Carla's Rainy Day Ryefest

Classification: roggenbier, rye, all-grain

Source: David P. Brockington (bronyaur@stein.u.washington.edu), r.c.b., 8/8/93

It worked out quite well, if you like Rye. The genesis was one evening I was sipping on some American whisky contemplating my brewing. As I tend to brew about four batches a month, I run out of new ideas often. This particular evening, I was wondering what I could add to my beer that would be distinct, yet appropriate. The whisky I was drinking at the time was Old Overholt, which is a Straight Rye. Bingo.
The name is from my favorite bar-tendress at the pub that has been my home for the past four years. The name used to apply to a different brew, which I scrapped. It will stick to this one.

It has yet to be entered in any competition, so I have no collection of comments for it, unfortunately. The rye flavor is strong, but not overwhelming, in my opinion. In fact, I consider this beer a quaffer, and can easily down three in a session -- the rye flavor is noticable, but balanced. All in all, I am quite happy with this beer and will brew it again in a few brewing cycles -- probably August.

Ingredients:

8 lbs. English Pale 2-row, preferably Marris Otter
4 lbs. malted rye
2 oz Cascade [6.0 AAU] for 60 minutes
1 oz Hallertaur [4.7 AAU] for 15 minutes
1 oz Hallertaur [4.7 AAU] for 1 minute
2 tsp Irish Moss @ 30-minute mark
Wyeast #2112 (California Common) from a one pint starter

Procedure:

Grains mashed in a single-step infusion @ 156F for 90 minutes.

All fermentation done in glass @ 65F for 20 days. The reading I took at 14 days was 1.008, so the fermentation time could be trimmed.

Specifics:

O.G.: 1.042
F.G.: 1.006