Jump to content
Coopers Community

Going all grain. advice wanted


Corksniffer

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 308
  • Created
  • Last Reply
  • 1 month later...

UPDATE: I've been honing my pale ale art to try replicate my (pretty well) favourite brew for a while now because it, to me has the epitome of everything a great pale ale should have, in all aspects being: bitterness, both hop and malt taste, huge hop aroma, clean finish, mouthfeel and carbonation.

 

Now, I've always had trouble. Well, no 'luck' and lack-thereof getting and replicating hop taste and aroma that the best boutique micro breweries are producing, no matter who's advice I would take. I'd followed every rule, recipe and trick in the book in order to get there but always came up short.

 

I can finally now say (after almost 3 years brewing and probably around 100 batches) that there are just some things you can't learn online or in books. Some things, people won't tell you about, because they simply don't know themselves, have been 'brainwashed' by common heard ideas or possibly can't taste like another. I recently heard people saying that my favorite beer isn't a hop burst and that they could not detect much in the way of hop taste. Pirate Life pale is all about hop taste! Unless you get a really old or poorly stored one but I never have.

 

Recently been talking with a few of the smaller boutique breweries (I won't say which ines but they are well known) and they've been able to shine some light to take my brewing to the next (and ultimate) level! I've done 2x things completely different to what most recipes or common knowledge call for and will probably never go back. I buy boutique alot for comparison and can safely and easily say that I prefer mine majority of the time, which is so satisfying. Had my first Sierra Nevada pale ale last night (I know, cant believe it's taken me so long to try the original 80's icon) got through 1/3rd and tipped it in the garden to swap for a fresh home made pale. It has little on most newer brewers versions in terms of impact. I understand many love it and that's ok. One can very easily replicate this one using simple common knowledge and good brewing practice, which is great!

 

So, all-in-all when it comes to modern day pale ale, I believe you can get about 85% of the way there by learning through books and studying online, but the rest is a closely guarded secret you must discover yourself.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... so Corksniffer are you going to shed some light on what you have learnt?

 

I've followed your all-grain journey with interest throughout this thread. I read that you were at the point of throwing in the towel when it came to homebrewing and am completely stoked that you didn't; instead you did a 180 and have shared the experience (highs and lows!) on this forum.

 

I also love the hoppy pales and would love to hear what you are doing different to achieve that last 15%.

 

Jools

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey fellas! Sorry, I kinda didn't want to mention what I've done differently because anything out of square normally just gets dissed by people because it's just not how you make beer.. but because you're obviously interested and it might help others in a similar boat then, hey, how can I not. I've been going no bittering addition and a 30 minute boil time, no desire to change at this stage.

 

The first thing for me was 'hop bursting' the practice of either very low or no bittering addition and all hops thrown in under 20 minutes. Utilizing large quantities at different time for aromatic and taste purposes, lots at flameout. I honestly was very intrigued at what difference this might make (and even if any) Turns out the bitterness is there, as calculated to whatever rate you aim for but it's a 'smoother' bitterness. I feel this may have something to do with the hop oils still remaining in the product, not sure but it is s smoother. We're talking hopping around the 170gm mark here.

 

Second thing is dry hopping rate(s) common knowledge and most recipes call for something like 1-2gms p/- litre, I say why even bother. If you're going to dry hop at 1 gram per litre then just don't even waste your money. It's barely (if at all) detectable. The guys I spoke with for the flavour and aroma profile I'm going for soak in around 8-15 gms p/- litre. I've been using 200 grams in a standard 23 litre batch and completely satisfied. The delicate hop oils are large part of what makes those specialty pale ale's, it gives the beer an oily texture with huge aroma and aroma translates to taste because the nose and tounge work in unison of course. Remember, you won't detect any bitterness from hops added dry.

 

So that's what the boutique breweries are doing differently. It's not common practice but a 'new' style of brewing you could say, kind of a reinvention if sorts. Sure, it's a little more expensive again but the extra $30 or so you might spend on a couple hundred grams of specialty hops will blow your mind and have you savouring every drop!

 

Hope this helps

 

Cheers

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Corksniffer - its great that you're very satisfied with the beer that you are now producing. I know where you're coming from not wanting to put too much text on anything you're doing that's out of the box. I feel I recently got taken to task for dry hopping an ale with Stryian Goldings a noble hop. Obviously it didn't sit well with that particular forum member but as far as I'm concerned its none of his business. I like to make beer that I like to drink and not what somebody else thinks how it should be made and how they like it. Good on you mate and I'm continually experimenting to see what I like too.

 

About your small bittering additions and large late additions, I've been doing similar trials. It is said by some that a no 60 minute bittering addition will result in a beer that is missing something and the bittering is not sufficient. I have found that this is not the case according to my taste buds. I recently did a 20 minute addition and a 10 minute addition only but I instant chill and the wort is below 60ºC in 5 minutes after flameout.

 

No dry hopping or flameout was applied. It hasn't got the aroma of a dry hopped beer but the flavour is right on the money for me. I found the bitttering to be nice and smooth and I think it could easily be compensated by going into higher IBU territory with the 20 min addition, if it did not taste bitter enough. That particular brew I think is my best beer to date for a fruity/hoppy ale and I will now be doing a few more the same before I deviate again. I won't call it an APA for fear of being attacked by the style cops on here.

 

Good brewing mate and cheers,

Morrie.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes it will always come back to personal preferences but its not exactly a secret that the best way to make a hoppy beer is to use more hops !

I FWH for 25-35% of my total IBUs for a lingering smooth bitterness and go hard , heavy and late on FO and whirlpool additions and dry hops and you can smell the hops from a metre away in my XPA

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The first thing for me was 'hop bursting'

 

I have ade a few beers with only flameout hop additions. Works quite well.

 

I also dry hop at least 50g, often 100g and more.

 

Beer is good, make what you want how you like.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...