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| Label inspiration: I wanted to do a more sleek, modern label this time. The name comes from the amount of money I saved each month by renting a house for about 10 months. |
From Mr. Beer's website:
Mr. Beer’s Seasonal Beer Imperial Hefeweizen
ABV: 6.5% SRM:
8 IBU:
25
Flavor: Hoppy
1 Can Imperial Hefeweizen HME
1 Packet Safbrew WB-06 Dry Wheat Yeast
1 Packet Safbrew WB-06 Dry Wheat Yeast
“This summer seasonal is truly an American creation,
descended from a traditional German Hefeweizen on the one side and a West-Coast
Pale ale on the other, it displays a delicate malt profile with banana and
clove characteristics coupled with bright, citrusy hops and a higher than
average abv.
This unique and interesting creation combines a simple grist of pilsner malt and malted wheat with a blend of Cascade and Centennial hops from the Pacific Northwest. The simple malt bill keeps this beer light on the palate and easy-drinking, while the hops contribute a modest bitterness and bright, refreshing citrusy flavors. This beer will be interesting to watch mature -- the hop character will be most prominent when young, and it will develop more malt complexity as the days grow shorter. Enjoy!”
This unique and interesting creation combines a simple grist of pilsner malt and malted wheat with a blend of Cascade and Centennial hops from the Pacific Northwest. The simple malt bill keeps this beer light on the palate and easy-drinking, while the hops contribute a modest bitterness and bright, refreshing citrusy flavors. This beer will be interesting to watch mature -- the hop character will be most prominent when young, and it will develop more malt complexity as the days grow shorter. Enjoy!”
Brewed 350 on May 20, 2012. I’ve
been checking the fermenter temperature once in a while and I’ve noticed that
it’s over 75 degrees most of the time. I put on the AC on May 28th
and the room is still hovering around 78-80 degrees. I’ll probably have to find
a better spot or may even have to develop a different cooling method.
Checked the temperature of the fermenter
as few times since I first brewed 350. It was hovering from 76 to 82 for the
first two weeks because I was too cheap to put on the air conditioning. On June
2nd, it finally cooled down a bit outside and the temperature was
around 76. I don’t have a good feeling about this beer!
Checked the temperature again on June 10, 2012.
It’s between 78 and 80, which is a little high. It’s been staying around 76-78
for days now. I’ll definitely brew this beer after I turn the AC on for good
this summer. I have the fermenter in my office, which turns out to be the
hottest room in the house!
I checked the temperature this morning (June 16, 2012) and
it was between 74 and 76. I’m really not happy about the fluctuations in temperature
but we’ll see how that plays out when the beer is finally done. Tomorrow is
bottling day.
I officially bottled the beer on Monday June 18, 2012. I put the
bottles in the oven twice to disinfect them and they started smelling burnt.
Not good. On top of that, the beer tasted super sweet and maybe even cidery…or
vinegary. I think it’s one of the worst tasting beers I’ve ever made. There
were too many issues with the brew process (mainly temperature) and it seems
like I didn’t clean the utensils that well.
Placed the beers in the refrigerator on Friday July 20,
2012. I kept them sitting for too long. Only turned
the bottles once since I bottled the beer. I made a lot of mistakes with this
beer, the biggest mistake being fermenting at too high of a temperature.
Tasted the trub bottle on July 22, 2012.
NASTY! Sweet, cidery…definitely infected. I tasted part of another one that’s
only been in the refrigerator for a few days and it wasn’t good…but it wasn’t
as bad as the trub bottle.
OVERALL SCORE: 1 out of 10. It's one of the worst beers I've ever made. Reasons: questionable sanitation, high and fluctuating temperatures, and too long in the fermenter.
Batch Two
F8-01-02-12
Brewed beer on July 28, 2012. I brewed it the ame day as I did the Poplar Island Pilsner. While the pilnsner was in the fridge, I placed this keg in my dining room on the china cabinet. I've had the AC on for a while at 72 degrees. I followed all sanitation and brewing instructions to the letter.
Bottled beer on August 16, 2012. I tried it from the tap before I bottled it. It was better than the last batch, but it was still not very good. It tasted a little sweet/cidery. At this point, I'm not very happy.
Placed beer in refrigerator on September 3, 2012. Labor Day. The pilsner failed. I'm not sold on this hefeweizen just yet. Hopefully I'll settle and mature enough to taste decent.
UPDATE: I ended up throwing away this beer a second time. Not very happy about this. I read all about other brewers using Mr. Beer and they're having a good time making good beer. What's going on with me?!
Maybe it was temperature. Maybe it was sanitation. Either way- THIS STINKS!
OVERALL SCORE: 1 out of 10. My scale doesn't include "0", but if it did this beer would certainly get it...
OVERALL SCORE: 1 out of 10. It's one of the worst beers I've ever made. Reasons: questionable sanitation, high and fluctuating temperatures, and too long in the fermenter.
Batch Two
F8-01-02-12
Brewed beer on July 28, 2012. I brewed it the ame day as I did the Poplar Island Pilsner. While the pilnsner was in the fridge, I placed this keg in my dining room on the china cabinet. I've had the AC on for a while at 72 degrees. I followed all sanitation and brewing instructions to the letter.
Bottled beer on August 16, 2012. I tried it from the tap before I bottled it. It was better than the last batch, but it was still not very good. It tasted a little sweet/cidery. At this point, I'm not very happy.
Placed beer in refrigerator on September 3, 2012. Labor Day. The pilsner failed. I'm not sold on this hefeweizen just yet. Hopefully I'll settle and mature enough to taste decent.
UPDATE: I ended up throwing away this beer a second time. Not very happy about this. I read all about other brewers using Mr. Beer and they're having a good time making good beer. What's going on with me?!
Maybe it was temperature. Maybe it was sanitation. Either way- THIS STINKS!
OVERALL SCORE: 1 out of 10. My scale doesn't include "0", but if it did this beer would certainly get it...
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