An Ankoù brewday:

[An Ankoù]

New Year’s resolution is to start a brew day thread for the record and to share the ups and downs of various brews.

Black Lager (from Greg Hughes p. 107)
Middle son and his new wife came over from Madrid for Christmas and he said he’d like to see how easy or difficult it is to brew a batch in their small apartment.
Already had a formulation for Dark Lager written out in the old brewing book so scaled it down to 12 litres and here we go:
Followed Hughes’ recipe pretty faithfully except in the bittering hops, where I substituted Magnum for Centennial, and the yeast where I Saflager S-189 Hurlimman yeast in place of Wyeast 2042 Danish lager. Also did an overnight mash.

Recipe for 12 litres
2.53 Kg Pale malt (Minch Hookhead used)
130 g Melanoidin Malt
52 g Chocolate Malt
78 g Carafa Special #3
Overnight mash starting at 65C
Magnum leaf to 35 B.Us. FWH
28g Hallertauer Hersbrucker last 10 minutes and ¼ tablet Protafloc
24g Hallertauer Hersbrucker flamout.
70 minute boil.
Cooled to 45C-ish in kitchen sink and left to cool to pitching temperature overnight.
By the following morning, said son was still out for the count until about midday due to rejoicing with wild abandon the previous evening. So had to continue alone.
Collected 10 litres at OG 1059 and liquored back to 11½ litres to match target OG of 1051.
Rehydrated and pitched yeast and Bob’s your uncle. I’ve never used this Hurlimann yeast before and I had read somewhere that I should expect a long lag time. Not so!

More to follow.

Lad emerged calling for a hair of the dog and prepared breakfast for the pair of them oblivious to the fact that lunch was only half an hour away.

Kids! Who’d have them?

 

[foxbat]

If you only keep one resolution then please make it this one! I'm looking forward to following your brewing escapades this year.

 

[An Ankoù]

The Red Baron

I put this one on earlier in December and racked it into secondary yesterday. Inspired by a recipe posted by The Baron (thanks) who described a rye beer made with Red-X malt. Having both Red-X and Rye malt in stock I decided to give it a go. Corrected the colour back to the 30ebc I would have got from using 100% Red-X with some Roasted Rye malt at 500 ebc. and had to change some of the hops as I didn't have any Tettnang, but an open bag of Aramis needed using up. Here goes for 12 litres:
Target OG 1045 (a tad stronger than the Baron's) IBUs 25 Water treated for chlorine. Tap water is soft, added no salts.
1.8 Kg Red-X malt from Bestmalz (30 ebc)
300g Rye malt (5.5 ebc)
31.2g Roasted Rye malt (500 ebc)
Overnight mash at 64C
Bittering hops Northern Brewer to 14.5 ibus FWH
Aramis additions at 6.8% alpha acid:
6g last 20 minutes
6g last 10 minutes plus protofloc
9g last 5 minutes
providing the other 10.5 ibus
70 minute boil
Collected 11 litres at 1049 and pitched US-05 without liquoring back to required volume. Amazing colour!
Racked to secondary yesterday and topped back up to 11 litres effectively diluting to target OG of 1045 (1045.5, in fact).
Tastes good and I can't wait to get this one bottled and carbonated to see what it's really like.
I had made a Rye lager earlier in the year, which was ok, but not stunning. Hoping for much more from this one. I'll let you know in a month or so's time.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

If you only keep one resolution then please make it this one! I'm looking forward to following your brewing escapades this year.

Yes, definitely, should be some good recipes to steal from you this year!

 

[An Ankoù]

Yes, definitely, should be some good recipes to steal from you this year!

Fair nuff. They don't all work out good, though. Still disappointed with my Christmas beer nearly SMaSH with Mandarina Bavaria. Will chill another one down and try it again tonight. they sometimes take a while to come into their own. Might be ready for next Christmas!

 

[samale]

What yeast are you using for your imperial stout.

 

[An Ankoù]

What yeast are you using for your imperial stout.

If that's to me, I haven't done an imperial stout, it was a Greg Hughes black lager and I used Saflager S-189.

