follow recipe or brew mate with tweaks ?

[loady]

I am getting ready ahead of my next brew day, i am following GW recipe for GALES FESTIVAL MILD, as follows...

OG 1054

FG 1013

ABV 5.5%

EBU 24

EBC 140

I put the ingredients into brew mate and its come out as...

Gales Festival Mild (Mild)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.054 (°P): 13.3
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (°P): 3.1
Alcohol (ABV): 5.45 %
Colour (SRM): 30.3 (EBC): 59.7
Bitterness (IBU): 24.6 (Average)

85.74% Pale Malt
5.23% Black Malt
4.74% Cane Sugar
2.86% Crystal 120
1.44% Torrified Wheat

1.6 g/L Fuggles (5.7% Alpha) @ 90 Minutes (Boil)
0.3 g/L Fuggles (5.7% Alpha) @ 10 Minutes (Boil)


Single step Infusion at 67°C for 90 Minutes. Boil for 90 Minutes

Fermented at 19°C with Safale S-04

The IBU was coming out at 32, so i reduced the hops at start boil to get this right, the abv was 4.1 so i upped the pale malt to get that right, i had to add another 1 kg :shock: ...this all makes sense to do and obviously when the ingredients arrive i can tweak the relevant colours and alpha acid settings and retweak...the only thing bothering me is the EBC..its supposed to be about 140 as per recipe..i am having to put in 2.5kg of extra black malt instead of 640gms to get it near the same number..but the picture of the pint in brewmate is almost black....is this right..should i tweak this or leave the black malt alone ??. By the way, i am doubling the recipe of 25l to get 50l

 

[pittsy]

It can make a difference what grains you use , in beersmith you can adjust the colour of the grains etc to match what your using like i use dingemanns belgian pale ale ebc 5.9 and i would be careful how much dark malt as it can be strong .

 

[Dr Mike]

Well a 1054 beer with 5% black malt should be black, or pretty close to it.

EBC of 60 or so is more like dark red/brown. As pittsy says, you can adjust the EBC against each malt type. What is the default setting for black malt? It should be about 1400.

 

[zgoda]

At 140 ebc the beer would be black as stout. I'd stick with recipe and see if it come out right, but I guess it may be hard to compare with original beer (is it still brewed?).

 

[loady]

Just been reading on another thread in the brewing equipment discussion section about brew mate, they are saying that the EBC is off the scale on that software, though the picture colour seems to be more accurate than the number value...think ill stick with the recipe on that one

 

[graysalchemy]

Yes I have just started using it and I have found that the EBC of a recipe is totally different to what it is on beer engine and it is down to the EBC's on the grain database. I am going to change them to what they are on the bag when I buy them.

:thumb: :thumb:

 

[BreadMurderer]

I am going to change them to what they are on the bag when I buy them.

:thumb: :thumb:

I have found I need to do this all the time (using BeerSmith) and its the best way to get accurate estimations. Always check the labels! :thumb:

 

[loady]

Yes I have just started using it and I have found that the EBC of a recipe is totally different to what it is on beer engine and it is down to the EBC's on the grain database. I am going to change them to what they are on the bag when I buy them.

:thumb: :thumb:

hmmm...dont think its that grays..think its just out, maybe referencing an incorrect scale ?...i to have set the grains to the ebc stated on the bags and it makes very little difference..the physical colour likeness seems correct but the numbers are just way out there..to correct it, it wanted to add 2kg of black malt !!

 

[PD]

while your learning may I suggest you go with the recipes given in the Wheeler book. No matter what they always seem to come out good.
Brews I have done in the past have not always matched up in brewmate with whats printed, but going with the recipe as given I've not yet been disappointed.

 

[pittsy]

download beersmith its way better and has a free trial for a month (or 3) and once you use it i'd bet you buy it .