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Brew Day!! Watcha' got, eh!? no.3


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G'day Porschemadman

 

I have to admit I saw this early this morning and am still incredibly impressed by your methodical and "scientific" approach. Getting sufficient information to measure efficiency and lots of other useful data to allow you to fine tune and improve your results.

 

You have a quick and meteoric rise ahead of you; you poor poor bastard who's about to go over the edge.

 

Cheers

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Brew day today! happy

 

I normally brew on Sundays but had a rare spare FV so decided to put one down today. As mentioned in another thread, I've recently been loading up on hops to pound out some real bombs over the next few brews. I even snuck out & bought another 80gms of Chinook earlier today! biggrin

 

Anyways, this brew is the most amount of hops I've EVER thrown at a recipe before. And as such I reckon it's worthy of a catchy name that helps describe it a little.

 

250cc Pale Ale

 

Coopers Light LME 1.5kg

LDM 500gms

Dextrose 150gms

Munich Malt grain 500gms

Medium Crystal grain 250gms

Dark Wheat Malt grain 250gms

CaraHell grain 150gms

Warrior 10gms @ 60mins

Cascade 20gms @ 20mins

Citra 20gms @ 5mins

Chinook 15gms @ 5mins

Cascade 15gms @ 5mins

Chinook 15gms @ flameout

Cascade 15gms @ flameout

Centennial 20gms @ flameout

Citra/Centennial/Chinook/Cascade 30gms of each dry hopped.

Re-hydrated US-05

Brewed to 23 litres

Ferment @ 18°C

OG = approx. 1.045

FG = approx. 1.011

Bottled ABV = 4.9%

Kegged ABV = 4.5%

EBC = 15.0

IBU = 37.7

 

As I'm only doing a 6-7 litre boil, I will be "Hop tea'ing" the flameout hop additions separately from the main boil as I don't want to lose too much wort to hop absorption & in theory should get a better bang for my buck from hop tea'ing those flameout additions in pure water as opposed to a wort of some gravity.

 

I swear I'm almost drooling just typing this! love

 

Anyways, the mini-mash is just about done so better get back to it.

 

I'll update down the track. wink

 

Cheers,

 

Anthony.

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As I'm only doing a 6-7 litre boil' date=' I will be "Hop tea'ing" the flameout hop additions separately from the main boil as I don't want to lose too much wort to hop absorption & in theory should get a better bang for my buck from hop tea'ing those flameout additions in pure water as opposed to a wort of some gravity.

.[/quote']

 

I think as long as you don't go too skinny with the volume of liquid vs the hop weight' date=' you're pretty safe to extract a heightened level of the hop flavours & aromas.

[/quote']

 

Confused am I.

 

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G'day Porschemadman

 

I have to admit I saw this early this morning and am still incredibly impressed by your methodical and "scientific" approach. Getting sufficient information to measure efficiency and lots of other useful data to allow you to fine tune and improve your results.

 

You have a quick and meteoric rise ahead of you; you poor poor bastard who's about to go over the edge.

 

Cheers

 

Thanks Antiphile' date=' I am looking forward to my next brew day already when I can use what I've learned to tweak the process a bit. Got a weekend down in Melbourne and then my mum's over visiting for a week or so so I'm sure time will fly by and it will come quickly!

 

My main barrier to going 'over the edge' at the moment is that my wife will kill me if I buy a much larger stock pot to do all grain BIAB. Then she'll kill me again when I buy a wort chiller to go with it. And then she would kill me yet again after seeing how much water the chiller used. And then she would kill me for one last time after seeing all the beer I'd have to drink!

 

So I think I'll have avoid being quadruple-killed and have fun doing small batch BIAB partials for a while. I can see that being able to mash say 2kg of base malt and specialty grains opens up a lot of recipe horizons [img']biggrin[/img]

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Hahaha ... I am surprised I am allowed to plant my Perle rhizome, just need to find a spare afternoon to build the trellis.

 

Ben how did you know I was looking at Crown Urns on sale @ Nationalhomebrew last night? Thankfully it looks like they are out of stock now considering it was my overtime payday yesterday innocent

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Hi Ben. smile

As I'm only doing a 6-7 litre boil' date=' I will be "Hop tea'ing" the flameout hop additions separately from the main boil as I don't want to lose too much wort to hop absorption & in theory should get a better bang for my buck from hop tea'ing those flameout additions in pure water as opposed to a wort of some gravity.

.[/quote']

 

I think as long as you don't go too skinny with the volume of liquid vs the hop weight' date=' you're pretty safe to extract a heightened level of the hop flavours & aromas.

[/quote']

 

Confused am I.

I'm not exactly sure what you are confused about as you haven't stated anything particular, but I'll try to explain WHAT I did & WHY I did given the quotes of mine you've highlighted.

