Brew Day What Have Ya Got - 2023

[Greenyinthewestofsydney]

Put down a 4L hard limonade batch last night with the fruit off my trees. Once this one is finished will make another and pour it on top of the trub. Should be good for a change on those warm days ahead.

 

[Shamus O'Sean]

Hop Nation's Rattenhund Classic Pilsner

Based on The Homebrew Network's Youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxbKAvJKeVg

• Batch volume 30 litres.  Concentrated wort, diluted with 8 litres of water in the FV (actually needed 10 litres to get down to the target OG of 1.050).  Volume also ended up a bit short, 29 litres.
• Target ABV 4.7%; EBC 7; IBU 40
• I did the decoction mash, where you scoop out 1/3rd of the mash (grain and wort) and boil it for 15 minutes.  Then you add it back to the mash.  It is supposed to create unique flavours.  Time will tell.
• I also boiled the wort for 105 minutes as recommended in the video.  Made for a long but cruisy brew day.
• No boil hops either.  All the hops were a whirlpool addition, immediately after flame out.  I even turned on the heat to maintain mid to high 90°C for the first half of the hopstand.

Recipe

• 6.1kg Weyermann Floor Malted Bohemian Pilsner Malt (91%)
• 600g Coopers Premium Wheat Malt (9%)
• 100g Saaz (18.4 IBU) and 100g Spalter Select (21.2 IBU) 23 minute hopstand at 97°C
• Salts added to convert my Melbourne Water to Pilsen Water
• 9ml Lactic Acid
• 1pkg Pilsen Yeast (Bluestone Yeast Co.) (I did a 2 step starter to nearly triple the amount of yeast cells)
• Here is a link to my recipe on Brewfather https://share.brewfather.app/q7xav3i0oO5eax

Fermenting at 10°C

To get good value out of this yeast I am planning a Rice Lager and a Munich Dunkel in coming months.

Boiling up the decoction mash

Transferring to the fermenter

 

[jennyss]

7 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Salts added to convert my Melbourne Water to Pilsen Water

What is Pilsen Water please Shamus?

[Aussiekraut]

31 minutes ago, jennyss said:

What is Pilsen Water please Shamus?

Pilsen is a place in Czechia, where the Pilsner style originates. Pilsner water would be water with a chemistry resembling what they used there to brew the classic Pilsner.

[Cheap Charlie]

9 hours ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

No boil hops either.

Hmm, interesting idea. I am actually doing a pilsner right now, albeit a lot simpler than yours.

• 4.5kg extra pale
• 250g carapils
• 90g Hallertau

I was figuring I would do half the hops in the boil and the rest in a hopstand

[Cheap Charlie]

German Pils v1.0 as above

Edited July 15, 2023 by Cheap Charlie

[jennyss]

@Cheap Charlie - Wow - did I read that right - 4.75kg of malt for your 34 litre brew of German Pils! I am used to my extract brew volumes and quantities.

[Aussiekraut]

Ein Helles. First brew in and around the new brewery.  I have everything in one place now, except measuring spoons, a glass to take samples, a bowl to use to weigh hops...well, I do now  The only thing missing is a sink, so I have to go inside every now and then to rinse things but I'm sure I can come up with a solution for that. I had a little stuff-up when I wondered why the Guten didn't stop dinging, until I realised this was to give me a chance to add the grains for the mash. Manually continued until I realised, so I missed 5 minutes of the first mash step. I knew I was still a little too jet-lagged to focus on brewing but did it anyway. I overshot the numbers big time again with 9 points over pre-boil SG and 5 points over OG estimates. It seems to happen every time I use large amounts of Weyermann Premium Pilsner Malt. Do you hear me complain? 

4.4kg Weyermann Premium Pilsner
0.5kg Weyermann Munich 1
0.2g GF Sour Grapes
42g Hallertau mf 4.0% @60min
25g Hersbrucker 40% @10min
6g Hallertau mf 4.0% @10min

It's in the cube to cool down to 18C and I'll put it in the FV tomorrow, then pitch 2 packs of MJ M76, then drop the temp to 13C.

 

Edited July 16, 2023 by Aussiekraut

[Cheap Charlie]

2 hours ago, jennyss said:

@Cheap Charlie - Wow - did I read that right - 4.75kg of malt for your 34 litre brew of German Pils! I am used to my extract brew volumes and quantities.

