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Friday, July 29, 2011

Imperial Rhino Stout 2011

Teaser of the Label
I think it’s about time to post my first recipe on the site.  To kick things off I’m going to start with one of the biggest beers I’ve brewed to date, the 2011 version of Imperial Rhino Stout!

The name derives from the second beer brewed way back in 08 at a brew on premise which I called Rhino Stout. It was a nice oatmeal stout that unfortunately caught to some type of infection that gave it a metallic vinegar taste.

Cold Brew Coffee
Extraction
This will be the second time I’ve brewed a stout under the name Imperial Rhino Stout but the two could not be more different. The 2010 beer was the 6th beer I ever brewed and conditioned so long that by the time I opened my first bottle I have brewed 21 more beers (about 6 months).  At this time I was still using pure Mr Beer so the recipe contained no steeped grains (thought it did use WLP001). Regardless of this after 6 months it was incredible (yes you can brew great beer with Mr Beer – I’ll post the recipe at the bottom).  I enjoyed the last bottle of the 10 version while waxing my 2010 Holiday Beer and have been planning the next version since.

I decided for the 2011 version I would hearken back to its roots and make an imperial version of an oatmeal stout.  I should note that the only I use the term Imperial is when it applies to a stout, everything else will be referred to as a double.  Given the fact that it will contain flaked oats it will require a partial mash.  I'm also going to loop in the coffee notes I got in the 2010 version using a cold brewed coffee extract at flame out and again at kegging. Essentially a cross between Founders Breakfast Stout and Surly Darkness

In the Oven at 170 to Hold Temp at 154
Imperial Rhino Stout 2011
Imperial Stout
Type: Partial Mash
Date: 5/30/2011
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Brewer: Scott Bennett
Boil Size: 4.01 gal
Asst Brewer:  BrewDog
Measured OG of 1.100
Boil Time: 60 min E
Brewhouse Efficiency: 67.00 %

Beer Profile
Measured Original Gravity: 1.100 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.018 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 10.9 %
Bitterness: 37.3 IBUs
Est Color: 41.7 SRM 

Malt
5 lbs 8.0 oz Light Dry Extract
3 lbs Dark Dry Extract [Late Addition]
1 lbs 8.0 oz Oats, Flaked
1 lbs 8.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US
12.0 oz Chocolate Malt
4.0 oz Black (Patent) Malt
4.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 6 1.9 %
4.0 oz Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 7 1.9 %
4.0 oz Victory Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 8 1.9 %

Hops
Ready for Yeast
1.00 oz Columbus (Tomahawk) - Boil 60.0 min
0.70 oz Simcoe - Boil 20.0 min
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent - Boil 5.0 min

Yeast
1.0 Larger Starter of Dry English Ale (White Labs #WLP007)

Other
1.00 tbsp PH 5.2 Stabilizer (Mash 60.0 mins)
1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)
4.00 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 mins)
4.00 Cup Cold Brewed Coffee (Primary) (Boil 0.0 mins)
 4.00 Cup Cold Brewed Coffee (Kegging)

Mash Steps
Heat Strike water to 165F (5.63 qts)
Mashed at 155F for 60 mins. 1.5 qt/lb.
Sparge with 5.63 qts at 170F

Notes

Add the results of 1 cup of coarsely crushed coffee beans cold extracted in at Flame Out

Add the results of 1 cup of coarsely crushed coffee beans cold extracted in at Kegging

Cold brewed coffee ratio 8oz of coffee per 4 cups water

Primary Coffee = Whole Foods Extra Dark French Roast


The 2010 Label
Imperial Rhino Stout 2010
Imperial Stout
Type: Extract
Date: 3/06/2010
Batch Size: 2.13 gal
Brewer: Scott Bennett 

Beer Profile
Recipe Gravity: 1.067 OG 
Estimated FG: 1.017 FG
Alcohol by Volume: 6.5%
Bitterness: 38 IBU
Color: 37° SRM 

Mmm... Tasty
Malt
0.22 lb Brown Sugar, Light Sugar
1.00 lb MrB. Booster Sugar
1.21 lb MrB. Creamy Brown UME
1.21 lb MrB. St. Patrick’s Irish Stout HME

Hop
1.00 oz MrB. St. Patrick’s Irish Stout Pellet 5 minutes
0.50 oz Palisade Pellet 5 minutes
0.50 oz Willamette Pellet 5 minutes

Yeast
1.00 unit California Ale yeast  Yeast  WLP001

Recipe Notes
1 cup of coffee beans in second hop sack
Let condition in the bottle for 6 months prior to consumption

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Beachwood BBQ and Brewing

Outside Seating Coming Soon
Bonnie and I have been going to Beachwood BBQ in Seal Beach for the last couple of years.  The food is incredible southern style BBQ and both the tap and bottle list have always been incredible.  It’s always been a place we both enjoy to go and I’ve never been let down even when trying some outside the box.  On my last birthday Bonnie took me there and I had my first Sour Stout while talking with the Owner/Head Chief Gabe Gordon about both his food and beer selection process. 
Given Gabe’s attitude on craft beer and his intense focus on preparing awesome food I was very excited when it was announced they would be opening a second location.  What made it even more exciting was the fact that they would be brewing their own house line up of beer.  It was soon announced that they had settled on a location in Long Beach and that they would be bringing in Julian Shrago as co-owner and head brewer. Julian is a well known homebrewer who has brewed at the commercial scale with several breweries including Port Brewing and Triple Rock.
Enough background let’s talk about Beachwood BBQ and Brewing Long Beach.
Bonnie and I stopped by after taking babyRaptor to the Long Beach Aquarium on Sunday the 24th.  This was my second visit as Shawn and I had stopped by a few weeks earlier shortly after the grand opening.  On this trip they had 8 of their house beers on tap and had started doing taster flights.  Bonnie and I both selected the following flight; Punk Wheat Ale, Uno Belgian Single Ale, Breaker Pale Ale and Melrose India Pale Ale.
The House Beer  Menu
Punk Wheat -This was a dynamite American Wheat reminds me a lot of New Glarus Dancing Man Wheat

