In Search of El Dorado (Single hop)

Welcome back to Off The Hinge Brewing!  At the last Portland U-brew Collective meeting, Mark Gillette threw out an idea that we all do a single hop beer.  We all drew a hop out of a hat.  I picked up Bravo, but Bravo was out when I went to pick it up.  El Dorado was in my fridge whispering to me and no one had any objections to that hop.  I decided on a whim to brew last night.  I was getting restless.

El Dorado hop pellets

First, I would like to share an Edgar Allen Poe poem, "El Dorado," which I believe is relevant to brewing...

Gaily bedight,
   A gallant Knight,

Pitching the yeast

In sunshine and in shadow,
   Had journeyed long,
   Singing a song,
In search of Eldorado.

   But he grew old-
   This knight so bold-
And o'er his heart a shadow-
   Fell as he found
   No spot of ground
That looked like Eldorado.

   And, as his strength
   Failed him at length,
He met a pilgrim shadow-
   'Shadow,' said he,
   'Where can it be-
This land of Eldorado?'

   'Over the Mountains
    Of the Moon,
Down the Valley of the Shadow,
    Ride, boldly ride,'
    The shade replied,-
'If you seek for Eldorado!'

Why is this relevant?  In my thoughts, trying to make a great beer is an endless search, but we still keep brewing to find that golden kingdom of Eldorado.  That aside, let's continue on...

We all had a choice of following a Hop2it recipe or going rouge and coming up with our own.  In the majority of circumstances I go rouge, however I wanted to follow the recipe to better understand the hop and not be influenced by malts and yeast.  This recipe was designed by, Vinnie Cilurzo of Russian River.

I did a 90 minute single infusion mash at 154 degrees F.  My gravity was four points higher than the recipe called for, which is because I added two extra pounds of 2-row.  The amount of International Bittering Units (IBU) was to be between 30 - 40, which this beer hit at 34.8.  This beer has a higher alcohol by volume, due to the higher gravity and better efficiency than I expected.  I normally get anywhere between 65 - 75 % efficiency, however on this batch I go 84%!

The Grain Bill is as follows, 7 lbs. of US 2-row, 1.5 lbs. of Maris Otter Malt, 1 lb. of Crystal 15L, 1 lb. White Wheat, and 4 oz. of Acidulated Malt.  The Hopping schedule went like this, .375 oz. of El Dorado first wort hop at 90 mins., next .5 oz. at 30 mins., then at flame out whirlpool 1 oz. of El Dorado.  I will also dry hop 1 oz. for a week.  I did not make a starter due to spontaneity, so I added two smack packs of Wyeast 1056 American Ale yeast.  Can't wait for this one.

Yeast 1056

You may be wondering about El Dorado (the hop)?  Dan Woodske, wrote a book on hops entitled, "Hop Variety Handbook," which I like as a guide when formulating a hop bill.  Here is some info on El Dorado he put in his book.  This US hop is a new high yielding hop, which was trademarked in 2010.  It is a bittering hop and also used for aroma.  Common styles it is used in are Imperial IPA and IPA.  The Aroma includes, dried fruit, some citrus, covers up malt aroma, and watermelony fruit like.  The flavor profile is very sharp/crisp bitterness, tropical fruit flavors of mango and apricot and possible honey taste adds to its sweetness.  The Alpha Acid ranges from 14% -16%, the Beta Acid is 7% - 8%, and Cohumulone Acid 28% - 33%.  Has a good storage rating 7 out of 10.  Myrcene Oil 55% - 60%, Humulene Oil 10% - 15%, and Caryophyllene 6% - 8%.  Good Substitutes are, Zeus, Columbus, Bravo, and Summit.  

Hop pellets

You may now wonder what does that all mean?  I will try to make this short and sweet... Alpha Acid refers to the bitterness, the higher the more bitterness.  Beta Acid, unlike Alpha Acids release bitterness during the aging process and attribute more to the aroma of a beer.  The best hops have a Alpha to Beta ratio of 2:1.  Cohumulone Acid is a type of Alpha Acid that gives your beer a harsh bitter taste, most noble hops have a low Cohumulone Acid percentage, while El Dorado has a high percentage.

