Batch 100, Imperial Panama

Since this was my 100th batch, I thought I'd do something a little different.  This is a partigyle batch, with the strong beer being an imperial IPA and the small beer being a pale ale.  I did okay on the strong beer, but missed the gravity on the small beer, so it'll be a weak pale ale.  I was hosed right out of the gate -- I went to weigh out the Crystal 60 and found out that I didn't have any.  So I used a little Special B and some Munich instead.

I developed this recipe to hit 1.068, which translates into a 1.090 strong beer and a 1.045 small beer.  I used this table for the calculation:

http://www.brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues/issue2.2/moshertable.html

Recipe		Imperial Panama		Style		Imperial IPA (14C)
Brewer				Batch		10.00 gal
All Grain

Recipe Characteristics

Recipe Gravity		1.068 OG		Estimated FG		1.017 FG
Recipe Bitterness		59 IBU		Alcohol by Volume		6.5%
Recipe Color		13° SRM		Alcohol by Weight		5.1%

Ingredients

Quantity		Grain		Type		Use
0.25 lb		American chocolate malt		Grain		Mashed
25.00 lb		American two-row		Grain		Mashed
1.50 lb		American wheat		Grain		Mashed
1.50 lb		Crystal 60L		Grain		Mashed
10 oz		Special B		Grain		Mashed
15 oz		Munich 10		Grain		Mashed
Quantity		Hop		Type		Time
2.00 oz		Mt. Hood		Whole		FWH
2.00 oz		Centennial		Whole		60 minutes
2.00 oz		Cascade		Whole		30 minutes
2.00 oz		Cascade		Whole		5 minutes
2.00 oz		Mt. Hood		Whole		5 minutes
Quantity		Misc		Notes
1.00 unit		Irish Moss		Fining		1 T at 15 min

Recipe Notes


This is intended to be a partigyle batch. With a total recipe gravity of 1.068, the first runnings should produce 5 gallons of 1.090 wort and second runnings should produce 5 gallons of 1.045 wort. Assuming FG = 1.020 for the strong part, yields 9.0% ABV and assuming FG = 1.011 for the small part yields 4.4% ABV.



Strong part:

OG: 1.090, 1.094 actual

FG: 1.023

ABV: 9.0%

IBU: 115

SRM: 18

This part is a little dark to conform to the 14C Imperial Ale category (max SRM is 15), but I don't care.  Since I didn't have any Crystal 60, it might be closer, color-wise.



Small part:

OG: 1.045, 1.038 actual

FG: 1.011

ABV: 4.4%

IBU: 42

SRM: 8

Hops for small part: 1 oz Centennial 10%AA @ 60 min, 1 oz Cascade 6%AA @ 5 min.  Irish moss at 15 min. The small part fits the 10A American Pale Ale category.



All of the hops are for the first runnings, which gives a calculated IBU of 115.

Batch Notes:

28.25 lbs total grain.

I split the sparge water and heated half in my HLT and the other half in my BK.  This helped get the water hot faster since I was using 2 burners.  I used the water in the BK for mash in, so it would be empty to collect the first runnings.

  I mis-read the units, so I calculated grain absorption at 0.125 qts/lb instead of 0.125 gal/lb.  I mashed in with 8 gallons, which is good, but I thought that would be enough for the first runnings.  Wrong!  I'd calculated 3.5 quarts for absorption, but really it was 3.5 gallons.  I needed an additional 3 gallons to get 7 gallons in the boil kettle.

What I should have done is mash with 8 gallons, added an additional 3 gallons for mash out, then run off 7 gallons.

The small beer sparge is easier, there is no absorption to calculate since the first runnings already took care of it.  An assumption is that the mash tun is fully drained from the first runnings, then add 7 gallons.  Another mistake here, I collected 7 gallons and discarded the remaining wort from the mash tun.  I should have kept it all and boiled it down until it was the right volume.  I'm sure this is why I ended up low on the OG -- I threw fermentables out on the ground.


Brewing outside in the dark and the rain. I strung up a light under the canopy so it worked out pretty well.

Hops are ready to go. 10 ounces in the IIPA, 2 ounces in the pale ale.

Dec 21, 2010: update on the small beer -- added 1.5 oz Cascade dry hop today.

Dec 28, 2010: I though primary fermentation would be done by now, but the strong beer was stuck at 1.042.  The small beer was done, FG is 1.010, so I racked the strong beer onto the yeast cake from the small beer.  That ought to get the strong beer finished in another week or so.  I went ahead and put the small beer on tap.  It siphoned off very clear.  It's very young, but it's also very small.  The hydrometer sample was pretty tasty.  Dry hopping was a good idea, otherwise, I think this would have been a very dull beer.

Jan 22, 2011, the small beer is gone, and it was tasty to the last! I put the Imperial Panama on the same tap.  I think it finished at about 1.020 (need to check notes) and kegged on Jan 6.

Jan 26, 2011, Imperial Panama. F'ing awesome! Must do this one again.

10/803