Sour Occur

Two times per year my homebrewing club host an activity that we call Mash Occur.  The activity is basically a big club meeting plus some guys brings their brewing setup for a brewday.  For this MO I decided to brew a sour beer, and for yeast I used the dregs from a bunch of sours beers that we sampled during the day.  My main goal with this beer is to make it very sour so that I can use it to adjust the acidity in my future blends.  It was really great to sample so many sours in one session. 
Here's the breakdown of the sours we saved the dregs from:

photo by Paul

Jolly Pumpkin La Roja
Boon Kreik
Cascade Noyaux
Alésia Servoise Gauloise
Boquébière Hildegard
Berliner Kindl Weisse
Dunham Saison Rustique
Saison Dupont Veille Provision
Rodenbach Grand Cru
Orval
Schoune Lambic Fruit de la Passion
+ a dozens or so of homebrewed sours

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size: 12.00 gal
Total Grain: 23.00 lbs
Estimated OG: 1.054
SRM: 3.3
IBU: 0 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grains
65.2% (15 lbs) - Pilsner
26.1% (6 lbs) - Wheat
8.7% (2 lbs) - Oats

Hops
3.00 oz Debittered Hops @ FWH

Yeasts
WY5335 - Lactobacillus  
WLP655 - Belgian Sour Mix (one year old vial)
+ Dregs from 20+ bottles 

for 3 days then added:

The Yeast Bay - Saison/Brettanomyces Blend

Mash Schedule
Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 157F

Notes
05/23/15: Brew day
OG = 1.055
12 gallons

Bière de Garde

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size: 6.00 gal
Total Grain: 15.75 lbs
Estimated OG: 1.076
SRM: 8.6
IBU: 27.9 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grains
57.2% (9 lbs) - Pilsner
31.8% (5 lbs) - Vienna
3.2% (0.5 lbs) - Aromatic
3.2% (0.5 lbs) - Honey Malt
0.6% (1.6 oz) - Carafa Special

Hops
0.25 oz Aramis @ FTW
1.25 oz Aramis @ 60 min
0.50 oz Triskel @ 15 min

Yeast
WLP072 - French Ale

Mash Schedule
Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 148F

Notes
05/17/15: Brew day
OG = 1.074
6 gallons

Belgian Pale Ale

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size: 11.00 gal
Total Grain: 21.00 lbs
Estimated OG: 1.054
SRM: 7.2
IBU: 30.3 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grains
52.4% (11 lbs) - Pilsner
33.3% (7 lbs) - Vienna
4.8% (1 lbs) - Flaked Oats
4.8% (1 lbs) - Victory
4.8% (1 lbs) - Caramunich

Hops
2.00 oz Aramis @ 60 min
1.00 oz Triskel @ 15 min
2.00 oz Triskel @ 0 min

Yeasts
WY3538 - Leuven Pale Ale
WLP072 - French Ale

Mash Schedule
Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 152F

Notes
05/10/15: Brew day
OG = 1.055
11 gallons

Hoppy Weisse

Our club (NBCBA) is doing a Hefeweizen contest in a month and this is the recipe that I’ve brewed for it.  It’s not to style with all those late hops but I wanted to brew a Hefeweizen / American Pale-Ale hybrid for the longest time. The inspiration came from Le Castor’s Citra-Weisse and the idea is to take the grain bill and yeast of a Hefe and use lots of late hops like an APA.  I probably won’t win the competition but I sure will enjoy this on hot days!

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size: 11.00 gal
Total Grain: 21.75 lbs
Estimated OG: 1.057
SRM: 5.9
IBU: 39.3 IBU
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grains
55.2% (12 lbs) - Pilsner
41.4% (9 lbs) - Wheat
3.4% (0.75 lbs) - Carawheat

Hops
2.25 oz Magnum @ 60 min
3.00 oz El Dorado @ Hop-Stand (175F for 60 min)
3.00 oz Amarillo @ Hop-Stand (175F for 60 min)

Dry Hop
3.00 oz El Dorado @ Dry Hop for 7 days (1.50 oz per 5 gal)
3.00 oz Amarillo @ Dry Hop for 7 days (1.50 oz per 5 gal)

Yeast
WY3068 - Weihenstephan Weizen

Mash Schedule
Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 153F

Notes
04/12/15: Brew day
OG = 1.056
11 gallons

TropicAle

This Pale-Ale was the best one I did last year and it was time to revisit it again.  I made a few tweaks to the grain bill and replace Sorachi with El Dorado and I also tried a new (to me) base malt from Thomas Fawcett. 

