REVIEW # 70: BANGARANG: Rufio 2.0 (1st Place Imperial Red IPA)

The rain is here, actually it is dumping buckets full everywhere.  The weather report says that there is possible flooding, and strong South winds that could down power lines and take out trees.  It gets dark by 6pm, and it stays dark until after I am already at work in the morning.  The temps are dropping as quickly as the leaves on the trees.  Fall is officially here.  And so is my Imperial Red IPA.  I love having this beer around at this time of year, malty, hoppy, dank, alcoholic, warming, comforting.  Needs a couple tweeks and we should have a house recipe.

Look:

Pours a clear deep red bordering on brown with definite ruby highlights under a 2+ finger thick khaki head that lasts forever.  Bubbles are tight and small, leaving a thick lacing all the way down the glass, alcohol legs sweep along the path of the sip.

Aroma:

A huge burst of resin and pine leap from the glass before it even gets to your nose, and gives way to a generic bag-o-hop-pellets kick from the dry hops.  Citrus pith, mild coffee grounds, sweet breads, toffee, fruit cake, tangerines, and spicy hops.  As it warms there is a faint floral soap note.

Taste:

Citrus rind washes all over the tongue at first sip, pith, resin, hop oils coat the entirety of the mouth, pine cones, and dank hops.  Below the initial burst of hops is a firm malt backbone, toffee, dark fruits, sweet malts, burnt sugar finish.  Spicy hops blend with the smooth but warming alcohol.  The finish is roasty, slightly ashy, and bitter, a pithy note lingers.  Touch of lactic sourness when really cold, I added 9ml of Lactic Acid to the sparge instead of 0.9ml, and it shows.

Mouthfeel:

Medium body gives way to a dry and bitter finish.  The alcohol, dextrins, and carbonation leave a good body keeping it from becoming thin.  Medium carbonation helps deliver the hops and wash the palate clean.  Lingering bitterness and alcohol warmth.

Overall:

The blend of hops and malts are pretty spot on for this beer.  The color is a tad dark, and the roastiness is too present in both aroma and flavor, need to dial the Black Patent back a hair.  Definitely need to avoid adding too much LA to the sparge water, detracts from a wonderful beer.  As always, my bitterness needs to get a crank up a notch or two.  Overall I am really pleased with the beer aside from the minor flaws, the worst of which is brewer error as opposed to recipe.

This beer took 1st place in the Imperial IPA category at the McKenzie Cider & Craft Beer Festival - Homebrew Competition

RECIPE #70: BANGARANG: Rufio 2.0 (1st place Imperial Red IPA)

I just love having a big, bold, dank, pithy, piney, red, hop bomb around a couple times a year.  Especially in the Fall when the darkness starts creeping in sooner and sooner, the nights are cooling off, the garden is waning, the trees are changing colors, the hops are fresh.  I usually don't like much, if any, crystal malts in my hoppy beers, and have even avoided it completely at times.  For my Imperial Red IPA I do like some burnt sugar in there, just not raisins and plums.  Of course you have to have the right hops to play nicely over a red, malty, base with a touch of burnt sugars and toffee, and a big alcohol presence.  I have done 2 beers along these lines in the past, the first iteration of Rufio was over a base of Vienna and Munich with Chinook, Simcoe, and CTZ.  The second Imperial Red IPA I did last fall used flaked barley, crystal rye, and Kiln Amber for a malty and aromatic base to support the Cascade, Centennial, Chinook and CTZ hops.  For this version (a return to Rufio), I used a base close to Pliny the Elder with an extra layer of Crystal using an addition of British Dark Crystal for burnt sugar and color along with the Carastan for honey and light toffee notes, as well as Black Malt for the color and dry roast finish.  I really enjoyed the way the 4 C hops played up the dank and pith last Fall over the more berry / tropical fruit forward notes on the first Rufio, so I went with this combo again.

