BREW DAY!! WATCHA' GOT, EH!? 2020

[Maurice79]

Today was Cascade wet hop harvest ale day.

Small batch 16L

3.25 kg               Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC)         Grain         1        97.0 %        
0.10 kg               Gladfield Medium Crystal Malt -105L (236 Grain         2        3.0 %         
15.00 g               Simcoe [12.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 min   Hop           3        29.2 IBUs     
360.00 g              Wet Hop Cones - Cascade (360g WET) [6.50 Hop           4        10.1 IBUs     
1.0 pkg               Safale American  (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)  Yeast         5        -             

Currently the cube is in the chest freezer cooling and should be ready to pitch in about 30 mins.

[Norris!]

1 minute ago, Maurice79 said:

Today was Cascade wet hop harvest ale day.

Small batch 16L

3.25 kg               Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC)         Grain         1        97.0 %        
0.10 kg               Gladfield Medium Crystal Malt -105L (236 Grain         2        3.0 %         
15.00 g               Simcoe [12.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 min   Hop           3        29.2 IBUs     
360.00 g              Wet Hop Cones - Cascade (360g WET) [6.50 Hop           4        10.1 IBUs     
1.0 pkg               Safale American  (DCL/Fermentis #US-05)  Yeast         5        -             

Currently the cube is in the chest freezer cooling and should be ready to pitch in about 30 mins.

You had me at "Wet hop"

[Shamus O'Sean]

46 minutes ago, Maurice79 said:

 

 

ENORMOUS hop or a man with a tiny hand?

These are amazing.  I must use more fertiliser next year.

[Marty_G]

12 hours ago, Maurice79 said:

From my understanding victoria hops are different than Vic Secret and were a part of the same breeding program as Galaxy so they are have similar parents.

I suppose what has muddied the waters, is "Hop List" has then as the same which could easily be a mistake.  As far as the Galaxy breeding program I have not read that. I have however,  read they were developed at the same time as Topaz who it is sister hop and Galaxy can be used as a substitute. 

[Marty_G]

Changed the recipe and using Victoria to flavour the brew.  Also up down a wet pack of MJ elderflower and lime cider for the wife using 1kg of Dex. How easy was that took 10 minutes from start to finish.   Anyway will be mashing this from about 12noon. 

[Marty_G]

@Maurice79 they are huge hops. So what sort of weight of harvest do you get. Is it like growing tomatoes. You put in 8 weeks of time to save $3.00.  No, but seriously what sort of harvest do you get? 

[Marty_G]

Well brew day is done and dusted for another day.  Hit my numbers for both volume and SG.  But I have to get this chilling and cleaning done a bit more efficiently. Today I saved the first flush from the chiller into a mini wheelie bin with some perc ~ 80l and used for cleanup.  Made cleaning the coil easy but then I thought. Why don't i use the coil as a counter flow and fill the mini wheelie bin with ice and water and run the wort through the coil.  The whole coil is then immersed in the ice and surely that would work better.   Or do I just can the chiller and get a 20L cube and start cubing. 

I also mashed at the high end of the temp range and hope to get a bit more un-fermentable sugars from the mash. I increased the bitterness to try to counter balance the perceived sweetness of the late hops, whirlpool hops and planned  dry hopping. The taste test was noticeably more bitter than previous brews.  

[PaddyBrew2]

I’ve been cubing since i started. There is only pluses no negatives 

faster brew day  

water conserved  

no messy cleanup  

gives you wort to do a starter that you can pitch 24 hours later when the cube is at pitching temp  

the only opponent of cubing is lusty. He likes wearing his tin foil hat. Supposedly cubing can give you botulism and fresh wort kits have been planted by Russian kgb agents to spread corona virus

Get a cube mate. You won’t look back 

[Pickles Jones]

I have only one fermenting fridge (FF). Is the Idea of Cubing, is that you can make up the brew put it in a cube, purge out the airspace then later when the FF is available, pour it into a FV and add the yeast and then in the FF.

