Brew Day!! Watcha' got, eh!? 2016

[jeremy-o]

Yeah, just stovetop BIAB. I probably will go back to rinsing my grains in a few litres - it makes sense since I ended up diluting it up with tap water anyway to make up volume for the boil. But I mean, this is about a 20% lower efficiency than I've had in the past... Nasty. It must be a combinations of things (maybe my lethargy today let the mash temp fall too low as well).

[Payno]

Well it was supposed to be brew Day yesterday but a small job of replacing my laundry trough turned into a DIY nightmare (especially for the DIY inept like me!) so buy the time I downed tools at 6pm I collapsed with a couple of cold brews and never got up again!

 

So its going to be a weeknight brewing session, either tonight or tomorrow night. After much deliberation I decided not to brew the Tsars Tar but rather want to do a brown ale similar to Cavalier Brown ale that I sampled recently. The recipe for "Ol Brown Dog' looks similar so IM going to give that a go. Ive heard many good reports on here of Dark Ale kit mixed with Amber Malt Extract - so Im hoping that with some Cascade and dry hopped centennial will give it that lovely marmalade flavour (I have some other hops laying around so might add 1 other but not sure which - I have some galaxy, mosaic, hallertau, williamette, and nelson sauvin)

It also recommends brewing with BRY97 which I got - but it says 11gms whereas my LHBS sold me just 7gms.....should I chuck in the kit yeast aswell?

[Beeblebrox]

Beeblebrox - just dry hop your IPA with some Vic Secret' date=' 45g should be plenty. It'll just give the beer that bit of fresh aroma which all good IPAs should display.[/quote']

 

Thanks ICzed, I went with 20g Cascade steeped when I first put it down, & will add some Vic Secret as a dry hop in the next week or so.

My scales only show 20g increments, so I'll probably throw in 40g or thereabouts.

All looks & smells fine with this batch so far, so strong I can smell it without opening up the fridge, let alone lifting the lid!

Should be my hoppiest beer so far.

[Gag Halfrunt]

Can anyone recommend a good combo to go with a coopers dark ale kit can(I've been given a can and haven't made one before)

 

I'm thinking just a kilo of BE2 and 800 odd grams of LME but would extra hopping be recommended?

 

Not too sure about the hoppiness of this particular brew.

 

Mate' date=' get yourself a can of Coopers APA and some EKG hops and make this cracker of a beer - SMOTY Ale. It's an absolutely delicious drop with minimal fuss - perfect for the colder months without being too heavy.

 

Cheers,

Mark

 

Cool and thanks for the link,

Have a can of APA in stock already will do this and report back.

 

In fermenter for 2 days now and going like a volcano.

Used galaxy hops instead.(Due to availability) Hope this works.

[ben 10]

 

Red RIPA

 

 

Scottie, looks GREAT.

 

Do you use Acid much and what does it do for your brew?

[ian.taylor4]

Bottled the Coffee Porter, then the Cascarillo Amber Ale went down tonight.

 

http://i.imgur.com/RnDPwWQ.jpg

[Otto Von Blotto]

I'm finally doing another brew day this weekend, not sure which day yet but it will be getting done on one of them. I'm brewing my red ale again, except this time I'm dropping it to a 21 litre batch, because winter has finally decided to rear its ugly head and by the time this batch is ready to package, it will be too cold for the ale yeast to carbonate any surplus bottles, so it's a keg only batch. I have ditched the Magnum addition for this smaller batch because at 4g, it's pretty pointless. Instead I simply left the Cascade and Centennial additions as they are for the 25 litre batch to gain approximately the same IBUs. I also dropped the black malt amount slightly to try to make the beer look a little lighter in colour.

 

Grains

3.350 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (Thomas Fawcett) (5.9 EBC) Grain 1 89.8 %

0.250 kg Caraaroma (Weyermann) (350.7 EBC) Grain 2 6.7 %

0.085 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC) Grain 3 2.3 %

0.045 kg Black Malt (Thomas Fawcett) (1300.2 EBC) Grain 4 1.2 %

 

Hops

20.00 g Cascade {7.80 %} - First Wort 75.0 min Hop 5 23.0 IBUs

20.00 g Centennial {10.00 %} - Boil 20.0 min Hop 6 15.5 IBUs

 

Yeast

West Yorkshire Ale (Wyeast Labs #1469) Fermented at 18-19C.

 

Mash at 66C for 90 minutes, then 78C mashout for 10 minutes. 75 minute boil.

 

Est Original Gravity: 1.0417 SG

Est Final Gravity: 1.0122 SG

Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 3.9 %

Bitterness: 38.5 IBUs

Est Color: 30.7 EBC

 

I may or may not dry hop it with Cascade as per the original recipe, will decide that once it's in the FV I think.

