Dutto's Brew Day

[Dutto]

It looked like this ...

So the colour's good so here's hoping that the "Grapefruit" comes through!

BTW @Clint it's not really "experimentation" this time - just "substitution" ...

... however, we leave for France in eight weeks, I have 3.5kg of OOD grain (not counting some Chocolate Malt from 2017!), 1.5kg of Brewing Sugar, 1kg of Light DME and a few bits and bobs that need using up.

I've knocked up a recipe in BrewersFriend that ticks every indicator for an "English Brown Ale - Mild" so I don't class it as an "experiment". It will still be winter when we leave so maybe just this twice, 'cos I have enough to do two brews; one to take with me and one left to await my return in April.

Here's a photograph of the Rowan Berry experiment. I drank a bottle of it yesterday and it's "drinkable" and I've survived the experience; but I will have to run out of hops before I try it again!

 

[Dutto]

Yesterday and today I brewed up to "Partial Mash Milds" one of which had Chocolate Malt in the Recipe but both of which came in at an OG of 1.034.

Here is the basic recipe for "Partial Mash Mild"

INGREDIENTS
0.5kg Maris Otter. - 0.3kg Crystal Malt (EBC 25) –1.0kg Crystal Malt (EBC 250)Grain Bill = 1.80kg
0.5kg DME (Light) – 0.75kg Brewing Sugar
40g EKG Pellets (AA 6%) - 10g Chinook (AA 8.1%)
Gervin-12 Yeast – 1 x Protafloc Tablet - Yeast Nutrient

DAY ONE
Mash
Strike Water = 3.0 litres per 1kg of grain = 6.0 litres at 75*C.
Mash at 63*C > 61*C for SIXTY MINUTES.
Sparge Water at 80*C (Ambient 8*C.)
Lauter until clear then sparge until Boiler is at 12 litres.
Cover Boiler and leave overnight.

DAY TWO
Preparation
Prepare Hops comprising:

• 1 x 20g EKG Pellets.
• 1 x 20g EKG Pellets.
• 1 x 10g Chinook Pellets

Put out 1 Protafloc Tablets.
Rehydrate Yeast.
Put out Yeast Nutrient.
Boil for 60 minutes using Hop Spider with:

• 20g EKG for 50 minutes.
• 20g EKG for 5 minutes.

Remove Hop Spider & Clean.
Add 1 x Protafloc tablets and boil for further 10 minutes.
Flameout.
Cool to 80*C.
Add Hop Spider with 10g Chinook Pellets Aroma Hops and steep for 30 minutes.
Remove Hop Spider.
Cool to 35*C, whirlpool, run off into FV, add DME and Brewing Sugar and make up to 23 litres.
Take OG, add Yeast Nutrient and rehydrated Yeast.
Ferment at 20*C on Heat Pad using FV with Insulation Jacket.

For the "Partial Mash - Mild with Chocolate":

• Exchange 100g of Chocolate Malt for 100g of Crytstal Malt (EBC 25).
• Exchange the Chinook Hop Pellets for Cascade Hop Pellets.

It is now fermenting at 20*C in Fridge 1.

Both OG's were the same at 1.034 (to give an ABV of +/-3.5% after carbonation).

I'm afraid that (yet again) I have broken a "New Year Resolution" by doing two brews in two days. I excuse myself on the basis that because it was a partial mash the time it took to bring the wort to the boil was very much less than normal and with an ambient temperature of 8*C cooling the wort was not a problem.

Having said that, tonight my hips feel as if someone is trying to unscrew them!

Plan "A" is that the ordinary Mild will go in the King-Keg and be taken to France and the "with Chocolate" version will be allowed to mature in the garage whilst I am away.

After taking FG, both of them will be treated to a Hop Tea made from 10g of Chinook Pellets and 10g of Cascade Pellets respectively and batch primed as required.

Off to bed - totally knackered but happy that tomorrow should now see 69 litres happily fermenting in the garage!

 

[Clint]

Having your hips unscrewed....I know that feeling well! At least on one side!

 

[foxbat]

When you eventually succumb to the inevitable and start kegging with cornies you can also downsize your brew length to the keg capacity of 19 litres. The FVs get easier to carry so there you have it: kegging is good for your health, a great excuse to justify the expenditure to Mrs Dutto

 

[Dutto]

Today I transferred the finished Grapefruit Pale Ale into a 10 litre Growler, a 10 litre PB and a 2 litre PET bottle.

The Growler and PB versions are both being carbonated with 1g per litre of brewing sugar and a Hop Tea made from 20g of Cascade Pellets and 20g of Chinook Pellets. (I used the "dregs" of the Hop Teas to knock up a rather weak addition for the PET bottle).

The FG was 1.009 which gives an ABV of 3.28%, which is about where I hoped it would be.

First taste of the SG sample was "bitter" but as it cooled down a bit the looked for grapefruit flavour started to come through so looking forward to trying out the finished product!