[Norris!]

8 minutes ago, Pickles Jones said:

I have only one fermenting fridge (FF). Is the Idea of Cubing, is that you can make up the brew put it in a cube, purge out the airspace then later when the FF is available, pour it into a FV and add the yeast and then in the FF.

Yes. That is part of it. Not chilling it is the other part that allows you to store it in a sterile way, which then allows you to ferment it when you like.

[Pickles Jones]

Thanks Norris, That clears it up for me. I'll give it a go.

[Marty_G]

10 hours ago, PaddyBrew2 said:

I’ve been cubing since i started. There is only pluses no negatives 

faster brew day  

water conserved  

no messy cleanup  

gives you wort to do a starter that you can pitch 24 hours later when the cube is at pitching temp  

the only opponent of cubing is lusty. He likes wearing his tin foil hat. Supposedly cubing can give you botulism and fresh wort kits have been planted by Russian kgb agents to spread corona virus

Get a cube mate. You won’t look back 

I am under the impression, right or wrong, that the late hops have to be tweeked.  I have started to do a hop stand at <80^o for about 20-30minutes and love the aromas I get. Not so much in the beer but in my brewhouse.   

So am I right that the late hop additions need to be tweeked and put in the cube for the hop stand, and in doing so there will be an increase in bitterness due to sitting in over 90 for longer.? 

So what is the process for cubing. I get that the near boiling wort is transferred to the cube but the hop schedules how do they change?  Yesterday I did a 15 minute 40g  Victoria flower addition then a 70g Victoria flower hopstand.  Would that be altered for cubing? I assume the 70g would be put in the cube and the IBUs adjusted? 

[ben 10]

7 minutes ago, MartyG1525230263 said:

Would that be altered for cubing? 

I make my own beers based on my set up (BIAB botchulism style) therefore do not adjust anything..... I do flameout hops, and have done them twice once temp is nearer 80°c for the second. 20 odd litres of work cools rather slowly in an urn.

[Marty_G]

11 minutes ago, Ben 10 said:

I make my own beers based on my set up (BIAB botchulism style) therefore do not adjust anything

So basically carry on doing what I am doing and cube it when the hopstand is done?

My thoughts are the wort has been "pasteurised" to a degree by boiling and the cube should be sterile as well because once empty I would put a perc solution in it and soak until needed. Then rinse with boiling water and bingo sterile transfer.  Cool wort overnight then pitch the next day.  Would save about an hour I reckon. 

[ben 10]

1 minute ago, MartyG1525230263 said:

So basically carry on doing what I am doing and cube it when the hopstand is done?

I think so. What temp is the hopstand intended for?

[Marty_G]

8 minutes ago, Ben 10 said:

I think so. What temp is the hopstand intended for?

I usually do it at around 80⁰ . I think it the best part of the process. The olfactory rewards alone are worth it.  

Edited February 17, 2020 by MartyG1525230263

[ben 10]

Perhaps go a degree or two warmer so you can still cube close to 80°?????

[Worthog]

Well, I couldn't justify the 40L Crown Urn at $300+, so I picked up a 50L SS Pot for $140, plus a few bucks to replace the ball valve.....

The thermometer has proven very accurate. Both ball valve and thermometer are easily removed without tools for cleanup.....

The theaded tap takes a ss threaded barb with a foodgrade high temp hose, reaching to bottom of cube, to drain wort into, after stand and whirlpool...

The temperature probe doesn't interfere with my BIAB bag. The whirlpooled break remains sitting in the center of the pot and I have been delighted at the clarity of the wort trasfer to cube.

I sourced a SS elbow, which leaves only around 2L of wort and all Hot Break in the pot. 

The next day my no-chill cube wort transfers 23L to my FV leaving any remaining settled Break in the cube.

Good, cost effective BIAB setup, which I will use into the future.

