Ale Brew - Thoughts?

[Guest]

Hi guys.

 

After bottling a brew this morning, I didn't waste much time, & got cooking up another one. I've been experimenting so much over the last 2 or so months I've actually gotten away from an attempt to brew a "Stock" beer that I would like to drink more regularly.

 

Of all the hop varieties I have tried thus far, Nelson Sauvin & Cascade would have to be my favourites.

 

This was what I put down earlier today...

 

Coopers Light Liquid Malt extract 1.5kgs

Dry Light Malt powder 500gms

Dry Wheat Malt powder 200gms

Light Crystal grain 500gms

Medium Crystal grain 250gms

CaraMalt grain 250gms

CaraPils grain 100gms

Dextrose 100gms

All grains steeped/mashed @ 70\xb0C for 40mins

Pride of Ringwood hops 20gms @ 40mins

Cascade hops 20gms @ 20mins

Cascade hops 20gms @ 10mins

Nelson Sauvin hops 10gms @ 10mins

Cascade hops 10gms @ 5mins

Nelson Sauvin hops 15gms @ 5mins

Cascade & Nelson Sauvin hops (undisclosed) @ flameout. [tongue]

Cascade & Nelson Sauvin hops 12gms (each) dry hopped after 4-5 days.

US-05 yeast pitched @ 21\xb0C, will be lowered to a constant 18\xb0C before I bed down for the night.

 

Have I used too much weight in specialty grains?

 

All thoughts welcomed.

 

Anthony.

[Hairy]

Have I used too much weight in specialty grains?

Probably [biggrin]

 

2.2kg Dry Malt and 1kg Crystal (excluding the carapils). That is around 30% crystal malt (compared to dry malt, not the 'grain bill') so you have certainly pushed it. I thought you weren't experimenting with this one [biggrin]

 

There is only one sure way to find your answer and that is in the drinking. Let us know how it turns out.

 

If I was taking a punt I would bet on it being sickly sweet. But I have been proved wrong plenty of times before (so my wife keeps telling me [innocent] )

[Hairy]

Looking at the grain bill:

 

If you assume that 2.2kg dry malt equals approx 3.5kg grain then 1kg crystal would be 22% of the total grain bill. That sounds a bit better.

 

But the dry malt will leave a residual sweetness in the beer.

 

So my comparison is probably a waste of time [innocent]

 

 

[Guest]

Hiya Hairy. Thanks for the reply. [joyful]

 

Probably

 

2.2kg Dry Malt and 1kg Crystal (excluding the carapils). That is around 30% crystal malt (compared to dry malt, not the 'grain bill') so you have certainly pushed it. I thought you weren't experimenting with this one

 

There is only one sure way to find your answer and that is in the drinking. Let us know how it turns out.

 

If I was taking a punt I would bet on it being sickly sweet. But I have been proved wrong plenty of times before (so my wife keeps telling me)

I figured as much when I posed the question about the amount of specialty grains, & you're not often wrong. [crying]

I got caught in a situation like I've seen other members on the forum in, where they have bits & pieces lying around that need to be used.

 

I won't lie, it certainly had a sweetness to it when I mixed it, but not something I would class as "sickly sweet". I'm hoping the US-05 removes some of that.

 

I haven't gone down the path of a caramel-like flavoured beer yet, & that is a flavour I like. "Little Creatures Rogers" is a SUPER beer with that characteristic.

 

I'm always experimenting even to a small extent with each brew. The caramel flavour is something I am looking for in this brew along with the hop flavours I like. [cool]

 

I'm hoping my lack of grain efficiency works in my favour this time! [wink]

 

Anthony.

[Hairy]

I quite like the Rogers' Ale too. You might like this one:

 

Dr Smurto's Light Amber Ale

 

I am putting this brew down on the weekend and will let you know how it turns out (next year).

[Canadian Eh!L]

Hey Guys,

 

I'm no expert, but another thing to consider is the temperature of the mash. 70C(158F) is on the high side of a mash temp. This temperature will produce more unfermentable sugars, creating more body and will darken the beer. A lower mash temp. will create more dextrins(fermentable sugar), light body and colour. So, by playing with the temp. of your mash you will be changing the outcome of your beer.

