Brewed December 10, 2024
mashed in 10AM w/ 7.5 gallons of water at 152F. Intent to add 2# Honey at end of boil and one in the fermenter.
Did a 1600ml starter culture on the yeast.
added chemicals pre-mash. after 30 mins, got 5.76ph. added 2x tsp acid.
refractometer at 60 minutes: 1.056.
into vourlauf: 1.068
after 15 vourlauf, no change. didn’t increase power, so temp fell from 169 to 163 and the heater couldn’t keep up.
upped power to get 169, throttled to 75%.
15 minutes later 1.076.
Sparged to 7.7 gallons, got 1.066 - about 75% efficiency!
took 3.5 gallons.
Started the boil - will not add honey to the boil, but will to the fermenter.
end of boil, t/f to anvil fermenter, had 6.25 gallons, 1.081. Pitched yeast, dropped to 1.075. Added honey and got back to 1.080.
used 1.5# honey. Some of it was crystallized and may not have dissolved fully
Fermentation was... vigorous. Airlock was contaminated, plugged and started pushing out yeast. I got it the next morning and put a hose on the end and made a makeshift blow off valve which went much better. Fermentation went from 1.079 down to 1.049 in less than a day. From there, it slowed a bit but still very quick. Not quite Kveik, but still good. Dec 14th: 1.015 at 13:30
Dec 15th, 2024: 1.011, began slowly cooling, still airlock activity, but pulled the improvised blow off valve.
sampled, at 72F it seemed ok.
Cold crashed on 12/16
kegged on 12/17 at 1.007 for a 9.58% ABV
tasting notes out of the fermenter
sweet orange aroma, and flavor. I think the honey in this beer is very understated and complimentary. It will mature nicely.
Carbonation needed but ...damn.
Tasting notes after about a week.
very mandarin orange aroma. solid malt background with a dry but not off putting finish. hops are a little understated but not badly. Honey is barely noticeable, and merely along for the ride here. It’s a bit ‘crisp’ for a big beer, but well within style notes and no perceivable diacytl notes. Finish is warming, but not alcoholic.
All in all, very good.