By the time the boil is over, that 34L loses a lot to evaporation, and I get a standard 23L which fits into a cube. As for the grain, it is roughly half a 20L bucket.

[Shamus O'Sean]

Czech Budvar Lager.  I made this before (See previous version here).  However, I never got to taste it.  Passed both kegs onto others.

I should have checked my notes for the previous brew because I made the same mistake.  I set the Brew House Efficiency too high.  Therefore I had to add less top-up water (6 L instead of 8 L) to get the intended OG.  

This version is more traditionally hopped.  Last time I used some Magnum in the 60 minute boil because that was all I had.

I also think there is something wrong with the current batch of Acidulated Malt I have.  The grains are much darker than I recall.  So the colour of this brew was darker than the 10 EBC indicated in the recipe.

[Cheap Charlie]

This morning I am doing another German Pils, very simple brew, just aiming for a consistent brew. Just Extra Pale Malt with 5% Carapils, acid rest @ 52º (yes, I copied you @Shamus O'Sean) 67º main rest and mash out 76º. 45g saaz in the boil and another 45g of saaz hop stand at the end. Predicted OG 1.047 for and ABV of 5%, IBU 30.5, EBC 6.5. The predicted stats says it falls within the German Pils style, however it will be on the lower end for OG, FG and ABV.

 

 

[Aussiekraut]

C***up Lager mashing away. 
 

[Aussiekraut]

Another Sunday, another brew day  

This will be a modified version of Mötley Brëw and it will be a lager, hence the name Mötley Läger. I added some Carahell for more body and a little RedX for colour. On paper, it looks good but the extra kilo of grain is a little challenging for the good old Guten. I think 6.5kg is the max it can handle and I am using 6. During the mash, I had to remove the top plate as it was restricting the flow of the recirculated liquor and levels were rising near the overflow tube. but without it, I have to ensure the liquid doesn't just dig a channel into the grain bed. So far, it seems ok and after half hour, the liquor is nice and amber in colour and is running pretty clear. 

I'll be using NovaLager at 18C in the hope I get it into a keg for lagering in 2 weeks instead of the usual three for lagers. Fingers crossed.

 

Edited August 5, 2023 by Aussiekraut

[Classic Brewing Co]

3 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said:

Another Sunday, another brew day  

This will be a modified version of Mötley Brëw and it will be a lager, hence the name Mötley Läger. I added some Carahell for more body and a little RedX for colour. On paper, it looks good but the extra kilo of grain is a little challenging for the good old Guten. I think 6.5kg is the max it can handle and I am using 6. During the mash, I had to remove the top plate as it was restricting the flow of the recirculated liquor and levels were rising near the overflow tube. but without it, I have to ensure the liquid doesn't just dig a canal into the grain bed. So far, it seems ok and after half hour, the liquor is nice and amber in colour and is running pretty clear. 

I'll be using NovaLager at 18C in the hope I get it into a keg for lagering in 2 weeks instead of the usual three for lagers. Fingers crossed.

 

Good one AK, sounds good, I should be brewing today but put it off until tomorrow. I have been detailing the Brew Zilla & cleaning up the rest of the equipment. I hope it's warmer tomorrow, it's only 6c down by the beach.

[Aussiekraut]

3 hours ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Good one AK, sounds good, I should be brewing today but put it off until tomorrow. I have been detailing the Brew Zilla & cleaning up the rest of the equipment. I hope it's warmer tomorrow, it's only 6c down by the beach.

That's a little fresh. At least it was 14 when I started this morning. 

[Classic Brewing Co]

13 minutes ago, Aussiekraut said:

That's a little fresh. At least it was 14 when I started this morning. 

Well, it's 12c now, by the time it reaches our maximum for the day 15c it will start going down again. 

The overnight is for tonight is 5c 

[Shamus O'Sean]

5 hours ago, Aussiekraut said:

Another Sunday, another brew day  

This will be a modified version of Mötley Brëw and it will be a lager, hence the name Mötley Läger. I added some Carahell for more body and a little RedX for colour. On paper, it looks good but the extra kilo of grain is a little challenging for the good old Guten. I think 6.5kg is the max it can handle and I am using 6. During the mash, I had to remove the top plate as it was restricting the flow of the recirculated liquor and levels were rising near the overflow tube. but without it, I have to ensure the liquid doesn't just dig a channel into the grain bed. So far, it seems ok and after half hour, the liquor is nice and amber in colour and is running pretty clear. 

