Brew #3: Son of Hopzilla

I goofed up big this time. But that might be a good thing - if you like hops. Which we do.

INGREDIENTS:

7.75 lb British Amber Malt Extract
8 oz Biscuit Malt (unknown Lovibond)
8 oz Crystal Malt L.60

2.5 oz Nothern Brewer Hops (6.2% AA)
5.5 oz Cascade Hops (6.5% AA)

125 ml WYeast 1098, British Ale Smak Pak

PROCEDURE:

1. Bring water and dry grains to a boil.
2. Remove dry grains and thoroughly stir in malt extract.
3. Calculate the amount of hops to make a nice IPA. Book says 30-60. OK, 30-60 homebrew units means we'll need a lot of hops.
3. Bring to a boil again and add 2.5 oz Northern Brewer hops plus 2.5 oz Cascade.
4. Boil for 40 minutes.
5. Remove bittering hops and add 1 oz Cascade to boil 20 minutes.
6. Notice that wort has a greenish tinge and tastes super-duper hoppy.
7. Review beer stats and realize that 30-60 was NOT homebrew units but International Bittering Units.
8. Quickly calculate IBU's for beer currently planned and, oops, this beer will have upwards of 130 IBU's.
9. What the heck, throw another 2 oz Cascade in the last 5 minutes for aroma.
10. Cool, add water to 5 gallons, and pitch yeast. This particular yeast is supposed to allow the malt and hop flavors shine through without adding a lot of fruity esters.

MUSINGS, MISHAPS:

I am consoling myself with the thought that a 130 IBU beer will have no chance of contamination. I just hope the yeast survive.

TASTING COMMENTS:

Wow, pretty clean. Not the tastebud-stripping I expected, but an insistent tingly hop flavor. Not as citrusy as I thought it would be, and not much floral aroma to warn you before you sip. If I had used Cascade hops this would have packed a real punch. This is sort of like a hop-flavored soda, which doesn't sound appetizing, but you really can't taste much of the malt. People who have tried this beer say it's delicious. I would shoot for more balance next time.

Brew #2: Black Russian Science Mead

It isn't often that a byproduct of our research can be used at home. There was a time I made camphor for a friend who was fond of the smell, but in general one doesn't take experiments off campus. However, our lab has been branching out over the last couple of years from fruit flies to other insects like flour beetles, mosquitos, and Apis mellifera--honeybees. Mmmm, honey... A graduate student in our lab (Jessica C.) has studied honeybee development pretty much since she joined us. As a byproduct of her research she collects lots of wonderful honey from her rooftop laboratory hives. There is an actual honeycomb centrifuge in the lab for this purpose!

There are plenty of uses for honey - I like to sweeten my tea with it - but we're talking pounds and pounds of honey. Two viable options seemed to be: make a ton of baklava and get fat, or make a ton of mead and get drunk! Here is how we brewed our mead:

INGREDIENTS:

16 lbs fresh honey from Black Russian honey bees
0.5 oz Brewer's Garden Bitter Orange Peel
4 tsp Acid Blend
0.5 oz Yeast Nutrient
35 ml White Labs Pitchable Sweet Mead Yeast WLP720

Last minute addition: 3 ripe peaches cut up but not skinned
and 1/2 stick of cinnamon

PROCEDURE:

1. Mix honey and water to about 2 or 3 gallons.
2. Bring to a boil and add orange peel and cinnamon.
3. Boil 15 min and skim scuzz off the top.
4. Turn off the heat and add acid blend, yeast nutrient, and cut up peaches in a mesh bag. Allow to steep for 15 min.
5. Cool, add sterile water to make 5 gallons, and pitch yeast.
6. Rack often and ferment for at least 4 months.

MUSINGS, MISHAPS:

This was brewed 7/2/06, left at home 2 weeks, and then moved to lab because the temperature there is cooler and more controlled.

Racked 9/1/06.

TASTING COMMENTS:

After the first rack I had a taste and, wow, it's going to be potent! Two sips and feeling relaaaaaxed. Could just barely taste the peaches and there was a little astringent flavor, possibly due to leaving the peach skins on. Maybe this will mellow out over the next few months.