Brew Name: no. 7 HONEYMOON IRISH ALE Date brewed: 1-SEP-01 Date bottled: 15-SEP-01 (14 days) Caps (or sticker to identify bottles): PIC-A-POP CREAM SODA (SILVER) OG (taken prior to pitching yeast): 1.062 FG (airlock bubbles > 2:30"): FG (in 24 hours): 1.012 Calories (per 12 oz): 162 % Alcohol (by volume): 6.8 Grain 1 (type and amount): MARIS OTTER 15 lbs Grain 2: CRYSTAL 70L 1 lb Grain 3: ROASTED BARLEY .25 lb Procedure: Single-Step Infusion (A) Mash water (lbs grain/4): 4 gallons* (B) Sparge water: (<=2*"Mash Water depending on wort): 1 gallon (C) Water absorbed by grains: 1.6 gallons (D) Water extracted from mash drain (A+B-C): 3.4 gallons (E) Desired Volume of Wort in Boil: 3.4 gallons (F) Water Added to Boil (E-D): 0 (G) Water Added to Carboy (4.5-E): 2 gallons Needed Water Purchase (A+B+F+G): 7 gallons Desired Water Type (e.g., Burton, Dublin): DUBLIN - Chalk Gypsum CaSO4 (g): 4.2g NaCl (g): 0g (wanted .42g, but didn't have non-iodized salt) Chalk CaCO3 (g): 0g (supply house didn't have chalk) Epsom salts MgSO4 (g): .42g Mash Temp at 0M (C): 65 (added water to reach 67) Mash Temp at 12M (C): 67 Mash Temp at 24M (C): 66 (added water to reach 67) Mash Temp at 36M (C): 67 Mash Temp at 48M (C): 66 (added water to reach 67) Mash Temp at 60M (C): 67 1 HR Hops (type and amount): FUGGLES 1.5 oz Irish Moss (last 25 MIN): YES Last 5 MIN Hops: KENT GOLDINGS .5 oz Yeast: WYEAST IRISH ALE 1084, 1000ml 2-day STARTER WITH 4 TBS DME Priming (type and amount): 161g DME Desired VCO2: 2.0 Notes (include fermentation temperatures): 2-SEP-01 10PM: TEMP: 70F. Nice brown color, about 2 inches of heavy krausening. CO2 escaping out of the blowoff at a rate of 1-2 bubbles per second. Lots of "large floaties" in the carboy zipping around quite fast. Covered carboy with aluminum foil. Though this time of year (early fall) seems to be maintaining an ideal fermentation temperature, I would eventually like to build some sort of temperature control system. 3-SEP-01 9PM: TEMP: 72F. More blowoff, 2-3 bubbles per minute. 4-SEP-01 8AM: TEMP at 74F, too high. put a pan filled with water and a 1/2 gallon ice adjacent to the fermenter. air temperarature only 70-72. 4-SEP-01 6PM: TEMP now at 76F, too high. air temperature 72. removed aluminum foil from fermenter, placed full gallon of ice in pan, wet down a t-shirt and placed it over the fermenter. placed some of the end of the t-shirt in the water bath which will hopefully act like a wick. 5-SEP-01 8AM: TEMP now at 68F. fermentation has subsided quite a bit. replaced blowoff tubing with sanitized airlock (2 minute iodophor soak). replaced gallon ice jug with 1/2 gallon ice to maintain temperature. will definately be building a "fermentation chiller". 5-SEP-01 6PM: TEMP now at 66F. fermentation subsided, beer looks clearer (no floaties) with lots of sediment at the bottom of carboy. 6-SEP-01 9AM: TEMP 66, AIR 66F. no change. roughly 5 seconds per bubbles on airlock. 9-SEP-01 10PM: TEMP 70. DAY 8. 15-20 seconds between bubbles on airlock. hot weather past couple days (low 80's), but carboy has been kept cool with the wet t-shirt dipped in ice water system. 14-SEP-01 8PM: DAY 13. realized that the airlock was under pressure. so that the water level was constantly at the bottom of the loop. time between bubbles was misleading because of this. took out airlock, reseated water level. activity was almost zero. decided to bottle next nite. cleaned 2 cases of bottles in step 1 sanitation (b-brite). 15-SEP-01 10AM: TEMP 65. DAY 14. measured specific gravity. 1.012. alcohol content of 5.34 by weight and 6.80 by volume. higher than smithwick's is supposed to be (5.4% by volume). will bottle tonite. uncarbonated beer tasted GREAT. definately high in alcohol content, but subtle roasted barley flavor and no off-flavors. Tasting Notes: 24-SEP-01: appears medium-dark brown color, initial taste is medium body, very mildly hopped, rich roasted flavor. warm alcohol flavor at the end, a bit too strong for this style and not evident in the prior extract version (no. 3). my dad loves that alcohol ending, i don't like it much. i will let this age a bit and try another taste in a couple weeks. gave 18 bottles to my dad (since he likes it so much)! 24-OCT-01: the warm alcohol flavor evident at the end is GONE! i guess aging has led to this. it's a wonderful beer that tastes SO much better than any of the extract brews i have made. even still, let's pay more attention to OG in future brews.