Ale – Page 2 – 9stripe Brewing

A couple of us are planning on entering the Germanfest Stein Challenge. A beer contest for only German style beers.

I chose to brew an Alt Bier. I have brewed Alts a couple of times and they have been good beers,, not sure how they would score against the guidelines,, but we will see I guess.

I also used this beer to start messing with water. We do have decent water here, but a few things can be done. I didn’t go all out on the water,, so I went with just a 1/4 tsp Gypsum, and a 1/4 tsp calcium chloride.. oh and 2oz of acid malt.

The rest was just an old Alt recipe that I’ve made before except I used Maris Otter instead of the Pilsner malt. just because I wanted the malt to stand out a bit more than usual since its going to a contest.

4.5 lb Munich malt
4 lb Maris Otter
2oz black pat
4oz crystal 40
2oz Acid malt
1oz Perle @60
1oz Spalter @15

Went with a Medium body mash of 154, And used Munich dry yeast. Munich Dry yeast?… aint that a wheat yeast? Yep. But it gives that certain “Germanish” aroma and flavor profile.

Skipping ahead to today,, I just kegged this beer and it is what i was looking for in the malt, hop and yeast profile,, but I do have to say that it does seem a bit,, mineraly or something in the feel of it. I am assuming from the water additions.

I’m not yet saying that its a bad thing,, just that I did notice it right away. And since I have been brewing with this same water for 25 or so years,, pretty sure I would notice something different. I will how ever, be keeping track of this one a bit closer and see how those additions affect the final beer.

It’s time to brew the beer I will be drinking during my infamous Halloween garage concert this year.

Normally it’s been just what ever I had in stock at the time, but this year I decided to come up with a beer that hopefully will become my “traditional” Halloween brew.

In order to come up with a beer, I first needed to define what it is I’m doing, or trying to do.

I need a beer that not only fits the holiday, but can stand up to a heavy dose of heavy metal played at extreme decibels. Nothing fruity or nothing heavy like a stout. Something with backbone and character. I think a hoppy American Brown will fit right in here.

Something not overly sweet, but enough to handle some decent hopping. Some thing darker but not heavily roasted.

Here is what I came up with …

Vanhelsing- American Brown

10 lbs 2 row

1 lb 80L

.5 lb 10L

.5 lb chocolate malt

.75 oz magnum @60

1 oz cascade @15

1 oz cascade @ flame out

1 oz cascade dry hopped after activity slows

05 yeast.

I wanted something with a medium body, so to match with the 1 1/2 lbs of crystal I went with a mash if 152.

I still underestimate the color a little chocolate malts gives. I wouldn’t say it’s black. But damn close. As it sits in the fermenter I’m guessing in the 20’s SRM.

It was a good brew day. The humidity dropped, 73 degrees. But the wind seemed to keep the boil to a slight roll instead of a hard boil. But it did look like there was a good break.