I have been brewing since this past March and now have done 16 batches. However, it is batch number 16 that has me most puzzled. I did a recipe of my own divination, attempting to emulate Gumballhead by Three Floyds Brewing. I used the NB Wheat extract, 1lb of red wheat (that’s what they use) and 1lb of two-row.
1 oz Amarillo @ 60
2 oz Amarillo @ 10
2 oz Amarillo @ flameout (or, in my case - remove from electric stove!)
3oz dry hop
I cracked open a test bottle after 5 days (I could not wait a week), and was surprised by the level of carbonation (complete), but mostly by the transcendent aroma and flavor that sent me ignoring all posted speed limits, as I flew back down to NB to stock up for an immediate second batch.
A second week passes.
The aroma and flavor have diminished beyond belief.
To be honest, I don’t know how well it would hold up against the original (we don"t get it here in Minnesota), but I was thrilled with the first results, and would like to know what would lead to a retreat of flavor and aroma.
BTW - Rush is The Greatest Band In All The Known Universe - AND BEYOND.
Your sick, twisted joke about Rush aside, it looks like your recipe pretty closely resembled Gumballhead. I made one once, and it was awesome (and aged surprisingly well).
Its still pretty early on in your bottling. When I have to bottle condition a beer, even a hoppy beer that is better younger, I try to wait 3 weeks before drinking it (though I usually don’t). Some disagree with this, but the mini-fermentation that happens during bottle conditioning creates all sorts of intermediate compounds that need to be reabsorbed. I bet if you try it in another week the hops will come through a lot more.
One question: did you drink it out of the same glassware? Shaker pint glasses are notorious for letting aroma (which is a big determinant of perceived flavor) escape. People look at me like a huge ween, but in a pinch, I go with a stemless wine glass for an IPA if nothing else is available.
Just kidding about Rush. They are not really my bag, but Neil Pert is ALMOST Keith Moon. :mrgreen:
Oh come on, man. Rush is awesome. I saw them a few years ago and the put on a helluva show. They even admitted on stage to getting older and having to take a pee break halfway through the show. Funny and honest.
