Kellerbier 2026

Today I'm brewing my Kellerbier recipe. The 2021 BJCP Guidelines describe this style as follows:

An unfiltered, unpasteurized, fully-attenuated German lager traditionally served from lagering vessels. May be a little richer, more robust, and rustic than the base styles. A fresh beer without fermentation defects associated with young, green (unfinished) beer.

Since the BJCP Guidelines require the base style be declared, I'd describe this one as a German Pils Kellerbier. I originally started brewing this beer because I enjoyed Granary Kellerbier from TF Brewing so much. Granary Kellerbier has won a ton of medals over the years and I usually order at least one every time I go to TF (admittedly this is less often since moving to Florida). This version has a few changes compared to previous batches. First, I'm trying out LalBrew NovaLager™ for this round. Lallemand describe Nova Lager as follows:

LalBrew NovaLager™ is a true bottom-fermenting Saccharomyces pastorianus hybrid from the novel Group III lineage that has been selected to produce clean lager beers with distinct flavor characteristics and superior fermentation performance. LalBrew NovaLager™ is a robust lager strain with ideal characteristics for lager beer production including fast fermentations and high attenuation. The distinct flavor profile is very clean, slight esters over a wide temperature range. LalBrew NovaLager™ was selected using classical and non-GMO breeding methods to obtain a novel Saccharomyces cerevisiae x Saccharomyces eubayanus hybrid strain that defines a novel Group III lager lineage that is distinct from any other traditional Saccharomyces pastorianus strains. This strain is a low VDK/diacetyl producer and utilizes patented technology from the University of California Davis (USA) that inhibits the production of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) off-flavors, therefore reducing the maturation time associated with lager beer production.

• Attenuation: 78-84%
• Fermentation Temp Range: 10 - 20°C (50 - 68°F)

I think this will be a great style to try out this yeast and it'll be interesting to see how different the results are compared to some of the other yeast I've used like Imperial L17 Harvest and Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager. I'm targeting 50F for my fermentation temp, but it is getting warmer here in Florida and I may have a hard time holding 50F...time will tell. I should be able to get wort temps to the low 50s relatively easily. I usually let trub settle for at least 15 minutes after shutting off my whirlpool. I may need to skip that to prevent the wort from warming back up.  

Another change, I don't have Root Shoot malt on hand any longer, so I'll be using Rahr North Star Pils for this batch. I've used this malt before and have had great results, so I'm not too concerned. 

Lastly, I'm also going to skip doing a decoction mash and instead try a step mash with a little bit of Melanoidin malt. Previously I've employed a single decoction mash, but with my 220v RIMS system I'm able to increase temps rather quickly and I wasn't positive that I was picking up a ton of complexity employing a single decoction anyway. This will make for a much less complex brew day.

Target OG: 1.051
Target FG: 1.010
IBU: 30
ABV: 5.1%

8.00# Rahr North Star Pils
0.25# Weyermann Munich I
0.25# Weyermann Melanoidin malt
20g Hallertauer Mittelfruh 3.2%AA (FWH)
14g Aramis 7.4%AA (60 min)
24g Aramis 7.4%AA (0 min)

1g BrewTan B (Mash)
Whirlfloc (Flameout)
Wyeast Nutrient (10 min)
4.66g BCAA (10 min)
Zinc Buddy
LalBrew NovaLager™

Step Mash
Mash in at 145°F and hold for 30 minutes.
Increase Mash temp to 159°F, hold for 20 minutes.
Mashout at 168F.
90 minute boil, ferment at 50°F

Water Profile

Target Water Profile
Ca	Mg	Na	SO4	Cl	HCO3
22	8	0	31	39	0

To 11 gallons of RO/Distilled water, add:

• 3.3g Epsom Salts
• 3.3g Calcium Chloride

Session Readings
Equipment used	10 gal MT
Strike water volume	4.25 gal
Strike water temp	156.4 °F
Mash thickness	2 qt/lbs
Beginning mash pH	5.27
Ending mash pH	4.98
1st running gravity	13.9 (1.055)
Volume into BK	7 gal
Pre-Boil gravity	9.4 (1.036)
Pre-Boil pH	5.34
Post-Boil gravity	13.3 (1.052)
Post-Boil pH	5.39
Aeration	0.5 l/min for 2 min
Post ferm gravity	TBD (1.0)
Post ferm pH	TBD (1.0)

Brewing Notes

Initial mash pH measured 5.59. I added 2ml of phosphoric acid, waited about 5 min, then re-measured and the pH had settled at 5.27. I programmed a new "German Step" profile into my BCS-460 and it worked awesome. I didn't set a stopwatch, but rise time was pretty short; I've said it before and I'll say it again, brewing on a 240v RIMS is pretty awesome. 