 

[Dutto]

I'll admit I've never had a cherry lager so your creation may be fairly unique. Let us know how you get on, sounds interesting.

Yesterday (and way before I should have done) I tried a bottle of the Cherry Lager.

Started on 10th December, bottled on 3rd January, carbonated until 11th January and then left to condition at ambient (7*C to 8*C) on the garage shelves and it looked like this ...

It still has a bit to go before it has fully cleared, but it tastes delicious with a subtle "black cherry" piquancy (I would have said 'twang' but the word itself has some bad connotations in home brewing).

Basically, I am really looking forward to those warm summer afternoons when it is fully conditioned and I don't have to drive anywhere!

 

[Clint]

That looks nice! I need to build stocks...a fruity IPA might be just the thing...

 

[beertrap]

Yesterday and today I brewed up to "Partial Mash Milds" one of which had Chocolate Malt in the Recipe but both of which came in at an OG of 1.034.

Here is the basic recipe for "Partial Mash Mild"

INGREDIENTS
0.5kg Maris Otter. - 0.3kg Crystal Malt (EBC 25) –1.0kg Crystal Malt (EBC 250)Grain Bill = 1.80kg
0.5kg DME (Light) – 0.75kg Brewing Sugar
40g EKG Pellets (AA 6%) - 10g Chinook (AA 8.1%)
Gervin-12 Yeast – 1 x Protafloc Tablet - Yeast Nutrient

DAY ONE
Mash
Strike Water = 3.0 litres per 1kg of grain = 6.0 litres at 75*C.
Mash at 63*C > 61*C for SIXTY MINUTES.
Sparge Water at 80*C (Ambient 8*C.)
Lauter until clear then sparge until Boiler is at 12 litres.
Cover Boiler and leave overnight.

DAY TWO
Preparation
Prepare Hops comprising:

• 1 x 20g EKG Pellets.
• 1 x 20g EKG Pellets.
• 1 x 10g Chinook Pellets

Put out 1 Protafloc Tablets.
Rehydrate Yeast.
Put out Yeast Nutrient.
Boil for 60 minutes using Hop Spider with:

• 20g EKG for 50 minutes.
• 20g EKG for 5 minutes.

Remove Hop Spider & Clean.
Add 1 x Protafloc tablets and boil for further 10 minutes.
Flameout.
Cool to 80*C.
Add Hop Spider with 10g Chinook Pellets Aroma Hops and steep for 30 minutes.
Remove Hop Spider.
Cool to 35*C, whirlpool, run off into FV, add DME and Brewing Sugar and make up to 23 litres.
Take OG, add Yeast Nutrient and rehydrated Yeast.
Ferment at 20*C on Heat Pad using FV with Insulation Jacket.

For the "Partial Mash - Mild with Chocolate":

• Exchange 100g of Chocolate Malt for 100g of Crytstal Malt (EBC 25).
• Exchange the Chinook Hop Pellets for Cascade Hop Pellets.

It is now fermenting at 20*C in Fridge 1.

Both OG's were the same at 1.034 (to give an ABV of +/-3.5% after carbonation).

I'm afraid that (yet again) I have broken a "New Year Resolution" by doing two brews in two days. I excuse myself on the basis that because it was a partial mash the time it took to bring the wort to the boil was very much less than normal and with an ambient temperature of 8*C cooling the wort was not a problem.

Having said that, tonight my hips feel as if someone is trying to unscrew them!

Plan "A" is that the ordinary Mild will go in the King-Keg and be taken to France and the "with Chocolate" version will be allowed to mature in the garage whilst I am away.

After taking FG, both of them will be treated to a Hop Tea made from 10g of Chinook Pellets and 10g of Cascade Pellets respectively and batch primed as required.

Off to bed - totally knackered but happy that tomorrow should now see 69 litres happily fermenting in the garage!

If I used .65 marris otter and did not use the DME would it be similar or do you think the DME adds to the brew?

 

[Dutto]

If I used .65 marris otter and did not use the DME would it be similar or do you think the DME adds to the brew?

I only threw in the DME because A) I had some spare. B) It gave a bit more flavour than straight sugar. and C) It boosted the ABV to an acceptable level.

More Maris Otter should get a much better brew so my advice is to go for it.

BTW the brews were mainly to use up what I had left in the bins before taking off for France. Had I been a bit more energetic (and had SWMBO not been running out of oats for her morning porridge), I would have thrown 250g of Rolled Oats into each Mash to give it a bit better mouthfeel and that bit higher ABV; so you might consider doing the same.

 

[beertrap]

I only threw in the DME because A) I had some spare. B) It gave a bit more flavour than straight sugar. and C) It boosted the ABV to an acceptable level.

More Maris Otter should get a much better brew so my advice is to go for it.

