Christmas Stout

[adajam4]

So my Xmas Stout was brewed today and I think it went ok. We will start with the recipe...

5.900 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) UK,
1.800 kg Weyermann - Pilsner Malt,
720.000 g Simpsons - Coffee Malt,
230.000 g Roasted Barley,
230.000 g Chocolate Malt (UK),
340.000 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L

28.000 g Magnum into boil for 1.000 hr.
28.000 g Hallertau into boil for 15.000 min.
28.000 g Saaz (USA) into boil for 5.000 min.

28g Star Anise in secondart


I have been no cooling overnight and this has worked for me with what seems to be no infections thus far (I am paranoid about this happening!) so for this one I used my copper chiller, as the recipe called for a cold crash. I also tried for the first time a rehydration of my yeast, as well as my first time using pellet hops.


On the brew then, it went well actually, it is by far the largest grain bill I have ever used and this is the reason, I think, for only ending up with 16 litres. I think there was a lot of water still in the grain that I didn't extract, hence the poorer outcome.


I used the cooler for 30 minutes and got the wort down to 23.5 - I then hoped the further 3 would come of transferring to the PF - which, I am confident I at least got it down to 21 as the pellet hops had formed a complete deadlock on my kettles hop grate. This meant after the 30 minute cool, I was having to use the spoon to keep the wort moving around the tap - a nightmare.



Due to the length of time from re-hydration I was concerned of starving so I added some wort to the cream before pitching. Ooh, here are some pictures.


Couple of questions if anyone can answer or give me some advice.


1) I don't know why I couldn't get my wort down quicker - this was from the outside tap and I am sure it is around 16 - 19 degrees.


2) Do you think re-hydration running past 30 minutes and adding a bit of 24 degree temp wort would have hurt?


3) The last picture shows some crazy seperation happening just 3 hours after pitching, any ideas?


Thanks all :)

 

[Slid]

So my Xmas Stout was brewed today and I think it went ok. We will start with the recipe...

5.900 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) UK,
1.800 kg Weyermann - Pilsner Malt,
720.000 g Simpsons - Coffee Malt,
230.000 g Roasted Barley,
230.000 g Chocolate Malt (UK),
340.000 g Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L

28.000 g Magnum into boil for 1.000 hr.
28.000 g Hallertau into boil for 15.000 min.
28.000 g Saaz (USA) into boil for 5.000 min.

28g Star Anise in secondart


I have been no cooling overnight and this has worked for me with what seems to be no infections thus far (I am paranoid about this happening!) so for this one I used my copper chiller, as the recipe called for a cold crash. I also tried for the first time a rehydration of my yeast, as well as my first time using pellet hops.


On the brew then, it went well actually, it is by far the largest grain bill I have ever used and this is the reason, I think, for only ending up with 16 litres. I think there was a lot of water still in the grain that I didn't extract, hence the poorer outcome.


I used the cooler for 30 minutes and got the wort down to 23.5 - I then hoped the further 3 would come of transferring to the PF - which, I am confident I at least got it down to 21 as the pellet hops had formed a complete deadlock on my kettles hop grate. This meant after the 30 minute cool, I was having to use the spoon to keep the wort moving around the tap - a nightmare.



Due to the length of time from re-hydration I was concerned of starving so I added some wort to the cream before pitching. Ooh, here are some pictures.


Couple of questions if anyone can answer or give me some advice.


1) I don't know why I couldn't get my wort down quicker - this was from the outside tap and I am sure it is around 16 - 19 degrees.


2) Do you think re-hydration running past 30 minutes and adding a bit of 24 degree temp wort would have hurt?


3) The last picture shows some crazy separation happening just 3 hours after pitching, any ideas?


Thanks all :)

To comment regarding your questions:

1) It will take a long time to cool down from 23.5C using a water at only 5C lower in temps. Also there is no real issue pitching at 23.5 anyway.

2) No - can't see that being a big deal.

3) Pic is not distinct, but all seems normal getting a big load of stuff floating around, especially with that size of grain bill.

So, basically, all fine.

That is a big grain bill and many would ask whether some form of "second runnings" mash or at least a dunk sparge could have been possible?

Anyway, it will be a fairly hefty beer - do you have an idea on its SG?

It may not be too late to add some water, if the SG will give the yeast some problems later on.

 

[Slid]

OK, so I have actually looked at Pic 2 and it looks like 1075 or so.

Maybe you got some inefficiencies of some sort due to the large grain bill, maybe dough balls in the mash?

Anyway, good on you for attempting such a huge brew AG. I would have wimped out with a smaller grain bill and a can of malt extract with "Coopers Original Stout" written on it. :whistle:

 

[adajam4]

Thanks Slid for the comments - makes me feel much better! So the picture was the OG am I reading it wrong as I thought that was 1.087? I may be reading it wrong.

 

[Slid]

Thanks Slid for the comments - makes me feel much better! So the picture was the OG am I reading it wrong as I thought that was 1.087? I may be reading it wrong.

No you are reading it right, I am reading it wrong. :lol:

 

[adajam4]

Thought I had been reading it wrong all this time :/ - still not a great efficiency, but it tasted great! On the positives, should be enough head space not to need a blow off tube right

 

[Brightonnik]

With a grain bill of that size I would've been tempted to do a second mash and make a second beer out of the remaining sugary goodness.

 

[adajam4]

With a grain bill of that size I would've been tempted to do a second mash and make a second beer out of the remaining sugary goodness.

Oh... whoops...

Would that have actually delivered results?

 

[Brightonnik]

Oh... whoops...

Would that have actually delivered results?

There's no reason why not. There would've been more sugars to extract. I doubt you would get a high abv but with a long enough boil there would be no reason why you couldn't get something drinkable at the end.

 

[adajam4]

Checked this morning and I think it's fair to say that fermentation is underway - never done a stout before but that's quite a krausen formed there and it's merrily bubbling away. All seems ok at this stage.

 

[adajam4]

This fermented out like crazy over the past few days - gravity is now at 1.02

 

[Grizzly299]

That is pretty dry for your grain bill, what yeast are you using?

 

[adajam4]

Safale S-04 - what do you mean by dry?

The recipe did say 1.028.. I am hoping I misread the hydrometer.

 

[Grizzly299]

Dry as in not sweet or having low residual sugar. But I may have been a bit hasty in saying that.

You're at bang on 75% attenuation, which is the stated maximum for S-04. I would say that you're probably pretty close to your final gravity.

What temp did you mash at, out of curiosity?

 

[adajam4]

Mashed at around 70oC and sparged at 74oC - I don't see any primary fermentation signs such as bubbling (which I know isn't a surefire way to tell, but with my setup it seems to be a good indicator) and the krausen subsided. So I think that is where I am now in terms of gravity, going to leave this on the cake for another 3 weeks though, as I think I fermented a little high - waiting to get my fridge!