Alastair70s brewdays

[Alastair70]

I’ve been busy this summer, mostly hedonistic ends so I can’t complain. So, it’s the first brewday since mid-July, Nitro Irish Red V2. My honorable mention recipe from LAB last year needed the spritz from the CO2 to shine, and was a bit lacklustre on nitro. I’ve beefed up the roast and pulled back on the crystal for this iteration.

Soundtrack: Incubus, Porcupine Tree, Janes Addiction

Water - 25L batch
Malty profile, will add details in the edit.

Fermentables
4.5kg Pale Malt
175g low colour chocolate malt
100g CaraRed
100g CaraMunich II

Mash
60min 67C
10min 75C

Boil
15g Magnum 60min
20g EKG 15min
Protoflac 15min

Yeast
US-05 1 sachet

Vitals
IBU 25, OG 1.056, EBC 27
Expected FG 1.012 Expected ABV 5.1%

22L in the Brewbucket at 18C for 12days, Cold crash and fining to follow.

 

[Alastair70]

After a few busy weekends, I finally got round to brewing the Firestone Walker "Another Life" Cold IPA clone recipe from the summer edition of Craft Beer & Brewing, with a few tweaks due to ingredient shortages. The step mash made for a longer brewday, but it gave me a chance to get the Irish Red into a keg.

Soundtrack: Iron Maiden, Nita Strauss, Rage Against The Machine

Water - 19L batch
Ca 78, Mg 9, Cl 53, SO4 107

Fermentables
4kg Weyermann Eraclea Pilsner
1kg torrified rice

Mash
63C - 45min
68C - 15min
72C - 15min
75C - 10min

Hops - 70min boil
10g El Dorado at 70min
10g El Dorado at 15min
30g El Dorado whirlpool, 20min at 80C
60g Citra whirlpool, 20min at 80C
Dry hop, 3 days. 40g each El Dorado, Citra, Centennial, Chinook

Yeast
MJ54 - California Lager. 18C for 2 weeks.

My vigorous whirlpool pulled the filter off the grainfather, so this is the murkiest wort I think I've ever made. Looks like there's going to be a serious cold crash before it gets kegged.

 

[Alastair70]

Rather special brew day today. A Czech Pils which is likely going to be my 2024 Lager Than Life entry, and it was brewed with the very pleasant company and expert assistance of @phildo79. (We may have had a beer or two during the process ).

Water - 21L batch
Pilsner profile: Ca 7, Mg 1, Na 14, Cl 7, SO4 8

Fermentables
5KG Wayermann Bohemian Pilsner Malt

Step Mash
45C - 15min
62C - 62min
73C - 10min

Hops (90 minute boil)
10g Saaz, 8.4%AA (19IBU) - 60min
22g Saaz 8.4%AA (15IBU) - 20min
Protofalc - 15 min
5ml Wyeast Yeast nutrient - 10 min
10g Saaz 8.4%AA (1IBU) - 10 min hopstand 75C

Fermentation
Wy2278 Czech Pils - 4 weeks at 10C

Hugely successful brew day, all the number were hit spot on, 21L in FV bang on 1.050. And Phil and I got a load on while we were brewing!

Phil enjoying my Red

Me enjoying Phil’s Stout.

Other beers were consumed during the course of afternoon!!

 

[samale]

Rather special brew day today. A Czech Pils which is likely going to be my 2024 Lager Than Life entry, and it was brewed with the very pleasant company and expert assistance of @phildo79. (We may have had a beer or too during the process ).

Water - 21L batch
Pilsner profile: Ca 7, Mg 1, Na 14, Cl 7, SO4 8

Fermentables
5KG Wayermann Bohemian Pilsner Malt

Step Mash
45C - 15min
62C - 62min
73C - 10min

Hops (90 minute boil)
10g Saaz, 8.4%AA (19IBU) - 60min
22g Saaz 8.4%AA (15IBU) - 20min
Protofalc - 15 min
5ml Wyeast Yeast nutrient - 10 min
10g Saaz 8.4%AA (1IBU)

Fermentation
Wy2278 Czech Pils - 4 weeks at 10C

Hugely successful brew day, all the number were hit spot on, 21L in FV bang on 1.050. And Phil and I got a load on while we were brewing!

View attachment 92665

Phil enjoying my Red

View attachment 92667

Me enjoying Phil’s Stout.

View attachment 92666

Other beers were consumed during the course of afternoon!!

Good stuff lads. Nice to put a face to the name

 

[Alastair70]

Good stuff lads. Nice to put a face to the name

Unexpectedly handsome. It’s because my beard is a new addition since we last met up!

 

[samale]

Unexpectedly handsome. It’s because my beard is a new addition since we last met up!