Uno Belgian Single Ale - The name is spot on, this was a very nice light Belgian
Breaker Pale Ale - Classic pale ale with the prefect amount of bitterness
Melrose India Pale Ale - This was the beer I was most excited to try and it did not let me down, absolutely brilliant!
After completing my taster I immediately ordered a full pint of the Melrose and spotted Julian who was in moving some beer around.  I’d met him a few times now and he’s a really cool guy, as most brewers are.  Most of our discussion centered on my impressions of the beers and how things were going.

Of course the beer is only half of the reason we go to Beachwood.  For lunch we had an order of the smoked chickens wings (it was like eating bacon on the bone), smothered fries (really good), Bonnie got the BBQ chicken salad (dynamite as always) and I got the steak salad (probably the best cooked steak I’ve had in a while).

We had planned on meeting a friend there for lunch but while already running late had managed to go to the Seal Beach location.  While we waited for her I ordered the Kilgore Stout.  I’d had this stout before and really enjoyed it.  I’d say it’s a bridge between a classic stout and an American pale ale or IPA.  Good amount of roastiness with some sweetness and a nice hop nose. Big thumbs up.

Much Better Shot!

Before leaving a grabbed a growler of the Melrose to go and unlike the Rockbottom growler I had, I guarantee this one will be refilled often! (of course it helps that we bought a yearlong membership to the aquarium so we could have a place to take babyRaptor)

Cheers

-SNB

Updated 14-Aug-11 with New Pictures

Guest Tap Board
Taster Flight
The Correct Pressure for Every Keg!


Monday, July 25, 2011

Pizza Port 12 Hour Belgian Beer Party

On Saturday the 25th I hopped on a train with my bike and headed down to Pizza Port Carlsbad for the 12 Hour Belgian Beer Party.  The party was set in part to in honor Belgian Independence day which had occurred a few days earlier.  


Cantillon Saint Lamvinus
I was joined by my buddy and brewing mentor Shawn Olson and his wife.  Shawn has spent a large part of 2011 focused on learning about and brewing Belgian beers.  To date he has brewed some of the best Belgian beers I’ve ever had, his quad for one is a thing of beauty.
 
I had heard a lot about Pizza Port Festivals and this lived up to expectations.  It was well run, organized with a great line up of, mostly bottled, Belgian and Belgian inspired beers. 

I was a little concerned going in as I’ve not been the biggest fan of Belgian beers in the past.  Luckily I remembered what I’ve learned this year about Belgians, it’s less a style then it is a region. It would be like saying one doesn’t like American Craft beer just because they don’t like American Amber / Red Ales.

Reviewing my notes I was able to try the following beers which were mostly sours.  Sours have quickly become a style that I am enjoying. They aren’t for everyone and definitely an acquired taste. 

One of the Breweries represented that I was most excited to try had to be Cantillon. Till this point I had only heard of them and their reputation for sour beers. It was nice to have an opportunity to try the ones I did.

Beers I tried
Cantillon Rose de Gambrinus
Some of the Bottles
Drie Fonteinen Schaaerbeeksr Kriek
Panil Barriquee Sour Red Ale
Lost Abbey Carnevale
Cantillon Saint Lamvinus
Cantillon Cuvée Des Champions
Boulevard Tank 7
Dubuisson Scaldis Prestige de Nuits
Russian River Consecration
Hanssens Lambic Experimental Cassis
Hanssens Scarenbecca Kriek
Russian River Temptation
Orval – in my brand new Orval glass!

My New Orval Glass Filled with Orval
Monster Bottle of Temptation

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Welcome to SNB Brewing

Hello and Welcome to SNBBrewing.com, the official home of SNB Brewing.


SNB Brewing was founded in 2010 by myself, Scott Neel Bennett (on the right next to my hero Todd Haug of Surly Brewing), primarily as the brand name of my homebrewed beer.

This blog will feature post about the following topics; Homebrewing, Beer Tasting (sometimes with reviews), Beer Trading (StarRaptor on BeerAdvocate) and Exploring it all (Trips, Events etc.)

History of SNB Brewing

It wasn't until grad school around 2004 that I really started drinking beer.  In the early days a 6 pack would last a week or more. Around 2006 I started to experience my lupulin shift which drove me to hoppier and hoppier beers.  Today I am full on hop head who occasionally experience phantom hop smell and taste sensations and go through lupulin withdrawal if I'm forced to drink too much malty beer.

The brewery side traces it's origin back to the first batch of beer I made was in 2007 at a brew on premise in Huntington Beach.  It was a Red Ale similar to Fat Tire that I made with my brother Brett and Bottled with my Wife Bonnie.  I ended up calling it 360 Ale (a play on the name of his soon to be son). The beer came out great and I brewed another batch the next year.


Nothing got brewed in 2009 but that year I ended up getting a Mr Beer from my mom for my birthday (Which is in very late December) I waited a couple weeks before getting over my nerves and brewing up an IPA which I named after my soon to be daughter Sydnie. Unfortunately it came out a cidery mess regardless I had the bug and haven't looked back since.

I tend to label almost every beer I make so new labels and how to do labels will also be featured. I'm also a hands on learner that likes to tinker with building things, which will be covered as well Finally as an Advocate of Beer I'm big into sharing and consuming some of the best beers in the world,  Tasting that I host and go to will be featured.


Cheers,

SNB
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