Martin's Brewday

[bobukbrewer]

I find sipping from a wine glass difficult - I am a true glugger - drank a well hopped 2.8% last night the PET bottle was hard as steel so I opened it outside - good job I did I got less than 1 litre from a 2 litre bottle.........

 

[jceg316]

Recipe:
3.8kg MO
0.8kg Vienna
0.230kg Cara Malt

Mash in 18lt water at 66C for 60 mins. Mash out at 75C. Sparge with 15Lt at 75C. Boil 60 mins.

60min 10g columbus, 10g simcoe
30 mins 10g columbus, 10g simcoe
15 mins 10g columbus, 10g simcoe
5 mins 17g coloumbus, 17g simcoe

Hops all came in nice big tea bags, so no need to use hop spider

Pitched Simonaitis at 32C. In brew fridge at 30C

(SImonaitis: This culture contains multiple strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus. Across a wide temperature range this culture will throw an intriguing mix of orange, tropical fruit and stone fruit esters that is reminiscent of POG Juice (passionfruit, orange, guava), and produces distinct spicy/earthy/herbal undertones.)

Should be kegging by Friday!

Cheers

MArtin

I got my hands on some farmhouse Simonaitis flakes and am looking to make a sour beer with it, was wondering if you've done this before? I recently made an Ebbegarden sour, was something like 80% MO, 15% wheat, 5% flaked barley and no hops. It's come out really good. A decent level of sourness and huge tropical flavours of stone fruit, pineapple, peach etc. Was gonna do the same thing with Simonaitis to compare them both.

With the hop bill for your brew, did the yeast manage to come through?

 

[MartinHaworth]

I got my hands on some farmhouse Simonaitis flakes and am looking to make a sour beer with it, was wondering if you've done this before? I recently made an Ebbegarden sour, was something like 80% MO, 15% wheat, 5% flaked barley and no hops. It's come out really good. A decent level of sourness and huge tropical flavours of stone fruit, pineapple, peach etc. Was gonna do the same thing with Simonaitis to compare them both.

With the hop bill for your brew, did the yeast manage to come through?

Sorry for the delay, life and stuff!

The brew I made was a disaster and was consigned to the drain. The brew was part of a 'kveik off' that the Norwich Brew Club did in January.

Most of us got our yeast from the Yeaster Bunny on ebay, and many had problems with significant off flavours. We are all experienced brewers and we conjectured that there was a problem with the yeast hygiene.

At the meeting where we judged our **** beer, we were fortunate to have a rep from Crisp Maltings who is a master brewer. He also commented that if different brewers were experiencing similar issues, then look to the yeast.

So I have nothing helpful I can say about Simonaitis. Sorry!

I would comment that I have had positive experiences with (in particular) Voss farmhouse, and have just ordered some of the CML Voss isolate for a Christmas Imp.

Best wishes

MArtin

 

[jceg316]

Sorry for the delay, life and stuff!

The brew I made was a disaster and was consigned to the drain. The brew was part of a 'kveik off' that the Norwich Brew Club did in January.

Most of us got our yeast from the Yeaster Bunny on ebay, and many had problems with significant off flavours. We are all experienced brewers and we conjectured that there was a problem with the yeast hygiene.

At the meeting where we judged our s**t beer, we were fortunate to have a rep from Crisp Maltings who is a master brewer. He also commented that if different brewers were experiencing similar issues, then look to the yeast.

So I have nothing helpful I can say about Simonaitis. Sorry!

I would comment that I have had positive experiences with (in particular) Voss farmhouse, and have just ordered some of the CML Voss isolate for a Christmas Imp.

Best wishes

MArtin

I'm really sorry to hear that. It's so annoying when a brew goes bad, especially if you did everything right!

I bought a couple of yeasts from Yeaster Bunny and so far they've been fine. I bought 3 other kveik strains from another ebay seller: Voss, Oslo and Simonaitis.

 

[MartinHaworth]

I'm really sorry to hear that. It's so annoying when a brew goes bad, especially if you did everything right!

I bought a couple of yeasts from Yeaster Bunny and so far they've been fine. I bought 3 other kveik strains from another ebay seller: Voss, Oslo and Simonaitis.