Let us review the essential oils.  There are generally 4 types of measured oils in hops.  They include, Myrcene, Humulene, Caryophyllene, and Farnesene.  Farnesene, however is almost negligible in every hop.  These are what gives your beer flavor and aroma from the hops.  Myrcene is the largest oil in your hops and it does not like heat, the longer you boil this hop the more flavor and fragrance you lose. The longer you boil Myrcene the more you get citrus and pine flavors and aromas and the shorter you boil this the more citrus and fruity flavors and aromas come forward.  Orange peel is a common taste you get from Myrcene.  Next, Humulene Oils, which are associated with Noble hops and are heat resistant.  It gives off more of a earthy/herbal/woody character in both flavor and aroma.  This oil is not a fan of oxygen or sunlight!  Caryophyllene Oil is similar to Humulene.  A common aroma is clove and a taste of cracked black peppercorn.  Lastly, Farnesene Oil, which is another oil that breaks down quickly in heat.  It is almost non-existent in many hop varieties composing of less than 1% of the total oil.  Flavors and aromas include pears, ginger, oranges, and nutmeg.  The aroma is compared to lavender and magnolia flowers.

I hope this helps any interested in the composition of hops.  There is a lot more info out there on hops if you are interested in expanding your knowledge of hops.  Remember to drink good beer responsibly and be merry.  Cheers!

Anniversary Saison De Rhubarb

Welcome back to Off the Hinge Brewing!  I will be celebrating my first year of marriage with my beautiful wife on Sunday.  I decided to make her an anniversary ale.  She likes her Saison, however what she loves (besides me of course) is her Rhubarb plant.  This plant has been in her life longer than I have, and I figured it would be a great touch to a style that celebrates the farmer.

Saison or Season, is a pale beer that is fruity, spicy and highly carbonated.  It originated in Wallonia, which is the Southern French speaking part of Belgium.  It was often brewed during the colder months when farming is at a low, but it had to be strong enough to last till the summer but not too strong that it would not refresh the workers.  This style usually ranges from 5 - 7% and is often hard to define, but you know when you take a sip that it is a Saison.  That being said let's move on...
     
To get the most out of the 2 1/8 lbs. of Rhubarb, I picked it the night before the brew and froze it.  I did this so that the cellular walls of the Rhubarb would burst and would kill any microbial.  This also helps the juices from this Polygonaceae to blend better with the wort.  I planned on putting the Rhubarb in With 10 minutes left, yet had an issue with the Belgian Candy Sugar not melting quick enough.  They were both suppose to go in at the same time, yet the Sugar went in at 7 minutes left and the Rhubarb at flameout.  I am not worried, I think it was a happy accident.  I also added gypsum in an attempt to make the water resemble Wallonia's, which is hard compared to Portland's soft Bull Run water.  

The recipe is simple...
90 min mash at 150 degrees F (boiled the strike water prior to mashing to ward off any chlorine)
90 min boil (Reduces S-Methyl Methionine and Dimethyl Sulfide, which is common in Pilsner malt)
Pitched the starter at 67 degrees F

10 lbs.  Pilsner malt
1/2 lb.  Clear Belgian Candy Sugar
1/2 oz. Willamette hops (first wort)
3/4 oz. Willamette (30 mins.)
1/2 oz. Tettnanger (0 min.)
1/2 tsp. Gypsum (15 mins.)
1/2 tblt. Whirlfloc
2 oz. Ginger (secondary)

This was one labor of love, but she is worth it!  Remember to drink good beer responsibly and be merry.  Salute!

Stirring up some yeast

Tettnanger Hop Pellets

To harden the water so that it resembles Wallonia's water

Belgian Candy Sugar in rock form

Notes

Rhubarb and I

Post freeze

Right before going in

Cinco de Drinko

Welcome back to Off The Hinge Brewing!  Today they announce the winners for the Puget Sound Pro Am comp.  I hope I do well, at least get good honest feedback.  Just got an e-mail in, they are going to try to webcast the awards ceremony 12:30 PM Pacific time http://www.ustream.tv/channel/puget-sound-pro-am this is awesome!  It is so far from Portland.  So stoked!  Moving on...

