Hi guys (long time reader here, thought I'd finally say hello!)
I've done a few 1 gallon AG brews now, and have moved up to 5 gallons. Trouble is, my delicious hoppy IPA doesn't scale up very well - it just comes out bland, and loses all the wonderful hoppiness. This happens with lots of different recipes that I try - they taste awesome from a 1 gallon mini batch, then a bit bland in the 5 gallon batch.
For example, here's my IPA attempt.
1 Gallon recipe:
1kg Pale malt
30g Challenger hops.
Mash @ 65degC for 1 hour, batch sparge at 72.
Boil 1 hr - half hops in at start, other half with 15 mins remaining.
1 tsp irish moss @ 15 mins to go.
Chill to 20 by putting the pot in a sink of cold water. Pitch 1 sachet Safale S-04
SG 1.050, FG 1.010. Bottled, tastes bloody lovely after a month - really light and hoppy, tastes as good as beer from the pub.
5 Gallon:
5kg Pale malt
150g Challenger Hops
Mash @65 for 1 hour, batch sparge at 72
Boil for 1 hr, 100g challenger in at the start, 50g in 15 mins from the end along with a tsp of irish moss.
Force chilled down to 20 using an immersion chiller. Pitch 1 sachet Safale S-04.
SG 1.045, FG 1.010
Tastes OK - but very little in the way of hoppiness. Doesn't taste of much to be honest.
My mash tuns are the same construction - cool box with a copper manifold in the bottom with slots hacksawed in, only one is much bigger than the other.
For the small batches, I boil in a big pot on the stove. For the large batches, I use a 6 gallon plastic bucket with 2 Tesco value kettle elements whacked in. I only use 1 to maintain the boil, as it's too violent with both on.
Now, 150g of Challenger hops should rip my face off, shouldn't it?
Anyone have any ideas? (and sorry about the massive wall'o'text!). All I can think is that my kettle elements are destroying the hop flavour/aroma - is this even feasible?
(I've tried 90 minute mashes, 90 minute boils, different yeasts. All the same result).
I've done a few 1 gallon AG brews now, and have moved up to 5 gallons. Trouble is, my delicious hoppy IPA doesn't scale up very well - it just comes out bland, and loses all the wonderful hoppiness. This happens with lots of different recipes that I try - they taste awesome from a 1 gallon mini batch, then a bit bland in the 5 gallon batch.
For example, here's my IPA attempt.
1 Gallon recipe:
1kg Pale malt
30g Challenger hops.
Mash @ 65degC for 1 hour, batch sparge at 72.
Boil 1 hr - half hops in at start, other half with 15 mins remaining.
1 tsp irish moss @ 15 mins to go.
Chill to 20 by putting the pot in a sink of cold water. Pitch 1 sachet Safale S-04
SG 1.050, FG 1.010. Bottled, tastes bloody lovely after a month - really light and hoppy, tastes as good as beer from the pub.
5 Gallon:
5kg Pale malt
150g Challenger Hops
Mash @65 for 1 hour, batch sparge at 72
Boil for 1 hr, 100g challenger in at the start, 50g in 15 mins from the end along with a tsp of irish moss.
Force chilled down to 20 using an immersion chiller. Pitch 1 sachet Safale S-04.
SG 1.045, FG 1.010
Tastes OK - but very little in the way of hoppiness. Doesn't taste of much to be honest.
My mash tuns are the same construction - cool box with a copper manifold in the bottom with slots hacksawed in, only one is much bigger than the other.
For the small batches, I boil in a big pot on the stove. For the large batches, I use a 6 gallon plastic bucket with 2 Tesco value kettle elements whacked in. I only use 1 to maintain the boil, as it's too violent with both on.
Now, 150g of Challenger hops should rip my face off, shouldn't it?
Anyone have any ideas? (and sorry about the massive wall'o'text!). All I can think is that my kettle elements are destroying the hop flavour/aroma - is this even feasible?
(I've tried 90 minute mashes, 90 minute boils, different yeasts. All the same result).