Review: Identity Crisis (Black IPA)

For 3 of my 4 Spring-time brewing seasons now, I have made a Black IPA  After last year's I had to do one again this year..  I like them low on roast and high on hops, especially with a big resin and pine component with lots of fruit layered in.  Chinook and Simcoe work great and a nice addition of Mosaic plays well in there too.  I have tossed Blisk into a 2L of my APA without any hop presence and it was great, so I thought it would work wonderful in this IPA and boy was I right.  Tropical, reisn, pine, and I believe it to be the touch of Maui Onion I am picking up as it warms.

Look:

Pours a beautiful dark brown/black with a huge, dense khaki head that stays forever, leaving thick lace rings all the way down the glass.  Super clear with dark ruby/brown highlights.

Aroma:

Massive blast of hops jump out of the glass, big citrus burst, grapefruit peel, followed by lychee fruit, pine needles, floral notes, resin, dank, peach, and blueberry.  So many layers, lots of fruits and wood.  Maui onion.

Flavor:

Hints of chocolate, followed by blueberry, pine, toasty malt, nutty yeast, grapefruit pith, tangerines, and mangoes.  There is a finishing note that is off, not bad or infected off, just off.  Kind of flabby finish, not crisp and clean.  A little sweaty.  Bitterness in the finish that I would like to see more of, not as strong as I'd like which seems to be the difficulty I have with IPAs.

Mouthfeel:

Medium/light body, medium carbonation, semi-dry finish, balanced bitterness (needs more).  Wondering if the flabby finish is a pH issue.

Overall:

Huge hop explosion out of the glass, complex hop notes, lots of fruits, pine, resiny hops, touch of sweet onion.  Flavor and feel are great, only issues are the lower bitterness and flabby finish flavor.  Need to get that bitterness cranked up.  I have wondered for a few batches now whether I might need to adjust the pH down a couple nothces in the finish.  If I add a drop of Lactic acid to the glass the finish is less flabby, but still not as crisp.  Possibly needs even more sulfate and magnesium?

RECIPES: #57 Hop Hedonist (IPA) & #58 Identity Crisis (Black IPA)

No matter how hard I try to get away from it, I can't escape that reality that I am a Hop Head.  The aromatics of tropical fruits, pine, citrus rinds, resins, they are just so alluring.  With a pulling bitterness in the finish and a mild malt backing to support the hops, an IPA is truly a thing of beauty.  Yes, there are many out there who hate bitter beer, but maybe it is because I am from the North West, I gotta have them hops.  And it had been too long with out them.  I blew my keg of Autumn IPA a month ago and have been fiending for the hops ever since.  I bought some Dale's Pale Ale, Hopothermia, and Palate Wrecker and it just isn't cutting it.  Finally I got a chance to brew up 2 IPAs.  

REVIEW: Feed the Machine (Autumn IPA)

Autumn hit and almost instantaneously my taste buds shifted quickly away from light, fruity, crisp, refreshing, to big, bold, dark, dank, full bodied, malty, bitter, hoppy, warming.  Couple that with all the freshly dried and packaged hops from this year's harvest, and my mind began to churn up an idea.  I wanted a beer that screamed AUTUMN.  Biscuits, warm malt, body, lightly chewy, sweetish, sweet breads, spicy, all to hold up a big resinous, piney, pithy hop profile - no tropical fruits or melons, something much bigger and heavier.  I concocted the recipe, and brewed it up, double dry hopping, and serving quick from the keg.  I must say, I think I hit it spot on.  Many of the guys in the club tried it at our meeting and really liked it, positive feedback all around, and the president said keep the recipe and re-do that beer.  I plan on it, especially in the Spring for the annual (and local) Sasquatch Brew Fest (which I placed in 3 categories last year).  This beer would make a great Glen Beer (special tribute beer to Glen Hay Falconer [where Falconer's Flight get their name] big, malty, dark, and absurdly hoppy).

LOOK:

Pours a fairly clear (for a double Dry Hopped beer) deep red with a super sticky thick khaki head.  Leaves really nice lace and a thick foam ring with each sip.  Some legs evident as well from the alcohol.  Head fades down to a thick whispy cap

AROMA:

It's like shoving your nose in a bag of hops, are walking into the hop room at a brewery.  Big dank hop resin, pine needles, grapefruit pith, spicy, touch of berries.  Background cocoa, bread dough, sweet malts, and alcohol.

