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| First batch in the new Big Mouth Bubbler! |
I know this one is coming a bit late, but the last two Fridays have been terrific brew days that have involved the exploration of a beautiful, forgotten style of beer and the replication of a classic and beloved style. The first of these, my one-gallon yeast starter experimental batch, was a Dampfbier (German for "steam beer"), a style that finds its origins in the forests of Bavaria. The beer has a malt bill similar to a Märzen/Oktoberfest, but it is fermented with a German wheat beer strain of yeast, known for its banana/clove notes. I am very excited to see how this one turns out. The first taste of it was delicious, and since I was feeling adventurous, I dry-hopped the small batch with a little amount of Kent Goldings hops just for fun, thus influencing the eventual name of the recipe. I think this will be a delicious beer. When it had had a good week in the fermenter, I used the yeast cake to brew the second of these Bavarian beauties, a classic 50/50 wheat/pilsner Hefeweizen. For this 5-gallon batch, I got to use my new Big Mouth Bubbler, which worked great! Going to be very easy to take samples, rack, and clean later on, too.
It is worth noting, as well, that the brew store was in between shipments and out of WLP300 and Wy 3068, so I tried WLP380 Hefeweizen IV Ale on these beers. It supposedly creates a more pronounced banana/clove profile, and so far, showings have been excellent.
Steamy WASP ale:
Target OG: 1.050
Target FG: 1.011
Target ABV: 5%
Target IBU: 21
Projected SRM: 7°L (light amber)
1 lb Pilsner malt
10 oz light Munich malt
6 oz Vienna malt
.25 oz Hallertauer @60 min
.25 oz East Kent Goldings dry-hop for 7 days
WLP 380 Hefeweizen IV
El Jefe Bavarian Hefeweizen:
Target OG: 1.052
Target FG: 1.012
Target ABV: 5.2%
Target IBU: 12
Projected SRM: 3.2°L (straw/golden colored)
5 lbs German Pilsner malt
5 lbs German Wheat malt
,75 oz Hallertauer @60 min
WLP 380 Hefeweizen IV cake from Steamy WASP ale
I am very excited to taste both of these beers. I will probably bottle the Dampfbier on Friday, and I will keg the Hefeweizen a few days after that. Next up will be a 2-gallon experimental Nelson Sauvin/Vienna malt SMaSH Belgian IPA as the starter for Sarah and Evan's Nuptiale!
