SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

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seymour
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SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by seymour » Fri Apr 03, 2020 6:53 pm

SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

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I’m laid-off from work due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and quickly running-out of beer, so I homebrewed for the first time in 5 years. I’m using malt, hops, and yeast from work. It’s lager yeast but I don’t have fancy temperature control here at home so I’ll be fermenting at ale temps, thus technically a California Common style. I like Callista hops a lot, they’re really juicy and fruity for a German hop, along with the expected noble herbal/earthy/floral/spicy traits. The fun experimental part is this: Calabazilla/Buffalo Gourd seeds I foraged in New Mexico. I dry-roasted the seeds in my oven a couple hours until golden and delicious-smelling. Native Americans used these seeds for protein and oil-rich food, the pulp for soap, the leaves and roots for medicine, and the dried gourds for eating utensils. Me? I make beer.

5 US gallons = 4.2 Imperial gallons = 18.9 Liters

GRAINBILL
90% = 7 lb 2 oz = 3.22 kg, Pale Ale Malt
5% = 6.3 oz = 179 g, Unmalted Wheat
5% = 6.3 oz = 179 g, Dry-Roasted Calabazilla Seeds
TOTAL: 7.9 lbs = 3.58 kg, plus a sprinkle each of gypsum and sodium bicarbonate.

MASH
This tedious multi-step schedule was unplanned. I had to clear-out for my wife to do quarantine Zoom meetings in the next room, but it ended-up beneficial in terms of mash efficiency and fermentability.
118°F/48°C for 10 min,
130°F/54°C for 10 min,
140°F/60°C for 60min, took a small decoction, brought it to boil then added back, raising it to
150°F/66°C for 60min, then raised to
172°F/78°C, then VORLAUF and LAUTER.

SPARGE to collect 6.5 US gal/5.4 Imp gal/24.6 L

BOIL hard for 60 minutes, reduce to 5 US gal/4.2 Imp gal/18.9 L.

HOPS: 2018 Tettnang Callista 2.9%AA
1 oz = 28 g, first wort addition
1.2 oz = 34 g, at 15 min remaining, added 1 Whirlfloc tablet at this time too.
1.2 oz = 34 g, at flame-out then whirlpool
TOTAL: 3.4 oz = 96 g

AERATE & PITCH at 62°F/16.7°C.

YEAST: Urban Chestnut Zwickel Helles Lager strain

STATS: 82% mash efficiency and 83% apparent attenuation
OG: 11.3°P/1046
FG: 2.05°P/1008
ABV: 5.05%
IBU: 20
COLOUR: golden amber with off-white foam and lace
STYLE: BJCP 34C: Specialty Beer-Experimental Beer, based on 19B: Amber and Brown American Beer-California Common

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orlando
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by orlando » Sat Apr 04, 2020 6:52 am

Been a while Seymour, welcome back.
I am "The Little Red Brooster"

Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,

Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer

Chug
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by Chug » Sat Apr 04, 2020 9:54 am

Welcome back Seymour, it seems your ears must have been burning!

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=82346&p=849114#p849036

Tarmac
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by Tarmac » Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:17 pm

Looks a great brew, nice to see addition of extra ingredients in a brew.

Been able to brew right now is a blessing, having a stock of ingredients helps too. Only 20kg of malt left, need another sack :lol:

Rhodesy
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by Rhodesy » Sat Apr 04, 2020 4:21 pm

Good to see you on here again. Thanks for sharing, may give it a go

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mozza
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by mozza » Sat Apr 04, 2020 6:44 pm

