Spring has sprung here in Hogtown. The azaleas and dogwoods are in full bloom, the nights are cool and the days are warm. It’s the perfect time of year for friends, fellowship and of course homebrewing! My latest creation is a Schneider Aventinus
The standard by which this brew will be judged
3 oz Pilsner Malt
1.5 lbs Cara Munich Malt
5.6 oz Carafa Special Malt II
3 lbs DME
5.5 lbs Weyerman Bavarian Hefeweizen LME (unhopped)
.75 oz Glacier Hops (6% AA)
I mashed the grains in 3 quarts of water for 45 minutes at 152 degrees then rinsed with 1.5 quarts at 170 degrees. Everything boiled for 60 minutes with the exception of the LME which was added with 15 minutes left in the boil. I wound up with an OG of 1.064. It was supposed to be 1.073, so I may be looking at a weizenbock instead of a dopplebock. (This recipe based on Brew Your Own magazine, September 2008, 14(5), p.32).
This is my first use of the chest freezer. The beer is bubbling happily at 60 degrees. After fermentation it’s supposed to condition for for 3-4 weeks at 42 degrees. Can you say willpower? Not in my vocabulary. I need to get a pale ale going to distract me!
I’ve often reflected on why I enjoy brewing. This last session was a great example of why this is such a great hobby. We had four generations of friends and neighbors present. From a very classy lady who was celebrating her 75th birthday to my nine-month old son, everyone participated and all had a good time. (OK, so Tyson didn’t get too much out of the experience, but he did enjoy playing with the baggie full of some extra grains.) Homebrewing is best done as a social exercise, from taking turns stirring the brew-pot to being mesmorized by the thermometer during the wort chilling; it’s all good. Best of all with a little luck and a lot of willpower, I’ll have something that would have made Johannes Aventinus proud.
