Hammock Rye

I dont know what inspired me, but I got a hankering to do a rye ale and I figured, lets go big on this one.  Rye has never really caught my eye and I wanted to not only go big with the rye, but I figured, let's make use of this new corker and see what happens when we age some as well.   Some, but not all, maybe all.

That said, i dont know if the oxidatitive process would benefit a beer that was meant to accentuate this malt's delicate spicy character, it just may muddle it.

Enough fluff, let's get to the beer.  Upon research of big Rye's I came across an article I have yet to "re-discover" and it was of the author's opinion that Chocolate and Rye made a very nice combo, so i went with that.  I also found a Terrapin recipe and having enjoyed it in the past I figured I could use this clone recipe as a backbone to my newest addition.  

Let's begin.

Specs

OG - 1096

FG - 1026

Mash efficiency - 76%

ABV - 9.5%

IBU - 35

BUGU - .36

SRM - 15

16 - UK Pale

2 - Rye Malt

1 - Flaked Rye

12oz - Flaked Oats

8oz - Crystal 60

8oz - Bisquit

4 oz - Pale Chocolate

2oz - Special B

1LB - sugar (in boil)

1LB - rice hulls

Hops

Millenium - .5oz (60) 27ibu

UKGoldings - .5 (30) 6ibu

UKGoldings - .75 (10) 3ibu

Yeast - Irish ale - 004 second gen

Process

8.5 heated water to stove.  

Added Camden tablet

Full tun:

7.5G at 150

Began running then Added 1G boiling.

Pitch of second gen 004 from slurry.  Warmed up - no added wort or nutrient.  Going to over pitch just slightly to accommodate as clean a fermentation as possible.

Mr. Malty calls for 346 billion at 193ml.  

Pitching 375 (10% more) - 210ml

Lag - 18 - 66

D1 - high krausen - 66

D2 - 5 - 70

D3 - 70 - moved to upstairs ambient 6 degrees warmer

D8 - 76

D13 - 75 - gravity 1.028 ... Needs time 

7/24 - 75 - 1025 - swirled - tastes awesome! Ready for bottling - cork some, wax some

8/5 - 77 - moved to fridge. No final FG taken - it's tasty

8/12 - Bottle Conditioned with 4.5oz Corn Sugar targeting 2.5L

Tasting Notes: Not before 8/26

Tasting Notes: 8/27 - Next to no carb!  But why?

Well, upon further review of my noted I made a critical mistake in my process.  I did not take flocculation into account prior to cold crashing the beer.  Irish Ale yeast is a med-high floc yeast and therefore, especially when cold crashing, you will get the majority f the yeast to come out of suspension.  Thiss is an excellent tool for clarification, but does you little to no good if you plan to bottle condition after the fact.  Unless, you take this into consideration and adjust.

What adjustment you might ask?  Well, the answer is right there under your beer, yeast, brilliant!

If you are going to cold crash a beer for clarity prior to bottle conditioning, it safest to add back a portion of yeast and stir well.  This will put the yeast homogeneously back n suspension for the purpose of bottle conditioning.

Now that I have made my mistake and bottled, and corked, 20 beautiful bombers of double Rye Ale (which is on track to be amazing), I have two choices, wait, or force carb.  I am a patient brewer so I have a test bottle at the ready and I will poop her open no earlier than 9/26.  This will have given the beer 6 weeks to carb up.  If at this time the beer is still not carbed Im going to take the majority of the brew and keg, force carb and re-bottle.  Win some, loss some, but the beer will live to be drunk another day.

The rest of the brews I will leave in the bottle just to see how long it does in fact take for the bottles to condition, if they ever condition.

10/9/14 - Still nada!  I have put Brett in a couple bombers and labeled them to be drunk in a month.  I am very excited to see how these go and will probably Brett more of them if the experiment goes well. 

10/19/14 - well, seems I was just a couple weeks ahead of the yeast.  Forums said give it 1 month...it took 2.  I harvested some 007 slurry to a eye dropper and started popping bottles to add yeast.  Popped 14 of 17 bottles and only 3 were still showing little carb (but they were carbonating).  The rest were perfect and one was explosive!  Recorded all and added yeast to the few that were still undercarbed.  Time is now on deck.  The beers are beautiful and will be reproduced, tasting notes to follow.

Initial tasting notes 

A - light brown. Well clarified.  White head holds through entire pour.  Beautiful 

S - aroma is moderate fruity enters and spice.  A gorgeous bouquet.  Malt is apparent, alcohol is present but restrained.

T - huge complexity if malty, spicey, hints if chocolate come more forward as the glass warms.  Spice is readily apparent.  Slight residual sweetness, not cloying.  Alcohol is masked but not completely.  Fusels restrained.  Beautiful balance of all aspects.  

M - perfect moderate mouthfeel.  Highly approachable.  Smooth.

O - winner!  Top 3 beers ever brewed!  Want to let this baby age at least 3 months between tastings.  

1/19/15 - not drinking but reviewing this post i just want to add that this beer has only gotten better.  To quote a fellow club member it was worth the wait.  This beer will become a local staple with iterations of brett to come.  A real bute clark!

Next - simplify grist then...

1. Proper process will lead to no issues with carbonation:)

2. Split batch -  Light oak with wild turkey.  Very subtle addition.  Be very restrained here. 

3. Split batch - Brett C to finish the beer balloon style and bottle at 1010 or less to carbonate.  Age at least 6 months.