Stars & Bars Polly Olly

Welcome back to Off The Hinge Brewing!  American beers are number one!  Don't get me wrong other countries make great beer (England/Belgium/Germany to name a few), however the aggressive citrus hop character of the USA is a real crowd pleaser to my pallet.

My Funny Little IPA is not quite ready

Ryan Winn, friend/co-worker wanted to brew a beer for the first time and we decided on an American pale ale due to a mutual appreciation for that style.  To pay homage to Old Glory we named the beer, Stars & Bars Polly Olly.  The Polly Olly part of the name originated when his sister's old flame tried a pale ale for the first time and pronounced it polly olly.  I also think it sounds more exotic, which amplifies the style.

Mash

It was a great time, friends, music, beer, and brewing.  We mashed in 10.5 lbs of US 2-Row, .5 lb of Victory, .25 lb of US Munich, and .25 lb of Cara Pils @ 157 F, which was a little too high.  It was an easy fix.  We added a bit of cool water and stirred it up and got down to 154.  We held it at 154 for 75 minutes.  

First wort pellets

Squeezing out the hop goodness and burning my hand

We first wort hopped it with 1 oz. of Citra hop pellets.  The aroma was great and smelled citrusy.  Next, we added 1 oz. of Mosaic at 15 minutes left in the boil along with our Whirlfloc and yeast nutrients.  Our last addition at flame out (0 minutes) included 2 oz. of Citra, 2 oz. of Mosaic and 2 oz. of wet (Fresh) Northern Brewer hops.  The Northern Brewer hops were a Christmas Gift (thanks David P.) that were vacuumed sealed and they smelled super good.

Ryan Pitched in the Wyeast 1272 American Ale II starter, which I made the night before.  This strain is a little bit fruitier and more flocculant than 1056 American Ale strain.  The profile contains a nutty hint, soft, clean, and a little tart finish.

Last two additions

We mean business

Grey Bear keeping an eye on things

Ryan dropping in the Whirlfloc

Checking Pre Boil Gravity (1.056)

This beer should be quite good, It has been fermenting vigorously.  I have never been able to smell the hops from the other room until now.  The aroma is great.  Can't wait to try this one out.  Thanks Ryan for your help and David P. for the fresh hops.  Remember to drink good beer responsibly and be merry.  Cheers!