Achill’s Island Stout 2017

Boiling Achill's Island Stout

Achill’s Island Stout is back. Bottled a few weeks ago, but already drinkable. Tan head, smooth and creamy, even if not persistent yes.
According to tradition, 10% flaked barley to make it soft and velvet, and three black malts: Roasted, Chocolate and Brown Malt. 2017 version had Brown malt added, to increase complexity in the roasty aromas, adding to coffee and cocoa notes, a pleasant taste of burnt pizza crust. I still have to realize if I like it or not. Maybe Brown malt is perfect for Porter style beers, as it donate a raw roasted profile and a little sourness. But Stouts are better as simple as possible (just Roasted and Chocolate).

As usual, this is not a dry stout, having a FG a bit too high, and S-04 fruity tones merge and balance the harshness of roastiness, with a sweet sensation.

As usual, I kept a total control of ph during mash and sparge to avoid tannin extraction, just a little bit of harshness from dark malts.

And, as usual, a pint lasts a couple of minutes.

Achill's Island Stout, 25,0 liters (preboil: 27,0l)
80% efficiency, 60 min. boiling
OG 1,043; IBU: 32,3; EBC: 49;
Malts:
  3500 gr Pale Malt, Maris Otter, 1,038;
  160 gr Roasted Barley, 1,025;
  160 gr Chocolate Malt, 1,034;
  160 gr Brown Malt, 1,032;
  400 gr Flaked Barley, 1,032;
Hops:
  14 gr challenger, 6,0 %a.a., 60 min;
  14 gr Columbus, 15,0 %a.a., 60 min;
Yeast:
  S-04 11g.

The Baby Sitter Ale

I spent last weekend alone with Clara (8 months old), while my wife was taking care of her bigger twin-sister (Sofia is one minute older). My wife decided I had to brew a beer for the baptize party of the girls, so she texted me 'why dont you brew tomorrow, as you JUST HAVE ONE GIRL TO CARE?' So, after putting my daughter in bed, I grinded the malt and prepared pots and water.
It was an easy batch, a 1038 OG bitter with pale and 7% crystal, hopped at 27 IBU with Styrian Cardinal. I did a late hopping, hoping this hop is good and fruity enough.
Here the brewday story:

5:30 - Clara wakes up. I feed her with milk, she fell asleep. I went to the kitchen and turned the gas on.
5:45 - Clara wakes up again. I turn off the gas and go to try to let her sleep in the sleeping pillow, shaking her.
6:00 - I fail, so I bring her in the kitchen and start the mash while she plays and watches me.
7:15 - mash finished, sparge water ready, iodine test is red. I start the mash out. Clara still awake and playing.
8:00 - Clara feels sleepy, i put her in the sleeping pillow while sparging is going on.
8:15 - I decide to boil 3 liter less, do a concentrate brew and then dilute in fermenting tank. I measure pre boil OG to adjust the batch.
8:30 - hot break, the boiling starrs officially. The batch goes on smoothly, as Clara goes on sleeping. I wash and clean all mash equipment.
10:00 - end of 90 minutes boiling (a low OG needs more maillard reactions to enhance malty notes). Start cooling. Finish cleaning. I check from time to time if the girl still breathes.
11:00 - beer in the tank, oxigenated, and mangrove M36 yeast inoculated.

Don't try this at home, I was lucky my girl slept the great part of the batch. I will wait a couple of years at least to repeat a babysitting batch...

Grapefruit infused APA

The idea came to me while drinking an Elvis Juice by Brewdog, IPA infused with grapefruit in dry hoppong. It has tons of american hops (the good and fruity ones, not the harsh smelly hops you find in punk ipa) and a taste that strongly reminds grapefruit. Much much more intense than Cascade notes.

So I decided to brew an APA (with OG lower than style, to have it more drinkable and less alcoholic) adding 4 grams/litrer of grapefruit peel at the end of boiling. Easy grist, just pale malt (not exactly my decision, but I was finishing supply) and Chinook hop for bittering, 20 minutes and end boil. I spent all the boiling time peeling grapefruits, paying attention to avoid white spongy part of the peel: liquor producers (limoncello) say that art in cutrus fruits gives bad tastes... 4 grapefruits yeld 80 grams peel. I washed fruits very well, but I wasn't convinced for a dry hoppin, so, afraid of potential infections, I put peels at the end of boil.
After three weeks fermentation and several more in bottle,here is the result:
Aroma is more on piney resiny side, low fruity notes, and especially mature fruits (oxidation?). Probably the total of 100g of Chinook overwelmed grapefruit, or maybe fruity notes are not in peel, but you need to add grapefruit juice; then, probably there was a sensible oxidation of the batch. I feel tipical grapefruit notes especially in taste and aftertaste.

I prepared a very nice label (on the left), but in the end I didn't like it so much:

first label draft, then I decided for the one on the right. Sooner I'll brew a beer dedicated to Sofia too!