My Brewdays

[Moe]

Next brew’s currently mashing. I need to think of a name.

It’s similar to one I’ve brewed a few times before but tweaked with ingredients I’ve got in:

23L batch:

4kg crisp ale malt
300g wheat malt
40g carared (didn’t have 80 g of Cara 25)

1hr mash set at 66 (so probably nearer 64/5)

30min boil:

CML US C hop mix:
15g FWH for 16 IBU
100g 80C whirlpool for 20m (I am trying adding the dry hops to the whirlpool instead)

Ferment at 19C with US05

Brewfather predicts:

1.042 OG
1.010 FG
4.2% ABV
9.1 EBC
20 IBU

If I can make my SMASH brew last until this is conditioned (unlikely, but I should save a token pint or two) I will be in the unprecedented situation of having 3 beers on tap at once.

I currently have conditioning: 6 bottles of the Smash in the garage(cold) and 6 bottles of Amber ale in the utility (warm), so these will be next along the pipeline. I plan to keep up the brewing weekly and build up a stock.


Edit: hit 1.043 for OG. Pretty happy with that, pretty much spot on prediction, volume looks about right too

 

[Moe]

I am currently enjoying a few pints of the El Dorado Smash.

Considering the grain had been open for ages in the garage, the hops are 2017 and I reckon past their best, between the two they’ve made a good pint.

No complex malt flavours (it’s a smash I suppose), more bitter than fruity, and the bitterness hangs around on the aftertaste, but I’ve had worse beers and I’m quite enjoying it.

The gelatin has worked its magic, the picture doesn’t do it justice, I can read a letter through the glass.

 

[Moe]

For the first time I left the wort to sit for half an hour after cooling to settle before transferring to the FV.

I can’t believe the difference it makes to the clarity:

 

[Moe]

The El Dorado smash has got better with a bit more time.
The overt bitterness has faded a bit (maybe there were some bits of the dry hop pellets still in suspension?) and the flavour has rounded out.

The American amber ale is still conditioning- I’ve resisted all temptation to try that.

I have taken a gravity reading for the “US C Hop” pale ale, it’s dropped to 1.009, making it 4.5%. I tasted some- it’s tastes amazing, the fruit flavours really punch through. I’m hoping it stays this way while it conditions. I’ll give it a few more days and then keg

 

[Moe]

Just kegged the “US C Hop mix” beer.

Got 8x500ml bottles and a full keg.

As there are a few litres of my El Dorado Smash left in the keg, I’ve got 3 different beers kegged now.


Only trouble is I only have 2 taps

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Next brew’s currently mashing. I need to think of a name.

It’s similar to one I’ve brewed a few times before but tweaked with ingredients I’ve got in:

23L batch:

4kg crisp ale malt
300g wheat malt
40g carared (didn’t have 80 g of Cara 25)

1hr mash set at 66 (so probably nearer 64/5)

30min boil:

CML US C hop mix:
15g FWH for 16 IBU
100g 80C whirlpool for 20m (I am trying adding the dry hops to the whirlpool instead)

Ferment at 19C with US05

Brewfather predicts:

1.042 OG
1.010 FG
4.2% ABV
9.1 EBC
20 IBU

If I can make my SMASH brew last until this is conditioned (unlikely, but I should save a token pint or two) I will be in the unprecedented situation of having 3 beers on tap at once.

I currently have conditioning: 6 bottles of the Smash in the garage(cold) and 6 bottles of Amber ale in the utility (warm), so these will be next along the pipeline. I plan to keep up the brewing weekly and build up a stock.


Edit: hit 1.043 for OG. Pretty happy with that, pretty much spot on prediction, volume looks about right too

Sounds like a decent beer to have in the repertoire, might have a look at cml tomorrow when I get chance. What was your yeast?

 

[Moe]

Sounds like a decent beer to have in the repertoire, might have a look at cml tomorrow when I get chance. What was your yeast?

I used US05 for this one

 

[Moe]

Sounds like a decent beer to have in the repertoire, might have a look at cml tomorrow when I get chance. What was your yeast?

If you ping me your address I’ll send you a bottle once it’s conditioned.

I’ve not tried it yet, so no idea what it will be like though

 

[matt.]

I am currently enjoying a few pints of the El Dorado Smash.

Considering the grain had been open for ages in the garage, the hops are 2017 and I reckon past their best, between the two they’ve made a good pint.

No complex malt flavours (it’s a smash I suppose), more bitter than fruity, and the bitterness hangs around on the aftertaste, but I’ve had worse beers and I’m quite enjoying it.

The gelatin has worked its magic, the picture doesn’t do it justice, I can read a letter through the glass.

Gelatin? I missed that in the ingredients. Irish Moss?

 

[Moe]

Gelatin? I missed that in the ingredients. Irish Moss?

I use Irish moss in the boil.
Then once it’s kegged and chilled I dissolve 1tsp gelatin in 1/2cup of hot water and add to the keg.

