Brew #64 – Blonde Ale
The goal here is to make a double batch of a really simple, light, low-alcohol, low-bitterness beer for our friends who are generally into light ales. We can use it as a gateway beer to get those as-yet-uncultured folks to try some of our more interesting beers.
5/7/2014 – Make starter
150g – DME
1.5L – spring water
1/8 teaspoon – yeast nutrient
1 vial – White Labs German Ale / Kolsch yeast (WLP029)
Added to a 2L flask and placed on a magnetic stir plate for 24 hours, turning it off at the start of brewing to let the yeast settle.
5/8/2014 – 5/9/2014 (in the wee hours of the morning) – Brew Day
(Double Batch – divided into two carboys)
10 lbs – Extra pale LME
2 lb – Corn sugar
2 oz – Northern Brewer hop pellets (60 min)
2 teaspoon – Irish moss (15 min)
1 teaspoon – Yeast nutrient (15 min)
Since this is a low sugar, no grain, low hops wort, (and the fact that it was intermittently pouring rain with thunder and lightning) we did it as a single large boil indoors on the gas stove in the smaller of the two large kettles.
O.G.: Carboy A – 1.042, 10.3 degrees Brix
O.G.: Carboy B – 1.044, 10.9 degrees Brix
Shook to aerate.
Fermented at 68 degrees F.
5/27/2014 – Kegging Day
Given how late it is, we took both carboys directly from primary to keg.
F.G.: Carboy A – 1.006, 5.1 degrees Brix, 4.7% ABV
F.G.: Carboy B – 1.007, 5.1 degrees Brix, 4.8% ABV