 

Will be nice to have this on tap again soon!

 

Cheers

 

Kelsey

 

[Kradmelder]

friday is bottle and brewday. I'm planning a Weiss:

 

1.5 kg Muntons wheat extract (sorry Coopers. next time)

500 g DME

50 g Saaz split for 60, 20 and 5 minute boils with half the DME

400 g maltodextrin

800 g dextrose

100 g sugar

1 pack Dannstar Munich yeast (11 g I think).

 

why the proportions? I have open bags with 500 g of DME and 800 g of dextrose, so I'm using up what is open without opening new ones for small amounts. Then top it up a bit with sugar, some junk food empty calories for the yeast to get the ABV up!

 

Going to carbonate with 180-190 g of sugar as I like my Weissbier like my women: white and bubbly, low bitterness and packing some oomph!

 

Est OG: 1.049

Est FG: 1.012

est alcohol: 5%

est IBU: 11.8

 

 

[Hairy]

My home brew club is having a challenge; use the Homebrand Lager/Draught in a beer.

 

I will be running with the following:

 

1.7kg Homebrand Lager/Draught

1.7kg Morgans Ironbark Dark Ale

1.5kg Coopers Dark LME

30g EKG - steep/hop tea

 

23 litres

Nottingham yeast

 

OG - 1066

FG - 1016

IBU - 48

ABV - 6.5%

 

Hopefully the dark malts overpower the Homebrand kit

[Dingo 1525229558]

friday is bottle and brewday. I'm planning a Weiss:

 

1.5 kg Muntons wheat extract (sorry Coopers. next time)

500 g DME

50 g Saaz split for 60' date=' 20 and 5 minute boils with half the DME

400 g maltodextrin

800 g dextrose

100 g sugar

1 pack Dannstar Munich yeast (11 g I think).

 

why the proportions? I have open bags with 500 g of DME and 800 g of dextrose, so I'm using up what is open without opening new ones for small amounts. Then top it up a bit with sugar, some junk food empty calories for the yeast to get the ABV up!

 

Going to carbonate with 180-190 g of sugar as I like my Weissbier like my women: white and bubbly, low bitterness and packing some oomph!

 

Est OG: 1.049

Est FG: 1.012

est alcohol: 5%

est IBU: 11.8

 

[/quote']

 

Bit of South African racist humour coming out in that one Kardmelder.

 

Dingo.

[Canadian Eh!L]

Brewed this one today. It's my first AG brew in over a month and a half. It felt good to be back at it.

 

I grabbed an OG of 1.044 and I left a little more in the kettle then I would have liked, but that's what usually happens when I brew with rye malt. I only got 37L in the FVs. That's a brewhouse efficiency of only 76%. It was a great brew day none the less.

 

 

Whitbread Rye Brown

 

Northern English Brown Ale

Type: All Grain Date: 01 Jun 2016

Batch Size (fermenter): 40.00 l Brewer:

Boil Size: 49.93 l Asst Brewer:

Boil Time: 75 min

Brewhouse Efficiency: 85.00 %

Est Mash Efficiency 89.3 %

Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage

Ingredients

 

Malt bill

 

5.25 kg ESB Pale Malt (Gambrinus) (4.0 SRM) Grain 1 73.2 %

0.75 kg Rye Malt (4.7 SRM) Grain 2 10.5 %

0.50 kg Caramalt Malt - 35L (Bairds) (35.0 SRM) Grain 3 7.0 %

0.30 kg Munich Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 4 4.2 %

0.25 kg Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5 3.5 %

0.12 kg Acid Malt (3.0 SRM) Grain 6 1.7 %

 

Hops bill

 

60.00 g Willamette 4.50 % - Boil 60.0 min Hop 7 18.0 IBUs

30.00 g Willamette 4.50 % - Boil 20.0 min Hop 8 5.5 IBUs

30.00 g East Kent Goldings (EKG) 4.30 % Boil 5.0 min Hop 10 1.7 IBUs

 

Yeast

1.0 pkg SafAle English Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-04) Yeast 11 -

1.0 pkg Whitbread Ale Yeast (White Labs #WLP017) Yeast 12 -

2.11 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Primary 3.0 days) Other 13 -

1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins)

 

Beer Profile

 

Est Original Gravity: 1.046 SG

Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG

Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.5 %

Bitterness: 25.2 IBUs Calories: 427.1 kcal/l

Est Color: 14.1 SRM

 

 

[Otto Von Blotto]

My brew day didn't eventuate over the weekend but I will be doing it this Saturday. I'll also be kegging the lager that is currently sitting at 0C in the brew fridge, which was brewed using my home grown Hallertau hops as a late boil addition. FG samples tasted promising. And then the red ale will spend 2 days in the cube before being thrown into the FV next Monday.