Gigantic Brewing is also having a Cinco de Drinko party, and they will be serving Three Floyd's!  Three Floyd's does not distribute out here and they are my favorite brew.  Check out there website http://www.3floyds.com/ this company really sparked my interest in craft beer.  If you ever have an opportunity to try their beer, do it!

My beautiful wife

Rich is the master chef

Yesterday was a beautiful day for National Hombrewers Day!  Mark Gillette, the Brewers Collective Organizer was kind enough to allow us fools to brew in his backyard with him.  He brewed his Summer Rye beer using American wheat yeast (Wyeast 1010).  Great time with good friends and good beer, thanks Mark!  Another member Rich, gave me a Mt. Hood Hop plant, which deserves a shout out, and the hot dog buns he made were delicious.  Paul, an new member brought over an interesting beer with rose water and wormwood, which had a great aroma with sharp bitterness.  Gus came over with a Kentucky Derby look and brought a great beer from Epic Brewing.  Steve and Megan also brought some of there brews, which were great.  Thank you everyone that participated and shared there stuff! 

The set up

Rich, Mark and Gus

Sample for the refractometer

Stir it up

Steve checking gravity

Lovebirds

Mark's Blackberry porter

Sweet Paddle

Paul talkin' beer

Pushing the Puree into carboy with chop stick (high tech)

Moving back one more day... I transfered the Sacred Wooden Fruit onto mangoes, then went to Steve's house and we bottled his Rollin on Dub's Dubbel, next we transfered our Quadratic Equation onto 2 lbs of dates, and cleaned out a whiskey barrel.  Long day, but wait it got a little crazy when I came home to find the mango had clogged the air lock.  No problem, I will just clean it out... Next thing I know I am covered in foam and mango.  Always be aware of adding fruit on a hot day!  The beer tasted great before transferring on mangoes, so I am excited.  Also, the Quad is supper good!  Can't wait for both of them.

This is what happened when I took the airlock off

That is it for now, Feliz Cinco de Mayo and remember to drink good beer responsibly and be merry.  Salute!

Belgium/Northwest/Tropics

Welcome back to Off The Hinge Brewing!  Yes, it has been a long time... I will save you from the mundane and skip to the good stuff.  First, I brewed outside yesterday with friends!  Secondly, the Cascade Cup and Puget Sound Pro-Am Competition is happening right now!  Lastly, my 2-row barley has sprouted!  I hope that is not too many exclamation marks!

Stir plate in action

I was thinking about making a Cedar Kolsch Beer, but realized it was not that creative.  I decided to make a beer that resembles three of my favorite areas in the world.  I took from the Great Pacific Northwest, Belgium, and the Tropics and came up with a Cedar Mango Belgian Blonde.  I also used my stir plate for the first time, which worked like champ.  I pitched the Forbidden Fruit yeast at 6 PM and I woke up at 1 AM and it was bubbling like crazy, so my guess is that it started earlier than that.  The Original Gravity is 1.046, which is right on target!  Now the wait...

Last weekend, I found out that FH Steinbarts (local homebrew store) was not a drop off location for the competition and it was the last day to drop of the entries, oh shit.  The wife and I decided to take a trip to Olympia Washington for the drop off of, Tropic of Wheat and the Beach Bum Red.  This long drive was nice and we got to check out a small brewery and have lunch.  Hope the beer does well!

Off The Hinge Garden is blowing up.  I planted some barley last week and I noticed the shoots yesterday.  I also added some fennel in there.  Thinking a fennel lavender saison would be a good summer beer.  I will update you continually on the garden.  That is all for now, remember to drink good beer responsibly and be merry.  Salute!