 

BTW, Anthony. Why did you mash the grist for only 40mins? The efficiency of your brew would be quite low. 60 to 90mins is recommended.[wink]

[PhilboBaggins]

Hi everyone. Unless I am missing something from the recipe, there is actually no base malt grain to provide the enzymes for conversion, so all Anthony was doing really was steeping, not mashing.

 

Crystal grains don't need a mash, and the 40min steep would be okay. However, not much of it would be at all fermentable, so it will be very sweet.

 

Good luck anyway mate. [biggrin]

 

Edit: Temp is fine for steeping as well, Chad is right about it being too high if you were mashing though.

[Hairy]

Hey Guys,

 

I'm no expert, but another thing to consider is the temperature of the mash. 70C(158F) is on the high side of a mash temp. This temperature will produce more unfermentable sugars, creating more body and will darken the beer. A lower mash temp. will create more dextrines(fermentable sugar), light body and colour. So, by playing with the temp. of your mash you will be changing the outcome of your beer.

 

BTW, Anthony. Why did you mash the grist for only 40mins? The efficiency of your brew would be quite low. 60 to 90mins is recommended.[wink]

Hey Chad

 

If you are referring to the recipe in my link then I am aiming for what you said it will produce. Mashing at 70 degrees to produce a wort with less fermentability but more body/dextrins.

 

I am making a mid-strength beer but don't want a light body.

[Guest]

Thanks for the replies guys. All made for some interesting reading to a Noob grainer like myself. [cool]

 

It was in fact a steep, due to no base malt grains being involved. I chose the 70\xb0C temp as it seems to be widely used when steeping grains. IanH's spreadsheet advises 30mins, but I thought 40mins would be a little better for the 1.1kgs of grain I was using in about 4\xbd litres of water. I sparged with 1\xbd litres of 70\xb0C water & then topped up with 750mls - 1 litre of boiling water giving me approx. 5\xbd - 6 litres for my hop boil. The rest was pretty much standard from there onward.

 

Your replies certainly left me with a few questions regarding mashing/steeping though.

 

Probably the most prominent of those would be, is there really such a drastic difference in the final outcome of mashing/steeping @ 67\xb0C & mashing @ 70\xb0C with what is drawn from the grains?

 

Hairy, I'd be interested in your Smurto's Light Amber Ale outcome. Especially your thoughts on the Galena hops which I'm yet to use. [cool]

 

Anthony.

[Alex]

You're good to go buddy[cool]

[Hairy]

The recipe stated Galena hops but it should be Galaxy hops. Galaxy wasn't in the AHB database so most people select Galena.

 

There is a note about it at the bottom of the recipe.

[Canadian Eh!L]

Hey Hairy,

 

I just put down an English mild(AG) last week. I'm also in pursuit of a full bodied mid-strength. I mashed mine @ 66C. The OG was 1.038.

 

You'll have to tell me how it turns out (next year)!

[Hairy]

Hey Hairy,

 

I just put down an English mild(AG) last week. I'm also in pursuit of a full bodied mid-strength. I mashed mine @ 66C. The OG was 1.038.

 

You'll have to tell me how it turns out (next year)!

Well it's down now. I mashed at 69.5 degrees and only lost 0.5 degree over the 60 mash.

 

But I was doing a maxi BIAB and diluting in the FV. I got a bit greedy and filled to 21 litres without checking the gravity of the wort. I ended up with 1032 instead of 1036. It might qualify as a light beer rather than a mid-strength [biggrin] .

 

I will let you know the result (next year [wink] ).

[Canadian Eh!L]

I ended up with 1032 instead of 1036. It might qualify as a light beer rather than a mid-strength [biggrin] .

 

Oohh![crying] Oh, Well! Let us know.[biggrin]

[Hairy]

I ended up with 1032 instead of 1036. It might qualify as a light beer rather than a mid-strength [biggrin] .

 

Oohh![crying] Oh, Well! Let us know.[biggrin]

FG - 1011

 

Happy with that.

[Guest]

Hi Hairy. [happy]

 

FG - 1011

 

Happy with that.

That's a really good FG for a brew with an OG that you began with.

 

Solid. [cool]

 

Have you had a chance to smell/taste it yet before bottling? Or are you now Cold Conditioning?

 

Anthony.

[Hairy]

It tastes really nice out of the FV. I'm looking forward to this one.

 

But I try not to judge them this early. I've had average tasting brews out of the FV that end up fantastic over time and vice versa.

