Monday Night Chocolate Porter

With the new NFL season upon us I brewed a chocolate porter to drink while watching a certain football team from the New of England. Here are the stats.

Chocolate Patriot Porter
11.5# American 2 row
1.5# Munich Malt
1# Crystal malt 80
1# Crystal malt 40
.75# Chocolate Malt
.5# Black patent

1.5 oz Kent Goldings(american) @ 4.5 AA 60 min
.8 oz Wilamette @ 4.8 AA 30 min
.8 oz Wilamette 15 min
10 oz coco powder at 0 min
1 wirlfloc at 15 min
3 pks wyeast 1056 american ale

mash at 156 for 60 min, boil for 60 min and pitch at 67 degrees.

Wicked Hard Cidah!

The weather in Chicago has been on the cool side, and that means fall is here! Time for NFL football, baseball playoffs, and time for Wicked Hard Cidah!
Here are the stats:


3 gallons Organic apple juice, no preservatives
1 gallon 100% organic Gravenstien apple juice
1 vial White labs English cider yeast

I will ferment this bad boy for a couple weeks and then rack to secondary for 4 weeks. I'll back sweeten with apple cider and force carb in the keg. I will also add a touch of cinnamon and clove flavored simple syrup.

Brewery Update!!

Wednesday I brewed another blueberry wheat beer, seeing if I could improve the previous recipe.




Here is the old one.
"First of the Season" Blueberry Wheat
5.5 lbs American 2-row
5 lbs wheat
1/2 lb Crystal 15
1 oz Willamette (5.1% AA) 60 min
2 pks Wyeast 2565 Kolsch
2 cans Oregon Blueberry puree
5 oz blueberry flavoring
Mash at 152 for 90 minutes

The New One.
The 2 row and wheat malt stayed the same. I switched out the crystal 15 for a whole lb of caramel 10. I tried to mash at 154, and will only use 1 can of the puree and half the flavoring addition. I used a pack of Wyeast American ale and a pack of Wyeast American wheat. The reason for this is to build up a culture for my the next brew session. I also used .75 oz. of Cluster instead of the Willamette.

Hops Update!!
The hops look great. The chinook has really taken off, with the centennial and cascades not far behind. I installed some support for the vines to grow up on, and did a little trimming.


I don't expect a huge harvest, I just hope I get enough for one batch.


Q.C. Report on the 18 hole kolsch
This beer turned out great!! It has a clean spritzy, mouth feel, smooth hop flavor, malty aroma, and a slightly bitter finish. I can't wait to brew it again. I rigged up a fermentation chamber to my A.C. unit with a thermostat, so I can control fermentation temp and keep it at exactly 60 degrees.
Q.C.R. Grade = A

Here are some recipes that never made it to the blog. A first of the season blueberry wheat, my 18 hole kolsch, and the latest batch of Rock Face pale ale.

"First of the Season" Blueberry Wheat:
This was the second attempt at the blueberry wheat. This time I used the Oregon canned puree instead of the IQF Blueberries from the previous batch. The puree was added to the secondary and sat for a week. It left a lot of sludge on the bottom.

5.5 lbs American 2-row
5 lbs wheat
1/2 lb Crystal 15
1 oz Willamette (5.1% AA) 60 min
2 pks Wyeast 2565 Kolsch
2 cans Oregon Blueberry puree
5 oz blueberry flavoring
Mash at 152 for 90 minutes

I got an O.G. 1.050 and an F.G. of 1.012. The beer is very crisp, and has a little more body then the last batch. It still is tad dry for my taste. Next time I'll up the mash temp and replace the crystal 15 with a full lb of caramel 10, or maybe add some Vienna.
QCR GRADE = B-


18 Hole Kolsch:
Those who know me, know that most of my life is spent at a golf mecca, otherwise known as Medinah Country Club, and home to the 2012 Ryder cup. Even though when I'm there I'm not playing golf, I decided to dedicate this brew to the world of golf, a world that allows me to pay my bills.



10lbs German pils
1/2 lb wheat
1/2 oz Hallertau (3.9% AA) 60 min
1/4 oz Northern Brewer (6.5% AA)
1 Wirlfloc tab 15 min
Yeast cake from blueberry wheat beer
Mash at 149 for 90 min
use a 90 min boil to reduce DMS

This was the first time I used gelatin to clarify. I used 1 tsp of gelatin that I blooomed, and then heated to 170. The beer has been lagering for about 3 weeks. 1 more week and I will transfer it to another keg and then carb it to 2.5 volumes. I got an O.G. of 1.049.

