21st Century Schizoid Ale 2010

On May 23, AfroDan brewed the third batch, in just under two years, of what's become our signature beer: 21st Century Schizoid Ale. Because the first two batches were slightly disappointing in one respect—they didn't ferment out completely and finished with an alcohol level in the 8.5-8.7% range—we compensated this time by utilizing super high gravity yeast. The result: a brew that fully reached its alcohol potential at 10.9% ABV.

My recent love affair with citrusy hops influenced us to go all out with Citra hops, a relatively new style that is high in alpha acid content—meaning highly bitter—and, as the name implies, oh so citrusy. Also, in keeping with the experimental tradition that began with our first two versions of this brew, we added a small amount of mystery hops from an unlabeled bag that had been in my refrigerator for at least a few months.

Last weekend, after sharing our first 22-oz. bomber and starting in on a second, we decided to design our labels. In case you needed any proof that, as home brewers with a fair amount of experience, we know what we're talking about when we say its alcohol content weighs in at approximately 11%, I offer you the description that we added to the vertical type on the sides of the label (with apologies to King Crimson):

Cat's foot iron claw, neurosurgeons scream for malt, at paranoia's poison door, 21st Century Schizoid Ale.

Blood racked barbed wire, politicians' funeral pyre, innocents raped with Citra and Cascade hops, 21st Century Schizoid Ale.

Death's seed blind man's greed, poets starving children bleed, fermented with super high gravity yeast, 21st Century Schizoid Ale.

Finally, here's the recipe for a four-gallon batch:

1 lb. crystal malt - 60 L (steeped 20 mins.)
1 lb. crystal malt - 20 L (steeped 20 mins.)
13.2 lbs. golden light malt extract (boiled 75 mins.)
3 oz. Citra hops - 11.1% alpha (boiled 75 mins.)
1 oz. "Mystery" hops - alpha unknown (boiled 75 mins.)
1.5 oz. Cascade hops - 7.5% alpha (boiled 30 mins.)
1.5 oz. Cascade hops - 7.5% alpha (boiled 15 mins.)
0.5 tsp. Irish moss (boiled 15 mins.)
1.5 oz. Super High Gravity Ale yeast

Original Specific Gravity: 1.092
Final Specific Gravity: 1.009
Alcohol by volume: 10.9%