 

Firstly, there is a BIG difference between the way I brew to how you brew. I'm an extract based brewer who mashes smaller grain volumes to combine with extract to make-up my total wort. You are an All Grain brewer who derives the entire wort from pure grain.

 

Secondly, my starting hop boil volumes are significantly smaller to that of what yours are. i.e. for a starting 23 litre brew yours might be 26-28 litres or more (pre-hop boil unsure), whereas mine is 6-7 litres to leave probably 4-5 litres of concentrated hopped wort to add into my fermenter along with unhopped extract based wort & pure water prior to yeast pitching & starting fermentation.

 

That said, our hop absorption rates & evaporation rates during a hop boil would be almost identical for a similar recipe dependent on the circumference of our boil vessel.

 

So what does that all mean & why is it even important?...

 

The boil off evaporation is not overly important, but the hop absorption is VERY important for me in this scenario. Given such a small volume of liquid to start with combined with the very large percentage of hops I am using in the recipe (you took that quote from), makes a hell of a difference! rightful

 

The more hops you add, the more wort they absorb. I've quoted a figure in another thread previously (I CBF looking for it right now), but given my small volume hop boils using large hop amounts with them I need to be mindful of the 'concentrated' wort they absorb. What they do absorb detracts from the overall malt character of my beer in a noticeable way the more hops I use in my boils.

 

Today when I was cleaning up after my brew, I was bagging the used grain & hop matter in the method I always do, & there was a clear colour distinction between the hop matter I strained away from the hop boil against that of the hop matter I strained away from the pure water hop (flameout-like) steep. As you can imagine the hop boil based hop matter was brown in colour due to the malt based wort it had absorbed, whereas the pure hop/water combo (flameout-like) steep was very green in colour due to being exposed to pure water.

 

I wish I'd taken a picture of the two hop colours to give a true idea of absorption. I will with the next hop bomb recipe in a week or twos time.

 

Hop related liquid absorption is relevant, particularly when small volume hop boiling (IMHO).

 

Cheers,

 

Anthony.

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In one statement you mention hops and gravity of liquid (although I neglected to quote that) being important, and then you say you get better utilisation from plain water in a hop tea.

I was trying to highlight my perception of your statements regarding that, rather than volumes.

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I don't pretend to have all the answers Ben. If you are really interested in understanding hop utilization, smarter minds than myself have attempted to educate us on it.

 

How To Brew - John Palmer: Hop Bittering Calculations

 

On a personal note, given what I've read & then learned from practical brewing experiences, I'd suggest aroma additions may well be heightened by accepting that increased utilization occurs when hops are used in this way in lower gravities.

 

I don't believe the "hop tea" became fashionable for no reason.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

Anthony.

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I don't believe the "hop tea" became fashionable for no reason.

.

 

Hmm, perhaps hop tea became popular for the same reason 1040 did? Because someone said so then it snowballed.

Further confused am I. Reading more shall I do, and drinking more, which help may not....

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Edited: have just put this one down. Hope it's a nice easy drinker.

 

So what's a Blonde Ale? Lighter then a Pale? More easy drinking? Lower malt profile?

 

Recipe looks good though.

 

Hope you've been well Ben10. Meant to be an American lighter ale with more focus on the malt than hops. Apparently it was common in early craft brew to encourage Bud and Coors drinkers over to craft brew.

 

Years ago when I started branching out there was a well known Sydney brew called Bondi Blonde that I enjoyed. This is an attempt at that. Plan to bottle today. Tasting very nice. Those helga hops are delicious, and the aroma is beautiful. I think it could do with some Munich next time.

 

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Brew day was actually yesterday, but it was a busy day, so posting now.

I did the Artisan Reserve ROTM, pretty much according to the recipe:

5 litres of water brought to the boil with 500g of LDM.

Added 25g Hallertau for 5 min boil, then added 25g Hersbrucker for a further 5 min boil.

The only real variance from the recipe; it takes forever for 5 litres of water with malt in to boil, so I got impatient, and added 1 litre of boiling water to speed things up.

I cooled the pot in a water bath with ice for a while, strained into the FV - well actually I strained it into a cleaned and sanitized bucket, then tipped this into the FV.

Added the additional 1kg of LDM mixed through, added the Euro Lager can, filled up with water and as it was a 30c day couldn't get the brew down to lower than 24c, so pitched the Saflager W - 34/70, then managed to get the brew down to 14c overnight.

OG was 1048.

 

After that, naturally enough it was time to reward myself, so I had a couple of glasses of my recently brewed APA with added steeped and dry hops (Cascade), bottled on 17/9/14.

