Bleach Blonde Ale – First Usage Of Liquid Yeast

Well despite what I already blogged about, I’m changing my weekend brewing schedule around again!  I’ve decided that my new stir plate was beckoning me to use it, so I made a started for my White Labs American Blend yeast, which is going in my Bleach Blonde Ale!

I took 1/2 a cup of DME and added it to a quart of spring water (making approximately 1.040 wort) , then boiled for ten minutes.  After the solution cooled I added it to a sanitized 2L flask and put it on the stir plate.  There was a bit of foam left over from the starsan, but then it’s “don’t fear the foam” so I’m not worrying about that!  After the wort and the yeast got to about the same temperature, I pitched the yeast and put it back on the stir plate.  The stirring should oxygenate the wort sufficiently for the yeast to be healthy and numerous when I pitch tomorrow. I’m not worrying about the exact calculations, I’m just going to pitch it!

Here’s the ingredients and procedure:

• Briess Pilsen Extra Light Liquid Extract  6 lbs, 0 oz
• Crisp Pale Ale  1 lbs, 0 oz
• Briess 2 Row Caramel 10  1 lbs, 0 oz
• Briess 2 Row Carapils  0 lbs, 8 oz
• Williamette Pellets  1 oz @ 60 mins
• Williamette Pellets  1 oz @ 20 mins
• Williamette Pellets  1 oz @ 10 mins
• Williamette Pellets  1 oz @ 1 mins
• White Labs American Ale Blend

The day before: Prepare yeast as already described

Brew Day:

1. prepare checklist
2. lay out ingredients and equipment
3. bring 1.75-2 gallons spring water to 160 F
4. add grains (in mesh bag)
5. steep for 40 minutes at 155F
6. In separate pot, pre-boil 1 gallon spring water
7. when grains are finished steeping, remove grain bag, add 1 gallon boiling water and bring entire pot to a boil for one hour
8. add bittering hops, 1 oz Willamette 60 minute mark
9. at 20 minutes, add 1 oz Willamette
10. begin sanitation procedures on spoon, thermometer, bucket, siphon, hoses, wine thief
11. add wort chiller, pre-filled with hot water
12. over the course of the last 20 minutes of the boil, add the LME
13. add 1/4 tsp Irish moss powder
14. at 10 minutes, add 1 oz Willamette
15. at 1 minute, add 1 oz Willamette
16. let stand 10 minutes before beginning cooling
17. stir occasionally with sanitized stainless spoon during cooling
18. while wort is cooling, add 2 gallons chilled spring water to sanitized primary fermenting bucket, allowing it to fall into bucket to increase aeration
19. when wort gets to about 75F, add to fermentation bucket using strainer
20. top to 5.5 gallons with chilled spring water
21. take OG reading with sanitized wine thief
22. thoroughly aerate wort with sanitized stainless steel spoon
23. ensure wort is 70F or a little less before pitching yeast
24. pitch yeast
25. gently stir using sanitized stainless steel spoon
26. install sanitized bucket lid and airlock
27. ferment in closet for 12-14 days at 69F ambient air temp.
28. take FG sample and bottle (after a minimum of 12 days)
29. use 4 oz corn sugar at bottling

OG: I doubt I’ll ever know because I probably won’t have a SG meter in time for this one.  As you recall, I broke mine on Wednesday!

Targets:

OG: 1.053  FG:  1.014  IBU: 22.7  SRM: 4.44  ABV:   5.11

Notes: In reality, I did not get my order yet which has a second (8-gallon) fermentation vessel, so I had to split this batch between my Mr Beer keg and my 5-gallon carboy.  I’m not exactly sure how much water was added to each before I added the wort, as it was eyeballed by me.  Therefore I’ll probably have two batches that will be a little different in FG.  I’m kind of considering adding some fruit to the portion in the Mr Beer keg, just for kicks!

EDIT: I decided to go with some fruit in the smaller half of this one, blueberries!  Who knows how it will turn out, but I’m going to try it!

I’m going with the wash then freeze and add directly to primary method.  Wish me luck, I hope it goes well!!