BTW the brews were mainly to use up what I had left in the bins before taking off for France. Had I been a bit more energetic (and had SWMBO not been running out of oats for her morning porridge), I would have thrown 250g of Rolled Oats into each Mash to give it a bit better mouthfeel and that bit higher ABV; so you might consider doing the same.

Ok, what abv would you be aiming for? How much flaked oats,since I have it on hand, would you suggest for 19L batch?
Also, I have notty, Windsor, 05 and a Belgian yeast on hand. I am not familiar with your yeast.
Any of these do?

 

[Dutto]

Ok, what abv would you be aiming for? How much flaked oats,since I have it on hand, would you suggest for 19L batch?
Also, I have notty, Windsor, 05 and a Belgian yeast on hand. I am not familiar with your yeast.
Any of these do?

My ABV should come in at about 3.5% which should be very drinkable.

As a general rule I add +/- 500g of Rolled Oats to a 23 litre Mash to give a decent mouthfeel. If I'm feeling energetic, I toast the rolled oats in a wok before adding them to the Mash. It gives the brew a slightly "nutty" flavour that you can try out by toasting some rolled oats and then making it into porridge to see if you like the flavour. (*)

I mainly use Wilko Ale Yeast which is also known as Nottingham Yeast or Gervin-12 Yeast. It's a bottom fermenting yeast that gives good attenuation and a lovely crisp brew.

Yeast is just one of the many factors that will affect a brew. I occasionally use a different yeast for lagers but to make matters as simple as possible I mainly stick to the Wilko Ale Yeast.

(*) Please note that rolled oats are one of the easiest things to burn! Keep them moving at all times when they are on the heat and keep stirring even after they have been removed. They are "toasted" when they change colour to a golden brown; they are burned when they go black (and bitter).

 

[beertrap]

Excellent and thank you. Notty is my go to for many beers as well.

I'll put this beer on the February brew book

 

[Dutto]

After 15 days in the FV I transferred the "Partial Mash Mild with Chocolate" over to the Wilko PB.

The FG was down to 1.006 which gives an ABV of 3.68% (less carbonation sugar).

The sample tasted so nice that I decided to not add the Hop Tea and put it straight into Brew Fridge 1 with 60g of Brewing Sugar to carbonate.

 

[Dutto]

Today (after 16 days) I transferred the "Partial Mash Mild" over to the King Keg.

Again, the FG was down to 1.006 which gives an ABV 0f 3.68% (less carbonation sugar).

This time the sample tasted quite bland (maybe the lack of chocolate) so I added a 30g Hop Tea made from 10g each of Cascade, Chinook and EKG before putting it into Brew Fridge 2 with 60g of Brewing Sugar to carbonate.

 

[Dutto]

Did an inventory today and have:

• 23 litres Mild with Chocolate carbonating
• 23 litres Mild carbonating
  
• 23 litres Grapefruit Pale Ale conditioning
  
• 22 litres Cherry Lager conditioning
• 23 litres Pale Ale conditioning
• 15 litres B&M Ale drinking
• 5 litres SMASH drinking
• 7 litres Robust Porter drinking
• 5 litres Best Bitter drinking
• +/- 20 litres "experimental" waiting for better days! (i.e. they may finish up down the drain if I need the bottles!)

A total of +/- 166 litres, so I think I have reached "Critical Mass" and can take a bit of a break.

 

[Clint]

 

[Dutto]

I got the proposed Lager underway today - with the usual variations as follows:

1. Wilko didn't have any Lager so SWMBO came home with a one-can Cerveza Kit! Not the end of the world because it's a type of Mexican Lager anyway.
2. I intend to leave it for up to 12 weeks after primary fermentation so I wanted the brew to have a relatively high ABV. I had already decided to use Golden Syrup instead of sugar but after seeing some Honey on sale in Aldi I decided to substitute some of the Golden Syrup for Honey so the ingredients are as follows:
   • 1 x Wilko Cerveza Kit Malt.
   • 900g of Golden Syrup.
   • 45g of Honey.

Made up to 23 litres the wort came in with an OG 1.042 which should return an ABV of about 4.5% before carbonation.

The brew is now fermenting at 19*C for a week and then I'll drop the temperature to 10*C, add a sachet of Saflager S-23 yeast and leave it for a couple of months or so.

BTW I tried another bottle of the Cherry Lager today and it tasted superb; but pouring it was a trial of patience because the Saflager S-23 was so loose in the bottom of the bottle that it tried to come and join the party when it was poured. Ten or twelve weeks more sat on the shelf should help that problem!

 

[Clint]

Not a whole 45g of honey ....you spendthrift!

 

[Zephyr259]

Not a whole 45g of honey ....you spendthrift!

I saw that and did wonder if he missed off a 4 and meant 454g.

 

[-Bezza-]

Not a whole 45g of honey ....you spendthrift!

He nabbed a whole pot of honey from a hotel's breakfast buffet.