[ben 10]

An experiment.

 

Recipe: Kettle Sour

Brewer: Grumpy

Style: Saison

TYPE: All Grain

 

Recipe Specifications

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

Batch Size (fermenter): 23.00 l

Estimated OG: 1.046 SG

Estimated Color: 17.2 EBC

Estimated IBU: 32.6 IBUs

Boil Time: 60 Minutes

 

Ingredients:

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

Amt Name Type # %/IBU

3.00 g Gypsum (Calcium Sulfate) (Mash 60.0 mins Water Agent 1 -

1.50 g Calcium Chloride (Mash 60.0 mins) Water Agent 2 -

3.00 kg Pale Malt (Barrett Burston) (3.9 EBC) Grain 3 65.9 %

1.50 kg Wheat Malt (Barrett Burston) (3.0 EBC) Grain 4 33.0 %

0.05 kg Gladfield Dark Chocolate Malt (1300.0 EB Grain 5 1.1 %

10.00 g Chinook [12.70 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 6 14.7 IBUs

1.00 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining 7 -

40.00 g Amarillo [8.50 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 60. Hop 8 17.9 IBUs

 

 

Total Grain Weight: 4.55 kg

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

[BeerEngineer]

Bought an urn last week and made my first BIAB batch yesterday afternoon! :D

The recipe I used was based on another one of Brewdog's recipes - 'Dead Pony Club', with the pale malt bumped up slightly to account for low efficiency on my first go and the hop schedule adjusted to get the IBU's closer to the stated value and also include a late hop addition:

 

For 25L in the fermenter:

4 kg Ale malt

0.8 kg Caramalt

0.25 kg Crystal 150

8 g Citra @60

8 g Simcoe @ 60

10 g Citra @ 15

10 g Simcoe @ 15

15 g Citra @ FO

15 g Simcoe @ FO

50 g Citra Dry

50 g Simcoe Dry

 

US-05 Yeast

 

EBC = 19.9

IBU = 41

OG = 1.040

Expected FG = 1.008

Expected Bottled ABV = 4.6%

 

The gravity sample I took this morning tasted awesome and I think it will be a very tasty beer.

Even though it isn't an exact clone, ill do a review of this when it's all done along with a review of my 5AM Saint Red Ale Clone from Brewdog.

 

Cheers!

 

[ben 10]

Bought an urn last week

 

Nice! Hope the fermenting goes to plan!

[BeerEngineer]

Thanks Ben!

 

It went pretty well, only real issues were a lower than expected efficiency (around 66%), I'm thinking likely due to the temperature dropping from 66.9 to 61 degrees by the end of the 90 minute mash. Also, wasn't quite enough wort to fill my cube up, so there was a couple of cm of headspace in it overnight. Other than that, a fairly successful start to my all-grain career I think!

 

Cheers!

[Otto Von Blotto]

You could get a false bottom for the urn and this will allow you to turn it on during the mash if you need a bit of heat to keep the temp up.

 

Your efficiency should improve in time once you get the processes down pat. I wouldn't worry about it too much yet but do keep recording pre boil and post boil volumes and SG readings for reference. One thing that improved mine was not crushing the grains so finely.

[ben 10]

Just making a very basic lager...

 

Recipe: Lager Time

Brewer: Grumpy

Style: Czech Pale Lager

TYPE: All Grain

 

Recipe Specifications

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

 

Batch Size (fermenter): 23.00 l

Estimated OG: 1.037 SG

Estimated Color: 8.0 EBC

Estimated IBU: 34.8 IBUs

 

Ingredients:

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

Amt Name Type # %/IBU

2.60 kg Pilsner (Weyermann) (3.3 EBC) Grain 1 72.2 %

1.00 kg Munich Malt (17.7 EBC) Grain 2 27.8 %

30.00 g Cascade [9.30 %] - First Wort 60.0 min Hop 3 34.8 IBUs

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

[jeremy-o]

Right so today I incorporated some of these low dissolved oxygen techniques into my brewing, including pre-boiling the strike water, a small addition of 1/4 tsp of sodium metabisulphite to the mash, and a gentle simmering - rather than rolling - boil.

 

The recipe was 2kg Pilsner, 200g Caramalt and 80g Acidulated Malt, with 15g of Hallertau MF boiled for 60. I only ended up with 8L of wort as I pulled the grains right out without squeezing or sparging; I wanted to keep it as undisturbed as possible, since I am thinking about oxygen ingress. I kept the 'second runnings' and will decide what to do with 'em later... luckily it sorted itself out that the gravity was spot on for a traditional Helles.

