CLEIBU Tasting

Beautiful color and carb. Nice to be back.

Aroma - Subdued melon, pine and honey - 7/12  
Appearance - Slight haze, golden yellow, fluffy carb - 3/3  
Flavor - Honey sweetness, floral hop notes, slightly astringent citrus bitterness up front, sticky pine late and then a watery finish with some trailing pine bitterness- 11/20  
Mouthfeel - Watery and thin, nice carbonation - 2/3  
Overall - 5/10  

Total - 28/50

Not bad for a rushed and poorly thought out recipe using supplies available at the local subpar brew store. Can't quite seem to hit the hop flavors that I want on these IPAs. Might consider a kit just to see what hops they use or try a SMASH next. somehow always surprised that it's not just dumping a bunch of hops in.

Might use a little more oats next time and consider something other than Cascade...

#24 - CLEDRIS

Trying to recreate the DRIS in a somewhat scaled-down-refined sort of way. That was good, but it was a DM inducing sugar bomb that made my pancreas hurt. A lot. This was supposed to be a thick 10% stout, lots of roastiness, some sugary sweetness. Brewed and just bottled and just realized that I never posted it. 

NB - Had to change the recipe from the original because the brewshop somehow left the 1 lb DME out of my bag. Replaced it with brown sugar to get the ABV where I wanted it. Somewhat disappointed but hey.

Quick taste right now is pretty good. Very thick, viscous and hefty, nice roast but could be more intense, some nice earthy hop bitterness without a ton of hop flavor. Official review to follow once it's carbed up a bit.

Recipe below:
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/315171/cledris

CLEIBU Racked

Racked the newest IPA to secondary today. Have been bleaching all equipment along the way to ensure that whatever infection was present is taken care of. The cider has no sign of infection from the last 6 months so, so far, so good.

It was nice to open a bucket again and see the process at work. Not a ton of hop aroma but a nice etOH burn if you stuck your nose in deep. Beautiful color, yellow with just a faint orange hue, gristy and opaque from all the wheat used in this one. The little hop nose is subtly floral, just a hint of earthiness. Hop taste is decidedly more citrus and pine forward, subtle floral notes. Hop bitterness is big without overwhelming, lasts long and picks up in the finish.

Held off on adding the dry hops today. Plan on adding them WED / THURS this week and then bottling next weekend.

Can't wait to drink #23 and time to start planning #24...

#23 - CLEIBU

Been a very long time since doing a gallon batch. Have done a couple 5 gallon batches and a gallon of cider with friends but family, kids and life have a way of getting in the way. Some free time tonight and finally getting settled offered the opportunity for the first batch since moving (6/6/14). 

Have been drinking the PA beers from time to time and believe now that the issue was an infection one (probably brett from the early lambic) rather than a water one. Although, I still think their water was terrible. 

Had to revisit the water calcs and everything else:
Skipped the protein rest
This one was 18 cups water (1.5 qt/lb) at 165 that leveled at 153 deg.
Sparged with 14 cups (24 cups -18 (from the mash) + 2 cups/lb grain) at 175
Boiled for 1 hr

Didn't have a chance to get to the really nice brew store so malt, hop and yeast choices were slim. Been drinking lots of stouts in the winter months and felt like a good IPA. A good, over-the-top IPA. 

Recipe below
http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/310746/cleuno

Still thinking that I will get to #50...