No major issues with this batch. I was able to chill down to about 52.5F, so hopefully my ferm fridge will be able to take it down to 50F. If not, I'll start fermentation at 52F. Even though this yeast is supposed to produce low diacetyl, I still plan to bump up the temps a bit when gravity is around 1.018 as measured on the Tilt. That's my standard approach for lagers and I believe it helps ensure any fermentation byproducts get cleaned up.

Update 5/4/2026

As I suspected, I had a hard time getting temps down to 50F, so I'm fermenting at 52F. It did get down to about 51.2F at one point but I figured I'd give my fermentation fridge compressor a break and go with 52F. Temps are holding steady and it looks like the yeast are coming out of the lag phase this morning as I'm seeing a slight dip in gravity.

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Mixed Ferm Rye Saison

Today I’m brewing a Rye Saison, and the part I’m most excited about is the yeast; I’m using the Mad Fermentationist Saison Blend from Bootleg Biology. While Bootleg Biology appears to have scaled back their homebrew offerings in favor of commercial pitches, I was able to get some of this blend a while back.

This culture is a mix of Saccharomyces, Brettanomyces, and lactic acid bacteria, and it has a strong reputation. I propagated the blend to bank some for future use, so the ratios are likely different from the original pouch.

The BJCP describes Saison as:

A family of refreshing, highly attenuated, hoppy, and fairly bitter Belgian ales with a very dry finish and high carbonation. Characterized by a fruity, spicy, sometimes phenolic fermentation profile, and the use of cereal grains and sometimes spices for complexity. Several variations in strength and color exist.

As that suggests, there’s quite a bit of stylistic flexibility. This version will be lighter in color and moderate in strength, with some noticeable spice and peppery phenolics from the mixed culture. I’m not expecting much Brett character when the beer is young, but it should develop more classic Brett complexity with age.

The recipe itself is intentionally simple: Pilsner, Vienna, and Rye Malts, with straightforward hop additions. Most of the complexity should come from the fermentation character rather than the grist or hopping. I'm also using rice hulls since rye is a huskless malt and like wheat, has a tendency to gum the mash.

Even though this is a mixed culture, I’m not expecting significant sourness. The hop additions should suppress the lactic acid bacteria, keeping acidity in check. I’m also mashing slightly higher than typical for a Saison. While the style is usually very dry, my propagation starter finished below 1.000, so this is a hedge against the beer ending up too thin.

I’m considering adding a grapefruit tincture to half the batch, but I’ll make that call after tasting.

Like some recent brews, I’m also using ingredients I already have on hand as part of an effort to reduce my grain inventory.

Here’s the beer as I’m brewing it today:

Target OG: 1.060

Target FG: 1.005

IBU: 29.2

ABV: 7.3

6.5# Solstice Pilsner Malt

0.8125# Weyermann Barke Vienna Malt

2.4375# Mecca Grade Rimrock Rye Malt

Rice Hulls (a few handfuls)

56g Styrian Goldings 2.5 AA (60 min)

2ml Hopshot (60 min)

28g Styrian Goldings 2.5 AA (10 min)

1g BrewTan B (Mash)
Whirlfloc (Flameout)
Wyeast Nutrient (10 min)
4.66g BCAA (10 min)
Zinc Buddy

Bootleg Biology The Mad Fermentationist Saison Blend

Mash at 151F, 90 minute boil, chill to 65F, aerate and pitch yeast. Ferment at 65F ramping up to 70F over a few days.