FLAVOR:

First rush is hop oils coating the tongue, giving way to biscuits, resin, more pine.  Fruity, berries, spicy hop notes, sweet malt palate.  Bready.  Not as crisp as I'd like, kind of a "heavy" taste to it.  Alcohol is there, but very hidden.

MOUTHFEEL:

Medium to Med-Full body, combo of semi-dry, and alcohol, sweet, with a big bitterness cleansing the palate.  Balanced bitterness and malt with alcohol.  Warming alcohol in the back.

OVERALL:

Very nice Imperial Red IPA.  Balanced, bitter, alcohol, malty, lots of hops everywhere.  Too drinkable.  Hit spot on for the flavors I was shooting for.  The heaviness in the finish is kind of flabby, need to retool for this aspect.  Not sure if this is brewing salt related, or malt related.  Possibly cut back on the flaked barley, or cut it out next time?  Possible pH of finished beer issue, might try adding a touch of acid to a glass to see if that helps before tweeking the malts.

RECIPE: Feed the Machine (AutumnIPA)

Autumn, that time of year when the leaves change color, the sun hides behind the clouds, the darkness arrives earlier and stays around later than before, and a chill sets in throughout the day.  That time of year when the light, crisp, fruity lager, or Witbier just aint cutting it anymore.  That time of year when you are looking for something richer, maltier, bolder, packed with warm malts, resiny and piney hops, and flavors of Fall.  Couple this with the fresh harvest of hops that are begging to be used, and it is time for an Autumn IPA.  

Recipe #49: Hazy Dayz (Session White IPA)

After brewing a couple lagers and waiting for them to finish up for drinking I noticed that I didn't have any really flavorful brews, nothing hoppy to slake my lupulin lusts.  I have my Saison in bottles and the 2 American Pilsners, that's it.  I really enjoy White IPAs.  I really enjoy session IPAs.  And yesterday was National IPA Day.  Seemed fitting that I brew up a nice sessionable White IPA.  Around 4.5% ABV, 43 IBUs., dry, crisp, refreshing, fruity, bursting with hops.

2nd Place Review: IPA

Every so often you get that itch, you know the one I'm talking about, the craving for hops.  Some of us always have that itch, others float between flavor cravings.  I have found myself to have a fairly diversified palate, but I always love a good IPA.  And there is no better IPA than the one you brewed fresh yourself.  On this beer I was looking for a big fruity hop punch with lots of tropical and juicy fruits, low citrus, and a big piney background, with a restrained malt presence.  That's what I got.

Look:

Pours a deep gold almost orange, clearish but still hazy from the dryhops, creamy and thick white head.  This beer glows.  The foam stays the distance, and leaves sticky lacing all down the glass.

Aroma:

Smells like tropical punch!  Lots of mango and pineapple, touch of peaches, resin, and pine.  Not really getting much citrus fruits, but this is a fruit bomb.  Makes you wonder what fruits are in the beer, but there isn't any.

Flavor:

Flavor mirrors the smell.  Lots of pine hits first, with a lingering of tropical fruits.  The finish is a little off, leaving a mild overripe peaches flavor that isn't too appealing, but it is mild enough that it doesn't make the beer off-putting.  Lots of fruit and resin.  Restrained malt, with a touch of toasty malt.  Some honey notes.

Mouthfeel:

Medium-Light body with a dryish finish, not super dry like I had hoped for.  Bitterness is there, but a little restrained for the estimated 92 IBUs, more like 60s?  The hops coat the tongue leaving it sticky.  Carbonation is a little prickly and helps cleanse the palate.

Overall:

I really like this IPA.  Good burst of fruity hops, pine, resin, tropics, complex layers, sticky hops, good color and head.  It does need to finish dryer and have a higher bitterness to get it to pop more.  It borders on a highly hopped Pale Ale with a higher ABV.