I just can't unsee the Speedo's. Mentally scarred for life

 

[phildo79]

I just can't unsee the Speedo's. Mentally scarred for life

Greatest HBF photo EVER!

 

[matt76]

which is likely going to be my 2024 Lager Than Life entry

Now, obviously I know What Lager then Life is, but for those who don't could you summarise?

 

[Alastair70]

Now, obviously I know What Lager then Life is, but for those who don't could you summarise?

I'd be delighted to. It's the LAB run lager competition that I went to last year with my middle son, we both got completely pi55ed and I came home with a second place rosette a load of Lupomax Saaz and other assorted goodies.

 

[YeastFace]

Are you planning on coming over for this year's proceedings?

 

[Alastair70]

Are you planning on coming over for this year's proceedings?

My son is definitely planning that I take him again. I can’t do the main LAB event in May so I wont take a lot of persuading.

 

[SMP Brewery]

My recipe is so similar to yours and is now nearly had 4 weeks in the fermenter at 11c do I raise to say 18 for a few days for a diacety?

 

[Alastair70]

My recipe is so similar to yours and is now nearly had 4 weeks in the fermenter at 11c do I raise to say 18 for a few days for a diacety?

I’m going with @matt76 and keeping fermentation at 10C who tells me that yeast don’t make diacetyl at that temp. I’d do a test and see what it’s like and then D-rest if you taste the butterscotch.

 

[Alastair70]

Munich Dunkel brewday today. Decided for some reason to go traditional and do a double decoction, instead of relying on some chocolate for colour and Vienna for a bit of malt complexity.

Soundtrack: Spotify Metal Christmas Playlist

Water - 22L batch
Ca 60, Mg 4, Cl 63, SO4 49

Fermentables
5kg Weyermann Munich I

Mash
30min 53C
1st decoction - thick mash, 10min at 63C then boil 15 min
30min 63C
2nd decoction - thin mash, boil 15 minute
15min 70C
10min 75C

Hops
14g Magnum - 60min (19IBU)
24g Mittelfrueh - 10min (3IBU)

Yeast
WLP680 Munich Lager - fermenting at 10C

22L in FV at 1.050.

 

[Alastair70]

The ferm zone is full, Munich Dunkel on the left, Czech Pils on the right.
And to think I once said “I didn’t start brewing beer so I could make fecking lager”.

 

[matt76]

I’m going with @matt76 and keeping fermentation at 10C who tells me that yeast don’t make diacetyl at that temp. I’d do a test and see what it’s like and then D-rest if you taste the butterscotch.

@SMP Brewery I think what I probably said is that if you watch the series of videos on YouTube that The Malt Miller did with Budvar you'll find Budvar don't do a diacetyl rest, they just keep it at 10⁰C or so.

Besides which, if you've kept it at that temp for 4 weeks I'll bet it's long since hit FG so you're well past the point of doing a diacetyl rest anyway. Check, but I'd be surprised if it's not ready to package

PS - do you have a link to your recipe, do you keep a brew day thread?

 

[SMP Brewery]

No I don’t have a brew thread but this is my brew.

 

[matt76]

No I don’t have a brew thread but this is my brew.

Okay cool, I'm using 2278 as well in my Czech Pils, and also Czech Dark Lager, and like I say even being conservative/cautious it's done after 3.5-4 weeks low and slow at 10⁰C.

(FWIW, I make my starters at room temp and I'm surprised how clean the liquor tastes afterwards. I'm perfectly happy fermenting my lagers low and slow, I'm in no rush, but despite that I'm tempted to try fermenting a batch warmer with 2278, say at 18⁰C, just to see what happens... )

 

[SMP Brewery]

Czech Dark Lager

That’s a good idea. I’ll harvest some yeast to have a go at making one.

It’s finished at 1.013 which I’m happy with and I can’t taste any butterscotch so I think it’s good to go for a cold crash.

 

[matt76]

That’s a good idea. I’ll harvest some yeast to have a go at making one.

It’s finished at 1.013 which I’m happy with and I can’t taste any butterscotch so I think it’s good to go for a cold crash.

JFYI, I don't cold crash my lagers:
- I've heard Jamil Zainasheff say more than once that lager yeasts can generate off flavours if you cool them too quickly - I think he suggests one degree (and I assume that's degrees F!) per day!!! I'm too impatient to wait that long!
- I'm fermenting at 10degC and keep my kegerator at 7degC so I keg to get the beer off the yeast so there's not enough yeast left to generate any off flavours, and from there there isn't much more cooling to do.
- I generally fine my Pilsners with gelatin which removes the need for any cold crashing.

My Czech Dark Lager recipe is here and I'm very pleased with it