Conical Experiment Day Thirteen

Brewing Date: Friday December 07, 2007
Head Brewer: Jeff
Recipe: Conical Experiment Maerzen

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

09-A German Amber Lager, Oktoberfest/Maerzen

Min OG: 1.050 Max OG: 1.064
Min IBU: 20 Max IBU: 30
Min Clr: 7 Max Clr: 14 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (GAL): 5.00 Wort Size (GAL): 5.00
Total Extract (LBS): 8.50
Anticipated OG: 1.049 Plato: 12.16
Anticipated SRM: 24.2
Anticipated IBU: 25.7
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Actual OG: 1.057 Plato: 13.97
Actual FG: 1.014 Plato: 3.58

Alcohol, Actual: 4.42 By Weight 5.64 By Volume

Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Gravity SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
11.8 1.00 lbs. Crystal 60L America 1.034 60
5.9 0.50 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350
82.4 7.00 lbs. Munich Liquid Malt Extract 1.030 8

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 0.75 oz. Cascade Pellet 6.40 23.6 60 min.
0.25 oz. Cascade Pellet 6.40 2.1 15 min.

Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.0 Tsp Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil)

Yeast
-----
WhiteLabs WLP862 Cry Havok

Bottling/Kegging Specifics
--------------------------

Bottling Date: Thursday December 20, 2007
Desired Carbonation Level: 2.30 Volumes CO2
Fermentation Temperature: 68 F

Amount Kegged: 5.00 Gallons
Days Conditioned: 0
Carbonation Method: Forced
Carbonation Temperature: 42 F
Pressure Used: 11.07 Psi

Well, I kegged "The Great Experiment." The verdict? Well, I don't have a new planter. The beer was malty and slightly sweet. I couldn't detect any contamination.

I did notice, however, that my lid doesn't make a good seal. I think I'm going to have to invest in some small clamps.

Conical Experiment Day Five

I pulled a quarter cup sample of The Great Experiment and tried it.

I'm about ready to trust the conical.

The beer had fermented. It had a nice Maerzan flavor and not too much hop flavor. This may be a keeper.

The next step is to take Satan's conical home and wash it with soap and a cloth, rinse it out several times and try the same recipe I did here and see what happens.

Conical Experiment - Day Three

I checked the conical this morning and the airlock isn't moving. That means that either the conical hates me, the CO2 layer I put down on the beer (someone on the Brewing Network Forum suggested that my problem was there was oxygen getting into the fermenter) inhibited the yeast, the yeast I got was dead, or it has already fermented out.

Excelsior Oktober Ale

I conducted "The Great Experiment" today. Is my conical fermenter destined to be a planter? Or is it capable of making beer?

Satan suggested I make something malty, like an Oktoberfest. I chose a recipe by The Master, Charlie Papazian: Winky Dink Märzen. I made a couple of changes. The original recipe calls for 1/2 cup of chocolate malt. I made it 8 ounces. And I chose The Master's signature strain, Cry Havoc. And since Austin Homebrew was out of Hallertauer hops, I used Cascade.

ProMash Brewing Session Printout
--------------------------------

Brewing Date: Friday December 07, 2007
Head Brewer: Jeff
Recipe: Conical Experiment Maerzen

ProMash Brewing Session - Recipe Details Printout
-------------------------------------------------

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------
09-A German Amber Lager, Oktoberfest/Maerzen

Min OG: 1.050 Max OG: 1.064
Min IBU: 20 Max IBU: 30
Min Clr: 7 Max Clr: 14 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (GAL): 5.00 Wort Size (GAL): 5.00
Total Extract (LBS): 8.50
Anticipated OG: 1.049 Plato: 12.16
Anticipated SRM: 24.2
Anticipated IBU: 25.7
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Actual OG: 1.057 Plato: 13.97
Actual FG: 1.012 Plato: 3.07

Alcohol, Est.: 5.11 By Weight 6.44 By Volume - Full Attenuation.

Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Gravity SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
11.8 1.00 lbs. Crystal 60L America 1.034 60
5.9 0.50 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350
82.4 7.00 lbs. Munich Liquid Malt Extract 1.030 8

Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.75 oz. Cascade Pellet 6.40 23.6 60 min.
0.25 oz. Cascade Pellet 6.40 2.1 15 min.

Extras
Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.25 Tsp Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil)

Yeast
-----

WhiteLabs WLP862 Cry Havok

The experiment will be conducted in the same manner and I use my plastic fermenters. I will leave the wort in the fermenter for a week and a half, then add some gelatin to fine it, and let it sit a couple of days. Then I'll keg it.

Tune in next time! Same Beer Time! Same Beer Channel!