 

Of course I have to add that I bottled my ESVA on Monday, which looks like it will come in pretty close to the expected 7.5%A/V - so can't see myself drinking more than one or two glasses of that at a time, unless I'm planning to pass out!

 

Naturally I washed out the FV etc straight after, then left the FV soaking in diluted bleach overnight, rinsing it out just prior to making my Artisan Reserve.

 

So I currently have on hand; a few bottles of the Heritage Lager, close to a full batch of European Lager, a batch of ESVA, my recently brewed APA with Cascade, and the Artisan Reserve in the FV.

Already planning my next batch, which considering the early onset of warm weather, will likely be another ale of some sort, perhaps another APA, Canadian Blonde, Sparkling Ale, or maybe a Wheat beer.

 

Considering this time last year I was just starting to steep and dry hop, I've come a long way, now doing boils, specialty grains, and using more malts.

That said, I like the balance of making a few complex beers, and the odd simple one like the APA; there's something clean and pure about making a simple beer, and somehow the simplicity makes it more refreshing.

 

I don't think I can quite go back to plain old K&K, but kits and bits (hops, malts etc) and maybe moving to extract brewing certainly has its appeal.

As for full grain brewing, that's a step too far for now, but that may change.

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Hey everyone. I'm putting down this nice lawnmower beer over the long weekend in between my UK IPA & Coopers Saison. I haven't used Summer hops before so I'm look forward to the result.

 

Summer Draught

1.7kg Coopers Traditional Draught

500g LDM

300g Dextrose

250g Caramunich

15g Summer @ 20 minutes

15g Summer @ flameout

30g Summer dry hop

MJ West Coast Yeast

21lt brew

 

I’ve read that Summer really excels when dry hopped, does anyone with some experience using this species think I should leave some hops out of the boil and dry hop more? Or both? I’ve got 90 g to play with all up and I am in no way adverse to a hoppy beer.

 

Cheers + beers,

Mark

 

 

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Hi Mark.

 

I think your recipe looks good. smile

 

Your hops schedule is near exactly the way I would use a hop like this first time out as part of a kits & bits recipe. I too have read that the Summer hop works well as an aroma hop. I tried a commercial craft beer that was hopped with it a little while ago & it was a nice easy summer drinker.

 

I have plans to try the hop myself in the near future, as I feel it has some similar properties to the very popular Amarillo. wink

 

I'll be interested in your comments on this brew once at a suitable drinking point.

 

Good luck with it.

 

Anthony.

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Thanks Lusty, I will let you know how it turns out cool

 

Which commercial beer was it that you tried? I've got a few Bridge Road Single Hop Summer IPAs in the fridge at the moment. It's only 4.8% which makes it a great session beer, the hops aren't in your face, just an even mix between the malt & hops.

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Which commercial beer was it that you tried?

It was Endeavour Brewing's Seasonal Series Summer Ale. As the name suggests' date=' it is/was a seasonal release (from last year I think? [img']unsure[/img]) so finding it anywhere may be near impossible now.

 

Hairy, Beeblebrox (possibly) & myself commented on the beer over in The Friday Night 6 Pack Session thread back in July. wink

 

Cheers,

 

Anthony.

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Since my 1st Lager was quite a success (and gone biggrin) I believe I will brew another today. Feck knows what style it is, as the ingredients are half Euro and half Aussie. The addition of simple sugar is definitely more an Aussie thing, but I'm using noble hops (mostly). I must admit, I don't like using hops this low in AA%. annoyed

 

Lager or Whatever - 24L:

4kg Barret Burston Pilsener - mashed @ 64C

300g of the finest home-brand white sugar, lovingly poured in @ 10 mins

 

90 min boil - hey does anyone know how important it is these days for a 90 min boil with pils malt? For someone who can only taste flavours that are like a sledge to the face, would I really be noticing minute traces of DMS in my beer? unsure Seems like just one of those things I do because I have read that you should, and you all know how I hate doing that without trying the alternative for myself. lol

 

Hersbrucker (2.4%AA) - 30g FWH

Super Prinde (13.7%AA - That's more like it!) - 10g FWH

Yeast Nutrient, Whirlfloc and sugar @ 10 min

Hersbrucker (2.4%AA) - 60g @ Flame out

 

Fermented with S-23 using the fast-traked lager method Ben 10 posted a while back. Grain to brain in 4 weeks.

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Fermented with S-23 using the fast-traked lager method Ben 10 posted a while back. Grain to brain in 4 weeks.

 

Good one! I'll have to do another soon.

 

Meanwhile' date=' back at the ranch...

