Transformation Challenge - The plan

As I mentioned in the last post, this year I will have 2 entries in the Nebraska Brewing Company's 5th annual "Wort Transformation Challenge". There are 180 total entries (limit 2 per brewer) and 4 judging categories:

• Traditional Pale Ale
• Fruit & Spice
• Experimental
• 100% Midwest Hop Producers hops

My plan right now is to use one entry for the Nebraska Grown Hops category and one for the Fruit & Spice. 

Base Recipe: Pale Ale

Malts
• 85% Pale Ale
• 15% Caramel 10 L
Hops
• Warrior @ 60 minutes for 14 IBU (~.25 oz/5 gallons)
• Centennial @ 20 minutes for 16 IBU (~.75 oz/5 gallons)
Specs
• 13.6 Plato or 1.055 OG
• 30 IBU (calculated with Tinseth formula)
• 6.6 SRM
• Mashed at 150 degrees

Entry 1

As we waited to sign-up last month, in talking with a former winner, I picked up a pretty good tip.  One way to make your entry stand out is to reboil (all or a portion of the wort) and make changes to the base. So for the first entry I am going to take a swing at that. The plan is to make a Tropical IPA highlighting the yeast character provided by White Labs WLP644 along with some Nebraska grown Nugget hops.

I will start by bringing 1/2 gallon of water to a boil and then add in 2 gallons of the wort. Bring that up to a boil and add 0.5 oz Duffin Knudsen Nugget hops. Boil for 30 minutes. Chill that back down and combine with the original 3 gallons of wort. My super accurate and not at all hacked together math, says this should push the IBUs up in the 45-55 range. The SRM will be a shade darker. And with boil-off, total volume will drop a bit and concentrate, raising the OG a tad.

After that is all chilled and happy in the carboy, pitch and ferment warm, to really push the tropical fruitiness of 644 for about 3 weeks. Then with a couple days left in the fermentor, dry hop with another shot of Nugget. Really wanting to push the tropical fruit from the yeast and melon from the hops.

Entry 2

This one I don't have quite as much thought through yet. Initial thoughts are to leave the base as is, pitch the same Wyeast 3522 Belgian Andennes I used for the Pre-transformation test batch. And then once fermentation is complete, secondary this on some fruit. Most likely sour cherry or apricot puree.

One week to finalize these plans, but really enjoying the blank canvas! 

Transformation Prep Belgian Pale Ale - brew day

The Brew

This year I am quite excited to participate in the Nebraska Brewing Company's 5th annual "Wort Transformation Challenge". This is a spin on the traditional homebrew competition. In this challenge, homebrewers get 5 gallons of NBC prepared wort, take it home and craft there own beer. Then after fermentation, adulteration and packaging, they bring it back for competition. Last year we heard about the event too late and missed the sign-up. Not so this year! I made the trek down to the brewpub and waited in line to sign up for 2 entries. I am scheduled to pick up my 10 gallons of wort on March 6th.

Each year, NBC changes up the base wort. This year, it's a pretty standard pale ale recipe. 85% pale ale malt, 15% Crystal 10 lovibond. 30 IBUs coming from Warrior bittering and some Centennial additions late.

In preparation for the challenge, I wanted to do a trial run on this base. So I decided to brew up the recipe myself. Original plan was to treat it as an opportunity to grow up a new pitch of WLP644 yeast I used on the Punch Bowl IPA a few months back. But lack of prior planning to get a starter going lead me instead to my LHBS to find something to use. I walked out with a smack pack of Wyeast Belgian Andennes and a Belgian-ish Pale Ale to brew.

The Recipe

Grain/Sugars:
10.2 lbs. 2-Row (US) [85%]
1.8 lbs. Crystal 10L [15%]

Hops:
0.25 oz. Warrior @60.
0.75 oz. Centennial @20.  

Yeast:
Wyeast 3522 - Belgian Andennes

Extras:
1.0 tablet Whirlfoc @15m
0.5 tsp Wyeast nutrient @15m

Brewday

2/14/2016- Brewday
Solo Sunday brewday for this one. Actually the rare combo Valentines Day - Presidents Day Eve brewday actually, because that's a thing. Standard equipment and process. Not much to cover. I did overshoot my pre-boil volume because of an overly aggressive batch sparge. Collected over 8 gallons instead of planned 7 gallons. The cost of that mistake was a OG of 1.050 instead of the planned 1.055, but hey, I'll have more beer to enjoy.

Mashed. Vorlof. Collect. Sparge. Collect. Boil. Chill. Pitch. And done.

2/21/2016 - Fermentation check. 1.008 (5.5% ABV). Tastes pretty plain, with a little Belgian character.

2/26/2016 - Fermentation check. 1.008 (5.5% ABV). Kegged.

Full brew details here.

By the way.... did you know spring is on it's way? My partner in the home brewery was working on her mechanics. :-)