What's in Your Fermenter 2023?

[kmar92]

16 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

This month's Coopers Craft Recipe of the Month - Hibiscus Kolsch

The Hibiscus Tea steep looked like beetroot juice.  I cannot wait to see this one in a glass.

I decided to take it up to 10 litres instead of the recipe's 8.5 litres.  It will dilute the IBU and EBC a bit and make it around 4.6% ABV instead of the intended 6.2%.

I wasn't going to do a beer this weekend.  However, weather was rubbish plus I had the ROTM in the cupboard with a couple of hours to spare, so why not.

Ingredients:

Looks a bit like tomato juice in the fermenter:

Interesting colour in the FV there @Shamus O'Sean

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

@Shamus O'Sean think that's the first time I have seen a krausen collar on the craft fermenter. I do not think mine came with one. Purchased separately?

[Classic Brewing Co]

9 hours ago, Uhtred Of Beddanburg said:

@Shamus O'Sean think that's the first time I have seen a krausen collar on the craft fermenter. I do not think mine came with one. Purchased separately?

I have got 2 of those & the collars need to be purchased separately.

[Red devil 44]

Threw a quick recipe K&K pack down, no time for an All Grain this break.

150 Lashes Pack

1 x Morgan’s Pacific Pale Ale Can 

1 x Wheat Malt can

12g Cascade & Amarillo Dry Hop

Premium American Ale Yeast 15g

Ferment at 19 degrees then CC

 

[Shamus O'Sean]

17 hours ago, Uhtred Of Beddanburg said:

@Shamus O'Sean think that's the first time I have seen a krausen collar on the craft fermenter. I do not think mine came with one. Purchased separately?

Yes, purchased separately.

I got the Krausen collar because I sometimes push the capacity of the Craft Fermenter.  In this case, it has just over 10 litres in it.  I am glad I did fit it this time because the Lallemand Kolsch Koln yeast has gone a bit bonkers.  Photo is about 25 hours after pitching.

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

10 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

I have got 2 of those & the collars need to be purchased separately.

Thanks mate I may have to blow the dust of mine at some stage and use it for a Malter white apple juice.

 

@Shamus O'Sean looks very vigorous indeed, I have never made a Kolsch  before and was wondering what's so different about it.  Is it kind of a hybrid yeast? Ale yeast brewed a little cooler but what does it give that's different from other ales? 

[Shamus O'Sean]

2 hours ago, Uhtred Of Beddanburg said:

@Shamus O'Sean looks very vigorous indeed, I have never made a Kolsch  before and was wondering what's so different about it.  Is it kind of a hybrid yeast? Ale yeast brewed a little cooler but what does it give that's different from other ales? 

I have done a couple of Kolsch's.  All with the Lallemand yeast.  For me Kolsch's are lager-like, but with some subtle fruitiness in the background.  Mine do not have the crisp bite of a lager.  Very easy drinking.  With a smoothness to their mouthfeel.

In this Hibiscus Kolsch, it should allow flavours and fruitiness from the hibiscus tea to stand out.  Definitely looking forward to try this one.

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

@Shamus O'Sean never heard of that type of tea but sounds interesting and I'm sure would be nice. 

I will have to try a kolsh myself as they are lagered to condition at cool temps? so it's wierd that like an ale yeast but then treated like a lager to condition?

Thats why I ask if sort of hybrid, are the phrases used to describe a yeast these days a bit out dated? Top fermenting and bottom fermenting yeast? 

Most lager yeasts now at cool temps rip through a brew similar time scale to an ale.

I once tried a commercial kolsh and did not like it as much as a lager. This was years ago and my taste has changed heaps over the years. So I guess I have never tried a home brew kolsh.

Edited February 5, 2023 by Uhtred Of Beddanburg

[iBooz2]

On 2/5/2023 at 4:44 PM, Shamus O'Sean said:

Yes, purchased separately.

