Batch #50: Alt

I ran out of alt too early last year, well before I could brew any more. This is the last batch of me overreacting to that :-) I tried to do a less-munich-y take on the Alt style this time, so I don't have too much of the same beer around.

Brewed the same day as an Irish stout, in what should be the last big brew day for a while. I have quite a stockpile at this point.

Recipe

Grain Bill

4 lbs. 7 oz. Meussdoerffer Munich (last of sack)
15 lbs. 9 oz. Durst Pilsner
4 oz. Weyermann Carafa II de-husked

Hops

6 oz. Spalt (4.2% AA) @60 minutes.

Yeast

WLP320 Top-cropped from previous batch

Mash

Single infusion, 80 minutes at 152F.

Vitals

OG: 1.053
FG:
Calculated IBUs: 52
Carbonation:

Timeline

Brew day: January 16, 2005

9:30 am: Start running and heating water for the day (about 23 gallons)
12:20 pm: Mash-in with 6.25 gallons of 166F water. Temperature 152F, estimate 3.75 gallons of free liquid, requiring 8.75 gallons of sparge water. Split that between a 3 gallon batch and a 5.75 gallon batch.
1:37 pm: Add 1.5 gallons of 180-190F sparge water, filling tun. Change of plans...
1:45 pm: Begin first runoff. Plan to split rest of water between a 3.25 gallon and 4 gallon sparge batch.
1:50 pm: Add 3.25 gallons 178F sparge water, leaving 1-2 gallons of free space in the tun.
2:00 pm: Begin second runoff.
2:05 pm: Add 4 gallons of 168F sparge water.
2:24 pm: Begin third runoff.
2:28 pm: Finish sparging. Hit volume right on the head, top of the top seam of the Sanke.
3:08 pm: Boiling! Turn down the front burner to avoid boilover, and take sample. Sample says 12.8 Brix, or 1.052.
3:30 pm: Add hops.
4:30 pm: Begin rack/chill.
4:48 pm: Done with rack/chill, gravity reading 13 Brix, or 1.053. 10 gallons collected, pretty much exactly.

Fermented under kitchen table, low 60s.

Kegged 1/25/2005, still some sticky krausen on top. Dry-hopped one keg with about 1/2 oz to 1 oz of Spalt, using up the rest of the 1-lb pack.

Tasting notes

$Id: batch50.html,v 1.2 2005/01/26 06:44:52 chris Exp $