Recipe Specifications

Batch Size: 15.00 gal

Total Grain: 30.00 lbs

Estimated OG: 1.054

SRM: 6.9

IBU: 42.9 IBU

Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grains

80.0% (24 lbs) - Pearl pale malt

10.0% (3 lbs) - Vienna

5.0% (1.50 lbs) - Carafoam

5.0% (1.50 lbs) - Crystal 40

Hops

1.25 oz Summit @ 60 min

1.00 oz El Dorado @ 10 min

1.00 oz Nelson Sauvin @ 10 min

1.00 oz Citra @ 10 min

2.00 oz El Dorado @ Hop-Stand (175F for 60 min)

2.00 oz Nelson Sauvin @ Hop-Stand (175F for 60 min)

2.00 oz Citra @ Hop-Stand (175F for 60 min)

Dry Hop

1.00 oz El Dorado @ Dry Hop for 7 days (per 5 gal)

1.00 oz Nelson Sauvin @ Dry Hop for 7 days (per 5 gal)

1.00 oz Citra @ Dry Hop for 7 days (per 5 gal)

Yeast

5 gal -> WLP090 - San Diego Super Yeast

5 gal -> WLP090 - San Diego Super Yeast

5 gal -> S-05

Mash Schedule

Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 152F

Notes

04/03/15: Brew day

OG = 1.054

15 gallons 

Porter

Brewed another batch of Porter based on the last one I made but with a few revisions to the recipe. The goal with this Porter is to have the flavor reminiscent of a mocha coffee but without actually using chocolate or coffee and rely only on malts to achieve the flavor profile.

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size (Gal): 15.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 30.00
Estimated OG: 1.053
Anticipated SRM: 29.5
Anticipated IBU: 40.0 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grains
70.0% (21 lbs) - 2 Row
10.0% (3 lbs) - Munich
5.8% (1.75 lbs) - Kiln Coffee
5.8% (1.75 lbs) - Pale Chocolate
5.0% (1.50 lbs) - Caramunich I
3.3% (1 lbs) - Chocolate Wheat

Hops
1.00 oz Bravo (9.00%) @ FWH
3.00 oz Bravo (9.00%) @ 60 min

Yeast
5 gal -> WY1450 Denny's Favorite 50
5 gal -> WY1450 Denny's Favorite 50
5 gal -> WLP090 - San Diego Super Yeast

Mash Schedule
Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 153F

Notes
03/15/15: Brew day
OG = 1.056
15 gallons

Berliner Weisse #2

Brewed my second Berliner Weisse and for this one I upped the amount of acid malt, boosted the grain bill a little bit and also added a handful of grains to the fermentor.

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size (Gal): 6.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 8.75
Estimated OG: 1.042
Anticipated SRM: 2.9
Anticipated IBU: 2.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 0 Minutes

Grains
45.7% (4 lbs) - Pilsner
45.7% (4 lbs) - Wheat
8.6% (0.75 lbs) - Acid malt

Hops
1.00 oz Spalter (2.00%) @ Mash Hop

Yeast
WY5335 - Lactobacillus + raw grains
Safale S-05

Mash Schedule
Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 149F

Notes
03/13/15: Brew day
OG = 1.037

Flanders Red 3.0

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size (Gal): 12.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 24.00
Estimated OG: 1.055
Anticipated SRM: 14.1
Anticipated IBU: 6.4 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Grains
25.0% (6 lbs) - 2 Row
25.0% (6 lbs) - Vienna
25.0% (6 lbs) - Munich
8.3% (2 lbs) - Abbey Malt
8.3% (2 lbs) - Flaked Corn
4.2% (1 lbs) - Caramunich III
4.2% (1 lbs) - Cara 160

Hops
2.00 oz Saaz (2.00%) @ 90 min

Yeast
WY3068 - Weihenstephan (for 3 days then added Roeselare)
WY3763 - Roeselare (3rd Gen)

Mash Schedule
Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 158F

Notes
03/07/15: Brew day
OG = 1.056
12 gallons

Berliner Weisse #1

With summer just around the corner, I need to have a couple of low abv beers and Bernier Weisse is the ultimate summer quencher beer in my opinion.  This one will be the first of a series of Berliner Weisse I'll brew wwith slight variations for each brew.

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size (Gal): 6.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 7.75
Estimated OG: 1.036
Anticipated SRM: 2.7
Anticipated IBU: 2.2 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 0 Minutes

Grains
48.4% (3.75 lbs) - Pilsner
45.2% (3.50 lbs) - Wheat
6.5% (0.50 lbs) - Acid malt

Hops
1.00 oz Saaz (2.00%) @ Mash Hop

Yeast
WY5335 - Lactobacillus (for 5 days then added wlp090)
Safale S-05

Mash Schedule
Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 149F

Notes
03/07/15: Brew day
6.25 gallons
OG = 1.033

Extra Pale Ale

MaltBroue is an artisan maltsters from Cabano who specialized in the production of crystal malts from either barley, rye or wheat and they range between 20 and 160 Lovibond.  Lots of micros from Québec and NB uses their products and for good reasons!  They’re made locally using local grains and the taste is superior in my opinion, much like coffee beans from an artisan roaster.  Recently Dany has developed an experimental base malt and I was lucky to be given a few pounds to test it out.  It’s a 3.5L pale ale base malt made with the Bentley barley variety and in this recipe I used it on its own to really get the feel of what flavour it can provide. 