Rock Face Pale Ale V4.0:
Here's the latest version of the ever changing Rock Face Pale Ale. No rhyme or reason for the changes, other then variety being the spice of life.

10 Marris otter
1/4 lb Crystal 60
1/2 lb Vienna
1/2 lb Wheat
1 oz Chinook (11.4% AA) 60 min
1/2 oz Perle 10 min
1/4 oz Northern brewer 10 min
1/2 oz Cascade 0 min
1/2 oz Perle 0 min
1 oz Cascade added to secondary
1 wirlfloc tab 15 min
2 pks Wyeast 1056


Mash at 152 for 90 min
got an O.G. of 1.051 and an F.G. of 1.014

I kegged this and I will lager it for two weeks. I usually carb and drink right away, so we'll see how it goes. Chin Chin!

WideSpread Wheat an American Wheat Beer

So I decided to brew up an American wheat and make with some hop character, but still be crisp. I will ferment this around 65 degrees to keep it clean. I used an even balance of wheat and two row, and enhanced the flavor with some Belgian biscuit, and German Munich. The brew session worked out real well, until I started to mill the wheat. I ended up cracking the partical board base in half, and snapping off the handle, all in one shot. I some how managed to turned the remaining part of the handle to mill the rest of the grain, and the show went on! Here are the vitals......

WideSpread Wheat
an American wheat

4.5 lbs American 2-row
4.5 lbs Briess Wheat
1/2 lb Belgian biscuit
.75 lbs Munich
1/2 oz Chinook (13%AA) 60 min
1/2 oz Liberty 15 min
1/2 oz Cascade 0 min
1 pk Wyeast American wheat
1 pk Wyeast American Ale

I mashed at 152 for 90 min, boiled for 75 min and got 5.5 gallons into the fermenter, with an O.G. of 1.052

In Other News........
Homegrown hops:
I planted three hop rhizomes this spring. A Cascade, Centennial and a Chinook. The all have grown large enough for me to start training them. It will be a challenge for them, they don't have a clear southern view for maximum sunlight exposure. Here they are a few weeks ago.

Alt Beer Showdown!
I picked up a Southhampton alt beer this week. It was the first commercial alt beer I have ever had. It tasted very similar my alt beer I made using JZ's recipe. The commercial one was lighter in color, but both had that smooth roasted malt flavor with a crisp and clean finish. This at least gives me some kind of assurance that the one I brewed was in the right ball park.
Kampai!!

Quality Control Report (QCR)

Here is the scoop on how some of the recent recipes have turned out.
(All grades given by the National Association of Beer Tasting Research For the Gastronomique Brewing Company or NABTR for the GBC)

Wicked Hard Cidah!
Every time I drink this I am amazed on how it turned out. It has a perfect balance of sweetness that makes it a true session drink. I could easily sit down and drink this all day. The key to its success was the blend of juice, and the back sweetening process before kegging. This is a perfect 5% ABV. I did not want to make an apple wine so I did not add any sugar to the recipe. If you try this recipe I guarantee you will enjoy it.
GRADE = A+

Rock Face Pale Ale V3.0
This was the latest addition to my ongoing Pale Ale experiments. At first it was a little too bitter, but as it aged it got a lot smoother. A very drinkable beer with a big hop aroma, and crisp malt background. This is one of my favorite styles. I would recommend this recipe for beginners, due to the fact that the hop additions can mask some imperfections in the beer. The key is balance. The brewer must maintain appropriate levels of hop bitterness, flavor and aroma, with the malt sweetness providing the backbone. This recipe has all the classic American Pale Ale Characteristics. If you like Sierra Nevada you'll like this one.
GRADE = A

McCarthy's Irish Red
When I made this beer I was trying to clone Smithwick's, a malty beer with a touch of roast and a dry finish. Overall the beer was decent, although it was a little sweeter and more toasty then the original. Next time I brew this, which would be in November/December, I'll cut back on the specialty grains and try and mash at a lower temp. This should keep the roasty and toasty notes in check, and allow the beer to dry out a little more during fermentation If you like a big malty beer, then this is for you.
Grade = B

German~American Hefe Weiss

Yesterday I brewed up a batch of Hefe Weiss. Its a very simple recipe, and could be one of the easiest beers to brew. It has two types of grains and one hop addition. Franziskaner is a great commercial example of the style, and I made sure I had plenty on hand while brewing!

