Brewnaldos brewday

[Brewnaldo]

Busy wee brew queue i've got going on, need to get my hefeweizen bottled, then brew a pilsner, for which I will be moving away from CML Hell and giving 34/70 a wee try, then I have just ordered a monster grain bill for an Impy Stout, which I will be attempting a sort of iterated mash, and adding the roasted grains later int he mash to see if can get it nice and smooth. Either that or maybe cold steep them.... Advice to be taken nearer the time.

 

[Brewnaldo]

Hefewizen bottled today. Couple of things of note today..... Thats 12 days in the FV and it was at FG at least 5 days ago, yet when I took the lid off there was an almost complete raft of yeast on top. Was pretty surprised by that. It did allow me to easily get some through to the bottling bucket though since obviously yeast is important in the style. Sort of pissed me off that I wasnt really prepared with a decent jar oe two (and the neccessary knowledge) though as it was pure yeast and would have been easily skimmed off and kept. Next time maybe.....

Also, this one ran at 21 for the whole time and the banana flavour is pretty strong. Nice strong, but I had felt holdong it at 21 would maybe calm it down a bit.... Not so!

 

[Brewnaldo]

Brewday today for the Perle Pilsner I burgled off foxbat. Some subtle differences in that I am bittering with Herkules and yeast is 34/70. In both cases, its a case of being what I have, but also, I am always using CML Hell and much as I like it, want to see what else is out there in terms of dry lager yeast. Also, my festbier has a slight soapy taste (at least I think so, wife not getting it) which is making me look around the process a bit.

I am wondering if the lads at CML have had a senior moment when weighing the grain, as I have a pre boil of around 1045 and the mash seemed really thick

 

[Brewnaldo]

Big brewday for me today. First proper high gravity job, which will incorporate an iterated mash. Absolutely winging it in terms of water treatment but have settled on some CaCl and gypsum in mash 1 (Just pale malt) then in mash 2, adding some baking soda. I figure the pH will already have been lowered from mash 1, and adding the base malts from grist 2 plus the later additions of the roasted malts will drop it even firther, so a safety blanket against the pH going too low.

That aside, I am excited to try something new here and hooefully end up with a big heavy stout to which I can decide about other flavours later. Wife was a big fan of tonka so might use that, possibly some vanilla, maybe some wood

 

[Brewnaldo]

Just in case anyone can help me before I get to the boil, I have target for 60 min bittering. I also have 20g of Styrian Goldings. I was thinking a 15 or 10 minute addition for them, and as I previously said I uave some phoenix. I was thinking a small 5 minute addition for them to see if that chocolate flavour comes out any thoughts on the hops hwre for an imp stout type deal?

 

[Brewnaldo]

Sampled my Inpy stout after 3 days just to make sure all is moving along nicely, although the usual stout yeast cake on top of the FV having ejected itself from the airlock was clue enough.

Down to about 1.041, and the sampme in the trial jar is now working away on making itself a wee krausen! Fully expect a fully attenuated sample for breakfast tomorrow!

Middle of the road attentuation for CML five would give me 1.020 which I would be pretty pleased with.

The Perle Pilsner is moving onto D rest which will be for at least 5 days this time having shorted the last lager a bit. It tastes really quite citrusy and so far, pretty clean. High hopes for it so far.

Here the stout

 

[Brewnaldo]

First sample of my "imperial" stout lastnight. Its only like 3 days in the bottle but with only 2.2 vol of carbonation, the bottles are pretty much where they need to be already so I couldnt resist. The various tastes I had through the process have swung about wildly but carbination seems to have settled it all out. Its quite thick (FG 1.020), warm from the alcohol but not rough, it has a very slight sort of fruitiness that I think is either the yeast or the alcohol, its a flavour I have only ever detected in high ABV stuff, maybe sort of estery. Not unpleasant but wouldnt mind if it conditioned out somewhat, and the flavour additions of tonka (down from 5 the first time I used it to 2 in this) and vanilla are only just there which is what I wanted.

Lastly, the advice received on here to add the roasted grians late in the mash will be followed for all my dark beers from now on. Well worth doing IMO.

Overall very happy with this brew and on the assumption that it is still to peak, I look forward to when it does.

 

[Brewnaldo]

Finally got around to brewing my sour pale ale that will be heavily dry hopped with Nelson and Vic Secret. Philly Sour yeast doing the acid bits.

A very cold brewday, and I think I am going to have to seek new hose for the dip tune on my fermentasaurus. Theres a bit of perishing going on there.

