Ended up overshooting mash temp to 156F, but let it ride. Hit OG exactly. Used oxygenation kit for first time with 1L starter of 4th gen WY1968 built from approx 140ml of thick slurry (3M cell/ml thick). Primary ferment was done in 3 days! FG=1016, about 4-5 points higher than I hoped. Flavor is not bad in hydro samples, but not what I had hoped. More forward roasted malt than anticipated. Not as much sweetness or hop flavor as hoped, though a nice woodsy, leathery english hop flavor is there. Beer is balanced. And flavors play well off each other. Mouthfeel is medium, but heavier than anticipated. All in all, this was a solid recipe, but I wish I had mashed about 3 degrees lower. Will keg and fine after 3 week primary. Will not harvest yeast. It's about time for a new culture of 1968.
Kegged, fined, and carbed, and this ended up being a pleasant surprise. Beer has been a crowd favorite. Roastiness is muted some with it fully carbonated and the mouthfeel is a little less chewey now. Literally everyone who's tried this has loved it, even non-beer drinkers. I drank almost a full 2L growler at the Mardi Gras. Glad I ended up with almost 6 gallons and put what wouldn't fit in the keg into bottles to condition with "fizz drops." Will be making this one again with recipe unchanged besides ensuring mash temp is 152-154 and no higher.
