Falcon's Eye Blonde

Since Clare is a major optics nerd, when she saw Optic malt she wanted me to make a beer with it. Then she read the description of Falconers Flight hops and that had to go in their too, so here we go. I am making a Blonde ale with those two ingredients in addition to a few others.

Recipe:

• 5 lb 2-row Malt
• 2 lb Optic Malt
• 0.25 lb Carapils
• 0.25 lb Carmel 30L
• 0.5 oz Cascade 5.5% @ 60 ml
• 0.5 oz Falconers Flight 10.5% @ 15 min
• 0.5 oz Falconers Flight 10.5% @ 5 min
• 1 oz Falconers Flight 10.5% @ 0 min
• 0.5 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Wyeast) @ 10 min
• 0.5 tsp Irish Moss @ 10 min
• 10 drops FermcapS before boil
• 800 ml yeast starter of Second generation Wyeast 1450

• OG: 10.0% (1038) (Beersmith)
• 24.4  IBU
• 3.9 SRM

I used some old vacuum packed milled grain from northern brewer for the 2 row, carapils and caramel 30. I ordered a few things before I got my mill so I would like to use them but may just end up tossing them or making a milled grain weird batch.

Mashing at 148 for 75 minutes, preheating the MLT with 3.5 gallons of 175 degree water and grains are going in at 164. Mash was at 153 had to stir a bit and add a bit of cool water but got it down to 149 with help from Clare

I have all of the additions prepped and ready to go for the boil, the Falconer's Flight smells orangey according to Clare.

I am also cheating a bit on my no beer while brewing rule but the hoppy hefe is tasting mighty good today. I think I overpitched both of the hefes since they finished at 1.005 and could use a bit more yeast character but they are still drinkable and the hoppy one is quite tasty. I pulled off some slurry to try again later.

First runnings, 16.4% Brix and 2.5 gallons, 7.0% in second runnings, total volume now 4.9 gallon at 11.2%, 3.9% in third runnings and 9.5% (1036) and 6.8 gallons pre-boil.

The new Keezer is completed and the old chest freezer is now the fermentation chamber.

I want to add two more taps but that requires Clare's approval since those Perlick faucets are a bit pricey.

The Smokey Scott which turned out to be VERY smokey initially despite only 3 oz of peated malt is also now mellowing out nicely.

The fermentation chamber is going to be set at 60 F (15.5 C) for at least the first few days then I might bump it up to 65 F to finish off.

Boiled and ended up at 11% according to the refactometer but I am dubious of the measurements after the boil with all of the hop junk in there. Hydrometer read 1041 after chilling down which is pretty darn close to what I wanted.