Vanilla Chai

Retrospective

Process Improvement

• This fermented so fast and gave off such strong CO2 / fusel alcohol flavors that I could have sworn it had gone sour. (It legitimately smelled and tasted like a sour beer, which I drink relatively often). However, as fermentation has finished and we've racked it, I've become increasingly confident that it's just the quick and probably-stressful fermentation. It is curious to see 71B appears to love chai, as most other brews aren't fermenting this fast even on the same yeast.

• I tried using cups as a measurement for honey for a few batches here due to difficulties getting honey out of the giant 60 lb bucket we ordered. Cups are a terrible way to measure honey, and I've since gone back to weight.

  • I've kept a couple old grocery store honey containers, which can sometimes help with this, as I know the weight I will have if I fill those containers with honey (2-3 lbs, depending on the container)

Recipe Improvements

• So far, it's hard to say. This fermented very quickly, and with only boiled yeast for nutrients, it currently has a lot of CO2 and fusel alcohol flavors. It needs to age before we can really dial in the taste.

• Refer to the blend page for further recipe updates