Works wonders

 

[matt.]

I use Irish moss in the boil.
Then once it’s kegged and chilled I dissolve 1tsp gelatin in 1/2cup of hot water and add to the keg.

Works wonders

Interesting. Thanks.

 

[Twostage]

Hadn't thought about plugging the BZ into an alexa enabled plug. Would save going across the road to switch it on first thing in the morning to see how the no-chill is going. I've got a spare one (now its not turning all the Christmas tree lights on and off).

Finally got round to moving the smart sockect/plug into the brew shed for the BZ. Got a brew no-chilling overnight so I can flick it on every now and then to see what temp its at. Cheers for the idea. .

Its a KASA 100 and their spec says it is rated to 2.99 KW so it should be capable of handling the BZ when its on full tilt but my initial thought is to plug it in directly when I'm brewing. Is that what you do ?

 

[Moe]

Finally got round to moving the smart sockect/plug into the brew shed for the BZ. Got a brew no-chilling overnight so I can flick it on every now and then to see what temp its at. Cheers for the idea. .

Its a KASA 100 and their spec says it is rated to 2.99 KW so it should be capable of handling the BZ when its on full tilt but my initial thought is to plug it in directly when I'm brewing. Is that what you do ?

Yes, I just take the smart plug off at the start of the mash.

Mine is rated high enough, but seems daft to leave it plugged in unnecessarily.

 

[Moe]

Oatmeal Stout

Late evening brew, started at 7pm, it’s currently mashing.
I’ve tweaked a previous recipe to suit ingredients I’ve got in already.


23l batch:
4kg crisp ale malt (last of the bag)
1kg Minch Pale malt (first of the bag)
500g porridge oats
500g Crystal 250
500g crisp chocolate malt.

I’ve put the chocolate malt into a pan to steep separately with 3L of the sparge water.

Am I’m right in thinking that there are no enzymes in this because of the roasting?

I wasn’t too sure on how much acid to add to my mash water since I was steeping the chocolate malt separate so I added 10ml AMS to 22l mash water, along with campden and a good teaspoon of CaCl.

Mashed at 68C, plan to leave it for an hour.

Plan is to boil for 30mins with 30g of Summitt at the start to give an IBU of 35.

Brewfather predicts an OG of 1.061, but I’ll be amazed if it comes out that high.

Plan is to take the pre boil gravity and then dial back the hop addition to keep the IBU around 35.

I have 1 pack of s04 and one pack of CML Four. Depending on the OG I’ll pitch one or both of these.

Edit: pre boil gravity was 1.048, compared with the recipe (70%BHE) of 1.057, so efficiency has tanked as it always does with larger grain bills.
I have dialled the hop addition back to 25g to try for an IBU of 30 which should keep the BU/GU ratio balanced.

The steeped chocolate malt liquor was a thing of beauty

 

[Caramel Ox]

On the Brewfather water calculator inside a recipe there is a drop down beside each grain to select the type. You can set it to ignore to get a ph calculation without it. I’ve never actually steeped grains separately though.

 

[Moe]

On the Brewfather water calculator inside a recipe there is a drop down beside each grain to select the type. You can set it to ignore to get a ph calculation without it. I’ve never actually steeped grains separately though.

Didn’t know you could do that, thanks

I’ve never done them separately before either, I thought I’d try it this evening to see if it makes a difference

 

[Moe]

Brew is now boiling.

I always let the malt pipe stand a while on top of a stock pot after the sparge to catch the last drops off the grain.

I sometimes throw this into the boil, sometimes not depending on the gravity.

I’ve done the same tonight, and the litre or so of run off had a gravity of 1.044.

I double checked this, and it was 1.044 again. I then checked my refractometer with water- 1.000 dead on.

Checked the run off wort a third time and again it was 1.044.

I think this is why I get such low efficiency with larger grain bills? Seems a lot of sugar to leave in the grain?

I can’t really increase the sparge volume as the mash is already very thick?

Edit: beer is down to 35C.
OG is 1.048, way off the predicted recipe OG of 1.061, but depending on FG should be a in the region of 4.5-5%, bang on for a stout.

However I am a little annoyed that, based on previous brews, have probably got the same OG without adding the last kilo of grain

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

However I am a little annoyed that, based on previous brews, have probably got the same OG without adding the last kilo of grain

Yes, but that kilo of grain will have contributed a lot of flavour!

 

[Caramel Ox]

I had a lot of porridge oats in my last imperial, mash was horrible for efficiency and getting the liquid out at the end. I’m playing around with process and equipment more now rather than always doing the same.

 

[Moe]

The stout is down to 1.013 now, so a respectable 4.6%.

I’ve had a sip out of the trial jar, it tastes really nice.

However I am worried it looks brown, rather than the stouty blackness I expected despite the 500g chocolate malt addition.

Hopefully it will look better once it’s in a pint pot rather than a 200ml trial jar