Our club just had a strange brewing competition. We had our LHBS come up with a kit for a 1.050ish ale. Using that kit as a base we could add and/or subtract up to 1 pound of grain and add and/or substract up to 1 ounce of hops. We also had almost no limitation on other adjuncts (spices, etc.). The judging was then based on the "Best Damn Beer" criteria rather than BJCP guidelines. Details of the base kit and rules are here: http://www.lincolnlagers.com:8880/forum ... sp?TID=240
I won this competition with my Carrot Cake Ale. Some folks asked for the recipe to be posted somewhere, so here it is:
Bugeater's Carrot Cake Ale
BJCP 21-A Spice/Herb/Vegetable, Spice, Herb or Vegetable Beer
Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 5.50 Wort Size (Gal): 5.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 14.00
Anticipated OG: 1.058 Plato: 14.37
Anticipated SRM: 7.3
Anticipated IBU: 25.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Potential -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
57.1 8.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) 1.036
3.6 0.50 lbs. Crystal 40L 1.034 28.6 4.00 lbs. Carrots Shredded 1.015 0
3.6 0.50 lbs. Special Roast Malt 1.033 40
3.6 0.50 lbs. Wheat Malt 1.038 2
3.6 0.50 lbs. Maltodextrine 1.042 0
Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.
Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.50 oz. Argentine Cascade Pellet 3.50 7.5 60min. 0.50 oz. Spalter Select Pellet 2.00 1.4 20 min.
0.25 oz. Glacier Pellet 6.00 6.4 60 min.
0.50 oz. Glacier Pellet 6.00 10.3 First WH
Extras
Amount Name Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 vanilla bean 0 Days(fermenter)
1 Cinnamon Stick 0 Days(fermenter)
1.00 Oz CandiedGinger Root 5 Min.(boil)
0.50 Tsp Nutmeg, fresh grated 0 Days(fermenter)
Yeast
-----
WYeast 3056 Bavarian Wheat
Mash Schedule
-------------
Mash Type: Single Step
Grain Lbs: 13.50
Qts Water Per Lbs Grain: 1.50 - Before Additional Infusions
Saccharification Rest Temp : 154 Time: 90
Mash-out Rest Temp : 0 Time: 0
Sparge Temp : 180 Time: 5
Notes
-----
Shredded carrots were boiled for 10 minutes with 1 pound of 2 row to gelatinize starches prior to adding to mash.
Grated cinnamon, vanilla bean and nutmeg soaked in 6 oz. bourbon for two weeks.
Strain and add to taste at kegging. Candied ginger root added to boil with 15 minutes left.
Planned changes: Cut bitterness to 16-18 IBU to let flavor of carrots come through better. I will probably simplify the hop schedule. Ferment with Wyeast 3068 instead of 3056 (I screwed up and bought the wrong yeast for this batch).
Even though this did not come out exactly as planned, I did win the ugly trophy and a $50 gift certificate from our LHBS.
Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company