Water Profile

Target Water Profile
Ca	Mg	Na	SO4	Cl	HCO3
124	6.6	3.6	198.3	97.7	0

We're shooting for a 2:1 sulfate to chloride ratio to help accentuate bitterness while ensuring a crisp finish. To 11 gallons of RO/Distilled water, add:

• 12.9g Gypsum
• 0.4g Pickling salt
• 2.8g Epsom salt
• 7.9g Calcium chloride

Brewing Notes

I hit strike temp only a couple of degrees low (~149) which is what I prefer; it's easier to raise the MT a couple degrees than try to lower the temp. The RIMS quickly got it up to 151 after I started recirculating. I added 1ml of 85% Phosphoric Acid to the mash after taking the initial pH reading. I also added 2ml of Phosphoric Acid to the HLT for the sparge water. Everything else went well until it was time to aerate and my O2 cylinder was empty. I used my old aquarium pump, but it definitely doesn't work as well as pure O2. I'd be a little more worried if this was a pure sacc pitch, but brett tends to do ok with lower aeration levels. Also, the propagated starter got quite a bit of O2. I also boiled a little bit of DME this morning and added it to my starter after decanting, so I'm hoping the yeast already had enough O2 to be healthy, but time will tell. Gravity came in 2 points under target, but not a big deal at all.  

Session Readings
Equipment used	10 gal MT
Strike water volume	5 gal
Strike water temp	166 °F
Mash thickness	2.05 qt/lbs
Beginning mash pH	5.34
Ending mash pH	5.21
1st running gravity	15.8 (1.063)
Volume into BK	6.75 gal
Pre-Boil gravity	12 (1.047)
Pre-Boil pH	5.19
Post-Boil gravity	14.6 (1.058)
Post-Boil pH	5.24
Aeration	N/A
Post ferm gravity	6.3 (1.005)
Post ferm pH	4.07

Update 4/12/2026

I’m not using a Tilt on this batch because they’re plastic and I can’t sanitize them with heat. Instead, I’ve been checking for signs of fermentation, primarily a bubbling airlock. I hadn’t seen any bubbling yet so I peaked into the Brew Bucket (BB) and it has a bunch of krausen. I’ve occasionally experienced poor sealing on the built-in PRV on the BB domed lids and that appears to be the issue again. To remedy this I applied a little keg lube and hit it with some StarSan and instantly started getting bubbles in the airlock.

Update 4/14/2026

I'm still seeing quite a bit of bubbling through the airlock, so fermentation hasn't wrapped up. I decided to pull a small sample and the flavor profile is exactly how I wanted it. There's some of that classic "Belgian" character, but it's not so over the top that you can't taste anything else. I was also surprised to see there was some noticeable acidity. I haven't taken a pH measurement yet, but I'd speculate it's somewhere around 3.5 ± 0.05. I'll take a reading once fermentation activity wraps up. 

Update 4/16/2026

Fermentation activity has dropped quite a bit. I won't have time to transfer out of the fermenter this coming weekend, so it'll probably hang out there for another week or so.

Update 4/21/2026

Poured a small sample today to test gravity and pH. Gravity may still drop a bit more since we're talking brettanomyces, but it's currently reading ~6.3 on my refractor which yields a corrected gravity of 1.005. pH is a little higher than I perceived at 4.07. I'm really liking the yeast blend's fermentation profile and can understand why it's so popular. You definitely get some classic "Belgian" esters and phenols, but it doesn't dominate. I do get some Brett character even though it's young and I'm excited to see how it evolves over time. I'm really glad I used a simple grain bill with this so as not to muddy the finished beer. I think this is a really good candidate for treating a portion with grapefruit, so I'm going to start on that.

Update 4/24/2026

I started my grapefruit tincture today. It's pretty straightforward, I use a Swiss style vegetable peeler to remove the zest from the fruit. It does a great job of just removing the outer zest but leaves the pith behind. I then place the peels in a small airtight jar and cover with a decent vodka. Everclear also works but I like to dilute it down to Vodka strength (~40% ABV/80 proof) because I find it can extract unwanted compounds at higher ABV/proof. I like to shake it about once per day and keep it stored in a cool dark place. 5-7 days tends to be the sweet spot for extraction.  After that, strain out the solids and store in a cool dark place until ready to use.

Update 4/30/2026

I kegged this beer this evening. I used two of my smaller kegs (2.6 gallon and 3-ish gallon) as part will be dosed with my grapefruit tincture and the other won't. Speaking of, the peels were removed from the tincture last night. I'll carb up the kegs then figure out the appropriate dosage of tincture to use. I'm guessing it'll end up being somewhere between .5-1ml/l of beer.

