Batch #33! With a new kegerator coming online at work, it’s time to get brewing for the team. I was hoping to do a take-off on the MoreBeer Galaxy Extra Pale, but there were no Aussie hops to be found…

Brewer’s Notes

I’m very interested in the flavors and capabilities of the Australian & New Zealand hop varieties that have been showing up in beers and homebrew stores. I also needed an inexpensive & easy beer to make for the new kegerator at work, so modification of a local homebrew shop recipe looked like it fit the bill. Unfortunately, the hop options available were fairly limited, so instead of Aussie Galaxy hops, I picked up a half-pound of Ahtanum. This isn’t a bad thing, as it gives me the chance to explore this hop a bit more.

The brew was uneventful, and though the mash started high, it stayed very stable, spending most of the time at 158F. The hop schedule had to be modified a bit in order to get the IBUs we are looking for. Very little water had to be added to get to 3.5gal of boiling volume, and only 2gal added to reach 5gal fermentation volume.  The Crystal malt seems to come through in the aroma, but I can’t smell any hops. Color is deep amber with a large amount of suspended solids.  Taste is sweet and fruity – stone fruit, not sharp like citrus can be. The sweetness seems fairly basic, so I feel it should ferment out, leaving avery mild, lasting bitterness.

OG:1.064 @ 81F, target 1.073
FG: 1.014@ 70F, target 1.017

Fermenting Notes

Primary

Target Temperature range: 67F

Average: 72.50F
Standard Deviation: 2.26

ahtanum_ipa_primary

9.25.2014 – 1.016 @ 71F – Racked to secondary.  Very light hop flavors, bittering is present in the finish.  Ends dry w/ bitter citrus. Is missing the top layer, which will come from the dry hop.  Caramel present in malt, reasonably full-bodied and hazy color due to yeast stirred up in transfer. Added 2oz of Ahtanum in the dry hop.

Secondary

Target Temperature range: 70F
Average: 70.49F
Standard Deviation: .50

ahtanum_ipa_secondary

10.3.2014 – Removed the dry hop.

10.5.2014- 1.016 @71F – Racking to keg, it has been warm over the last few days, which has pulled the beer over the 70F target temperature a bit. Ruby/ light amber color, fairly clear.  Aroma is malt-forward with light hops, Grapefruit and Green apple?  Quite a lot of dissolved CO2.  Favors are also malt-forward, the hops would benefit from a lighter base.  Adding CO2 and cooling may help.  Finishes clean with some burn in throat.  Carbed at 14psi for 2.4 vols.

Tasting Notes

10.27.14 – Keg has been on tap at work for a few days.  Beer has a great red color with light aroma, but tastes over-hopped.  Ahtanum’s sharp flavor needs something resiny to balance it out.

11.8.2014 – Keg is empty. I had very little of the beer – the folks at work seemed to like it, as it did settle out better than the Drake’s.  It was still too sharp of a hop taste – will need to play with the Ahtanum and balance it with a different hop.

Recipe