Break of Day IPA

     I pulled my nice set of prismacolor pencils out of their hiding place, stuck a few pieces of paper in a book and put it all into my purse waiting for an opportunity to sit alone and finish Adam's batch of home brew.

     Every beer needs a label.

     I was hoping for the magical double nap that would allow me to finish the sketch I had started a few days ago.  I loaded the kids into the stroller and set off.  The double nap remained illusive.  After walking for a hour and detouring to the Children's Museum for a few more hours, I finally called Adam to come get the two of them and give me the chance to, well, do what I needed to do.

     I almost forgot that I like to draw.  

     After much deliberation and a few starts I decided to call the beer Break of Day IPA.  The morning star is still bright in the sky, but the dark of night is fading away and a track of hoof prints disappears between snow covered trees.

  

     Why? Because, while I spent a late night enveloped in the steamy aromas of grains and hops, Adam was sleeping in a mountain cabin, waking at the break of day to spend the weekend hunting, wading knee deep in the snow with a new rifle in hand.  

     

Here is the recipe I developed for this batch.  (I have, as of now, not sampled the beer. I managed to smash the mug I had set aside for myself while bottling into a million little pieces while I was cleaning up.) (((and, I don't really like IPAs, but hey, the beer isn't for me)))

Break of Day IPA

14 oz 20*L American Crystal Malt 

        steep in 1 gallon of water for 30 min @ 150*F

        drain and rinse with 1/2 gallon (so now you have 1.5 gallons total of malt "tea")

        add water to make 3.5 gallons and add 

6 lbs minus 1 1/4 cup Muntons extra-light DME (save the 1 1/4 cup for bottling the beer)

4 lbs Alexander's pale malt extract syrup

1 oz Magnum hops (alpha 15.0)

1 oz Amarillo hops (alpha 8.7)

        simmer 45 minutes and add

1 oz Magnum hops 

1 oz Amarillo hops

        simmer 15 minutes

        turn off heat and cool for 15 minutes

        transfer into primary carboy and add water to obtain the final volume of 5 gallons

        cool to less than 70*F and add 

WYEAST 1056 American Ale Yeast

        put on the fermentation lock and let it sit in a dark place for a week or until it seems the fermentation has slowed

        transfer to secondary carboy, dry hop with

2 oz Magnum Hops (alpha 20.0)

        let sit for secondary fermentation about a week

2 cups of water

1 1/4 cup of Muntuns extra-light DME 

       bring water with Muntuns extra-light DME mixed in to a boil, add to the beer, and bottle it.

       let the bottles carbonate for about 3 weeks.

My three weeks of letting the beer carbonate is almost over - two more days.