 

I cooled it down under 15C and actually pitched the yeast into the brew pot before I poured it all into the FV. I did it in too quick a sequence for it to have made much difference, but I understand theoretically if done in that order the yeast provide extra defence from oxidation.

 

My early opinion is that these three small changes made a substantial difference to the quality of the wort. It tasted almost as good boiled and chilled as wort can taste right at the peak of the mash. It's not some phenomenal quality I've never tasted before, as I tend to taste the wort at many stages, but it's the best flavour I've ever had at that interim stage hands down. Whether my system is apt to retain that subtlety of flavour... time will tell.

 

PS if it sounds like I had a great brew day and all was in control... it wasn't. For some dumb reason I couldn't wait until a day I wasn't hosting a barbecue, and guests were over before the mash was even done. For some reason I got a crapload of scummy break matter in the boil that I don't usually get. And I didn't time anything accurately because so much was going on. I still have high hopes for the beer, but Christ, it was a bad idea.

 

edit: Here's a half-hearted gallery...

 

 

[ben 10]

Punched out another lager today, this one bittered with Chinook.

[Otto Von Blotto]

Yesterday's brew day of my red ale went well, got my target 21 litres batch size even though it's not in the FV yet, but the 20L cube was filled completely so it'll definitely be the 21L in the FV. I based the recipe on a 75% brewhouse efficiency like always, and went over my OG by almost a point, coming in at 1.0425, giving me a brewhouse efficiency of 76.2%. I did throw a small handful of acid malt into the grist as well just to see what happened, which isn't included in the written recipe. Whether or not that made any difference to the efficiency or not, I don't know. My girlfriend helped out a bit milling some grains too. A good day and the brew will be going into the FV tomorrow to get fermentation going so it can be kegged in 3 weeks time.

 

Cheers

 

Kelsey

 

 

[Waylon]

Sounds great Kelsey!

My brew day yesterday was aripper too

 

Just did my first cubes yesterday!

Using 1x25litre cube and 1x 20 litre cube then had about 5 litres left for a mini batch

 

My recipe was based on a 3x19 litre batch =57 litres, so 15 gallons

First boil in my new 98 litre pot too...started pre boil about 80 litres... no boil over!!!!

I pulled it out my arse

Ended up cubing my target basically spot on!

 

Total fluke I think long day but hell it was worth it

[Beerlust]

Hi guys.

 

I needed to get a brew down, but didn't feel like a long grain based brew day today, so kit based it is.

 

Coopers Original Series Draught 1.7kg

LDM 950gms

Dextrose 250gms

Light Crystal 170gms steeped

Cascade & Chinook 15gms each steeped

Nottingham yeast from a starter

Brewed to 23 litres

Ferment @ 18°C

 

I made up a 1500ml starter from a fresh pkt of Nottingham yeast earlier in the week, & then portioned off a 1/3 of it. The litre portion was pitched into this brew, the 500ml portion has been fridged & will be pitched into another starter (& stepped up) next week for an IPA brew I have planned.

 

I haven't used the ol' Draught kit for quite a while, so will be interesting to taste once it's in the glass.

 

Cheers,

 

Lusty.

[Mark D Pirate]

Hi guys.

 

I needed to get a brew down' date=' but didn't feel like a long grain based brew day today, so kit based it is.

 

Coopers Original Series Draught 1.7kg

LDM 950gms

Dextrose 250gms

Light Crystal 170gms steeped

Cascade & Chinook 15gms each steeped

Nottingham yeast from a starter

Brewed to 23 litres

Ferment @ 18°C

 

Cheers,

 

Lusty.[/quote']

 

Notty is def going to get a workout at my place this winter , i love the lower temp it'll work well at since then i can heat my bedroom instead of the brew room .

Cascade and Chinook is a pretty tasty pair , i like the pine foresty aroma with Chinook

[Gag Halfrunt]

Can anyone recommend a good combo to go with a coopers dark ale kit can(I've been given a can and haven't made one before)

 

I'm thinking just a kilo of BE2 and 800 odd grams of LME but would extra hopping be recommended?

 

Not too sure about the hoppiness of this particular brew.

 

Mate' date=' get yourself a can of Coopers APA and some EKG hops and make this cracker of a beer - SMOTY Ale. It's an absolutely delicious drop with minimal fuss - perfect for the colder months without being too heavy.

 

Cheers,

Mark

 

Cool and thanks for the link,

Have a can of APA in stock already will do this and report back.

 

In fermenter for 2 days now and going like a volcano.

Used galaxy hops instead.(Due to availability) Hope this works.

 

6 days in bottles now,smells good, will sample in a couple of days then leave it for a couple more weeks.