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Consistency and Repeatability in Brewing

I’ve been catching up on old episodes of The Brewing Network’s Brew Strong, and a recurring theme is consistency and repeatability. That got me thinking about my own process, so I decided to write this post and update my brew session template.

For anyone new to brewing who might come across this—don’t worry if your process looks different from mine. Very few systems are identical. For example, you may use a different mash thickness, and that’s perfectly fine. The key is to experiment and find what works best for your setup.

You also don’t need to rush out and buy more equipment to measure every possible variable. If you don’t have a sight glass or a pH meter, focus on what you can measure and document those things consistently from batch to batch. Even simple tools can be effective—for instance, if you’re using pH strips, you could take a photo under consistent lighting to compare results over time. If something seems off, your notes will give you a reliable reference point.

Brewing has countless variables that affect consistency, and even the pros struggle with this. Years ago, I did a Pro-Am Flanders Red with Uinta Brewing and saw firsthand how much variation can occur—30+ barrels of the same beer aged differently. Many were similar, but there were definitely differences from barrel to barrel. One in particular stood out with a completely unique and incredible acid profile. We even considered a single-barrel release before ultimately blending it.

There are also factors we simply can’t control: variability in malt and hops, differences in hop lots (which is why commercial breweries contract and select hops in person), and even how yeast is handled before it reaches your local homebrew shop. The goal isn’t to stress over these variables—but to be aware of them.

Instead, focus on what you can control. Good documentation is critical for consistency and repeatability, especially when a batch turns out significantly different—whether better or worse.

One change I made years ago was building my own grain mill to improve consistency. At the time, I was seeing significant variability in mash efficiency. If you’re relying on different shops to mill your grain, you’ll likely encounter inconsistencies—different mills, gap settings, number of passes, and even residual grain from previous batches can all affect your crush. I’ve seen cases where efficiency dropped 20% in a single batch due to a poor crush.

By milling my own grain—typically while filling the mash tun with strike water—I’ve been able to achieve much more consistent mash efficiency across batches.

In short: take good notes and standardize your process as much as possible. When you encounter outliers, your notes will help you identify what changed.

To support this, I’m updating my brew session template to capture more detail. While this likely won’t be the final version, it reflects my current setup and should help ensure I consistently record the most important variables. Below is the table I’ll be using going forward.

Session Readings
Equipment used	X
Strike water volume	X gal
Strike water temp	X °F
Mash thickness	X qt/lbs
Beginning mash pH	X
Ending mash pH	X
1st running gravity	X (1.0)
Volume into BK	X gal
Pre-Boil gravity	X (1.0)
Pre-Boil pH	X
Post-Boil gravity	X (1.0)
Post-Boil pH	X
Aeration	X l/minute
Post ferm gravity	X (1.0)
Post ferm pH	X (1.0)

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Frozen Daiquiri

My youngest daughter and her friend are visiting from Utah. The temps are in the low 80s and we're hanging out by the pool, so I decided to mix up a batch of frozen Daiquiris. Here's the recipe as I made it and as usual, I froze it in the Ninja Slushi.

222ml lime juice

278ml of 2:1 "rich" simple syrup

222ml each of two different light (or lightesh rums). I used Member's Mark "Rum from the Caribbean" and Clement Blanc Rhum Agricole Maetinique

950ml water

Measure out the ingredients and throw it in your Slushi on Spiked Slush setting. 

I thought it was a little sweet and my wife thought it was a little tart, so it's probably a perfect balance, ha!

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Rum Barrel Imperial Stout

Today I'm brewing a version of WeldWerks Achromatic Stout that I've brewed in the past. This is an Imperial Stout, and this will go into a recently acquired rum barrel I got from nearby Cotherman Distilling Co. in Dunedin, FL. This is a big beer, but still drinkable and I think it'll work really well in a rum barrel.

My new-to-me rum barrel is only 5 gallons, smaller than I usually like to use; I prefer 10 gallons at a minimum, but preferably 15 and 30 gallon barrels. Reason being, the well-documented fact that volume to surface ratio isn't ideal with smaller barrels. First, they tend to extract wood character much more quickly so over-oaking can be a concern. Second, you tend to have larger losses to Angel's Share, increasing headspace which can lead to oxidation issues with long-term aging. This barrel has already gone through a few fills, so the risk of over-oaking is reduced. To reduce the risk of oxidation and Angels' Share losses, I decided to wax the entire barrel (both heads and all staves) with beeswax. This will reduce micro-oxygenation via capillaries in the wood, so it should allow me to age the beer longer than if it wasn't waxed. I've used this method on other smaller barrels and it's worked great. 

