07/05/2014 – Make starter

100g – DME (we normally use 150g, but were short of DME)
1.5L – spring water
1/8 teaspoon – yeast nutrient
Headwaters Ale Wyeast ACT1000

This is a special yeast, offered by Midwest Supplies.  Here’s their description:

“A clean, aggressive ale strain well suited for American style ales and German style ales. This strain does well at lower temperatures, but stays clean even at the warmer end of the temperature range. Though it is a slight top cropper during fermentation, it does not settle out quickly and therefore will benefit from a longer conditioning/settling time in the secondary.

Rediscover old recipe favorites once fermented with American/California ale strains!”

The yeast packet (a liquid smack-pack) was 7 months past its Use By date, but has been in the fridge the whole time.  It seems to be making a good starter, though.

This yeast is destined for use in Brew #82, the Irish Red from Midwest Supplies

07/09/2015 – Brew day

10 gallon batch

10 lbs – Blacklands “brown” malt

Strike water: 12 gals water (157 degrees F)
Mashed at 154 degrees F for 60 min

0.4 oz – UK Kent Golding hop pellets (60 min – 7.2 % alpha)
0.45 oz – Styrian Golding hop pellets (60 min – 3.8 % alpha)
1 tsp – Irish moss (15 min)
0.5 tsp – Yeast nutrient (15 min)

Accidentally only used 5-gallons-worth of Irish moss and yeast nutrient.

Added 25 oz – Steen’s Pure Cane Syrup

Topped up each to 5.25 gal and shook to mix

Both: O.G.: 1.024, 6.0 degrees Brix

Shook to aerate

Fermented at 68 degrees F

07/19/2015 – Racked to secondary

The Headwaters yeast doesn’t seem to drop clear as quickly, so instead of going straight to the keg like normal, this will spend a week or two in secondary before going into the keg. Needed a primary for Brew #82

08/02/2015 – Racked one carboy to a keg

F.G.: 1.011, 3.9 degrees Brix
ABV: 1.7%

08/16/2015 – Kegged the other carboy

F.G.: 1.011, 3.7 degrees Brix
ABV: 1.7%