dan125's 2018 brewdays

[dan125]

The Juice yeast doesn't seem anywhere near as eager to escape from the FS this time (yet).
Also think I may have over estimated the EBC of the Blackstrap molasses as the beer doesn't look quite as dark as I was expecting.

 

[Hoddy]

So I was lucky enough to have a bottle of Dans black IPA that he entered into the June comp. and here it is

Now this is funny, there are parts of this beer that I really like that I want to develop into my own BIPA.

I love the drier and crisper finish. I wouldn’t say it was thin, maybe at a push, but I like it.

I think the cold steeping brings a different flavour profile to the dark malts used. You don’t get as much roast and loads less bitterness than you do with normal mashing of these malts.

There’s no perceived alcohol. And to be honest I wouldn’t want to guess what the % ABV is.

Hops are good, maybe a good dose of citra in there if I’m not mistaken.

And actually this reminds me of a commercial BIPA (it’s that good) but I can’t remember who by.

I love a dark beer. And I love this one.


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[dan125]

So I was lucky enough to have a bottle of Dans black IPA that he entered into the June comp. and here it is

Now this is funny, there are parts of this beer that I really like that I want to develop into my own BIPA.

I love the drier and crisper finish. I wouldn’t say it was thin, maybe at a push, but I like it.

I think the cold steeping brings a different flavour profile to the dark malts used. You don’t get as much roast and loads less bitterness than you do with normal mashing of these malts.

There’s no perceived alcohol. And to be honest I wouldn’t want to guess what the % ABV is.

Hops are good, maybe a good dose of citra in there if I’m not mistaken.

And actually this reminds me of a commercial BIPA (it’s that good) but I can’t remember who by.

I love a dark beer. And I love this one.

Cheers Hoddy, very kind of you. This was defo my favourite of the few black beers I've made, and I really liked the mild character from the cold steeping - will do this again.
I know what you & @Leon103 mean about the dryness/body, but it didn't finish that low at 1.013, had a load of flaked barley, and a very low S/C ratio at 0.36

It came in at 5.4% ABV, so I'm pleased you couldn't pick out any booziness as its been an issue in some brews.

There wasn't any citra in there, but you're close - it had equal measures of simcoe & chinook.

I had your BIPA side by side with mine the other day. They were a touch on the cold side when I had them but I thought they weren't dissimilar - yours was richer with a bit more dark malt character. Mine had a bit more hoppiness, but was younger than yours I think so had less chance to fade.
:cheers7:

 

[dan125]

Today I'm gonna brew up a NEIPAesque beer using both Golden Promise & lactose for the first time.
Bit a of landmark for me as it my 100th brew (93rd AG) since taking up this fine hobby in Nov 2012.

 

[Leon103]

Today I'm gonna brew up a NEIPAesque beer using both Golden Promise & lactose for the first time.
Bit a of landmark for me as it my 100th brew (93rd AG) since taking up this fine hobby in Nov 2012.

View attachment 14560

Similar to what I am brewing today. What water adjustments are you making?

 

[dan125]

Similar to what I am brewing today. What water adjustments are you making?

I'm using 3g Epsom Salts & 15g Calcium Choride (as well as some phosphoric acid) in my usual blend of Ashbesk & Tap water to give me this profile with a very low S/C ratio

 

[dan125]

Hmmm. Mash ph is very low at 0.4 below beersmith predictions.

 

[dan125]

Or maybe the ph meter needs calibrating again as I'm pretty sure our tap water isn't acidic.

 

[Hoddy]

I have found mine drifts quite easily. Guess that’s the difference with a cheap ph meter.


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[dan125]

I have found mine drifts quite easily. Guess that’s the difference with a cheap ph meter.

Silly thing is I bought a batch of the buffer powders the other week so I could calibrate it more regularly - just haven't got round to picking up some distilled water yet.
Must get some before the next couple of brews for the Welsh national comp

 

[BeerCat]

Silly thing is I bought a batch of the buffer powders the other week so I could calibrate it more regularly - just haven't got round to picking up some distilled water yet.
Must get some before the next couple of brews for the Welsh national comp

My meter drifts a lot as well, takes a while to settle down. I don't get why you need a buffer solution with distilled water though. It should always have a PH of 6 or am i missing something?

 

[dan125]

Maybe because its 2nd generation, or maybe because of the dry hops at high krausen, but the juice yeast has made a bid for freedom again!
It forms an incredibly stiff moussey krausen which grows really quickly - even under pressure.

 

[dan125]

My meter drifts a lot as well, takes a while to settle down. I don't get why you need a buffer solution with distilled water though. It should always have a PH of 6 or am i missing something?

I can only calibrate my meter at a couple of pre set points so I need the buffers to make up the correct ph solutions

 

[BeerCat]

I can only calibrate my meter at a couple of pre set points so I need the buffers to make up the correct ph solutions

What ph meter do you have Dan?

 

[dan125]

What ph meter do you have Dan?

Its just the Semlos brand cheap yellow pen type shown above.
It needs calibrating with these.

 

[dan125]

Sort of brewday related....
I needed some new clean bottles for upcoming competition entries, so popped in to my local micro brewery for a pint today & while I was there they were happy to sell some for 25p each

 

[Hoddy]

View attachment 14642
Its just the Semlos brand cheap yellow pen type shown above.
It needs calibrating with these.

I have come into a bit of money and I’m considering investing in a better quality ph meter. One that doesn’t need recalibration all the time and could hopefully be more reliable.


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[dan125]

I have come into a bit of money and I’m considering investing in a better quality ph meter. One that doesn’t need recalibration all the time and could hopefully be more reliable.

I think that even the pricey ones need regular calibration, but use those premixed buffer solutions so it probably only take a minute

 

[dan125]

The other interesting thing that came up while chatting to the brewer at the micro-brewery yesterday, was that they use dried yeast at half the manufacturers recommended pitch rate as the beer clears quicker/better and they have smaller losses in fermenters (and of course saves them money).
Didn't much like the sound of having to dig out 500kg of spent grain from a 65C mash tun on a day like that though

 

[dan125]

Bottled/kegged the NEIPA this afternoon - looks like the lactose isn't as un-fermentable as I thought it would be as it finished at 1.012 for 76% attenuation.
@Leon103 - how did you find the lactose effect? I only used 3.2%, maybe this isn't enough??