My process for waxing a barrel is melting beeswax or paraffin in a double boiler, painting it onto the exterior of the barrel (spread it as thin as possible while coating the wood evenly), then hitting it with a heat gun. The heat gun will re-melt the wax allowing it to penetrate into the wood and excess wax to drip off the barrel. Oh, one note here, be sure to spread out a tarp, drop cloth, or something similar to protect surfaces from dripping wax. For a small barrel like this, I used a large piece of aluminum foil to catch dripping wax. 

Here's the recipe as I'm brewing it today, which is a slightly different version than the previous versions:

Target OG: 1.105

Target FG: 1.030

IBU: 45

ABV: 10.0%

13.625# Crisp Marris Otter

14oz Simpsons Chocolate Malt (*cold steeped)

14oz Weyermanns Chocolate Rye Malt (*cold steeped)

14oz Crisp Pale Chocolate Malt (*cold steeped)

14oz Simpsons DRC

11oz Simpsons Light Crystal

11oz Flaked Oats

3oz Crisp Roasted Barley (*cold steeped)

42g Magnum (FWH)

1g BrewTan B (Mash)
Whirlfloc (Flameout)
Wyeast Nutrient (10 min)
4.66g BCAA (10 min)
LalBrew® House Ale Yeast

Zinc Buddy

Cold steep roasted grains (1lbs/2qts RO/Distilled water) overnight. Last time I added the cold steeped liquor near the end of the boil and it diluted the wort quite a bit. This time I'm adding it at the beginning of the boil.

Mash at 153F, collect ~7-7.25 gallons pre-boil volume (including steeped dark grains), 120 minute boil. Start fermentation at 60F, ramping up to 65F over 5 days. Transfer to CO2-purged barrel once primary fermentation is complete (~2 weeks). I plan to start tasting samples at about the 2 month mark in the barrel. 

Note: This recipe is based on the Chocolate Achromatic Stout, but it works well without the chocolate additions. For the Chocolate version (5 gallons), add 8oz of roasted cacao nibs and one vanilla bean after fermentation is complete. Leave cacao in for 1-3 days (taste daily) and remove when desired character is achieved. Leave the vanilla bean in for 2-3 weeks then transfer for packaging. Or...do The Bomb Tincture method which simplifies the process and yields excellent results. 

Water Profile

Target Water Profile
Ca	Mg	Na	SO4	Cl	HCO3
50	5	33	35	45	140

The last time I brewed this was in Utah where the tap water is great for brewing dark beers. Florida has pretty hard water which is usually great for dark beers as well, but it can be a little sulfury. I'm going to use Beersmith's Black Full water profile for this beer. To 11 gallons of RO/Distilled water, add: 

• 3.6g Epsom Salt
• 3.8g Calcium Chloride
• 5.6g Baking Soda
• 2.9g Chalk

Brewing Notes

My first runnings gravity was much lower than in the previous batch. I suspect channeling through the grain bed may have occurred. I usually add rice hulls but skipped them this time, which is likely the cause of the unexpectedly large drop from target gravity. To compensate, I had some dark DME on hand in case the end-of-boil gravity fell short of my 1.105 target. With about 10 minutes left in the boil, I added 1.25 lb of Briess Traditional Dark DME. For future batches, I may switch to my 20-gallon mash tun, as the shallower grain bed should reduce compaction and the risk of channeling  

Starting volume in the kettle was about 7.25 gallons.

Session Readings
Beginning mash pH	5.27
Ending mash pH	5.25
1st running gravity	22.2 (1.090)
Pre-Boil gravity*	15 (1.059)
Pre-Boil pH*	5.19
Post-Boil gravity	26 (1.106) 1.1059 per Tilt
Post-Boil pH	4.96

*After adding steeped grain liquor.

Update 3/23/2026

Per the Tilt, gravity has dropped about 5-7 points as of this morning and I'm seeing active signs of fermentation in the airlock. I had considered giving it another dose of oxygen this morning, but seeing the fermentation is quite active I decided to skip it.