Cheers

Edited February 18, 2020 by Worthog

[MitchBastard]

15 hours ago, MartyG1525230263 said:

I am under the impression, right or wrong, that the late hops have to be tweeked.  I have started to do a hop stand at <80^o for about 20-30minutes and love the aromas I get. Not so much in the beer but in my brewhouse.   

So am I right that the late hop additions need to be tweeked and put in the cube for the hop stand, and in doing so there will be an increase in bitterness due to sitting in over 90 for longer.? 

So what is the process for cubing. I get that the near boiling wort is transferred to the cube but the hop schedules how do they change?  Yesterday I did a 15 minute 40g  Victoria flower addition then a 70g Victoria flower hopstand.  Would that be altered for cubing? I assume the 70g would be put in the cube and the IBUs adjusted? 

I do my whirl pool hops at 90deg. Bout 20 mins and by then it’s down to about 82-84 and a good temp to cube (80+) 
 

ive never adjusted for greater hop contact time in hot wort once cubed. I figured the hops arnt the exact AA % as per packet due to age/transport/ you name it, so there is some wiggle room. 
 

my latest batch, I used a hop sock for my WP addition and removed prior to cubbing and I think its a bit under whelming TBH.  would have been better commando whil pooling maybe and maybe stealing a touch more bitterness from longer contact time. If it even makes a difference. 

[Marty_G]

7 hours ago, MitchBastard said:

I used a hop sock for my WP addition and removed prior to cubbing and I think its a bit under whelming TBH.  would have been better commando

I have gone commando the last two brews as I have been using flowers but not too sure i would want to do it with pellets.  I envisage a unholy mess, high particulates in the wort, blocked racking arm/ball cock and crap in the pump which is connected directly to the ball cock.  

[Geoff S]

Bottled an IPA Hop Slam (AU)with 1.5 gr or kg of malt & half the dry hops called for, then an Extra Smooth Bitter(Coopers recipe) but with 1x BE 2 instead of BE 1 & 200gr of molassas, this will be interesting, can yeast 7gr, og 1036. I thought there might not be enough yeast but it's frothing & bubbling away 12 or so hrs later.

Edited February 19, 2020 by Geoff S
More info

[Journeyman]

4 minutes ago, Geoff S said:

Bottled an IPA Hop Slam (AU()with 1.5 gr malt 

 1.5 kg maybe?

[Geoff S]

Yeah, that!  ooops!

[Maurice79]

On 2/17/2020 at 1:18 PM, MartyG1525230263 said:

@Maurice79 they are huge hops. So what sort of weight of harvest do you get. Is it like growing tomatoes. You put in 8 weeks of time to save $3.00.  No, but seriously what sort of harvest do you get? 

Last year would have been close to 4kg dry. This year I will pay better attention and record the total dry yield. Should be similar to last year, maybe a little more.

Overall it would be easier and cheaper to just buy hops. The killer is the time involved in picking, drying and vacum sealing them along with setting up and maintaining the trellis. Vac seal bags are not cheap either, especially if you package in smaller quantities. Ultimately I could get a way with just buying pellets for bittering with a know alpha % and just use our home grown for flavour and aroma. The amount we are harvesting each year would last me till the next harvest.

We have six crowns currently - 2 each of chinook, cascade and victoria. Next year I will replace one of the chinook with centennial and maybe try a columbus. The aim would be to just have 4 going forward.

 

[Otto Von Blotto]

Also, hops added to a cube with wort in the low 80s aren't likely to give any noticeable bitterness anyway. Obviously the isomerisation rate drops the lower the temperature drops from boiling point and by that point it's pretty low and since the temperature only goes down from there...

With pale ales I don't really do whirlpool hops, flameout hops go in at flameout, I give them ten minutes then hoist the hop spider out and drain/squeeze it, stir up a whirlpool in the urn, then let it sit for 15 minutes before draining it into the cube. I estimate the temp would be around the mid 80s, with the transfer itself dropping it another few degrees. Wouldn't take it long to drop below 80.