Wer not under pressure yet. Using a blow off tube for a few days, and will cap eith spunding valve later, probably whenever I do the dry hop addition.

 

[Brewnaldo]

Just a wee update on the sour beer.... I really like it. For a couple of reasons. The Nelson Sauvin hops are really nice. A real fruity tang to it and the acid really accentuates that. It would sort of have you thinking there's something else in there.

The other reason is that it's basically a NEIPA albeit with probably a bit less oats in the grain bill and a lower ABV than is standard, but its hazy to the point of almost opaque with a big dry hop and despite this, I have managed to keep it fresh up until now with no signs of oxidation, so I will probably mess about with this style some more.

 

[Brewnaldo]

Brewdays becoming annoyingly infrequent to me... I'm not falling out of it per se.... Just seem to always have loads going on, but... Having took the kids to soft play today and various other stuff all week and getting to 1pm sat on the couch with nothing to do except grow increasingly crabbit, a brew was decided upon... So having recently worked with 34/70 and Diamond, I am going to check out Saflager S-189 in a Czech style pilsner. Reason being Saaz is what I have. So that will probably just about do my journey through the dry lager yeasts before settling on one...

Oh no I did think I wanted one more go at CML hell.... Never mind. 34/70 is the leader in terms of beer for me, but CML Hell will always play a part due to how easy and quick it is to get one cheaply.

Lets see* if S189 can upset the applecart

*in about 5 weeks

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Soft play.... we haven't been since covid thank goodness.

 

[Brewnaldo]

Soft play.... we haven't been since covid thank goodness.

That was only my first of the weekend

 

[NormanHurst]

Soft play.... we haven't been since covid thank goodness.

Now I wouldn't wish the demise of any business in these difficult times, but if Covid had to kill off one type of business then soft play would get my vote!

 

[Brewnaldo]

2 brew jobs today... Kegged my Czech Pilsner which is tasting very nice indeed already, so looking forward to the first carbed up sample of that next Friday.

Also, and no pics here because the workmanship is nothing short of disastrous.... I attacked my fridge with a drill today. Making the hole for the gas line was no hassle... But cutting out the shelves in the door because it wouldn't close against the keg, was a shambles.

I dint care though. I now have a kegorator..... of sorts. Sticking with just having the party tap inside it for now. I may consider a faucet in due course...

So it's cold fermented, cold conditioned lager all year round now for Brewnaldo!

 

[Brewnaldo]

Another pleasingly uneventful brewday today, and my second ever Saison, having brewed, and not really liked that much, the GH one.

This one, hopped with just Mandarina Bavaria will provide a nice platform to see what CML Wallonia is all about.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Another pleasingly uneventful brewday today, and my second ever Saison, having brewed, and not really liked that much, the GH one.

This one, hopped with just Mandarina Bavaria will provide a nice platform to see what CML Wallonia is all about.

I used Wallonia on a French Saison and got 92% attenuation @ 24C.

 

[Brewnaldo]

I used Wallonia on a French Saison and got 92% attenuation @ 24C.

Yeah I was a bit at a loss about where to adjust the gravity to, base Don not knowing if it would stop at 1.010 or go totally dry. In the end, I have given myself a window that should land between 5.4-6% depending on attentuation. Your 92% would land me at 5.8% which is obviously fine for a Saison, if a little high for the summertime, sit in the garden and rattle 4 or 5 of them I was aiming for.

I also have it set at 26.5, I might nudge that back a wee touch.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

Yeah I was a bit at a loss about where to adjust the gravity to, base Don not knowing if it would stop at 1.010 or go totally dry. In the end, I have given myself a window that should land between 5.4-6% depending on attentuation. Your 92% would land me at 5.8% which is obviously fine for a Saison, if a little high for the summertime, sit in the garden and rattle 4 or 5 of them I was aiming for.

I also have it set at 26.5, I might nudge that back a wee touch.

Mine went from 1052 to 1004 in 5 days and to bottle in 9. Came out at 6.3%.

 

[Brewnaldo]

Had a wee look inside the ferminator earlier on to see that the Saison had got off ok.... The smell of that Wallonia fermenting is absolutely sensational. It reminded me of something familiar but I hadnt time to stand there and sniff it, despite wanting to, so I will return to this puzzle tomorrow, but it felt remark-worthy. I have defineitly never smelt anything so nice whilst fermenting.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

After reading this thread I've just been on crossmyloof and bought myself a packet of wallonia, was thinking of brewing a 'sessionable' saison next month.