Chelsea Dagger Pre-Prohibition Lager
Brewed: 04/25/2021 Kegged: 05/14/2021
You may have picked up on certain clues that I, the SheppyBrew Brew Master, am a Chicago Blackhawks fan.
In 2015, the Blackhawks had just won their third Stanley Cup in 6 years after having gone 49 years without winning any. I hardly knew what to do with myself. I did know, however, that I wanted to make a beer to help celebrate the wonderful accomplishment.
If you are a Chicago Blackhawk fan, or just happen to watch the Blackhawks from time to time, you know that when the Hawks score a goal, the United Center plays part Chelsea Dagger by The Fratellis.
Quite often when the team is on the road, I play Chelsea Dagger after goals since obviously the team that the Hawks are visiting won't do it for them. Generally speaking, I am not a superstitious person, but if I think the team needs a "lift", I will play the song too.
It's been awhile, but when the Hawks are in the playoffs, we hear a lot of Chelsea Dagger.
And, not to brag, but the results speak volumes. Since I started helping the team with the song, they won 3 cups in 6 years. Since 1926, they've only won a total of 6.
Coincidence? Nope!
Even though they have not been as good in recent years, my playing the song helps them a bunch.
And what style would a fine upstanding lady like Chelsea drink? Well, I thought an American Pre-Prohibition Lager would do the trick. As a totally unrelated bonus, it gave me a start on brewing styles in the new 2015 BJCP Categories.(Category 27 Historical Beer).
And it turned out awesome. This was the first time I used Cluster hops and it turned out that I really really like them. The beer came out hoppier than any other pre-prohibition lager I've ever had, but I really really like it that way. Yum!
I'm hoping having Batch 3 brewed in 2021 will allow me to watch the Hawks go deep into the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Batch 3 was brewed on my Anvil Foundry. Also playing around with adding lactic acid to manage mash pH.
On batch 4, I decided to substitute the Cluster aroma hops with a combination of things I had on hand. ChatGPT suggested a 2:1 combination of Cascade and Saaz.
| Chelsea Dagger Pre-Prohibition Lager --- Batch 4 |
| Style |
|
Pre-Prohibition Lager |
|
Batch Size |
|
5.50 gal |
| Type |
|
All Grain |
|
Boil Size |
|
6.57 gal |
| Brewhouse Efficiency |
|
70.00 |
|
Boil Time |
|
60 minutes |
Recipe Characteristics
| Recipe Gravity |
|
1.051 SG |
|
Estimated FG |
|
1.011 SG |
| Recipe Bitterness |
|
31.9 IBUs (Rager) |
|
Alcohol by Volume |
|
5.3 % |
| BU : GU |
|
0.626 |
|
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| Recipe Color |
|
3.6 SRM |
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| Measured OG: |
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Measured FG: |
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| ADF: |
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Measured ABV: |
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Ingredients
Ingredients
| Amt |
Name |
Type |
# |
%/IBU |
Volume |
| 7.51 gal |
Denver, Colorado |
Water |
1 |
- |
- |
| 4.00 g |
Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash) |
Water Agent |
2 |
- |
- |
| 2.00 tsp |
Lactic Acid (Mash) |
Water Agent |
3 |
- |
- |
| 10 lbs |
Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) |
Grain |
4 |
90.9 % |
0.78 gal |
| 1 lbs |
Corn, Flaked (1.3 SRM) |
Grain |
5 |
9.1 % |
0.08 gal |
| 0.500 oz |
Magnum [13.20 %] - Boil 35.0 min |
Hop |
6 |
17.5 IBUs |
- |
| 1.00 Items |
Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) |
Fining |
7 |
- |
- |
| 0.500 oz |
Magnum [13.20 %] - Boil 15.0 min |
Hop |
8 |
7.4 IBUs |
- |
| 1.00 tsp |
Yeast Nutrient (Boil 15.0 mins) |
Other |
9 |
- |
- |
| 1.000 oz |
Cascade [8.90 %] - Boil 5.0 min |
Hop |
10 |
6.3 IBUs |
- |
| 0.500 oz |
Saaz [2.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min |
Hop |
11 |
0.7 IBUs |
- |
| 1.0 pkg |
Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis #W-34/70) [50.28 ml] |
Yeast |
12 |
- |
- |
| 0.50 tsp |
Gelatin (Bottling 5.0 hours) |
Fining |
13 |
- |
- |
Mash Profile
Mash Steps
| Name |
Description |
Step Temperature |
Step Time |
| Saccharification |
Add 29.51 qt of water at 156.7 F |
150.0 F |
45 min |
| Heat |
Heat to 156.0 F over 10 min |
156.0 F |
20 min |
If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort
Recipe Notes
Make a starter a day or two before brew day.
4g gypsum in the mash water. This should bring Denver water profile (as defined by BeerSmith) to
Ca=66,Mg=8,Na=21,SO4=131,Cl=23,HCO3=104
Acid addition based on BeerSmith predicted pH. Should lower from 5.8 to 5.3.
Brew as directed from recipe.
Cool wort to as close to 50 degrees as possible.
Ferment rising 1 degree a day for the first week, let rise to high 60's for another week.
Add gelatin dissoved into .5 cup boiled water. Add this solution straight to keg.
Keg carbonate to 2.5 to 2.7 volumes.
Brewing Record
| Brew Date: |
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Strike Temp: |
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| Pre-boil OG |
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(1.045 SG) |
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Pre-boil Vol |
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(6.57 gal) |
| Actual Mash Efficiency |
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Pitch Temp |
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| Fermentation |
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| Day 1: |
| Day ... |
| Day ... |
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