Update 3/24/2026

Per the Tilt, the gravity is down around 1.085 this morning. I went to bump the temp up slightly and saw I had a mess to clean up due to the super active fermentation. Safe to say there are some happy yeast in there. I haven't had a messy blow-off like this since I got the domed lids and fabricating 1/2" stainless blow-offs for my fermenters. I've temporarily removed (and cleaned) my airlock setup. I'll probably reinstall it later today assuming it still isn't actively blowing krausen.

Update 3/25/2026

Krausen blow-off started slowing down late yesterday and seems to have stopped overnight, so I’ve cleaned and reinstalled my airlock setup. Per Tilt, gravity is down around 1.046 this morning. 

Update 4/6/2026

Gravity seemed to finish at about 1.036. I have left it in the fermenter and it's been slowly creeping down to about 1.033 and seems to be approaching 1.032. I'll probably look to transfer the beer to the barrel later this week.

Update 4/14/2026

I transferred this beer to a purged keg tonight to get it off the yeast cake. It'll also make it a little easier to transfer to the barrel, probably later this week. Speaking of, I popped the bung out of the barrel about a week or so ago and the aroma was AMAZING! I also installed a Vinnie nail so that I can take samples once it's filled. 

Transfer to the keg was more trouble than it should have been. I recently got a FLOTit and installed it in the keg I intended to use for this beer.  That same keg was also fitted with some replacement posts with universal poppets. Well, apparently the spring on the liquid post was too long. In order to install the disconnect I had to fully compress the spring which blocked the flow. Fortunately I had another keg ready to go, so I purged it then transferred the beer from the fermenter. 

I also trimmed the bottom coil off the spring of the original keg and retested the connection and this time it worked well without blocking the flow; so that keg should be good for a future beer.

Update 4/18/2026

I transferred to the barrel tonight. I decided to run the barrel through a couple short steaming sessions to make sure it was still watertight. I try to avoid this whenever possible because you definitely blow off some aromatics, but I figured that was better than ending up with a leaky barrel. 

I purged the barrel for about three and a half minutes before filling. I definitely lost some volume with the blow-off during primary. I may brew another batch, possibly three gallons so I can fill all the way to the bung. Right now I’d guesstimate it could take another 1-1.5 gallons in the barrel. I purged the headspace for about another 90 seconds before installing the bung. The FLOTit worked really well and as they claim, it hardly leaves any beer behind.

Update 4/25/2026

I did a small-batch re-brew today so that I can make sure the barrel is completely full.  This was a 3 gallon batch. No real issues with the brew session other that small batches are always a little different. I decided to take a simpler approach and just mash all grains together rather than steep the dark malts separately. Here are the session readings for the re-brew portion.

8# 3oz Maris Otter 

8.4oz (238g) Simpsons Chocolate 

8.4oz (238g) Weyermann Chocolate Rye 

8.4oz (238g) Crisp Pale Chocolate 

8.4oz (238g) Simpsons DRC

6.6oz (187g) Simpsons Light Crystal

6.6oz Flaked Oats

1.8oz Crisp Roasted Barley

28g Magnum (FWH)

1.18# Briess Dark Malt Extract (10 min)

Re-brew Session Readings
Beginning mash pH	5.25
Ending mash pH	5.19
1st running gravity	18.4 (1.074)
Pre-Boil gravity	15.2 (1.060)
Pre-Boil pH	5.15
Post-Boil gravity	27.1 (1.112)
Post-Boil pH	4.98

Other Re-brew Notes:

• Milled twice because I noticed I had some grains stuck between the drive roller and side of the mill.  
• Strike water volume was 5 gallons, 7 gallons total brewing water.
• Pre-boil volume into BK was ~5.25 gallons.
• Post-boil volume into fermenter ~3 gallons
• Smaller volumes heat and cool quicker!

Update 4/25/2026 8:20PM

I pitched the yeast at about 2pm this afternoon and I'm seeing signs of active fermentation with a couple bubbles per second. This House Ale Yeast is truly a workhorse and I really like its clean fermentation profile.

Update 5/1/2026

Barrel was topped off tonight with the re-brew batch. I have some leftover to top off if needed.

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