Recipe: Myrcene Elixer

This recipe is based on 'Hoppiness is an IPA' in Brewing Classic Styles by Jamil Zainasheff and John Palmer. I've made my my own modifications due to availability of ingredients and love of hops.

Recipe Type: Extract
Beer Type: IPA

Extract:

• 9 lbs of Light DME

Steeping Grains:

• 1 lb Crystal 20
• 0.25 lbs Crystal 40
• 0.25 lbs Munich Malt

Hops:

• 1.5oz Horizon 13% @ 60 min
• 1.5oz Cascade 13% @ 10 min
• 1oz Simcoe @ 5 min
• 2oz Amarillo @ 0 min
• 8oz Amarillo @ dry hopping

Yeast: 22g Safale S-05 dry yeast (2 packets), rehydrated prior to pitching

OG: 1.075

FG: 1.018

IBUs: Forgot to calculate. Lots.

Tasting Notes: Very strong floral aroma and flavor, slightly spicy and with distinct grapefruit and citrus notes. The beer is crisp and bitter, with enough maltiness to balance the IBUs. Obviously, it's real damn hoppy. After around 4 weeks in the bottle flavor changed a bit: the spiciness has increased and the grapefruit notes are suppressed but still there.  

Process Notes: 

• Munich malt is not a steeping grain. Despite this I added it in to the grain bag and held the whole thing at 155F for 45 minutes in 1 gallon of water, right in the brew kettle. I suspect that this achieved a partial mash. Munich can self-convert, and the other grains don't need converting, so I don't think that mashing the other steeping grains did much.
• In general, I pitch a lot more yeast than most homebrew recipes call for. The dangers of underpitching for me are much more of a concern than overpitching, especially since plenty of brewers have successfully pitched a new batch on a used yeast cake with far more viable cells than two packets of dry yeast will have. Thus far I've been very happy with the results. Flavors are clean and crisp for S-05, and fermentation is extremely vigorous. Just be sure to use a blow-off tube, or a potentially explosive mess will result. 

Comments:

I'd like to comment on the wonder of Amarillo hops. They have reasonably high amounts of alpha acids and low cohumulone content, making them a good choice for a bittering hop. Yet, they also provide an amazing floral and citrusy bouquet when used for flavoring and aroma. What I find to be especially interesting is that Amarillo has a Myrcene content of something like 70% (hence the name of this beer).  Traditionally this has been identified as a bad thing, at least for noble hops. A lot of American hops seem to disregard that advice, though ,and Amarillo is leading the way. Perhaps more experimentation is in order.

Introduction

Hello all! This blog is going to be devoted to recounting my experiences while homebrewing. I will comment on recipes and techniques, describe equipment that I've built, and generally detail my opinions on beer,  from its production to its consumption.

I've only recently gotten involved in the homebrew scene, and am still very much learning as I go. My first few recipes will therefore be extract-based, though I may eventually adopt them to an all-grain version. In fact, I'm  (hopefully) building a mash/lauter tun in just a few days. I would very much appreciate not just comments, but any advice or criticism that brewers far wiser than I can offer on any topics that they would care to chime in on.

A note on the name. Since brewing is more fun when you have your own label, I've named my paltry operation the Skowyra Zythespary.  Skowyra (pronounced Sko-vir-ra, for what it's worth) is my last name. Zythespary is the most awesome synonym for brewery, ever. The names and labels of all beers appearing here follow a patent medicine theme, as does my logo. Why? Well, because I like wearing a labcoat, enjoy SCIENCE, have no actual medical or pharmacological experience, and have an unhealthy obsession with old timey stuff. That notwithstanding, a rather wonderful girl by the name of Victoria (blog linked below) is not only entirely responsible for the idea, but is also a continuing source of creative inspiration for both label names and overall design.

And with that, on to the rest of the blog!