 

[An Ankoù]

Sunday, and time to get some lager on while the weather's still cold enough to stick it in the garage to condition. Also wanted to try Greg Hughes' American Pale Ale and contrast it with the product of James Morton's inane ramblings so stuck the APA on Saturday evening for an overnight mash. 12 litre batch done on the stove top. As Greg's recipe except substituted Zeus for bittering hops and split the flameout hop addition between 50% of the addition at flameout and the other 50% when the wort cooled to <80C. Will add 15g Citra dry hops for 48 hours. Didn't have prescribed yeast so used US-05. All went swimmingly and this morning it's bubbling away like a thing possessed.
Before dealing with the APA, however, got up early Sunday to get my malt sorted out for 25 litres of Czech pils. A nice and crisp and dark morning. Put the malt on to mash and went to check the gas burners and brewing kettle. the latter had collected a centimetre of rainwater in the lid which was frozen solid. Gas regulator and burners all good, though, so back to work. Dealt with the APA, gave the kitchen its weekly mucking out and had the lager on the boil after lunch. By the time it was chilled, night was falling fast and I ended up running off the beer and sparging the mountain of Saaz hops in the dark. All good though, 1 litre short which when topped up gives target OG. Pitched with the dreaded Mango Jacks Bohemian Lager yeast and, this morning, the surface of the beer is nearly fully colonised, but not much else happening. Went out to clean up the kettle and equipment to find the garden thermometer reading -7 and everything frozen solid, but promising a glorious sunny day in spite of the forecast. Time for a nice cup of tea and leave the washing up for Ron.

 

[An Ankoù]

Brewdays Sat 11th and Sun 12th January.

My good lady’s favourite beer to date is Duvel Tripple-Hop Citra. It’s not unduly expensive at 1.90 euros for 33cl, but it weighs in at 9½ % and a single glass doesn’t last long so I’ve run up a 7% version, which went down a treat last time I made it. Here’s my recipe for 20 litres even though I bumped it up to 25 litres, this time.

4 Kg Chateau Pilsner Malt
½ Kg Carapils Malt
50 g Acid Malt
½ tsp Calcium Chloride
Overnight mash at 65C to get the FG down low.
½ Kg sugar added last 20 minutes of boil.
Bittering hops to 30 IBUs using equal weights of Saaz and Savinjski Styrians (in this case, 42 g of each at 3.2% and 3.9% alpha acid respectively).
14 g each of Saaz and Savinjski last 10 minutes of boil plus protafloc.
25 g Citra, 13g Ahtanum, 13g Simcoe steeped 20 mins at <80C.
25g Citra dry hop for 2-3 days (upping this a tad in the current brew)
Boil 70 minutes. Target OG 1060. Target FG 1005
Yeast Saflager 34/70 fermented at ale temperature.
3g priming sugar per 33 cl bottle. This takes a good 6-8 weeks to condition and it tastes awful until it all comes together. Then, it's quite the opposite. Warm condition for a fortnight and then put in a cooler place. This is what Duvel do, anyway.

All went well except that whenever I use a particular mash tun for an overnight mash, the slots become clogged and I end up having to bail it out into a bag and sparge through that. Still, hit target volume and gravity. I prefer to use leaf hops and it’s important to tip them into a bag at the end and give them a good squeezing into the FV otherwise many litres can be lost. Pitched at 1600 yesterday. Airlock just beginning to bubble this morning and going nicely, now.

On Friday, I gave the Wise One a pint of my precious Corbel (CAMRA book), which she necked down like a docker and asked for another. So, in a blind panic, I decided to put another 25 L on as I like it, too. In fact at 5½ % abv, it’s almost sessionable. All went according to plan, but, concerned that I was running out of Ahtanum hops I went to order more only to find that nobody’s got any!!! Finally managed to track some down at Crossmyloof via Amazon- at a price, and I see that The Homebrewcompany have got some pellets at the moment, but broke out into a sweat for a while, there. So, I fine weekend’s brewing and 50 litres to the better.

 

[An Ankoù]

Already behind with my N Y resolution so I'll try and get up to date. Here's one I particularly like. It's a clone of Duvel Tripel Hop- Citra, but reduced from their 9½% to 7½%. I brew this for the wife as it's her favourite beer, hence it's called Danièle's Beer.
I posted the recipe on the thread What are people's experiences with MJ M31 Triple Yeast? as a response to brewing Duvel, but I think the recipe should be here on this thread. I pitched the yeast for this one on 12th January and bottled it a couple of days ago.I also increased the dry hop rate to 50g of Citra.