"Dank"
A German~American Heffe Weiss
--------------------------------------
5lbs 10 oz American 2-row
5 lbs 10 oz wheat malt
29 g hallertau (4.2% AA) 60 min
2 pks Wyeast 3638

Mash with 3.64 gallons of water
Rest at 152 for 90 min
Boil for 75 Min
Pitch at 60 and ferment around 62

Batch Sparging
I add a gallon of near boiling water per 10 lbs of grain in the recipe for mash out. This thins out the mash wich allows the sugars to flow more freely, and raises the temp to halt enzymatic activity. It also makes up for grain absorption I then sparge with an amount of 180 degree water equal to the volume of the first runoff.

I used the US 2-row in place of the traditional pilsner malt found in Weiss beers. This beer is all about the yeast profile. A cool fermentation will get the right balance of banana, clove and spicy characteristics. I got a pre boil gravity of 1.046 at 7 gallons, and a starting gravity of 1.054 at 5.75 gallons. This beer is perfect for spring, warm weather, and opening day of baseball season! GO RED SOX!!

Use a blow off tube, wheat beers tend to be very active during fermentation! I'll let this ferment for about 10 days and then I'll keg or bottle. Cheers!
Q.C.R. Grade = B

"Alt, Who goes There?" Noerthern German Alt Bier Brew Session

Yesterday I brewed a northern German Alt beer loosely based on a recipe by Jamil Zainasheff. I chose to use Belgian pale as the base grain. His recipe calls for Pilsener malt. I have it fermenting in a plastic trash can with water and freezer packs to keep the temp at approximately 60 degrees. The shirt around the carboy protects the fermentation from light and allows the carboy to stay cool. I hit the target gravity right on the nose with a reading of 1.050. I brewed this to try and get a grasp on what the specific characteristics that an Alt beer has, and to get a point of reference so I can try and clone the Alaskan Amber.

"Alt Who Goes There"
a Northern German Alt Bier
_______________________

9.8 lbs Belgian Pale Malt
1 lb Organic Munich
1/4 lb Carafa Speacial II
1/4 lb CaraMunich
3 oz Pale Chocolate
1 oz Magnum (14.2% AA) 60 min
1 Wirlfoc tab 15 min
3 pks Wyeast 1007

I did a 90 min rest at 152, a 90 min boil and I pitched at 60 degrees. Prost!
Q.C.R. Grade = A

Rock Face Pale Ale V3.0 Brew Session

About 3 weeks ago I brewed a batch of my Rock Face Pale Ale using Amarillo, Centennial, and Cascades. I tried to keep it on the dry side with a background character that had more biscuit and toasty elements to it. So instead of using Munich, which I have always used in past Pale Ale batches, I used Vienna, which is a little lighter and crisper then the munich. I also used some Crisp Marris Otter in the grain bill, which is kilned to produce more biscuit like flavors then your average 2-Row. When I brewed this beer I only had a small amount of the 2-row and I wanted to use it up, so instead of using all CMO in the recipe I cut it with the 2-row. Its good to keep a good rotation of product to ensure freshness.

Rock Face Pale Ale V3.0
--------------------------------
7.2 lbs Crisp Marris Otter
4.75 lbs Canadian 2-Row
3/4 lb Vienna
1/2 lb Wheat
1/4 oz Crystal 60
1 oz Chinook (11.4% AA) 60 min
1/4 oz Cascade 10 min
1/4 oz Amarillo 10 min
3/4 oz Cascade 0 min
3/4 oz Amarillo 0 min
1 oz Amarillo dry hop
1 Wirlfloc tab 15 min
2 pks Wyeast 1056

O.G. 1.057
F.G.1.010
This is the first time I used Amarillo in a recipe. The beer is in the keg now and just about fully carbonated. It has a great citrus flavor. The combination of the cascade and Amarillo give the beer a little complexity. The malt background is very complementary to the beers overall character. Its has that light toasty essence with a little caramel. I would say that this recipe is a great one. Next time around I will use nothing but Marris Otter for the base grain, and I might change the hop schedule. Maybe I'll try the First Wort Hopping technique. Chin Chin!

Here is a short clip of the 60 min hop addition. Its about 15 degrees out, but it could be worse.

Duchess de Nodak

Last night I attempted a Flanders Red. Overall it was a nice session, even though it was only about 10 degrees outside. My wife Jenny is from North Dakota and loves Duchess de Bourgogne, so hence the name Duchess de Nodak. Nodak = North Dakota. I used the method of starting fermentation with wyeast 1056, and then secondary with oak chips and the wyeast Rosalare blend. This is supposed to get more consistent results, and make it turn out not as sour as the Rodenbach Grand cru, but more like the regular Rodenbach.

