longer lasting head

A beer-sommelier friend of mine rated the beer 4 out of 5 stars and claimed it was better than various commercial beers he had on tap. Most of his tasting notes are included in the description above.

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  • Last Updated: 2025-02-11 20:01 UTC