Latest revision as of 10:02, 31 December 2009

Redhead Ale

Ingredients:

• 1 can (3.3 lbs) light malt extract
• 1 can (3.3 lbs) amber malt extract
• 1 tube White Labs Dry English Ale yeast
• 1 oz fuggle hops pellets
• 1 oz soverign hops pellets
• 1 tsp irish moss
• 1 cup of priming sugar

Started with the same volume of water for the wort as last time, ends up being about 3.5 gallons with the malt. Full boil was for an hour. Added the soverign hops at the start, and the fuggle for the last 15 minutes. Added the irish moss at 30 minutes. Cooled the wort in the sink until it was about 92 degrees, then added cold water to bring it up to 5 gallons. Pitched the yeast at 83 degrees. It took about 20 hours for fermentation to really get going, which worried me a little, but when it started, it took off.

ISG: 1.048 @ 83F - 1.051 adjusted to 68F

Primary avg. temp 68-70F

racked to secondary after 8 days (Wonderful color, great potential for the flavor too.)

Secondary avg. temp 64-68F

Bottled after 14 days in secondary, added 1 cup (5 oz) priming sugar. Beautiful light amber color (It's Zahnnie colored!), crystal clear. Light malty almost caramel flavor with a nice clean, smooth, bitter finish.

FSG: 1.012 @ 68F

ABW: 3.9%

ABV: 5%

I was expecting more like 6% ABV on this batch, and am thinking that the yeast just wasn't quite up to going for that long. I can't wait to crack open the first few bottles of this batch.

Started and racked on my own, but Zahnnie helped bottle.

Two weeks in the bottle and it's wonderful. At bottling I was thinking it was going to be a little malty and not quite as bitter as I would like, but it has a nice hoppy tang, and is just wonderfully drinkable. Definitely one to repeat.

Update: At three weeks this one is good enough that I'm already planning to repeat it. I've also named it, as you may have noticed.