Recipe Specifications

Batch Size (Gal): 15.00

Total Grain (Lbs): 28.00

Estimated OG: 1.052

Anticipated SRM: 5.1

Anticipated IBU: 40.4 IBU

Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %

Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grains

100.0% (28 lbs) - MaltBroue Pale Ale

Hops

2.00 oz Warrior (12.00%) @ 60 min

1.00 oz Ahtanum (5.70%) @ 10 min

1.00 oz Amarillo (8.70%) @ 10 min

1.00 oz Centennial (10.50%) @ 10 min

4.00 oz Ahtanum (5.70%) @ Hop-Stand (175F for 60 min)

2.00 oz Amarillo (8.70%) @ Hop-Stand (175F for 60 min)

2.00 oz Centennial (10.50%) @ Hop-Stand (175F for 60 min)

Dry Hop

1.00 oz Ahtanum @ Dry Hop for 7 days (per 5 gal)

Yeasts

6.0 gal -> WY1450 Denny's Favorite 50

7.5 gal -> WLP090 - San Diego Super Yeast

Mash Schedule

Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 153F

Notes

02/15/15: Brew day

OG = 1.054

13.5 gallons

La Petite Ourse

A couple of weeks ago one of my friend shared with me a bottle of Rising Tide's Ursa Minor which is an hybrid of a hefe and a stout fermented with a German wheat beer yeast.  I really enjoyed it and it has inspired me to brew my own.  For my version I opted to focus more on the chocolate roast and used munich malt instead of crystal to tie both end.  The chocolate flavor will be match with banana flavor from the fermentation profile.

Recipe Specifications

Batch Size (Gal): 11.00

Total Grain (Lbs): 25.00

Estimated OG: 1.064

Anticipated SRM: 36.7

Anticipated IBU: 20.7 IBU

Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %

Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grains

44.0% (11 lbs) - Wheat 

32.0% (8 lbs) - Bo Pils

12.0% (3 lbs) - Munich II

4.0% (1 lbs) - Pale Chocolate

4.0% (1 lbs) - Chocolate Wheat

4.0% (1 lbs) - Carafa Special III

Hops

2.50 oz Tettnanger (5.30%) @ 60 min

Yeast

5.5gal -> WY3068 - Weihenstephan Weizen

5.5gal -> WY3068 - Weihenstephan Weizen

Mash Schedule

--------------

Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 152F

Notes

-----

02/08/15: Brew day

OG = 1.062

Russian Imperial Stout

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size (Gal): 10.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 35.50
Estimated OG: 1.100
Anticipated SRM: 50.6
Anticipated IBU: 101.3 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 120 Minutes

Grains
64.8% (23 lbs) - Maris Otter
11.3% (4 lbs) - LME
5.6% (2 lbs) - Roasted Barley
5.6% (2 lbs) - Organic Sucanat Sugar
4.2% (1.50 lbs) - Caramunich III
4.2% (1.50 lbs) - Special B
4.2% (1.50 lbs) - Chocolate Wheat

Hops
2.50 oz Nugget (14.50%) @ FWH
10ml Hop Shot @ 120 min
4.00 oz Willamette (5.20%) @ 20 min

Yeast
5 gal -> WY1450 - Denny's Favorite 50
5 gal -> Nottingham

Mash Schedule
Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 150F

Notes
01/18/15: Brew day

Hoppy Saison

Recipe Specifications
Batch Size (Gal): 15.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 27.25
Estimated OG: 1.053
Anticipated SRM: 3.1
Anticipated IBU: 32.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grains
69.7% (19 lbs) - Pilsner
11.0% (3 lbs) - Wheat
11.0% (3 lbs) - Flaked Oats
5.5% (1.50 lbs) - Dextrose
2.8% (0.75 lbs) - Acid Malt

Hops
2.50 oz Aramis (7.20%) @ 60 min
2.25 oz Saaz (3.20%) @ 20 min
1.75 oz Mittelfrueh (4.00%) @ 20 min
3.50 oz Saaz (3.20%) @ 0 min
2.50 oz Mittelfrueh (4.00%) @ 0 min

1.00 oz Triskel  @ Dry Hop for 10 days (per 5 gal)

Yeast
5 gal -> WLP566 - Belgian Saison II
5 gal -> WY3726 - Farmhouse Ale
2.5 gal -> WLP670 - American Farmhouse
2.5 gal -> WY3203 - De Bom Sour Blend

Mash Schedule
Sacch Rest - 60 min @ 149F

Notes
01/17/15: Brew day