Galaxy and Galaxie (500)

Galaxie 500  5 (3) gallons  February and July 2016

9.5 lbs (6 lbs) 2 Row
16 oz (10 oz) White Wheat
8 oz (5 oz) Dextrine or Carapils
8 oz (5 oz) corn, turbinado, regular sugar or dextrose 10 min
8 oz (5 oz) crystal 20
(Mash at 153 deg. for 60 min.)

0.25 (0.2 oz) Columbus 60 min
0.75 (0.5 oz) Columbus 10 min
3 oz (1.8 oz) Columbus Hop Stand (after it cools to 180 deg.)

6 oz  (3 oz) Galaxy Dryhop - 7 days
1.5 oz  (0.75 oz) Columbus Dryhop - 7 days
1 tsp (0.5 tsp) gypsum 10 min
Safale  05

Dryhopped primary fermentor after 10 days.  Kegged after 7 days dryhopping.  Really nice aroma!
If dry hop amount is not enough, will add final 1 oz of galaxy and 0.25 oz columbus to keg.
Opened keg on third day and added 0.5 oz galaxy suspended on floss.  Should be high and dry after a half gallon is dispensed.

This beer is FANTASTIC!  Can't stop drinking it!  Held up well for 2 weeks.  Next time might split the dryhopping into 2 sessions of 4 days each. Maybe try a Citra/Galaxy version.

Notes:  Started with 4 gallons of wort and did not use all sparge water (slight mistake).  Boiled off too much and should have started with at least 4.5 gallons.  Yielded 2.5 gallons, not 3.  Dry hops will suck up even more water.

This was completely done in 2 weeks.  Probably only started with 2 1/4 gallons.  Held up good through 2 weeks, but that might be the fine line between world class and outstanding.

WILL NEED TO START WITH 7 GALLONS OF WORT FOR A 5 GALLON BATCH

NOTES FOR BATCH #2:
Brewed in summer and fermented at 72-74 deg. in basement. (10 deg warmer than first batch)
Started with 4.75 gallons of wort, got full 3 gallons.
Did a 20 min. hop stand after cooling to 180 deg.
Used 1 extra ounce of crystal 20.
dryhopped galaxy for 6 days and columbus for 5 days
Kegged and sampled 3 days later.  Needs more Columbus flavor.
Dryhopped keg with 0.5 oz Columbus and 0.5 oz Galaxy on keg day 4.

Tasting Notes:  Simply not as good or juicy as the first batch, but good.
Thinner and less grapefruit juicyness.
Has a nice nose, but too much yeast nose and flavor
Could use more columbus and galaxy flavor

Possible problems:
1/2 gallon higher yield diluted and thinned it a bit. - increase grain amounts
Higher fermentation temp not good - ferment in low 60's
Racked too much yeast - be very careful to not rack too much yeast into keg if single fermentation

Solutions:
Ferment in 60's
Add some more base grains
maybe add something for body like flaked oats
don't rack as much yeast

Lord Vader's Black Hole - Milk Stout

Modified for 3 gallons Milk Stout (5.5%)

7 (4.2) lbs 2 row Rahr
16 (9.6) oz Roasted Barley
12 (7.2) oz Crystal 60
12 (7.2) oz Chocolate
12 (7.2) oz Munich
10 (6) oz Flaked Barley
8 (5) oz Flaked Oats
0.35 (0.25) oz Magnum for 60 min
1 (0.5) oz Goldings for 10 min
16 (9.6) oz Lactose 10 min
Safale 05

Primary fermentation for 17 days then bottled.  Let sit unrefridgerated for 7 days.

Very tasty!  Carbonated well.  Very good with many compliments!  Not quite as robust as Left Hand. Maybe add some black patent or midnight wheat.

Still good after 9 months.

Jupiter Mosaic and Saturn Simcoe IPAs

Jupiter Mosaic IPA
12 lbs 2 row malt
10 oz crystal 20
6 oz flaked oats
4 oz victory malt
4 oz carapils
1 oz Citra 60 min
2.5 oz Cascade leaf hopstand 20 min
1 oz Amarillo hopstand 20 min
Split secondary 2.5 gal each
1 oz Mosaic, 0.5 oz FF dry hop 7 days
1 oz Simcoe, 0.5 oz FF dry hop 7 days (1 orange zest presoaked in vodka)
Safale Yeast us-05

Primary Fermentation - 11 days
Secondary 9 days then dry hop 7 days

Accidentally left out 1 oz simcoe from boil.