Why not? [make a good copy of Duvel]
If you use the right ingredients and follow their conditioning routine, you should get pretty close. Here's their conditioning routine:
https://www.duvel.com/en/the-beer/duvel
Duvel runs out at 8.5% abv, but I make a light clone of Duvel Tripel Hop- Citra as it's the Wise One's favourite tipple. My version is based on a formulation for Duvel with Citra hops added. It runs to 7.5% abv instead of the 9.5% of the triple hop edition.
For 25 litres:
5Kg Chateau pilsner (from thehomebrewcompany, but any pilsner would be ok)
625g Carapils
625g Sugar (ordinary plain, white sugar)
62.5g acidulated malt (to ensure mash pH is ok with all these light malts)
Mash at 65C (I leave it overnight)
Bitter equal weights of Saaz and Savinjski Goldings to give 30 IBUs FWH for 70' boil
Add 17.5g each of Saaz and Savinjski Goldings for last 10 minutes of boil (disregard the IBUs provided by this addition)
This gives me the basic Duvel (light) base to which I then add the 3rd hop of the Tripel-Hop formula, but that's not what you're trying to make so I put that bit in brackets, below.
I use Saflager 34/70 and ferment it warm. This is an amazing yeast as it provides a nice clean ester profile when fermented warm and a crisp Pilsner profile when fermented cold. I have a sachet of M31, I can't remember why, but I've been afraid to use it in case it gives the phenolic character found in so many Belgian blondes.

(15 minute steep at <80C of 31.25g Citra, 16.25, Ahtanum, 16.25g Simcoe. This is not an authentic copy as Duvel only use Citra for the third hop. Dry hop for no more than 72 hours with 50g Citra).

OG 1060
FG 1003
7.5% abv

I've made this a couple of times before and it's a pretty good imitation if I do say so myself. It takes a long time to come into condition, though.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Hi An I had one off those last night it is a tad strong and like you say doesn't last long but by god it's good, £2-60 a bottle dear as well, I may do some digging today and have a go at this while the weather is still cold, I need to get some bbq beers on to I can neck anything but the kids and their mates a very different story

 

[An Ankoù]

and have a go at this while the weather is still cold,

Just to be clear, It needs to be brewed and conditioned warm +20.
I too, need to get some quaffing ale on. I find I've got plenty of weird experiments on the go, but no proper quaffing ale. That needs remedying before the good weather sets in.

 

[Hengoedbrewer]

Already behind with my N Y resolution so I'll try and get up to date. Here's one I particularly like. It's a clone of Duvel Tripel Hop- Citra, but reduced from their 9½% to 7½%. I brew this for the wife as it's her favourite beer, hence it's called Danièle's Beer.
I posted the recipe on the thread What are people's experiences with MJ M31 Triple Yeast? as a response to brewing Duvel, but I think the recipe should be here on this thread. I pitched the yeast for this one on 6th January and bottled it a couple of days ago.



I've made this a couple of times before and it's a pretty good imitation if I do say so myself. It takes a long time to come into condition, though.

I would drink Duvel Citra until it came out of my ears. Or more likely at 9.5%, until I fell over.

 

[Rodcx500z]

How does this look An
HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Duvel tripple hop
Brew Method: BIAB
Style Name: Belgian Blond Ale
Boil Time: 60 min
Batch Size: 21 liters (ending kettle volume)
Boil Size: 24 liters
Boil Gravity: 1.069
Efficiency: 70% (ending kettle)

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.079
Final Gravity: 1.008
ABV (standard): 9.26%
IBU (tinseth): 36.96
SRM (morey): 4.7
Mash pH: 5.77
FERMENTABLES:
6 kg - Lager (85.7%)
1 kg - Soft Candi Sugar - Blond (14.3%)
HOPS:
50 g - Styrian Goldings, Type: Pellet, AA: 5.5, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 28.09
50 g - Saaz, Type: Pellet, AA: 3.5, Use: Boil for 15 min, IBU: 8.87
50 g - Citra, Type: Pellet, AA: 11, Use: Dry Hop for 7 days
MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 65 C, Time: 60 min, Amount: 18 L
2) Fly Sparge, Temp: 65 C, Time: 10 min, Amount: 12 L
YEAST:
Mangrove Jack - Belgian Tripel M31
Starter: No
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 85%
Flocculation: Medium
Optimum Temp: 17.78 - 27.78 C
Fermentation Temp: 20 C

 

[prog99]

I think normal white sugar would be preferable to candi.