Duchess de Nodak
A Flanders Red

5.25 lbs Canadian 2 row
5.25 lbs Vienna
1/2 lb Wheat
1 lb Munich
1/2 lb Special "B"
1/2 lb Caramunich III
1/2 lb Aromatic
1 tab Wirlfloc 10 min
.8 oz Goldings (5% AA) 60 min
1 pk Wyeast 1056 American Ale
1 pk Wyeast VSS Rosalare blend
1 oz oak Chips

I mashed at 154 for 90 minutes, boiled for 75 minutes and chilled to 63 degrees before pitching the 1056. After racking this to secondary it will ferment for about a year. I might add sour cherries before bottling, we'll see how it goes!

Rock Face IPA Brew Session

Today I made an IPA using a recipe I just came up with out of the blue with a little help from Brewing Classic Styles.

Rock Face IPA

12.75 lbs Canadian 2row
.75 lbs Munich
1 Lbs Caramel 20
.25 lbs Caramel 40
1 oz Magnum (14.2% AA) 60 min
1/2 oz Centennial (9% AA) 10min
1/2 oz Cascade (7.2% AA) 10 min
1 oz Cascade (7.2% AA) 5 min
1 oz Cascade Flame out
1 oz Cascade Dry Hop
2.89 liter Yeast Starter Wyeast 1056
1 tsp Irish Moss 15 min

Mash For 90 min at 150-149
1.3 qt per pound ratio
target OG 1.065
Estimated FG 1.012

Actual OG 1.060
I ended up adding a little too much water for a mash out, and I collected 7.25 gal instead of 7 gal, thus diluting the pre-boil gravity. Over all, a very smooth session. I used a big starter that I made sunday morning. I pitched at 3:00 pm and krausen had formed by the time I woke up the next day.
"Chin Chin"

KITCHEN SINK KOLSCH STYLE BEER

As soon as I got back from mexico I had to brew. I had two packs of kolsch yeast so I thought that a nice, light kolschy ale would be great choice! After brushing up on my batch sparging technique I was excited to see how the next sesssion would progress. The problem was, my local homebrew shop gets cleaned out over the weekend and its slim pickins' come monday. So only 3 lbs of continental pils malt. I would have to make up the rest with the canadian 2-row. Here's the recipe.

Kitchen Sink Kolschy Style Ale

6 lbs Canadian 2-row
2 lbs Begian pils
1 lb German pils
1 lb Munich
1/2 lb wheat
1.5 oz Hallertau Herbsbruck 4.2%AA (60min)
1 tsp Irish Moss (15min)
2 packs Wyeast 2565 Kolsch

Mashed with a ratio of 1.3 qts per lb of grain. single infusion at 152 degrees for 90 min. Added a gallon of near boiling water to mash out, and sparged with 3.75 gallons. I got a pre boil SG of 1.039 at 6.6 gallons, and an OG of 1.050 at the end of the 75 min boil. I pitched at 60 degrees and stuck the carboy in a chiller tank. Krausen formed in under 8 hrs. I tried to keep it around 60 as best I could, but it was hard. I temped the chiller water at 63 a couple times the first 3 days. once I temped it at 65 on the 5th day. On the sixth day I let it ramp up as the krausen started to fall. the temp settled at 67. I will Carb to 2.5 Volumes, and lager for 4 weeks in the fridge.

BREWERY NEWS

Well November flew buy fast! We were able to make two beers before we left for vacation. An all Centennial hopped American Pale Ale, and a Russian Imperial Stout. The lesson from these brews were 1. make a hop sack for the brew kettle, and 2. read Denny's Cheap 'n' Easy Batch Sparge page . I thought I read it, but turns out I missed the part about both runoffs being equal for optimum efficiency. The methods we have been using are designed for a different system and brewing technique, such as fly sparging. So as soon as I got back from vacation I brewed a Kolsch, and it worked out great. Really smooth session! I also was able to control the boil off rate so I wasn't boiling off too much wort, The runoffs were pretty close to equal, and the efficiency turned out to be 76%. Not bad, seeing as the recipe was designed for 70%.

Here are a few shots of my brew partner bottling his R.I.S. Unfortunately we ran off way too much wort into the kettle and diluted our pre-boil gravity. we collected 9 gallons at the start of the boil. we boiled hard for 90 min. and wound up with 6 1/2 gallons at the end. At bottling it tasted very close to the commercial example. It was getting late so we opted not to boil longer to reduce the wort down, instead we accepted the lesson of "watch your runoff amount".

Here is the recipe for the Imperial Stout, it is based on an Old Rasputin clone.

15 lb Canadian 2-row
12 oz Chocolate malt
8 oz Black Patent
18 oz Crystal 80
8 oz Victory
2.12 oz Cluster at 7%AA (60min)
1/2 oz Centennial (15min)
1/2 oz Northern Brewer (15min)
1 oz Liberty (2min)
3 pks Wyeast 1056

CENTENNIAL PALE ALE BREW SESSION V2.0

Today is the first time I tried to duplicate one of the recipes I have brewed before. In the past I usually make changes to the recipes trying to make them better. Im a tweeker! So I got up early and started brewing my 100% Centennial Pale Ale. This is also the first time using whole leaf hops. The brew session went really smooth. I didn't cuss once! I tried to be as carefull and palnned in every aspect. Efficiency turned out to be 72%. I used the same grain and hop bill except I used 9.3# of canadian 2-row instead of 10# of american 2-row. I also made a starter for the first time with the yeast cake I harvested from the last pale ale I did. So in the end, this is not exactly the same beer as before. I did a 90 min mash at 152 degrees, and used 1.3 quarts of water per pound of grain.

..................................................................................

Single Hop Series "Centennial" Pale Ale V2.0

9.3 lb Canadian 2-Row

1 lb American Caramel 10*

3/4 lb Victory

1 oz Centennial 8.8 AA 90 min

1/2 oz Centennial 8.8 AA 15 min

1/2 oz Centennial 8.8 AA 1 min

1 oz Centennial 8.8 AA dry1 tsp

Irish Moss 15 min

Wyeast 1056 yeast slurry from the last centennial pale ale batch

..................................................................

While I brew here is the Bohemian Kolsch. mmmm beer! The beer is a little hazy, but thats cause the yeast flocculates very poorly. Tasty!

WICKED HARD CIDAH

This is the inaugural batch of hard cider. I have been wanting to do this for some time, and now that I'm fully stocked up on beer I thought I give it a go. I'm not a big fan of a lot of the American commercial products on the market. Unlike the European ciders, I feel they are too sweet and although it is impossible to determine the exact blend of apples, a Magner's Clone is what I am aiming for.

Wicked Hard Cidah

2 gal Wild Oats Organic Apple Juice

2 gal Hy's Apple Cider

4.5 Quarts 100% Gravenstein Apple Juice

Wyeast Cider Yeast

Making Cider is as easy as you want it to be. I just smacked the yeast pack the night before, let the juice warm up to 64 degrees, poured the juice in a sanitized bucket, pitched the yeast, aerated, and that's it. Some say to use yeast nutrient, some say to use Campden tabs to kill any wild yeast, and some say to make a starter. I wanted to start from a simple recipe and build upon it. I may add some oak in the secondary. All the juice had been pasteurized and none had added preservatives.

The next day it was bubbling like crazy!

The cider sat in primary for 2 weeks and secondary for 3 months.
When I kegged this I added about a quart of simple syrup that I made with clove and cinnamon sticks, along with about a half gallon of pasteurized apple cider. The best way is to add this in stages, and taste as you go to get the right sweetness level that you are looking for.

SINGLE HOP SERIES CENTENNIAL PALE ALE

This morning I bottled my Single Hop Series Centennial Pale Ale. I was trying to make an IPA but it ended up being 5.1% ABV, so I switched it to a good old pale ale. The little bit from the hydrometer test tube tasted really good with a great hop aroma. Im excited to have this one in my arsenal. The recipe is based upon a SNPA clone. I can't wait till it is ready!

SINGLE HOP SERIES "CENTENNIAL" PALE ALE

10 lbs American 2-row
1 lb American Caramel 10*
3/4 lb Victory
1 oz Centennial 8.8 AA 90 min
1/2 oz Centennial 8.8 AA 15 min
1/2 oz Centennial 8.8 AA 5 min
1 oz Centennial 8.8 AA dry
1 tsp Irish Moss 15 min
Wyeast 1056

DOUBLE BREW SESSION

Today I decided to brew 2 beers. A Wit and an American IPA. The wit beer is my fiances favorite so i always have to have it in the inventory. I started on the wit early, around 7am. I based it on recipe I have brewed only once before. I thought that the beer was a little too bitter so I changed the hop schedule. Instead of Belgian pils I used American 2 row, no reason, just because I had it in my grain stock.


