Monday, December 28, 2009

Big, Two Hearted Clone Attempt

My favorite beer in the world is Bell's Two Hearted Ale. It is utterly perfect. Hoppy but with a big malt backbone. Effervescent and fresh. A nice thick head that laces all over the glass. And don't get me started on how much I love Centennial hops. This is the one beer that I can see no wrong in. Plus, at $2 a bottle at the Whole Foods bar on North and Kingsburry, I can get it whenever I want served perfectly in the proper glassware.

This was also the beer that made me want to start brewing. So, despite the easy availability, low cost, and expert service of Two Hearted at local bars, I have decided to try my own. After some time searching around HomeBrewTalk.com and a little tinkering on BeerCalculus.com, I think I found a pretty good recipe. But honestly, who knows. That is the fun thing about brewing:

9.9 lbs. Breiss Light-Gold LME
1 lb. Crystal 40L
1 oz. 9.2% Centennial pellets @ 60min
1 oz. 9.2% Centennial pellets @ 30min
1 oz. 9.2% Centennial pellets @ 15min
1 oz. 9.2% Centennial pellets @ 1min
1 oz. 9.2% Centennial pellets dry-hopped for 14 days in the secondary
White Labs American Ale Yeast
(I meant to add some Irish Moss at 15min, but spaced)

Can I mention again that I love that this beer is all Centennial? Awesome.

This was a really fun beer to brew, and it let me try some of my new techniques and equipment. Also, it taught me some new lessons. First, wow were there a ton of hops in here! So much that it clogged my new auto siphoning thief when I tried to take an O.G. sample. The hops also made the boil was really cool to watch; turbulent but rhythmic, but in my new 7.5 gallon pot there was never a risk of boil over.

Second lesson: it takes damn near an eternity to boil 6 gallons of water on a little gas stove. All told, end to end, this brew was a 3 hour process from first flame to sealing the primary. Not too bad I guess, but there was a lot of waiting around for water to boil. I guess my next upgrade will be one of those outdoor burners, which I can just hook up to my grill's propane tank.

Third, I should have sprung for bigger piping on my wort chiller, but that is all Home Depot had that would fit as a kit. The 5 gallon final volume took about 35 mins to cool to 75 degrees. Not to bad, but it could have been faster.

Also, things I am adding to my wish list: a metal paddle and a drilled ball valve on my brew kettle.

After just two brew sessions, this is starting to take over my life. And I love it.

No comments:

Post a Comment