Thanks, I also have had some good experiences with yeasts from YB, but it was telling that the brew clubs beer of the quarter was such a write off!

Do let me know how the SImonaitis turns out.

Best wishes

MArtin

 

[MartinHaworth]

Just packaged my Scottish 80'. Bottles, as I need some for our next club swop.

In the end I left it in primary for 2.5 weeks, though it stuck at 1018 for the last 10 days!!

This gives CML beior high-60s attenuation (68%) though it is possible my mash did still overshoot a little - I reckon the 75% @MyQul experiences is possible.

So.. the trial jar. All about the malt. Sweetness and nutiness from the crystal/specialities. Perhaps a little underbittered, but very easy drinking for 5.2%.

I've messed up my carbonation on several recent occasions, and my brew club friends have quite rightly taken the **** out of me, with all the comments you might expect. On this beer I am aiming for 1.75 volumes. Let's see.

Of course, the question is 'what's next?' and I'm torn.

I've had 3 beers in long term aging - my ris is just over a year and is magnificent, alongside a dubbel and a trappist single. I'd quite like to brew a beer to age - the other night I enjoyed a 2 year old Flanders Red from a fellow brewer (yum!), and I watched the @David Heath video on philly sour...

On the other hand, I screwed up my TTL clone carbonation, and the mash temp was wrong, so part of me would love to do that again....

What do you think?

Martin

 

[bobukbrewer]

Martin - if you bottle I think bulk conditioning is a waste of time. The beer in a 750 ml swing top bottle does not know it is " not in a bulk conditioning environment". I pitched yeast Monday at 5 pm and today Friday at 3 pm I bottled into four 330 ml bottles - without priming sugar - with only a one cm space between crown cap and beer. I shall bottle the rest into 2L, 1L and 750 ml bottles tomorrow.

 

[MartinHaworth]

Martin - if you bottle I think bulk conditioning is a waste of time. The beer in a 750 ml swing top bottle does not know it is " not in a bulk conditioning environment". I pitched yeast Monday at 5 pm and today Friday at 3 pm I bottled into four 330 ml bottles - without priming sugar - with only a one cm space between crown cap and beer. I shall bottle the rest into 2L, 1L and 750 ml bottles tomorrow.

Cheers, the time was for a number of reasons:

- to allow the yeast to finish - as I thought 1018 was a bit high and the yeast specs said 73%, I only got 69%
- diacetyl rest
- cold crash, as it pleases me to bottle crystal clear beer and so minimise the yeast in the bottle
- life stuff!

The old 2+2+2 rule is there for a reason, but I'm glad your method works for you on your low ABV beers.

Best wishes for a good weekend

(- I have 3 beers in the fridge to taste and score tonight (yum!))

Martin

 

[bobukbrewer]

I do use clarex on day 2 of fermentation and my beers are crystal clear with 1 mm of yeast sediment. They pour well. I do sometimes brew beers up to 7 % but not in the summer season.....

 

[MyQul]

Just packaged my Scottish 80'. Bottles, as I need some for our next club swop.

In the end I left it in primary for 2.5 weeks, though it stuck at 1018 for the last 10 days!!

This gives CML beior high-60s attenuation (68%) though it is possible my mash did still overshoot a little - I reckon the 75% @MyQul experiences is possible.

So.. the trial jar. All about the malt. Sweetness and nutiness from the crystal/specialities. Perhaps a little underbittered, but very easy drinking for 5.2%.

I've messed up my carbonation on several recent occasions, and my brew club friends have quite rightly taken the **** out of me, with all the comments you might expect. On this beer I am aiming for 1.75 volumes. Let's see.

Of course, the question is 'what's next?' and I'm torn.

I've had 3 beers in long term aging - my ris is just over a year and is magnificent, alongside a dubbel and a trappist single. I'd quite like to brew a beer to age - the other night I enjoyed a 2 year old Flanders Red from a fellow brewer (yum!), and I watched the @David Heath video on philly sour...

On the other hand, I screwed up my TTL clone carbonation, and the mash temp was wrong, so part of me would love to do that again....

What do you think?

Martin

Im surprised. I hit the 75%ish mark both times I used it, no problems - hmm??