I'll be using NovaLager at 18C in the hope I get it into a keg for lagering in 2 weeks instead of the usual three for lagers. Fingers crossed.

 

The brew sounds amazing AK.  I did not brew this weekend and I am jealous reading your description and looking at your pictures.

[Otto Von Blotto]

Made a pale ale yesterday to use up some more hops. Was gonna do a pilsner but not enough pilsner malt left for a batch. First brew in some time, having not really felt like doing it until now. Planning to do a red ale in a couple of weeks, and after that I'll get some more malt and hops for future brews. 

[Hilltop hops]

Brew day finally, been too long. LHBS recipe using Wakatu in place of Dr Rudi. Might grab a FWK as well over the next few days to make sure kegs are ready for footy finals time. 

[Red devil 44]

AG Balter XPA clone mashing in.

‘Firing up the Weber later also for my marinated spare ribs, happy days. 

[Pale Man]

Just put down another FWK, Bearded Dragon Pale Ale ( All In Brewing )

Geez they are a pain in the starfish to get into the fermenter, i defy anyone not to spill some, or get it on your hands.

[Classic Brewing Co]

1 hour ago, Pale Man said:

Just put down another FWK, Bearded Dragon Pale Ale ( All In Brewing )

Geez they are a pain in the starfish to get into the fermenter, i defy anyone not to spill some, or get it on your hands.

Hey Paley, I don't have any problem, just whack it on the bench & open the tap, no spillage, no waste.

 

[Pale Man]

14 minutes ago, Classic Brewing Co said:

Hey Paley, I don't have any problem, just whack it on the bench & open the tap, no spillage, no waste.

 

Ok my Ol Sausage, i'll try that next time.

[Shamus O'Sean]

Brew Day today was another Rice Lager.  Done the hard way by doing a cereal mash of the rice.  Not hard work, but adds lots of extra time to the brew day.

Cereal mash process:

• Heat main mash vol (22.4L) to 80°C
• Pause main mash temp at 80°C
• Transfer 10L to cereal mash pot with recirc arm
• Connect chiller and recirc.  
• Pause main mash at 40°C
• Heat cereal mash water in kitchen to 78°C
• Add rice and 1kg Pilsner
• Mash for 20 minutes at 74°C stirring the whole time
• Heat mash and boil for 30 minutes stirring the whole time
• Back out to garage and add back to main mash 
• Also adding grains and rice hulls

Recipe

• 5.5kg Gladfield German Pilsner Malt
• 1.5kg Rice
• 12g Magnum, 50 minute boil
• 18g Pride of Ringwood, 15 minute boil

Ingredients ready to go.

Very milky wort

Transferring to the FV.  Look away @Classic Brewing Co, its a dirty batch onto the yeast cake of the Rattenhund kegged yesterday.

[Back Brewing]

3 minutes ago, Shamus O'Sean said:

Brew Day today was another Rice Lager.  Done the hard way by doing a cereal mash of the rice.  Not hard work, but adds lots of extra time to the brew day.

Cereal mash process:

• Heat main mash vol (22.4L) to 80°C
• Pause main mash temp at 80°C
• Transfer 10L to cereal mash pot with recirc arm
• Connect chiller and recirc.  
• Pause main mash at 40°C
• Heat cereal mash water in kitchen to 78°C
• Add rice and 1kg Pilsner
• Mash for 20 minutes at 74°C stirring the whole time
• Heat mash and boil for 30 minutes stirring the whole time
• Back out to garage and add back to main mash 
• Also adding grains and rice hulls

Recipe

• 5.5kg Gladfield German Pilsner Malt
• 1.5kg Rice
• 12g Magnum, 50 minute boil
• 18g Pride of Ringwood, 15 minute boil

Ingredients ready to go.

Very milky wort

Transferring to the FV.  Look away @Classic Brewing Co, its a dirty batch onto the yeast cake of the Rattenhund kegged yesterday.

Mate that looks a full on pretty intense brew day