I brought 2.5 gallons of water to a boil. I took it off the heat, added 6.6 lbs (2 cans) of Cooper’s Wheat Liquid Malt Extract (50% Two-Row, 50% Wheat Malt), and returned to a boil. After boiling for 15 minutes, I added 1 ounce of (7.5% AA) Amarillo hops, and boiled for 45 minutes. Then I cooled the wort down to about 80° F, ran it through a strainer, and topped off with cold water to bring the volume up to 5 gallons, and the temperature down to 68°. I aerated the wort by pouring it from bucket to bucket, and split the batch into two smaller batches of approximately 2.5 gallons. One batch was slightly larger than the other.

Now, for the experiment. In one fermenter (the one with slightly more wort), I added a packet of Safale WB-06 yeast (meant for Bavarian-style wheat beers), and in the other I added a packet of Safbrew T-58 Ale yeast (a belgian yeast – which I assume, based on its ester profile, is meant for Belgian Witbiers).

I then put the lid and airlocks on the fermenters and took them downstairs to the basement, which is an ambient temperature of 61° F.

The point of the experiment is to see how much influence different strains of yeast have on the appearance, aroma, body, and flavor of a beer. I expect it to have minimal influence on the appearance, somewhat more influence on the aroma and body, and a great deal of influence on the flavor. We’ll see if I’m right.

As of this morning, the T-58 is already actively fermenting. The airlock was bubbling approximately once every 10 seconds. The airlock in the WB-06 fermenter had not yet begun to bubble.

Looking forward to having a little side-by-side tasting of my homebrews. I’ve set aside 3 bottles of each of my last 4 brews for it. That would be my brown ale, my pale ale, my Scottish 60, and my 2009 Christmas Ale.

I’m planning on a hefeweizen for my next brew day. After that, I’ll be doing all-grain batches of beer. Question is, how long will it take me to get all my gear together for it?

Oh. My. God.

This is a great beer!

Goose Island’s Pere Jacques comes in a large 650 mL bottle with a plain white label. Knowing it was a Belgian-style ale not unlike a Dubbel, I poured it into a brandy snifter for a better drinking experience. The beer is a beautiful orange-red color with a small head. The aroma is subtle, as is the malt flavor. The hop flavor is definitely noticeable. At first sip, I thought perhaps the brewers at Goose Island overdid it slightly. But as I became accustomed to the Saaz in this beer, I came to appreciate it more and more. It’s not a very complex beer – at least, not when it’s only 8 months old. However, the label indicated that the beer can develop in the bottle for up to five years. I’m tempted to buy some more and try cellaring it to see how it turns out.

But nice. Very, very nice.

• Cherry Melomel – Gone!
• Brown Ale – Gone!
• English Bitter – ruined and discarded
• Spiced Christmas Ale – Nearly Gone…
• Lemon/Orange Melomel – Gone!
• Scottish 60 – Serving
• Cherry Melomel – in Primary
• Pomegranate Melomel – in Primary
• Pale Ale – Bottled
• Brown Ale – in Primary
• Hefeweizen – on Deck

In addition to the beers mentioned last time, I also want to brew a Belgian Blonde, and try to clone Boulevard’s Lunar Ale. And I mentioned trying to brew a Kolsch as a favor to someone. Thus far, I’ve brewed extract with specialty grains. I’m really itching to make the switch to all-grain.

• Cherry Melomel – Gone!
• Brown Ale – 1 bottle left
• English Bitter – ruined and discarded
• Spiced Christmas Ale – serving
• Lemon/Orange Melomel – serving
• Scottish 60 – in Secondary
• Cherry Melomel – in Primary
• Pomegranate Melomel – in Primary
• Pale Ale – in Primary
• Brown Ale – on deck

Beers I’d like to brew include:

• a Patersbier
• a Belgian Dubbel
• a Brown Porter
• a Dunkelweisse

And possibly others.