The prodigal son returns!
Cheers and gone,

Mozza

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seymour
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by seymour » Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:22 pm

orlando wrote:
Sat Apr 04, 2020 6:52 am
Been a while Seymour, welcome back.
Thanks Mate, it's good to be back! Whatcha brewing lately?
Tarmac wrote:
Sat Apr 04, 2020 1:17 pm
Looks a great brew, nice to see addition of extra ingredients in a brew.
Been able to brew right now is a blessing, having a stock of ingredients helps too. Only 20kg of malt left, need another sack :lol:
Agreed. As I wrote, I'm (temporarily but indefinitely) laid-off from my brewery job, but I brought home some malt and hops. The yeast all went into this current brew, but if I time it right, I can just keep repitching the fresh dregs for a few generations. What brews do you have going?
mozza wrote:
Sat Apr 04, 2020 6:44 pm
The prodigal son returns!
Ha! Actually, I still lurk periodically, just barely have time to post anymore. I suddenly have lots more time on my hands. :wink: What have you been up to?
Chug wrote:
Sat Apr 04, 2020 9:54 am
Welcome back Seymour, it seems your ears must have been burning!

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=82346&p=849114#p849036
Thanks! I guess you're right, my ears were burning, oh no is that a Coronavirus symptom?!!!

I'll check-out that other thread and reply separately...

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orlando
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by orlando » Sun Apr 05, 2020 9:21 pm

seymour wrote:
Sun Apr 05, 2020 4:22 pm
orlando wrote:
Sat Apr 04, 2020 6:52 am
Been a while Seymour, welcome back.
Thanks Mate, it's good to be back! Whatcha brewing lately?
Coincidentally I just mentioned it.
I am "The Little Red Brooster"

Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,

Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer

Tarmac
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by Tarmac » Sat Apr 11, 2020 9:01 pm

Been drinking this today, I’ve called it Sanitizer 2, as 2nd brew during the virus (Northdown, fuggles, cascade). Got Sanitizer 3 conditioning (all Bobek)
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Tarmac
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by Tarmac » Sat Apr 11, 2020 9:04 pm

Sanitizer 1, didn’t last long, Motoeka SmaSh.
200gms of hops all in from 15 mins to flameout, steeped, dry hopped. Delicious.

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orlando
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by orlando » Sat Apr 11, 2020 9:39 pm

=D> Lovely clarity there.
I am "The Little Red Brooster"

Fermenting:
Conditioning:
Drinking: Southwold Again,

Up Next: John Barleycorn (Barley Wine)
Planning: Winter drinking Beer

Tarmac
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Posts: 51
Joined: Thu Feb 28, 2019 9:23 pm

Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by Tarmac » Sun Apr 12, 2020 2:16 pm

Thanks, the whole Corny was clear. I use a floating dip tube, don’t crash cool and use 1 teaspoon of gelatine in 150ml water as finings.

Just quality checked Sanitizer 3 (bobek). 10 days since brew day, 2 to 3 days before crystal clear. It’s a bit like Deuchars IPA.

In the mean time, a totally different beer - though do brew this type - Life & Death 💀
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Last edited by Tarmac on Sun Apr 12, 2020 2:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Tarmac
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by Tarmac » Sun Apr 12, 2020 2:18 pm

Life & Death, amazing beer.
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seymour
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by seymour » Tue Apr 14, 2020 8:31 pm

Yesterday I kegged this beer, then collected much of the yeast into jelly jars to share with friends and family to bake bread during this shelter-in-place order. Then I brewed a new California Common into the same fermentor with the remaining yeast. It's already off to a rip-roaring start!

Early tasting of the lukewarm/non-carbonated beer was pretty good. Still pretty green, like any young lager with a hint of sulfur that'll quickly dissipate, but no diacetyl or DMS or anything bad. I always stress a little when fermenting lager yeast without temperature control, but I lucked-out with a stretch of colder weather. I couldn't get away with this in the heat of the summer. Looking forward to tasting it again after more conditioning and carbonation.

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seymour
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Re: SEYMOUR CALABAZILLA COMMON

Post by seymour » Thu Apr 23, 2020 10:18 pm

This beer turned out delicious! I added some gelatin when kegging, so it's dropping pretty clear too. Yesterday I made myself an imaginary pub lunch of veg korma and a pint of homebrew.

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