A mess avoided

I'm glad that I rigged a blow-off tube...



That's yeast and sanitizing solution pooling in the plastic container. What's bubbling out smells of yeast (of course) and bananas. I'm hoping to pick up more clove and spice flavors as the yeast cools tonight.

Search Engine Madness!

OK... So perhaps I should have done a search before I named that last video. YouTube's search engine now believes that my beer is somehow related to a Korean pop group. It could be worse, I suppose. It could have mistaken "bubble" for "bobble" and put up links to McDonald's ads from Japan.

(Not So) Tiny Bubbles

The Cheesehead Hefeweizen is bubbling away...

Cheesehead Hefeweizen

I was going to brew this up on Sunday, but the game was just too interesting!

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 5.00 gal      
Boil Size: 6.00 gal
Estimated OG: 1.051 SG
Estimated Color: 3.6 SRM
Estimated IBU: 8.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount        Item                                      Type         % or IBU      
4.50 lb       Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)            Grain        50.00 %       
4.50 lb       Wheat Malt, Ger (2.0 SRM)                 Grain        50.00 %       
0.38 oz       Hallertauer [4.20 %]  (65 min)            Hops         5.9 IBU       
0.25 oz       Tettnang [4.80 %]  (15 min)               Hops         2.2 IBU       
0.05 tsp      Lactic Acid (Mash 60.0 min)               Misc                       
2.50 gm       Epsom Salt (MgSO4) (Mash 60.0 min)        Misc                       
2.50 gm       Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 min)  Misc                       
4.00 gm       Salt (Mash 60.0 min)                      Misc                       
6.50 gal      Distilled Water                           Water                      
1 Pkgs        Hefeweizen Ale (White Labs #WLP300)       Yeast-Wheat                


Mash Schedule: Decoction Mash, Single
Total Grain Weight: 9.00 lb
----------------------------
Decoction Mash, Single
Step Time     Name               Description                         Step Temp     
35 min        Protein Rest       Add 18.00 qt of water at 126.6 F    122.0 F       
45 min        Saccharification   Decoct 7.63 qt of mash and boil it  155.0 F       
10 min        Mash Out           Heat to 168.0 F over 10 min         168.0 F   

But given how long this took to complete, Ale Interrupted may be a better name.

Hefe Interrupted

I've been brewing all day.

Brewing, however, usually isn't an all day event. I was in the middle of mashing a Hefeweizen when I got called away to a lunch meeting. This is my first attempt at a decoction mash. I had to leave in the middle of the saccharification rest, so I figured "What's the harm?". A little extra time for those enzymes to get all happy in the mash can't be a bad thing.

Now I'm about to take off for another meeting. There will still be 20 minutes left in the boild, but my wife says she'll shut off the burners. I'd normally use an immersion chiller at this point, but it's a Hefe; what's the point!?

I'll post the recipe in a bit; though, it's pretty simple.