Notes - Jupiter Mosaic is good and drinkable, but could use more hops overall.  Not much aroma or flavor here, but nice and smooth.  Maybe try an all mosaic, or more amarillo, citra, simcoe.  Also add some cane sugar to dry it out and get rid of some sweetness.  Victory not needed, could replace with vienna or white wheat.

Saturn Simcoe is similar to Jupiter but with some orange on the nose and a slight orange bitterness. Probably wouldn't soak orange in vodka again, just add fresh.

After a couple weeks, the simcoe version has aged better.  Mosaic version has lost hop flavor.
Lost most of hop flavor after 3 months, but still very smooth and drinkable.

Venus Blueberry Ale

Venus Blueberry Wheat Ale (5.5 gallons)  

5.5 lbs 2 row malt
3.5 lbs wheat malt
6 oz vienna malt
0.5 oz Willamette Hops (60 min)
0.5 oz Fuggles Hops (60 min)
0.5 oz Willamette Hops (30 min)
0.5 oz Fuggles hops (5 min)
SAfale Yeast starter us-05
4 oz. blueberry extract at bottling ($4)

Original Gravity 4% (near top)
Final Gravity

Not a good smell.  No mouthfeel.  Bitter and no sweetness.  Possible problems:  Needs some crystal malt for sweetness.  Likely yeast problems with reused yeast and late start.  Too much blueberry extract?  Use more 2 row and less wheat?

Might like to try this again.

Neptune Orange IPA w/ Falconers Flight/Orange Zest

Neptune Orange IPA (5 gallons) - modified

12 Ibs 2 row malt
10 oz crystal 20
6 oz vienna malt
4 oz carapils
8 oz dextrose
0.5 oz Columbus 60 min
1 oz Citra 10 min
2 oz Cascade leaf 0 min
1 oz Amarillo 0 min
0.5 oz Columbus 0 min
3 oz Falconers Flight Dry Hop
Zest of 3 Oranges
Safale Yeast us-05

Modified based on nice results from original 1 gallon batch.  Nice orange on nose.  Nice orange flavor, but did not carbonate because I refrigerated it,

Neptune IPA w/ Hallertau Blanc

Neptune IPA (6 gallons) (Enjoy within 2 weeks)

14 Ibs 2 row malt

10 oz crystal 20

6 oz vienna malt

4 oz carapils

1 oz Columbus 60 min

1 oz Citra 10 min

2 oz Cascade leaf 2-5 min

1 oz Amarillo 0 min

1 oz Hallertau Blanc Dry Hop

1 oz Cascade Dry Hop

Safale Yeast us-05

Might be more cascade, did not weight it.

Primary Fermentation for 14 days

Secondary 14 days

Dry hopped 5 gal with 1 oz Hallertau blanc, 1/2 oz Falconers Flight and 1 oz Cascade leaf (last 5 days)

Dry hopped 1 gal with 1/2 oz Falconers Flight and orange zest from 1 orange (last 5 days)

Use 1/8 cup (or slightly less) table sugar per gallon for priming. (did not work)

Added Mr. Beer tablets later and did not work MUST carbonate at room temp

Alcohol estimated at 7%

Nice hop aroma throughout 2 months.  Real hop flavor only lasted for first couple of weeks.  Big lemon characteristics from HB.

Steamy Creamy - California Common

8 lb 2 row malt
3/4 lb crystal 20

1/4 lb crystal 80 

1 oz Northern Brewer Hops (60)

0.5 oz Northern Brewer Hops (20)

0.5 oz Cascade Hops (20)

1 oz Cascade Hops (5)

irish moss (20)

Wyeast 2112 California Common

this came out very good

Coffee Porter

Partial Mash

3 lbs light DME

5 lbs 2 row malt

1/3  lb light brown sugar or molasses

¼ lb black patent malt

½ lb chocolate malt

¼ lb crystal 40 

3 oz crushed cold steeped coffee beans added to secondary fermentation.  (coarse crushed and steeped for 24 hrs.)

1 oz centennial, fuggles 60 min

1 oz goldings 25 min

Wyeast London ale yeast (liquid)

Too much caffeine, would change to all grain