Recipe: Leaf Turner - Wet Hop Brown Ale

Wet Hop brew # 3 in 3 days... should I do a Black IPa, or Brown Ale... hmm... I already have a Red IPA, and a White IPA, so the Black IPA would work.  But then again, it is headed into Fall, and a Brown sounds pretty good.  Brown it is, and seeing as I am loving Sierra Nevada's Tumbler right now, I decided to use their malt bill for my batch, just boosting the gravity with more base malt.  Of course I switched up the hops and went with what I have in terms of Wet Hops, lots of Chinook and some Cascade.  Much of what I have read on American Browns is that you want a present American citrus hop nose and flavor, so the grapefruit and citrus from the hops will work well, and the pine from the Chinook will help add some depth and bite to it so it isn't so bright, bringing it back to more of a Fall flavor.  Giving it an addition of Pickling Lime (first time using it) to keep the pH up from the dark malts, and balance it out some.  Finishing it off with West Yorkshire yeast as it "produces ales with a full chewy malt flavor and character, but finishes dry, producing famously balanced beers. Expect moderate nutty and stone-fruit esters." (Wyeast).  Chewy mouthfeel, yet dry finish, nutty, and moderate fruity esters, along with a citrusy hop nose, caramel and chocolate malt, sounds like the description of an American Brown to me, starter wort from the Red IPA tasted great too!

This beer was, again (the third beer now), to suffer an unexpected drop in efficiency (extract).  Everything is the same, the only things that might have changed are the water (tap) or the "illegal" to adjust the gap grain mill at the home brew shop was adjusted.  Hopefully I get it figured out soon, constant jumps in efficiency is not an option when you have a specific beer in mind to make.

Stats:

5.5 gallons (5.875 gallons, only added 5.5 to fermenter, the rest is getting soured... go figure)

1.067 OG

1.014 Fg

6.9% ABV

45 IBUs

24 SRM

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Fermentables:

12.75#  GW Pale Malt

1.0#  Crisp Crystal 55/65L

0.75# Briess Chocolate Malt

0.50#  Weyermann Rauchmalt

0.25# Rice Hulls

45 Minutes @ 152*F

74% Extract Efficiency

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45 Minute Boil:

45 mins - 0.5 oz Zeus 16.4AA% (Commercial)

WP @ 150 20 mins - 12.0oz Chinook (Wet) 

WP @ 150 20 mins - 4.0oz Cascade (Wet) 

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Fermentation:

WY 1469 West Yorkshire - 1L Starter (a little 001 as well for good measure)

Aerated 25 minutes

6 gallon Better Bottle

3 days @ 66-67

11 days @ 70

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Additional:

Gypsum 3/8 t (mash), 1/2 t (boil)

Calcium Chloride 1/2 t (mash), 1/2 t (boil)
Pickling Lime 3/4 t (mash)

Whirfloc Tab (15 mins)

Recipe: Slap Yo Momma - Wet Hop White IPA

After picking my decent, but not overly abundant hop harvest this year, I called up Oakshire Brewing since last year they didn't actually harvest their hops for there own beers.  After getting the green light to pick their hops, I raided there Chinook and Cascades.  I also got a few bines of Centennial as well.  As my wife (who so graciously went and sat in the sun entrenched in a mound of Cascade bines and helped my pick while prego) and I looked at the vast amount of hops that I had, and how difficult it would be to dry them all, she realized that I would really need to brew a few more Wet Hop beers.  Graciously she said to me, "Why don't you brew some fresh hop beers?"  I replied, "I'd love to, but that means I'd have to brew tomorrow, and also Saturday twice."  To which she responded, "Okay."  Thus the wheels began turning.  I had already pumped out a recipe for my Red Ale and had the malts milled.  What else did I want to do?  White IPA!  I had wanted to brew one for some time, and I had lots of citrus fruit hops in the Cascade and Centennial, as well as the grapefruit component of the Chinooks, hit that with the pine, and some spicing and a Belgian Yeast.

