April 2022

After a good 5 months off, we resumed brewing operations in April 2022 and filled some tanks and fermentation vessels. After many now mature experimental IPAs, we brewed another classic India Pale Ale using our "Braumeister 50". The brew consisted of around 75% Pale Ale malt, rounded off with Carapils and oat malt. We adjusted the original gravity with a little barley/wheat malt extract, and we now routinely use sours to slightly lower the pH value. Mashing took place at 67 °C and 72 °C, mashing under temperature control at 72 °C. Australian Enigma hops were used for bittering, while whirlpool hopping at 80 °C was carried out with Ariana and Blanc Wethop, which produce subtle aromas of berries and fruit. The wort reached 14.4 °P, and due to the enzymatic activity of the hops in the dry hopping (Citra, Simcoe, Endeavour and Aramis) we expect an alcohol content of around 7% by volume. This beer should be enjoyed with caution in summer. For technical reasons, fermentation took place in an unpressurized fermentation vessel. The yeast used was Mangrove Jack's M66, which contains β-glucosidase and thus clearly emphasizes the fruity hop aroma compared to other top-fermenting yeasts.
 

As another rather classic summer beer, we brewed a dark wheat beer. The base malt was Munich malt (50%) supplemented by around 40% pale wheat malt and 10% Carawheat. As wheat malt itself has no husks, which are important for the flow in the malt pipe and subsequent lautering, we added 3.5% rice husks. These are neutral in taste and have no influence on the end product. Mashing was carried out using a program for wheat beers, i.e. fermentation rests were carried out at 42 and 48 °C, followed by a combination rest at 67 °C and a further saccharification rest at 72 °C before mashing at 72 °C. Bitter hopping was carried out with "Herkules", Mandarina Bavaria Wethop was added to the whirlpool at 80 °C, which, as the name suggests, lends the beer citrus aromas, particularly from the mandarin. The brew is fermented in the ZKG at 21 °C with WYeast 3068, which corresponds to the flavor profile of TUM 68, i.e. THE wheat beer yeast par excellence. With an original gravity of 12.8 °P, we expect an alcohol content of between 5.5 and 6 % by volume.

Of course, a brewery should not be without a classic Pilsner, as Pilsner is one of the most sought-after beers on the market. So we didn't take long and brewed 50 liters. The batch consisted of 60% Pilsner malt, 20% Pale Ale malt and 20% Carapils. Compared to a batch with 100% Pilsner malt, this results in a slightly deeper color and a fuller body. We used an ultra-short "high-short mashing process" in the "Braumeister 50", the details of which we cannot go into at this point. "Herkules" was used for the bitterness, while the whirlpool hopping was done in a more classic way with "Hallertauer Mittelfrüh" at 85 °C. This is a so-called highly refined aroma hop, which gives the pilsner its typical herbal, floral and grassy aromas in the finish. The original gravity was 12.0 °P, which suggests an alcohol content of around 5% by volume. Fermentation at 14 °C in the ZKG took place in a mixed fermentation with the WYeast 2278 and the Lallemand "Diamond Lager". Bottom-fermented beers always require a certain maturing time, so the beer will not be ready for serving until mid-June at the earliest.