Sunday, October 25, 2009

Central PA Preview

Our second BrewLocal road trip found us pointed North to the great wilds of Central PA. Pennsylvania is ripe with beer destinations that make for endless possibilities for beer touring, there are dozens of interesting, small breweries and brewpubs: an intricate stratagem scattered across the map.

Our search for local took us to Williamsport, PA for a brew day at Bullfrog Brewery, where wunderkind Terry Hawbaker is producing highly original, boundary shattering beers with abandon.

Next up we sat down with Williamsport's prodigal son Mike Hiller, who plies "The People's Beer!" at his small production brewery Bavarian Barbarian Brewing Co. Mike gave us some great insight into the logistics and realities of starting a small brewery.

An hour south found us in Selinsgrove, where we spent an afternoon with founder, head brewer and secret mycologist Steve Leason of Selin's Grove Brewing Co. Steve is a bit of a brewing-polymath, producing impeccable beers across a glut of styles.

We'll be rolling out posts from the trip over the next several weeks, keep tuned.

Thursday, October 15, 2009

David Wollner's Recipes

We suppiled the name and then asked David Wollner of Willimantic Brewing Co. to dream up a recipe for a no-holds-barred IPA named "Menschkeit", which is yiddish for the quality of being a Mensch or a good guy. Drink up and be Menschful.

"Menschkeit" ~ David Wollner's Dream Rye IPA

Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 15.50
Anticipated OG: 1.074
Anticipated SRM: 8.3
Anticipated IBU: 144.2
Brewhouse Efficiency: 68 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Grain
------
10.00 lbs. Pale Malt
3.00 lbs. Rye Malt
1.50 lbs. Wheat Malt
1.00 lbs. Crystal 30L

Hops
-----
1.50 oz. Chinook (Pellet 13.00% AA) @ First Wort Hop
1.50 oz. Columbus (Pellet 12.00% AA) @ 40 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade (Pellet 5.75% AA) @ 25 min.
0.50 oz. Columbus (Pellet 12.00% AA) @ 20 min.
1.50 oz. Cascade (Pellet 5.75% AA) @ 10 min.
1.50 oz. Cascade (Pellet 5.75% AA) @ 0 min.
1.00 oz. Cascade (Pellet 5.75% AA) @ Dry Hop
1.00 oz. Columbus (Pellet 12.00% AA) @ Dry Hop

Yeast
-----
WYeast 1028 London Ale

Extras
-------
0.25 tsp Yeast Nutrient @ 15 min

1.00 Unit(s) Whirlfloc @ 10 min

Water Profile
-------------
Add gypsum to adjust water to ~100 ppm Sulfate

Mash Schedule
-------------
Sacch Rest 60 min @ 150

Notes
-----
FG 1.014

David was in a particularly rye mood, because he also supplied us with the recipe for "Rail Mail Rye", his favorite house beer.


"Rail Mail Rye"

Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 5.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 10.63
Anticipated OG: 1.055
Anticipated SRM: 5.6
Anticipated IBU: 36.0
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 95 Minutes

Grain
------
7.50 lbs. American 2-row
2.50 lbs. German Rye Malt
0.63 lbs. Crystal 20L

Hops
-----
0.38 oz. Cascade Pellet (7.80% AA) @ 85 min.
0.50 oz. Cascade Pellet (7.80% AA) @ 55 min.
0.43 oz. Cascade Pellet (7.80% AA) @ 25 min.
0.50 oz. Cascade Pellet (7.80% AA) @ 0 min.
0.68 oz. Cascade Pellet (7.80% AA) @ Dry Hop

Extras
-------
0.25 tsp Yeast Nutrient @ 15 Min.(boil)
1.00 Unit(s) Whirlfloc @ 10 Min.(boil)

Yeast
-----
Willimantic House Strain Fermented in the mid 60s (WYeast 1028 London Ale is the closest commercial equivalent)

Water Profile
-------------
Profile: Unfiltered Willimantic tap water plus 1.68 tsp of gypsum added to the boil

Mash Schedule
-------------
Sacch Rest 60 min @ 153

Notes
-----
FG 1.008

Cold condition for 5 days after primary fermentation finishes.

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

David Wollner Interview

For our 3rd episode we'll be speaking with David Wollner of Willimantic Brewing Company, in Willimantic, CT.

Audio