I got the Krausen collar because I sometimes push the capacity of the Craft Fermenter.  In this case, it has just over 10 litres in it.  I am glad I did fit it this time because the Lallemand Kolsch Koln yeast has gone a bit bonkers.  Photo is about 25 hours after pitching.

Looks like one of those instant pudding mixes ha ha.  Sounds like a ripper beer.

[iBooz2]

The big 58 L Kegmenter has 44 L of my Outback pub lager at the end of cold crash and is waiting for me to keg.  Have to do another double batch brew day before I can do this as I want to pitch another dirty batch on top of the DL trub.

Coopers FV # 2 has 22 L of my COPA which has now hit FG and it's just started its cold crash routine.

Coopers FV # 1 has 22 L of one half of a side by side batch of my 150 Lashes clone (the 44 L) using Windsor yeast and was pitched today.

Fermzilla FV has 22 L of the other half of a side by side batch of my 150 Lashes clone (the 44 L) but this one is using Nottingham yeast and was also pitched today.

Edited February 6, 2023 by iBooz2

[Uhtred Of Beddanburg]

@iBooz2 are you sure you have enough beer on the go there?

[Cheap Charlie]

2 hours ago, Uhtred Of Beddanburg said:

@iBooz2 are you sure you have enough beer on the go there?

gotta keep ahead of the curve.. supply and demand

[iBooz2]

2 hours ago, Cheap Charlie said:

gotta keep ahead of the curve.. supply and demand

Yep the demand is drowning me! ha ha

Edited February 6, 2023 by iBooz2

[iBooz2]

4 hours ago, Uhtred Of Beddanburg said:

@iBooz2 are you sure you have enough beer on the go there?

NUP!

[Classic Brewing Co]

I went out to Beerbelly Brewing Supplies for a bit of stock, so I am going to make another Stout & also the Coopers Bootmaker Pale Ale, I have the brew enhancer & some Weyermann Carapils Malt & BE3 to kickup up the Pale Ale with the Notty Yeast, the Stout will get the Dark Dried Malt & the BE 2 with the S-04 Yeast.

A few other accessories & then off to Coopers Ale House for a drink, following.

[NBillett09]

Coopers Fruit Salad Ale

I split the 21L recipe into 2 x 10.5L batches, both exactly the same, but I used Lallemand New England American East Coast Ale yeast and I’m gonna dry hop one with some El Dorado. Probably 25g as a half batch isn’t very big. Both in the same fridge so the only differences will be the different FV size and the dry hop.

Could be super frooty, could be a miss, we shall see!

[kmar92]

33 minutes ago, NBillett09 said:

Coopers Fruit Salad Ale

I split the 21L recipe into 2 x 10.5L batches, both exactly the same, but I used Lallemand New England American East Coast Ale yeast and I’m gonna dry hop one with some El Dorado. Probably 25g as a half batch isn’t very big. Both in the same fridge so the only differences will be the different FV size and the dry hop.

Could be super frooty, could be a miss, we shall see!

Any particular reason that you split the batch?

[NBillett09]

@kmar92 as a beginners experiment in flavour/aroma. Was also gonna be a first attempt at dry hopping but I ended up doing a couple other brews that were dry hopped. It’s only my 6th brew so I’m learning the practical effects of dry hopping and what changes it makes.

[Graculus]

I put down a SMOTY yesterday afternoon. This is going to be my winter drinking beer this year.
I think I'll give stout a miss.

SMOTY Recipe

Followed the instructions this time. But due to someone asking in a thread the other week about adding extra fermentables I bought double the amount of hops.

I'm thinking that I'll put another SMOTY down when this is done, but I'll add some dextrose, or LDME or even a steep of grain.
I'll reuse the yeast from this one, so that'll leave me a couple of packets of yeast for whatever I might need it for.

[Classic Brewing Co]

Today a Coopers Bootmaker Pale, all tucked away in the brew fridge. I boiled & steeped 200gms of Weyermann Carpils Malt,

I discovered I could sort of sparge the bag without burning my hands. 