Stats:

5.0 gallons

1.064 OG

1.007 Fg

7.5% ABV

48 IBUs

4 SRM

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Fermentables:

7.0#  GW Pale Malt

5.0#  Flaked Wheat

1.0#  White Wheat Malt

0.75#  Flaked Wheat
0.5# Cane Sugar

0.25# Rice Hulls

60 Minutes @ 150*F

70% Extract Efficiency

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45 Minute Boil:

60 mins - 1.0 oz Cascade pellets 8.4AA%

WP @ 150 20 mins - 6.0oz Chinook (Wet) 

WP @ 150 20 mins - 8.0oz Cascade (Wet) 

WP @ 150 20 mins - 3.5oz Centennial (Wet) 

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Fermentation:

WY 3726 Farmhouse Ale - 2L Starter

Aerated 20 minutes

6 gallon glass carboy

3 days @ 73-75

11 days @ 75+ 

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Additional:

Gypsum 5/8 t (mash), 3/8 t (boil)

Calcium Chloride 1/2 t (mash), 1/2 t (boil)

Coriander 0.3oz - 5 mins
Orange Peel 0.3oz - 5 mins

Yeast Nutrient (15 mins)

Efficiency tanked hard for some unknown reason.  Added sugar to boost OG and drop FG - I like my dry beers DRY anyways, and it will get me closer to the ABV I wanted.  Not sure what is causing this drop in extract efficeincy.  Pitched yeast from 1L starter (used to wake the yeast up) and also added some of the sleeping yeast from the mason jar in the fridge to ensure that I had a good amount of yeast, but still low enough to produce the esters and phenols I want.

Review: BANGARANG - Thud Butt

I wanted a Hop Bomb that would make you BANGARANG!, and I got one, and I have the lost volume to prove it too.  I underestimated the impact that the dry hops would have on the final volume, as well as the difficulty of getting 5 oz of hops into the Better Bottle, and out again.  The bitterness is low for the style and needs to be adjusted.  I attribute this to using the home grown hops since I was guessing at AA% for the bulk of the hops in this brew.  A little more gypsum wouldn't hurt either.  There is a sweetness that is not malt derived that came from all the hops, it might be best to cut back on the additions next time.  The color is also darker than I wanted.  Other than these few details the beer tastes great.  Super dank and hoppy with big citrus and a supporting malt backbone that finishes dry.  Alcohol is present yet clean.  I will be sad when this beast is gone.

Look: Pours a rich, hazy amber w/ a thick, dense, long lasting beige head that leaves thick lacing throughout. Sparkles.

Aroma:  Smells of big resiny hops, grapefruit peel, citrus, orange zest, dank, tropical fruits, pepper, spicy hops, sweet toffee and light caramel, spicy & floral alcohol, raisins.

Taste:  Taste mirrors the nose.  Dank hops, resin, chocolate, citrus peels, spicy alcohol w/ hints of rose, big hops, passion fruit, spicy hops/pepper, raisins, lightly burnt sugar.  Sweet hops.  No off flavors.  Nos solventy alcohol.

Mouthfeel:  Sweet, creamy, full body, spicy alcohol warms the throat, semi-dry finish, drinkable.  Bitterness comes in the finish and, with the carbonation and low FG cleans the palate, but the bitterness is fairly low for the style, more English IPA then American.

Overall:  Big Hops!  Hops shine in the flavor and aroma, though not in the finish.  Malt plays a great supporting role.  Hops give a heavy resin and sweetness.  Color is a little dark.  With a few adjustments this beer will be all the glory it was supposed to be, but it definitely makes you BANGARANG!

Recipe: Thud Butt - Double IPA -- BANGARANG SERIES

BANGARANG... The term used by the Lost Boys in the movie Hook as a statement of enjoyment, agreement, and delight.  It could be a battle cry or an adjective.  One thing was for sure, if you liked it, it was Bangarang!  Thus starts a new series of recipes, the Bangarang Series, featuring beers that make you wanna Bangarang!  And this beer definitely fits the bill' named after Thud Butt, a big, bold, gentle yet powerful character, the name is an apt fit for a 9.2% ABV, 92 IBU, Double IPA that finishes dry with a noticeable alcohol, yet not solventy, and a huge hop punch.

