JohnG's Homebrew: John Palmer's Elevenses

All Grain Kit obtained from Northern Brewer: John Palmer's Elevenses All Grain Kit

Like all high adventures, it started out with a seemingly simple quest: Brew a beer worthy of our favorite characters from a far-off fantasy realm. One that would fill flagons in a shire as easily as it would stream from golden goblets in the halls of storied kingdoms. Two years, 10 test batches and much muttering of “my precious” later, we have the answer: John Palmer’s Elevenses Ale.

It is, quite simply, the One Brew to Rule Them All. Mild enough to break out before mid-day, yet fortified with notes of toasty malt and herbal hops to sustain weary travelers whenever the road goes on and on.

It’s an ideal session beer - though be forewarned there are some reports that frolicking and fellowship may ensue. Whether you’re looking to toast this year’s big winter blockbuster with a fitting brew, or simply seeking a top-notch brown ale with a taste for adventure, try Palmer’s Elevenses Ale. It’s pure fantasy, come to life.

O.G: 1.045 READY: 4 WEEKS

Suggested fermentation schedule

-- 1-2 weeks primary; 1-2 weeks bottle conditioning

MASH INGREDIENTS

-- 5.5 lbs Maris Otter

-- 1 lb Briess Caramel 60

-- 1 lb Weyermann Oak Smoked Wheat Malt

-- 0.5 lbs English Brown Malt

-- 0.33 lbs Flaked Oats (see Brewer's Note)

-- 0.25 lbs Chocolate Malt

MASH SCHEDULE: SINGLE INFUSION

Recommended: Sacch’ Rest: 154° F for 60 minutes. Mashout: 170° F for 10 minutes.

Actual: Added 5 g of burton salts to the mash. Added 4 gal of 166F strike water to 149F. At 10 min added 1 gal boiling water to 155F. At 30 min 155F with good conversion. I think the burton salts are speeding up the conversion compared to mashes in straight, very soft, EBMUD water. At 60 min the conversion looks complete. Add 1 gal boiling water to 160F for mash out. Recirculate for 10 min then into the kettle for a total of 7 gal.

BOIL ADDITIONS & TIMES

0.60 oz German Northern Brewer (60 min)

Cooled in 20 min to 70F with immersion chiller. O.G. 1.045. Whirlpool and settle for 20 min. Tried using a wire mesh on the spigot but it clogged. I had to mess up the settled trub to get the brew out... failed procedure. Got lots of trub into the fermenter. Aerate for 2 min with oxygen.

FERMENTATION

-- Pitched one 11.5 g packet of rehydrated Safale-S-04 Ale Yeast into 70F wort. Optimum temp: 64-75°F. The fermentation started up in about 6 hours and went for 48 hr at 66-68F. The F.G. at day 12 was 1.014, so 4% alcohol. F.G at day 17 was the same, so I bottled with 4oz of corn sugar for priming to a total of 4 gallons for 2.7 vol of CO2. After two weeks in the bottle the carb wasn't great and the brew had a bit of a harsh aftertaste I associate with roasted malt. At 2.5 weeks, the harshness had diminished some and carb was better. I think I'll keep sampling these beers until the flavor balances out before refrigerating them. After a few weeks in the fridge the brew is still pretty smokey, which I guess is what you might expect with smoked malt! Not bad, but a bit roasty for my tastes. I'm leaving a few at 70F and a few in the fridge to see how the flavor develops at different temps. We shall see.

The brew