 

[samale]

Im surprised. I hit the 75%ish mark both times I used it, no problems - hmm??

I hit 69 on my last porter

 

[MyQul]

I hit 69 on my last porter

Perhaps it's because I normally use a bit of sugar (golden syrup) in most of of my brews?

 

[MartinHaworth]

I hit 69 on my last porter

That makes me feel a bit better! Thanks..

 

[bobukbrewer]

I only use refractometer maybe not best but consistent for me advert for thornbridge crackendale sneaked in the mods will be drunk by now,,,,

 

[MartinHaworth]

Brew Day. TTL clone, version 2.

I screwed up version 1 with bottling when the yeast hadn't finished (Windsor) so ended up with bombs.

Recipe here

Variance from recipe: mashing longer with 22l for 75 min (due to dog walk), sparge up to 27l, will be using CML beior yeast as I have it in. The Styrian Goldings aroma hops will probably go in at 75C (85 is too high).

Just finished mashing out and doing the sparge. Mash pH was good at 5.3

If all goes well, I'll get the dog bathed during the boil!

Happy Days!

Martin

 

[bobukbrewer]

I bottle my "hops added at 70 deg C" beer today............

 

[MartinHaworth]

Lost 6l to grain absorption, right on the money.

Preboil 24.5l at 1055. Shooting for 1047 so liquored back at start of boil with 3l.

Dog now clean. But not happy.

 

[MartinHaworth]

Got 23L at 1052. Pitched CML Beior (again!).

The aroma steep Celeia from Brook Farm Hops (Brew Club bulk buy) were top notch!

In two days at 18C it has gone from 1052 to 1018!! 65% attenuation in two days.

My last beior fermented brew (see above) stalled at around 68% attenuation, so I'd like to try and push this one further by forcing the free rise of 2C per day up to 24C.

Let's see!

Might get this bottled by the weekend!

Cheers

MArtin

 

[MartinHaworth]

thanks, Martin. I ferment at 20 to 24 deg C and bottle after 4 to 6 days. I tasted a bottled beer once that had a lovely butterscotch flavour. Maybe it is like the chemical in brussel sprouts - not everybody can taste it. Right now I am making a 3.8% heavily hopped at flameout with eldorado hops -I mash at 70 to 71 deg C today. Last point -
I always make a starter with safale 04 yeast and add vitamin C and yeast nutrient to that starter so the yeast does not have to make its own nutrient. Favourite commercial beer is Thornbridge Crackendale as I love hop explosions in the mouth.....

Bob

Hi Bob, my most recent beer (see above TTL clone v2) in 3 days from 1052 to 1017, drank the trial jar and it tasted of....butter! So clearly on day3 there is diacetyl in the beer at detectable levels. I've ramped the temperature up to 24C and I expect by day 5 this will have gone.

I'd never sampled a beer so early, so it was interesting to actually taste the off-flavour!

Cheers

martin

 

[MartinHaworth]

BrewDay!

Aiming to do a Schniederweiss Aventinus clone, using the Graham Wheeler recipe, with yeast I've grown up from a bottle of the original beer.

5.4kg german wheat malt
1.3kg Pilsner malt
1.3kg munich malt
1kg Caramunich (2)

Mash: 10 mins at 50C, 60 mins at 65C, 10 mins at 75C

40g HMF at start, 10g HMF with 10 minutes to go.

Water: Alkalinity tested at 230, reduced it to 130, and got a mash pH of 5.4 Just used HCl to give a very Chloride forward beer

Wow! I've never tried 9kg of malt in my BrewMonk - and it was a squeeze with the mash thicker than usual. And with such a large volume of wheat malt, the sparge stuck and I was left spooning out grain.

Mash efficiency was **** (c70%). Not surprised. should have aimed for a smaller volume where I could more easily do a full volume thinner mash.

After the mash I had 28L at 1072. I'll be interested to see if I get the target figure of 1077 after the 90 minute boil.

Growing up the yeast from the bottle was pretty straightforward, although for the first week it didn't seem like much was happening. In the second week it all came together.

Time to sterilise the FV and set the brew fridge.

Cheers

Martin