 

 

[iBooz2]

1 hour ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Today a Coopers Bootmaker Pale, all tucked away in the brew fridge. I boiled & steeped 200gms of Weyermann Carpils Malt,

I discovered I could sort of sparge the bag without burning my hands. 

 

 

 

I hope you did not boil the grains, you only do that after the steep or mash is finished and the grains removed.

Also you only steeped some of them as they all need to be fully submerged in the liquid.  Tip = put enough hot water in your pot for the size of grain bag and try to have grains loose as they will expand when wet.

For sparging use a colander, sit the grain bag in colander on another smaller pot if its too small for a larger pot and then trickle/pour say 1-5 L of 76 C water over the bag, give the bag only the tiniest of squeezes just to stop drips and avoid tannin's.  Sparge water must be between 75 C and 79 C NEVER boiling water straight out of the kettle, maximum temp is 79 C.

If anyone would like me to do a photo tutorial on how I do this please let me know.  My OXO colander in pic has fold out handles so it can stradle a 20 L pot or 35 L digiboil.  Easy as to sparge then.

For small grain steeps you could drain/sparge by putting the grain bag into a steamer pot, an attachment bit that you sit over your one or more of your smaller pots to steam veg etc. use that just like a colander.

Edited February 11, 2023 by iBooz2

[Classic Brewing Co]

13 minutes ago, iBooz2 said:

I hope you did not boil the grains, you only do that after the steep or mash is finished and the grains removed.

Also you only steeped some of them as they all need to be fully submerged in the liquid.  Tip = put enough hot water in your pot for the size of grain bag and try to have grains loose as they will expand when wet.

For sparging use a colander, sit the grain bag in colander on another smaller pot if its too small for a larger pot and then trickle/pour say 1-5 L of 76 C water over the bag, give the bag only the tiniest of squeezes just to stop drips and avoid tannin's.  Sparge water must be between 75 C and 79 C NEVER boiling water straight out of the kettle, maximum temp is 79 C.

If anyone would like me to do a photo tutorial on how I do this please let me know.  My OXO colander in pic has fold out handles so it can stradle a 20 L pot or 35 L digiboil.  Easy as to sparge then.

For small grain steeps you could drain/sparge by putting the grain bag into a steamer pot, an attachment bit that you sit over your one or more of your smaller pots to steam veg etc. use that just like a colander.

Hi Al, I didn't boil the grains, they were steeped in more water, I had removed some of the water & put it in a bigger pot (not shown, I didn't do what you would call a full sparge, this was only a quick K & K to get some beer in a fermenter.

You will note the digital thermometer, the water was at 75c. I was going to boil some POR with the liquid but decided to dry hop a litter later.

Cheers.

[iBooz2]

17 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Hi Al, I didn't boil the grains, they were steeped in more water, I had removed some of the water & put it in a bigger pot (not shown, I didn't do what you would call a full sparge, this was only a quick K & K to get some beer in a fermenter.

You will note the digital thermometer, the water was at 75c. I was going to boil some POR with the liquid but decided to dry hop a litter later.

Cheers.

OK, all good then.  No problem.  I was just clarifying the process for those watching that may / should try this technique and may have been confused by your post (like I was).  Sorry, should have known better.

Edited February 11, 2023 by iBooz2

[NBillett09]

@Graculuswhat is SMOTY an acronym for? Looks like a nice beer!

[iBooz2]

10 minutes ago, NBillett09 said:

@Graculuswhat is SMOTY an acronym for? Looks like a nice beer!

Shortest Month Of The Year.  Gets em in every year ha ha. 

Usually our brewing community lay these down so they are drinkable in the colder months (Southern Hemisphere of course), better get cracking on a SMOTY @NBillett09 and enjoy.   Cheers - AL

Edited February 11, 2023 by iBooz2