 

Recipe: CentenniAle

Style: Australian Pale Ale

 

Batch Size (fermenter): 23.00 l

Estimated OG: 1.050 SG

Estimated Color: 12.7 EBC

Estimated IBU: 33.0 IBUs

 

Ingredients:

------------

4.00 kg Pale Malt (Barrett Burston) (3.9 EBC)

1.00 kg Munich II (Weyermann) (16.7 EBC)

0.25 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (78.8 EBC)

15.00 g Magnum [13.00 %'] - Boil 60.0 min

25.00 g Centennial [9.40 %] - Boil 10.0 min

25.00 g Centennial [9.40 %] - Steep/Whirlpool

1.0 pkg California Ale V (White Labs #WLP051)

25.00 g Centennial [9.40 %] - Dry Hop 5.0 Days

 

 

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3 Hop Pale Ale

 

 

Chinook 10gms (13.3%AA) @ 15mins

Ella 10gms (14.3%AA) @ 5mins

Chinook 25gms @ flameout

Ella 25gms dry hopped

 

Anthony, have you tasted this yet? If so, how do the Ella and Chinook go together? I've also wondered about Ella and Amarillo.

 

Edit: It seems, Scotty, you're ahead of me.

Doing a Pale Ale with a three hop combo:

15g Galaxy @ 10 mins

25g Ella @ 5 mins

25g Amarillo @ 5 mins

 

Maybe you can chime in.

 

If you haven't used Helga yet then give it a go. The blonde I brewed with Helga right through and a little Ella in flavour is surprising. Smells like a Splice ice block. A mix of creaminess and fruit salad. I suspect some of the sweetness could be coming from the crystal but still a bit of a treat.

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I'm going to make this today...

 

Recipe: Stink Eye IPA II

 

Style: American IPA

 

Recipe Specifications

--------------------------

Batch Size (fermenter): 23.00 l

Estimated OG: 1.072 SG

Estimated Color: 15.6 EBC

Estimated IBU: 72.9 IBUs

 

Ingredients:

------------

6.00 kg Pale Malt (Barrett Burston)

1.00 kg Munich I (Weyermann)

0.40 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L

0.25 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine

15.00 g Magnum [13.00 %] - Boil 60.0 min

25.00 g Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [15.50 %] - Boil 30 min

30.00 g Centennial [9.40 %] - Boil 20.0 min

30.00 g Centennial [9.40 %] - Steep

30.00 g Columbus/Tomahawk/Zeus (CTZ) [15.50 %] - Steep

 

There's a few hops I've never played with, not even sure if I've tasted them in commercial examples. Does your malt bill produce a lighter coloured IPA?

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I'll put down another today' date=',,

 

Recipe: El Golden Ale

 

Recipe Specifications

--------------------------

Batch Size (fermenter): 23.00 l

Estimated OG: 1.050 SG

Estimated Color: 12.5 EBC

Estimated IBU: 32.7 IBUs

 

Ingredients:

------------

3.00 kg Pale Malt (Barrett Burston)

1.00 kg Munich II (Weyermann)

1.00 kg Wheat Malt (Barrett Burston)

0.25 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L

10.00 g Magnum [13.00 %'] - Boil 60.0 min

15.00 g El Dorado [15.60 %] - Boil 10.0 min

15.00 g El Dorado [15.60 %] - Boil 5.0 min

15.00 g El Dorado [15.60 %] - Steep/Whirlpool

 

 

This looks like an awesome summer beer. Let us know how it turns out because I might make it.

 

I have only tried one beer with El Dorado and I got a slight watermelon taste to it. Have you used El Dorado as a dry hop?

 

Mmmmm... watermelon beer. I wonder if that would be a good way to avoid actual watermelon in that famous US watermelon wheat beer. Too sweet for me but the impression was good.

 

As an aside, I've only ever enjoyed one Golden Ale (Six Strings Brewery). I can't figure out what it is I'm not enjoying.

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250cc Pale Ale

 

Coopers Light LME 1.5kg

LDM 500gms

Dextrose 150gms

Munich Malt grain 500gms

Medium Crystal grain 250gms

Dark Wheat Malt grain 250gms

CaraHell grain 150gms

Warrior 10gms @ 60mins

Cascade 20gms @ 20mins

Citra 20gms @ 5mins

Chinook 15gms @ 5mins

Cascade 15gms @ 5mins

Chinook 15gms @ flameout

Cascade 15gms @ flameout

Centennial 20gms @ flameout

Citra/Centennial/Chinook/Cascade 30gms of each dry hopped.

Re-hydrated US-05

Brewed to 23 litres

Ferment @ 18°C

OG = approx. 1.045

FG = approx. 1.011

Bottled ABV = 4.9%

Kegged ABV = 4.5%

EBC = 15.0

IBU = 37.7

 

Looking forward to the update. I don't think I'd need the dextrose though. I find I need to increase the mouthfeel as my beers attenuate well. Or' date=' I could just have a higher ABV beer [img']innocent[/img]

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