This was the second beer made for Jim’s failed 60th surprise birthday party.  The first beer I called Get Off My Lawn as an homage to someone turning 60 and yelling and young kids in his yard.  It was hoppy and higher alcohol, so it was a bit more like someone yelling, “Get Off My Lawn!”  This one is mellower, but since it’s still in the “Surprise Birthday Series”, I carried forward the name, even thought it didn’t make much sense.

Slight malt sweetness with very minor hop bitterness.  This is definitely more of a malty tasting beer than hoppy beer.  Overall fairly mild, but still gives a tastebud tweak in the aftertaste with a bit of hops.

Brewed: 6/6/2020.  Distributed: 7/1/2020.

ABV: 6.2%   IBU: 34

Malts: Maris Otter, Brewer’s 2-row Pale, White Wheat, Munich Malt

Hops: Hallertauer, Citra, Columbus, Simcoe

Yeast: Wyeast 1056 American Ale

This was my first attempt at a high gravity IPA, and I was trying to create a recipe that would use a healthy dose of my bulk grains and hops that I may have overbought…  It was planned to be a 10% ABV, and hence the clever name based on CDC guidance that to kill the COVID virus you needed a disinfectant with at least 70% alcohol.

Anyway, gravity turned out lower than planned, and a last minute yeast issue had me using different yeast than originally planned.  So I ended up splitting the batch in two, and using two different yeasts.

Both versions have the common thread of a big punch of hop bitterness, a mild malt presence, and notable alcohol bite/aroma.  The batch fermented with East Coast Ale yeast has sweeter, fuller taste, and the batch fermented with the Vermont IPA yeast is a bit smoother.

Brewed: 5/25/2020.  Distributed: 6/19/2020.

ABV: 7.9% (Vermont IPA), 8.9% (East Coast Ale)  IBU: 154

Malts: Maris Otter, Viking Xtra Pale, Flaked Wheat, White Wheat, Red X

Hops: Magnum, Citra, Columbus, Falconer’s Flight, Amarillo, Cascade

Yeast: Gigayeast GY054 Vermont IPA, White Labs WLP008 East Coast Ale

Overall very mild.  Very little malt flavor, slight hop bite with mild hop aroma.

Brewed: 5/22/2020.  Distributed: 6/19/2020.

ABV: 5%,  IBU: 28

Malts: Viking Xtra Pale

Hops: Magnum, Chinook

Yeast: Wyeast 1056 American Ale

The America Homebrewer’s Association (AHA) promotes a “Big Brew Day” in the spring.  The idea being people around the world are brewing on the same day in a big event.  They put out one or two recipes for people to brew if you want to join in and be brewing the same thing as others.  This year’s big brew event I usually go to was cancelled (COVID), but I brewed from home on that day, and this is one of their recipes.

The taste is very hop forward with a hop bite, and a hint of yeast.  Finishes very cleanly, with lingering hop flavors.  Crisp and hoppy.

Brewed: 5/2/2020.  Distributed: 6/5/2020.

ABV: 6.6%,  IBU: 74

Malts: Brewer’s 2-row malt, Munich, Caramel 40L, Caramel 20L.

Hops: Columbus, Centennial, Cascade

Yeast: Wyeast 1056 American Ale