Wit Beer:
5lbs American 2-row
3lbs White Wheat
1/2lb Belgian Aromatic
1/2lb Cara-Pils
1.5lbs Flaked Wheat
1/2lb Rice Hulls
1/2oz Willamette (4.6% AA) 60min
1/2oz German Spalt 15min
3/4oz Sweet Orange Peel 15min
1tsp Crushed Coriander 15min
1/4oz Sweet Orange Peel 1min
1/2 tsp Crushed Coriander 1min

I heated the strike water to 172, threw it in the mash tun to preheat. Once the temp was at 163 I doughed in. Mash stabilized at 152. I let it rest for 90min. I sparged with 4.5gal, and collected 6.5gal with an OG of 1.036. for a 65% efficiency. Not exactly what I was shooting for but I did increase efficiency by 10 points from the last session. When I rack this to secondary I will taste and decide how much, if any, dry hopping I will do.

On to the next one. This "Don't Call It A Come Back" IPA is a recipe that I threw together with what I had in my grain stock. I had an assistant to help with this batch, which was nice. The last brew session was supposed to be an IPA but because my efficiency was so low the OG was too low to call it an IPA, so viola, Pale Ale! This time I went for more grains, more hops, and more hops, and did I mention more hops.

"Don't Call it a Comeback IPA"
10lbs American 2-row
2.5lbs Belgian Pils
1/2lb Munich
1/2lb caramel 20
1/2lbs UK Crystal 60
1/4lb Belgian Biscuit
1oz Chinook (12.4% AA) 90min
1/2oz Perle (7.9% AA) 30min
1/4oz Chinook (12.4% AA) 30min
1/2oz Cascade 15 min
1/2oz Cascade 1min
1oz Cascade (dry hop)
1tsp Irish Moss 15min


I striked with a little under 4.5 gal of water, and doughed in at 162 degrees. Did A sach. rest for 90 min and sparged with 4.75 gal. Collected 7 gallons of wort and boiled for 90 min. got and OG of 1.058 for a 70% efficiency. Much better then the morning brew session, a great way to end the day.

KOLSCH

This is a kolsch recipe based on a Reissdorf clone. The recipe features 100% noble Czech Saaz.

7.5lbs Belgian Pils

1lb White Wheat

3/4lb Munich

2oz Czech Saaz 3.2%A.A. 60 min

1/2oz Czech Saaz 15 min

1/2oz Czech Saaz 5 min

1 tsp Irish Moss 15 min

O.G. 1.045

mash at 150 for 90 min 3.25g

Batch Sparge with 4.75g

I Switched the to a Bazooka screen in the Mash tun, replacing the P.V.C. manifold.

While the Boilermaker Boils I get to sit relax, not worry, and have a homebrew.

This is the first tasting of the Late Summer Blueberry Wheat. It has a dark Port wine color. There are blueberries on the nose but not overwhelming. The mouthfeel is spritzy, similar to Proseco. The taste is not sweet, the blueberry is the dominant characteristic with a tart finish. I feel it should be sweeter. I will up the carmel, and mabey add some dextrine malt.

LATE SUMMER BLUEBERRY WHEAT

Here is the first attempt at fruit beer. I mashed with 3.5 gallons of water and sparged with 4.75. it yielded 6.75 gallons of wort. My strike water was at 164, doughed in, and it stabilized to around 150 plus or minus a couple of degrees. I got different temps from around the mash tun. at the end of the boil I was left with 6 gallons. I had an og at 1.046/48. I will rack in a week and throw in 10lbs of thawed IQF blueberries. bottle after another week. I have blueberry beer extract if I feel it needs more blueberry flavor, hopefully not.

GRAIN BILL:
5LBS American 2 row
2LBS Belgian pilsen
2LBS White wheat
1/2LB Canadian Honey malt
1/4LB American caramel 20

HOP BILL:
3/4 oz Czech Sazz (2.9 A.A.) boil 60 min
1/2 oz French Strisselspalt (2.6% A.A.) boil 15 min
1/2 oz French Strisselspalt (2.6% A.A.) boil for 5 min

Other Ingredients:
1 tsp Irish moss boil 15 min (don't know why I added this, must have been force of habit)
10LBS thawed I.Q.F. blueberries added to secondary
1LB Rice Hulls added to the mash

1 smack pack Wyeast 1010 american wheat