Brewer's Log - 8.23.2010: Beer Transfer, Belgian Wit & C'z IPA

WHAT I DID

- Transferred a 5-gallon batch of a Belgian witbier (Unibroue Blanche de Chambly clone) that had been in primary since 6/28/2010 (eek!) to a keg for carbonation.
- Transferred a 4-gallon batch of "C'z IPA" that had been in primary since 8/7/2010 to a Better Bottle carboy for secondary fermentation and dry-hopping with 1 oz. Bravo hops.

WHAT I LEARNED

- Make time to keep up with beer fermentation schedules. Pay closer attention to the calendar and the signs of fermentation and transfer the beer as soon as it is ready.
- Having said the above, I noted no off flavors indicative of autolysis (which is, in essence, decaying yeast cells altering the flavor of your beer). Certainly these flavors may surface as the beer ages but for now I would say leaving a beer in primary (especially a light beer such as this witbier) for two months will not ruin it.

PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED

- I need more room for brewing and cleaning, but that's a given.

PERSONAL BESTS ACHIEVED

- Created the first Fledgling Brewer video (see above). Plus a great drinking game if you drink every time I say "um" in the video.

DETAILS

Here are some more technical details about these two beers in their current states.

The Belgian witbier (p. 135 of Clone Brews, 1st edition) is a 5-gallon all-grain batch. It was brewed solo on 6/28/2010 and had an estimated original gravity of 1.050. (The initial reading was 1.055 but I used my BeerSmith brewing software to calculate that I could at .5 gallon of boiled water to dilute the gravity to 1.050--the expected original gravity indicated in the recipe.) It was fermented using a 1-liter starter of Belgian Witbier yeast (Wyeast Labs #3944) and remained in the primary fermenter for a total of 56 days--roughly 12 days in my 65-degree basement and the remainder at around 75 degrees in an upstairs closet. The gravity reading on 7/21 was 1.017. When transferred to the keg, the beer had a final gravity reading of 1.012.

The IPA (recipe given to me by Ozzy Nelson of Mayday Brewery) is a 4-gallon all-grain batch that was brewed with friend Eric K. on 8/7/10. It had an original gravity of 1.073 (well short of the 1.080 expected on the recipe). It was fermented using Danstar Nottingham dry yeast and remained in the primary fermenter for 16 days before being transferred to secondary fermentation for dry-hopping with 1 oz. Bravo hops (11.3 alpha acid percentage). When transferred to secondary, the gravity reading was 1.024. The Bravo hops will be added on 8/24/10 and will remain in the fermenter for 10 days.