 

[An Ankoù]

So do I. I think the M31 has a phenolic ester profile which is absent in Duvel and might spoil it.
Recipe looks great.

 

[Rodcx500z]

Its just one I imported from brewers friend so can be played with, so swap the candi for tate & lyle and go from there

 

[An Ankoù]

At last I've got round to brewing a batch of Punk IPA. As mentioned earlier, not too confident about the recipes given by Brewdog as far as the IBUs calculation goes and especially as their online version states 35 IBUs, while the book says 40 and running it through Brewer's Friend gives something around 70. Also, the malt bill looks just a tad light for the target OG. Certainly no room for error on the sparge.
Anyway, here's what I decided to do:
Batch size 20 litres. Target OG 1059
HookHead Pale malt 4.5 Kg
Caramalt 250g
Acidulated malt 25g
Very light adjustment to my soft water ¼tsp each CaCl2 and MgSO4 and ½tsp CaSO4
Overnight mash at 64C
Bittering hops: Chinook 11.8% aa 20g; Ahtanum 4.6% aa 14g FWH
75 minute boil
-15 minutes: Chinook 20g; Ahtanum 14g; ½tablet protofloc
Flameout: Chinnok. Ahtanum, Simcoe, N. Sauvin 10g each
DH for no more than 3 days with: Chinook 30g; Ahtanum 30g; Simcoe 15g; N. Sauvin 25g; Cascade 20g; Amarillo 10g

Did this one outside catching a brief interlude between windy days and storm Ciara. Propane bottle ran out 10 mins before end and couldn't be arrrsed to change it so hope protofloc had time to do its job.
Collected 19 litres with OG of 1059. So I was right, the malt bill is light, especially as they prescribe low colour pale malt which yields less per kilo due to its higher water content.
Pitched with new sachet of rehydrated US-05 and it's blupping away merrily as we speak.
I expect to lose at least another litre when the trub settles and soaked up by such a volume of dry hops- some leaf and some pellets depending on what I had in the fridge.

 

[chthon]

I think normal white sugar would be preferable to candi.

Or even just glucose/dextrose, which is what is used in Duvel.

 

[pms67]

At last I've got round to brewing a batch of Punk IPA. As mentioned earlier, not too confident about the recipes given by Brewdog as far as the IBUs calculation goes and especially as their online version states 35 IBUs, while the book says 40 and running it through Brewer's Friend gives something around 70. Also, the malt bill looks just a tad light for the target OG. Certainly no room for error on the sparge.
Anyway, here's what I decided to do:
Batch size 20 litres. Target OG 1059
HookHead Pale malt 4.5 Kg
Caramalt 250g
Acidulated malt 25g
Very light adjustment to my soft water ¼tsp each CaCl2 and MgSO4 and ½tsp CaSO4
Overnight mash at 64C
Bittering hops: Chinook 11.8% aa 20g; Ahtanum 4.6% aa 14g FWH
75 minute boil
-15 minutes: Chinook 20g; Ahtanum 14g; ½tablet protofloc
Flameout: Chinnok. Ahtanum, Simcoe, N. Sauvin 10g each
DH for no more than 3 days with: Chinook 30g; Ahtanum 30g; Simcoe 15g; N. Sauvin 25g; Cascade 20g; Amarillo 10g

Did this one outside catching a brief interlude between windy days and storm Ciara. Propane bottle ran out 10 mins before end and couldn't be arrrsed to change it so hope protofloc had time to do its job.
Collected 19 litres with OG of 1059. So I was right, the malt bill is light, especially as they prescribe low colour pale malt which yields less per kilo due to its higher water content.
Pitched with new sachet of rehydrated US-05 and it's blupping away merrily as we speak.
I expect to lose at least another litre when the trub settles and soaked up by such a volume of dry hops- some leaf and some pellets depending on what I had in the fridge.

If you need an experienced Punk taster to try it :thumba: