What's in Your Fermenter? 2017

[joolbag]

Kelsey I've also found chill haze in my AG beers using my system - very much like yours (BIAB) but I use a propane burner and I do a quick sparge because my pot can't fit in the full volume of water when mashing (it's only 33L).

 

I use Whirlfloc and it is great for dropping the hot break in the kettle. Cold crashing is awesome for yeast and hops. Beers are crystal clear in the bottle after a week carbonating. But chill them down and haze appears. Disappears when it warms up. I'm not too fussed about the clarity, but may play around with some FV finings in the future for a bit of fun.

[Otto Von Blotto]

Yep, that's exactly what happened with all my batches prior to dosing them with PVPP. They'd be clear at room temp and hazy once refrigerated. It wasn't something that I concerned myself with straight away though.. I decided to learn about the more important aspects first and then play around with these sorts of things.

 

My ESB currently in the FV had its dose of isinglass yesterday and Polyclar just earlier, and will be kegged on Saturday with the cube-hopped APA going into the FV either Sunday or Monday.

[BlackSands]

...I am using White Labs Clarity ferm to get the gluten levels down...

I'd be interested to know what kind of job this stuff does' date=' more from a chill-haze reduction point of view. I had considered using it as a clearing agent but it is a bit pricey... [/quote']

G'day BlackSands,

 

I personally wouldn't use Clarity Ferm as a path to bright beer. Actually in my experience a kettle fining is sufficient.

I do use whirlfloc and even though my brews are only 50% grain (50% Coopers OS lager) I still find chill haze to be a persistent problem. Less so when I started using Nottingham - that seems to produce a clearer beer, but even that hazes up when I chill the beer right down to just a few degrees. Generally I don't mind drinking at 8 - 10ºC over the cooler months and these nottingham-based beers certainly look pretty good at that temp, but now that it's quite a bit warmer I'd like to serve colder and it would be a bonus if the clarity was still there. It's a cosmetic thing of course but clarity still feels like one thing I have yet to satisfactorily conquer, and I don't think I ever will without the ability to cold-crash.

 

However, I have been reading mixed experiences with regard to gelatine. Generally it's understood that you need to CC, forcing the formation of chill haze and then fine with it, but others say it actually works OK at room temps, just needs to be left for several days? I also wonder, if you have gelatine (or other) mixed into your beer at room temps prior to bottling, would it later do it's thing in the bottle itself when you eventually chill the bottles - say a few days prior to serving?

[Otto Von Blotto]

It's Polyclar that works by forming chill haze by chilling the beer then removing it. Gelatine I think can be used either warm or cold, but it's more for dropping yeast than anything else. It does help a little with chill haze, but apparently can strip hop flavor. It also causes the yeast sediment to become fluffy and easily disturbed like a jelly I suppose, which defeats the whole purpose in my mind.

 

There are much better options than gelatine out there, but as you say the beer needs to be able to be cold crashed to use them.

[BlackSands]

It also causes the yeast sediment to become fluffy and easily disturbed like a jelly I suppose' date=' which defeats the whole purpose in my mind. [/quote']Apparently this has to do with the temperature that it's dissolved at...

It is absolutely essential to heat to 77C; a little cooler and the gelatin will not solubilize, a little warmer and it will gel in your beer.

 

There seems to be plenty out there in the brewing community that swear by it, including of course Brulosophy, but most seem to CC first...

 

No harm in trying it warm I guess. I was thinking of putting it in this saison, but as it now might be tipped... I guess I'll have to wait!

 

 

[joolbag]

Hey Blacksands, if you are going to tip it, why not just try the gelatine? Nothing to lose and then you can report back on if it works without CC and if the sediment is indeed fluffy and a PITA to deal with when bottling/transferring

[Otto Von Blotto]

That's too much precision for something that should be simple for me . I get better results with isinglass anyway so no desire to go back to gelatine. Having said that, I obviously do have the ability to cold crash so it does widen my options a fair bit.

 

Today, I'm pitching my American Pale brewed with Citra, Simcoe and Chinook and my first attempt at doing a cube hop. I might have to get a little strainer out to keep the hops out of the FV. This one achieved an OG of 1.0497 which was 1 point lower than the target, but that's not much of a concern to be honest. I dropped the bitterness level a bit in this batch as well, down to about 35IBUs with some of that contributed by the cube hop, as I'd been finding them turning out a little too bitter at the 38-40 I normally brew to. I wonder if this is merely due to almost completely quitting smoking this year and the tastebuds being a bit more sensitive to it now than they used to be.

 

I'll be fermenting this one with 1272 at 19.5C instead of my usual 18C, just to see if the yeast throws a bit more fruit and also to speed up the process a bit to maybe have this beer ready by NYE. I'll also be dry hopping it with a combination of the above hops, so with a 10 minute, flameout, cube and dry hop, it should have plenty of hop flavor and aroma and I'm looking forward to tasting it.

 

Better go get some more Starsan mixed up and get the FV ready

 

Edit: Just finished putting this one in to ferment, it's sitting at 25C currently and coming down to ferment temp so shouldn't take too long. I really noticed an increased hop aroma in the wort while pouring it into the FV compared to usual, so hopefully that transfers to the finished beer. If it's successful I will make cube hopping a regular thing with APAs.

 

Cheers

 

Kelsey

[Beerlust]

Well my little home recipe lager is chugging along nicely at about 14°C. I know this because of the revolting sulphur/egg smell that presented itself when I opened the brew fridge door.

 

No real point taking a gravity reading just yet, but will likely take the first one Xmas Eve.

 

I haven't investigated how extensive Mt. Hood may have been used in lager fermented beers in the states, but it seems like a nice type of hop for this type of beer, hence my little experiment here. Time will tell.

 

Cheers & good brewing,

 

Lusty.

[Otto Von Blotto]

The krausen has dropped on my pale ale after 4 days in the fermenter. I have to go and get a few things for Xmas this morning but I'll take a reading some time today while the ham is smoking and see where it's at. Could be time for a dry hop and cold crash in a few days time and have the brew ready for NYE

[Rowbrew]

I put down a simple kit brew today.

 

Mangrove Jacks Bavarian Wheat pouch

500g LDM

WLP300 from starter, pitched at 27, temp controller set to 22.

21 litres

1.038 OG

17 IBU Approx

 

Hope i get some banana from the 300

 

Cheers

[porschemad911]

I've got a ginger saison in my fermenter at the moment.

 

I'm really quite curious to see how this one turns out. Before I left it had dropped down to 1.008 in a few days and the ginger was less overpowering than I expected when tasting the gravity sample. It didn't taste very Saison-ey though.

 

I'm heading back to Australia in a week or so. See how a couple of weeks in the hot sunroom has impacted the gravity and flavour.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Beerlust]

...I'm heading back to Australia in a week or so. See how a couple of weeks in the hot sunroom has impacted the gravity and flavour.

Hot sunroom??

 

Surely it would of only peaked at about 20°C there in Canberra John?!

 

 

Cheers & good brewing' date='

 

Lusty.[/size']

[Scottie]

My Double R session ale is looking every bit the part. Fermented with BRY-97 it was up and going within 24 hours which is one of my quickest starts with this yeast. Fermenting at 20 degrees.

 

Cheers & Beers

Scottie

Valley Brew

 

 

[Canuck Welder]

2 weeks ago I bottled this simple brown ale

 

1.7kg brown ale liquid malt (kit)

1 litre pale liquid malt

1/2 cup dextrose

Hops: boil 10 grams cascade & 10 grams fuggles for 5 minutes

mix with wort, top up to 21 litres

pitched kit yeast at 21c

Dry hop 10 grams cascade & 10 grams fuggles 4 days before bottling

left in FV for a total of 11 days at 21c and then bottled

 

I'm enjoying my first one at the moment in a frosted mug and its very nice... slight fresh citrus bite

 

What I'm sharing with my family and friend on new years :)

[Beerlust]

Well my little lager has reached expected FG of 1.012, so have turned the fridge down to cold condition it for a few days until the weekend, where I will transfer to a keg & carbonate it.

 

On tasting the sample, it seemed a little light on for bitterness, but given the level I usually bitter to, that might just be a palate adjustment on my part. Still, I wouldn't have minded if it were a little more noticeable. The yeast has given a nice malty background & the late cascade addition was noticeable but subdued like you would expect with a typical lager.

 

I'll know more once I have it on the pour.

 

Cheers & good brewing,

 

Lusty.

[porschemad911]

Hopefully the extra bite of carbonation will give it a bit of extra oomph Lusty. Although it might be palate shift as you say... If I drink something like Sapporo now it is almost unbearably sweet. But I think your estimated 24 ibu will be OK.

 

Cheers,

 

John

[Beerlust]

Hopefully the extra bite of carbonation will give it a bit of extra oomph Lusty. Although it might be palate shift as you say... If I drink something like Sapporo now it is almost unbearably sweet. But I think your estimated 24 ibu will be OK.

I sure hope you're right John. I know what you mean regarding those lower bittered lager beers & don't enjoy them much at all.

 

I admit I hadn't even thought about the carbonating aspect improving the perceivable bitterness. Good call.

 

Cheers' date='

 

Lusty.[/size']

[Otto Von Blotto]

Dropped my APA down for its cold crash earlier today, currently sitting on 11.7C after about 8 hours or so. Got sidetracked by the cricket and didn't throw in the dry hop but will do that tomorrow. It won't be ready for NYE but should be kegged next week, probably on the first or second day of the 5th Test.

[Xenon]

Brewed this Wednesday , bubbling away nicely in the FV right now. Should be at it's peak just in time for Australia Day.

 

Cascade/Azacca APA

 

6.00 kg Bairds Maris Otter (5.0 EBC)

0.60 kg Gladfield Light Crystal Malt

0.40 kg Caramalt (Joe White)

25.00 g Cascade [8.30 %] - Boil 30.0 min

25.00 g Cascade [8.30 %] - Boil 10.0 min

25.00 g Azacca [15.00 %] - Boil 5.0 min

25.00 g Cascade [8.30 %] - Boil 5.0 min

25.00 g Azacca [15.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 10.0 min

25.00 g Cascade [8.30 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 10.0 min

2.0 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)

50.00 g Azacca [15.00 %] - Dry Hop 3.0 Days

 

25 Litres

Est Original Gravity: 1.053 SG

Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG

Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 5.3 %

Bitterness: 40.4 IBUs

Est Color: 17.3 EBC

[Mark D Pirate]

Got a triple batch brewday done yesterday for a trial of some new yeast strains shortly to be released for commercial and homebrewers from Atomic yeast based here in Radelaide

split wort 3 ways and pitched my yeast last night .

19 litres of 1.045 wort from 100 % wey pils malt with just a very small bittering charge of Magnum and tett to flavour.

 

No idea what yeast i was issued and was just told to pitch it and ferment at 20 C so guessing it's not a lager strain

Was up and running in 12 hours and burping away happily now

Also have a simple golden ale with my old friend 1272 , should be interesting to see how it tastes fermented at 20

[Hermoor]

Finally got my first brew in years going, just a simple cheeky lager to get back into it. Nice way to finish off the year

[Scottie]

Come On Kelsey it's 2018 already and I'm keen, after testing SG today, to update progress with my Double R Session Ale which is crossing over still in the Fermenter.

 

[Worthog]

Given the warming temperatures here in Victoria' date=' I am only going to brew ales over summer. I have a can of Coopers Golden Crown Lager in the cupboard I want to use up, using an Ale yeast rather than the supplied Lager yeast to get it done and dusted (with no rotten eggs).

 

1.7kg Golden Crown Lager

1.5kg can of Light Liquid Malt Extract (rather than the standard 1kg LDME)

20gms SAAZ hop pellets

Safale S04 or US-05 yeast.

Will ferment at 19-21degrees in the fridge with controller.

 

Can someone suggest how this might work out; or will it just be total carp?

 

[/quote']

Ferment it with US-05 at 17-18C and you'll probably end up with a reasonable faux lager.

 

Hints of licorice and floral notes' date=' definitely faux something, but my best of 34 batches. That US-05 seems to add the floral, I think. It has provided me with a new direction, I'll only do kit'n'bits from Coopers International, up from this point. I've got some grains suggested by Lusty for head retention, and a heap of different hops to 'dual purpose'.

My 2018 will now assume quality at the expense of quantity (session)

 

Thanks Kelsey and Lusty and others for your help during 2017.

[img']biggrin[/img]

 

Cheers, Warthog

 

[The Captain!!]

Racked Benny's Big Red Rye IPA today into the fermenter and I'm trying some liquid yeast.

Denny's Favourite, Wyeast 1450.

Fermenting at 18c

 

Unfortunately the wort was more brown than red but I'm hoping that it cleans up in the fermentation process.

 

Have fun fellow brewers,

Kirk

[John E Miller]

On 6/2/2017 at 12:30 PM, ChristinaS1 said:

Just putting on this 4L batch of braggot now, as an experiment. It is a recipe of my own design and I have no idea what it will be like. I have never even tasted braggot.

 

Smokey Braggot

4L

 

200gm German smoked malt 18%

150gm malted rye 13.5%

75gm Caravienna 7%

75gm Caramunich 7%

3.4L water / wort

600gm honey 54.5%

10gm Mount Hood hops boiled x 30 minutes

2gm bread yeast added to last 5 minutes of boil (=yeast nutrient)

2gm S-04 yeast rehydrated

1gm Fermaid K yeast nutrient added 24 hours post pitch

1gm Fermaid K added 48 hours

 

OG 1.081 FG 1.008 ABV 9.6%

IBU 19 EBC 18

 

Making this BIAB style. I had wanted to use Willamette hops but they were out, so had to sub; I chose Mount Hood, which may turn out to be a mistake.

 

I decided to use strong tasting ingredients and a darker colour as the honey I am using is just cheap, grocery store honey, with a fairly strong flavour. Since the honey is unpasteurized, I may wait 12 hours after pitching to add it, to give the S-04 a head start over any wild yeast.

 

Cheers,

 

Christina.

How did this turn out?