Texas Tea

This is a dark cream ale with a hint of chocolate.

Brewer:	Uncle Ralph		Email:	-
Beer:	Texas Tea		Style:	Cream Ale
Type:	Extract w/grain		Size:	5.0 gallons
Color:	115 HCU (~39 SRM)		Bitterness:	27 IBU
OG:	1.061		FG:	1.004
Alcohol:	7.4% v/v (5.8% w/w)
Water:	Add 1 tbs water crystals to the boil.
Grain:	1 lb. Belgian biscuit 1 lb. American chocolate 1 lb. Flaked barley
Steep:	Added all grains to a muslin sack. Steeped in 1 gal of 65C water for 45 minutes. Placed bag in colander above brew pot and slowly rinsed it with 1 gal of 78C water.
Boil:	60 minutes	SG 1.123	2.5 gallons
	5 lb. Dark malt extract 2 lb. Honey
	Added 1 tbs irish moss to aid in settling trub and 5 oz of semi-sweet dark bakers chocolate were added for last 5 minutes of the boil.
Hops:	1 oz. Chinook (12% AA, 60 min.) 1 oz. Cascade (6% AA, 15 min.)
Yeast:	Added one package of Wyeast #1728XL, one package of Bru Vigor and 25 drops of beano.
Log:	Inserted a blow-off fermenter as the fermentation proceeds vigorously. Allowed to ferment at room temperature (~75F) for 7 days. Syphoned to carboy. Added 1 tbs finings gel to 1 cup of perviously boiled water. Heated to 82C then cooled to room temperature to activate then added to carboy. Added water to 5 gal. Added 5 drops of beano. Inserted standard air-lock and allowed to settle and ferment another 7 days before packaging.
Carbonation:	Added one very rounded tbs of cane sugar to prime, beano does the rest.
Tasting:	I sampled a liter after 3 weeks. The cabonation was light but still formed a nice creamy head. As Homer would say, "MMmmmmmmmm Beer!"

Recipe posted 04/29/12.