2-Row Barley

Chinook 

Cascade

Zeus

Outdoor Setup

Mash

Steve checking temp

Steve excited

Perfect day for outdoor session

Happy

Tracey, Audrey and Steve

I get serious when I drop my cedar

5 minutes left till flame out

She loves her spent grains

OTH Brewer's Garden Almost Complete

Welcome back to Off The Hinge Brewing!  The Garden is coming along and the hops are growing like crazy!  Today I set up some coarse twine for the hops to grow up.  It appears that the Chinook are leading the pack with Cascades in a close second and Zeus, well they are trying to keep up.  If you are interested in growing your own hops I found a cool article with several tips and info check it out at http://home.netcom.com/~dluzanp/backyard.htm

Chinook

Zeus

Cascade

OFF THE HINGE ESTATE HOPS

Stars & Bars Polly Olly is bottled and conditioning.  This was one helluva time.  Murphy's Law was in full swing.  It all started when my White Sox lost a close one to the Nationals.  Damn Inter league play!  Moving on...I was not in the best mood, however I needed to bottle the beer.  So, I rushed and got everything setup in my usual way.  I filled a 750 ml bottle only to find out that the cap did not fit the top of that bottle.  I had already lost beer to the hop absorption and I did not want to pour it back  risking oxidation.  Next, I was capping a bottle when all of the sudden the neck of the bottled crumbled and shattered cutting my thumb.  Lastly, as I was tipping the last of the liquid from the elevated bucket and it fell onto the bottles knocking them over like bowling pins.  Hopefully, they will be fine.  I am just glad that it is over...  That is all for now folks, remember to drink good beer responsibly and be merry.  Cheers!   

Transferring to bottling bucket 

Bottle Tree

Stars & Bars

2013 Joint Cascade Brewers Cup & Puget Sound Pro-Am

Welcome back to Off The Hinge Brewing!  I want you all to know that I am sick of not brewing!  I still have not used my stir plate and can't wait propagate some yeast.  My pipeline was getting clogged up, hence the reason I have not brewed in over 2 weeks.  Not to mention the brewers garden took some time to get going.  Enough excuses...

Clogged up pipeline

I am going to Ashland, OR. on a mini vacation to hang with some friends and check out movies, plays and breweries!  I feel this trip will give me some time to reflect and possible gain some inspiration  south of the Rose City.  My buddy has a friend that runs a nano brewery tour out of Medford and I am tempted to go, plus I can get a discount.  I do not know, but it may be a good way to extend the old network.  Moving on to more important info...

Henry Miller once said, “Do anything, but let it produce joy. Do anything, but let it yield ecstasy.”  I feel this statement best describes why I brew... Whirlpool Wheat has a new name, Tropic of Wheat.  Inspired by the tropical fruit notes and Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer. 

I just entered it into my first Pro-Am competition in the great state to the North.  This competition is one of Washington's most prestigious homebrew competitions with the country's largest GABF Pro-Am qualifying competition.  Regardless of the outcome, I believe that Tropic of Wheat yields ecstasy.

Lastly, just tried the Beach Bum Red (which is not quite carbonated), and it taste great.  All those late hop additions are paying off.  I compared it to the Fibonacci's IRA that I brewed last year and the color was almost exactly the same beautiful red hue.  I still can not decide which one taste better, but I am digging where the beer is headed, and I am not talking about down my gullet.  Sooner or Later that is the fate of all my brews, but hopefully in the future that will include other gullets than my own.

I will let you know how the trip went and until then peace out.  Remember to drink good beer responsibly and be merry.  

Update

Welcome back to Off The Hinge Brewing!  Not much has been brewing up except the common cold and the old familiar pangs of the day job, however I felt the need to update you all on what has been  happening with OTHB.

First off, "Beach Bum Red" is bottled and conditioning!  The final gravity hit 1.010 and I expect a crisp clean finish.  I had to test it uncarbed as per usual, and it tasted promising.  I think I should have dry hopped it to add to the aroma, however I think it will be fine.  I can't help myself I always want to dry hop, I am a hop head.

Secondly, OTHB garden is near complete with three hops, Cascade, Chinook and Zeus.  I just transplanted a lavender plant into the box that Tracey donated to the cause.  This project is exciting and the hops are already bolting skyward.  Next, I need to find where to get some barley and a few other brewing ingredients.

Testing the scent of the hops!

Lastly, Just dry hopped and transferred "Stars and Bars Polly Olly."  I had a 1/4 of an ounce of Mosaic and 1 3/4 ounce of Centennial.  I am sad to know that the UBrew is out of Mosaic hops for the year.  The beer smells like peaches and very floral.

I am in need of a brew session!  Well, that is it for now.  Remember to drink good beer responsibly and be merry!

Prost!