 

Anyway, tonight I tasted the sample of a 2.5% beer and then went inside to drink a 7% IPA. You could taste the difference [biggrin]

[Guest]

Anyway' date=' tonight I tasted the sample of a 2.5% beer and then went inside to drink a 7% IPA. You could taste the difference [/quote']

 

[lol] [biggrin]

 

Anthony.

[Hairy]

I ended up with 1032 instead of 1036. It might qualify as a light beer rather than a mid-strength [biggrin] .

 

Oohh![crying] Oh, Well! Let us know.[biggrin]

Chad, this beer is a winner. It has a really good full body for a mid-strength. If you gave this to me in a blind test there is no way I would pick that it is 3% ABV. The only change I made to the recipe linked was that I used Golden Promise instead of JW pale malt.

 

Give it a go with your next mild. Use some brewing software to work out how much grain you will need and mash it at 69-70 degrees.

 

If you do it, let me know what you think (and then give me the recipe [biggrin] ).

[Guest]

Hi Hairy. [happy]

 

I'm glad it turned out so well......Hijacker! [lol]

 

Anthony. [biggrin]

[Hairy]

Hi Hairy. [happy]

 

I'm glad it turned out so well......Hijacker! [lol]

 

Anthony. [biggrin]

You were just about to get my ransom note to hand the thread back to you. But I'm felling generous; it's all yours free of charge.

 

Have you tasted the beer in the OP yet?

[Guest]

Have you tasted the beer in the OP yet?

Thanks for asking. [happy]

 

I just checked my records, & bottled that brew a couple of days before Xmas. It's due for a taster soon. [joyful]

 

I'm hoping the decent hop bill I threw at it, is enough to blend well with the sweetness of the abnormally high amount of specialty grains I used.

 

As much as I hope it has, if it hasn't, I'm experimenting, & you have to accept some failures amongst the ones that turn out great.

 

...I'd still hate to have to tip the b*****d out though! [pinched]

 

P.S. I don't think "The Police" pay for parking space! Haha! [lol] [tongue]

 

Anthony.

[Canadian Eh!L]

I ended up with 1032 instead of 1036. It might qualify as a light beer rather than a mid-strength [biggrin] .

 

Oohh![crying] Oh, Well! Let us know.[biggrin]

Chad, this beer is a winner. It has a really good full body for a mid-strength. If you gave this to me in a blind test there is no way I would pick that it is 3% ABV. The only change I made to the recipe linked was that I used Golden Promise instead of JW pale malt.

 

Give it a go with your next mild. Use some brewing software to work out how much grain you will need and mash it at 69-70 degrees.

 

If you do it, let me know what you think (and then give me the recipe [biggrin] ).

Hey Hairy,

 

Glad to here your mild worked out well! I'd be happy to try your recipe! Thanks for asking.[cool]

 

The mild I put down around the same time ended up a little stronger ABV%. OG-1.038, FG-1.009, AVB%4.38 after priming. I haven't tasted it yet but I've got my fingers crossed. I'll let you know when I taste it.

 

BTW, I mashed mine @ 66C.

 

[Guest]

Hi guys. [happy]

 

For those interested on the recipe I posted as the original post in this thread, I can now comment on it's progress.

 

I had a taster tonight after about 2\xbd weeks of secondary fermentation.

 

I'm absolutely STOKED!! [love] [love] [love] [biggrin]

 

My initial interest in creating some complexity of malt flavours through using larger amounts of specialty grains has turned out extremely well given the flavours of beer I prefer. The malt profile mixed in with the hop bill has integrated far better than even I thought they would. [cool]

 

On first tastings, I would say this is my best brew yet. I can only see it improving as it ages & the various hops & malts integrate further.

 

I think I just found my wanted malt base for a continued house brew. I feel I can now just muck around with hop flavours on top of this malt base. [happy]

 

Seriously Stoked! [biggrin]

 

Anthony.

[Canadian Eh!L]

I quite like the Rogers' Ale too. You might like this one:

 

Dr Smurto's Light Amber Ale

 

I am putting this brew down on the weekend and will let you know how it turns out (next year).

Hey Hairy,

 

Could you post this recipe again? I had it printed out and was planning to put it down but now I can't find it in my notes or here on the web.[annoyed]