On to the beer; recently a fellow brewer hooked me up with rhyzomes for my hop yard - 7 varietals (of his nearly 20).  While I was there we were chatting about the types of beers I brew and how the hops will compliment my brewing.  I told him that I'd love to brew IPAs but the cost of hops can just be outrageous which is why I was planting a few big IPA hops (Cascade, Chinook, Blisk).  He was extremely generous and, unprompted, dug into his hop locker and filled a grocery sack with nearly 2# of hops.  Some were the odd varieties that I got to plant so that I can get a feel for their character.  The bulk were Cascades, along with some Zeus as well.  While I was still at his place I brought up Zeus as a bittering hop and he said that it is a great flavor and aroma hop and poured me a sample of a double IPA with Cascade and Zeus.  I was hooked.  And, well, since I had those hops now, and quite a bit at that, I decided to brew one up myself.  I also tossed in some Galaxy as well since I've heard some great things about them and happen to have a few ounces.  I'm targeting a big back bone that still has some maltiness as well as some character, but remains very fermentable, thus dry and drinkable.  I've got some Munich in there for a good maltiness, as well as some Caramalt 10/15L for a light graham cracker note, and some CaraFoam for a little bit of body with the 12% Sugar.   Lots of late hopping for aroma and flavor, and dry hopped to boot, 1# total.

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Stats

5.70 gallon batch

OG 1.084

FG 1.014

ABV 9.2%

IBUs 92

SRM 16

84% Efficiency

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Fermentables

9.5# Pale Malt

3.0# Munich 10L

0.75# Carafoam

0.75# Caramalt 10/15L

0.06# Carafa III (Color)

2.0 # Table Sugar

1/2 tsp Gypsum

3/8 tsp Calcium Chloride

60 min single infusion @ 153*F

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Boil (60 min):

FW 1.00 oz Zeus 15.4 AA%

15 1.00 oz Galaxy  13 AA%

15 1.00 oz Cascade ~ 6.6 AA%

KO w/ 15 min WP 1.00 oz Galaxy  13 AA%

KO w/ 15 min WP 1.00 oz Zeus ~ 16 AA%

KO w/ 15 min WP 1.00 oz Cascade ~ 6.6 AA%

Post KO @ 130*F  1.00 oz Galaxy  13 AA%

Post KO @ 130*F 1.00 oz Cascade  ~ 6.6 AA%

Post KO @ 130*F  2.00 oz Zeus  ~ 16 AA%

DH 9 days 2.00 oz Zeus

DH 9 days 1.00 oz Galaxy

DH 9 days 2.00 oz Cascade

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Kettle Additions:

5/8 tsp Gypsum

3/8 tsp Calcium Chloride

1/4 tsp Yeast Nutrient

1 tab Whirfloc

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Fermentation:

1056 American Ale - Pint of Slurry from Oakshire

65*F 3 days

68*F 2 days

71*F 7 days

45*F 2 days (to clear)

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Put the FW hops into the kettle directly instead of in a bag and had to fish them out and put them into a hop sack.  I missed a few which caused the pick-up tube to clog after the boil.  My refractometer went on the fritz, and kept jumping around on the reading so I had to crash cool a sample and use the hydrometer.  Ended up overcooling the wort before my post chill hops (was aiming for 150*F and cooled to 130*F).  The hydro sample was super sweet and bitter, smelled and tasted great.  Had to rack via auto-siphon due to clog.  Aerated for ~15-20 minutes, pitched a pint of slurry.  Fermentation was rocking by 5 hours.  Woke up the next morning to find my stopper missing and a thick krausen and sludge around the neck of the carboy... had my first blow-off.  Cleaned it up (before taking a picture of course), sanitized my siphon and a glass gallon jug and transferred 1/2 gallon to increase the head space.  Temp got up to 70*F for a few hours maybe when the temp probe popped loose from the side.   Seems like a lot of issues, but a good brew.

Day 3 took sample, tastes and smells great, down to 1.034, ramped up temp to 68*F to encourage continued ferm as it appears to have slowed.

Day 5 took another sample, down to 1.021.  Ramped up to 71*F to finish strong.

Day 7 took a sample, down to 1.014, remains the same as of day 10.

Day 10 dropped to 45*F until bottling.

Day 12 removed from fridge and shoved (difficultly) full of hops & marbles

Day 14 moved back to ferm fridge at 40*F for cooler/longer DH

Day 21 bottled to 2.3 vols CO2.