Brewday: Brother's Modelo

So, I do this beer for my brother and it is versatile and tasty and reminiscent of the flavors that make Negra Modelo tasty.

For ten gallons,

6 pounds of 6-row (or 2-row plain base malt)
6 pounds of Vienna
6 pounds of Munich 10l
1 pound of crystal 90l
1/2 pound of Chocolate Wheat
Approximately 30 Ibus from 3 hop additions: 1 oz of Magnum @First Wort Hops (or @60, if you prefer), 1 ounce of low alpha noble heritage @30, and 1 ounce of the same low alpha noble heritage @5. This time it was Hallertau but it could be Mt. RAINER, LIBERTY, SAAZ... Whatever you have handy that is fresh and inexpensive.

I use Saflager S-23 for half the batch, and consider that the official version: my brother loves smooth lagers. I am also doing half as an American Ale for me, with Safale US-05. I dont have room for two lagers, alas.

This is a great recipe for intermediate brewers because it is very forgiving to water styles, to my knowledge, and has enough hop and malt flavor to wash over minor issues. It is also ready quick, for a lager. I expect to ferment for two weeks at 50 degrees, turning up the temperarure in the last two days for a diacetyl rest. Then, I expect to secondary cold down near freezing for three weeks. Finally, I hope to bottle and drink after one week. Caebonation isnt perfect, at that time, but it is close enough for enjoyment of beer!

The all portion will be even quicker. I am of half a mind to do something fun like fruit or honey or something, but I probably won't.

Brewday was mostly successful with one boiler early, that was not as bad as it looked. Just a little foam, a little green. Disappointing, but with such a forgiving recipe, I am not concerned about anything but the mess.

Mexican Hellas, bottled

My happy little "Penguin" from the doublebatch brewday is a modified Helles with Vienna malt and crystal 20l, and a Mexican lager yeast. Built and mashed like a Helles, but fermented with a Mexican/Vienna twist.

Tastes like beer. Refreshingly bitter, quaffable, but with the added toast and malt backbone on top of the nutty pilsner. I look forward to carbonation when aromatics truly happen!

I expect little will be left at Thanksgiving, when it will be served to friends and family.

I have long since bottled the Saison, which truly tastes like a wildly different beer. It even looks different, with a lighter color. The added dates fermented out with a slight pectin haze, and the herbal notes of the verbena and sage enhance the natural flavor of French Saison.  It is a fantastic beer. The Governator is already popular with friends and neighbors. I am hiding the rest for special occasions.