My First Full All Grain Stout

[GlentoranMark]

I ran out of Irish moss for my stout but gathered sincve it was near black it probably didn't matter

Yes, not sure of the benefits of Irish Moss (it's seaweed!) but it will only help it so much. I think other steps are more important to clarity. As you say, you don't see through a Stout anyway so it doesn't matter as much.

I don't think I'll end up with a bad brew, just something I hadn't planned.

I'm going to replace the filter in my brew bucket with the DIY filter made with a washing machine hose. I have a coolbox that I've use before but I'd prefer doing it all in my boiler if possible.

 

[GlentoranMark]

yeah I realised it was already done but was making a suggestion for the future. However, I missed the bit about the post boil gravity being 1060 - I think I would dilute it, maybe not by 6 litres, but you'd need to taste it to check the hop bitterness I guess. You don't want to dilute it it too far and make it overly bland.

It's not a highly bittered beer anyway. Bland is OK, besides if I've calculated wrong then I've over hopped it anyway.

 

[clibit]

Irish moss is a really good thing - but not as important in a black beer.

 

[GlentoranMark]

Back to basics today. I've a surplus of beer both brewing, bottled and kegged (one spare keg to fill) so today I'm going to do a simple 5L brew and try and improve my clarity. I've suffered badly with clarity issues, I think it's in my mashing process but I'll also be more careful in the boiling an FV stage.

Todays recipe is a simple Blonde

600g Maris Otter
100g Torrifie Wheat
125g Table Sugar

5g Cascade 60 mins

3g Irish Moss

Thought's on the sugar addition? I have more Maris Otter and torrified wheat but as this is more for my clarity I thought I' be economical.

 

[MyQul]

Back to basics today. I've a surplus of beer both brewing, bottled and kegged (one spare keg to fill) so today I'm going to do a simple 5L brew and try and improve my clarity. I've suffered badly with clarity issues, I think it's in my mashing process but I'll also be more careful in the boiling an FV stage.

Todays recipe is a simple Blonde

600g Maris Otter
100g Torrifie Wheat
125g Table Sugar

5g Cascade 60 mins

3g Irish Moss

Thought's on the sugar addition? I have more Maris Otter and torrified wheat but as this is more for my clarity I thought I' be economical.

Hopefully you cap pin it down. But I remeber reading one of the water treatment threads we had on here not so long ago and another forumite had similiar clarity issues. He tried all kinds and he said eventually he pinned it down to his water. Iirc he said It required some sort of sulphate additon. I'm brewing at the mo but I'll see if I can find the post a littles latter

 

[GlentoranMark]

Hopefully you cap pin it down. But I remeber reading one of the water treatment threads we had on here not so long ago and another forumite had similiar clarity issues. He tried all kinds and he said eventually he pinned it down to his water. Iirc he said It required some sort of sulphate additon. I'm brewing at the mo but I'll see if I can find the post a littles latter

We have pretty good water here, around 10ppm which is very low compared you those that live in the South of the Islands. It's down to my mashing and straining. I need a proper mashing bin which I'll build in the near future, the mashing bag I'm using isn't that fine of a thread. I'm also trying to get too much beer and straining the trub into my brewing bucket. I'll be a lot more careful today. I can also cold crash 5L, something I can't do with a 20L batch.

 

[clibit]

I think the sugar should be ok, it's about 15%. Quite high for an English style but the Belgians often lob more than that in. Try it and see I'd say. I tend to use about 10% when I want a lighter bodied beer.

 

[MyQul]

We have pretty good water here, around 10ppm which is very low compared you those that live in the South of the Islands. It's down to my mashing and straining. I need a proper mashing bin which I'll build in the near future, the mashing bag I'm using isn't that fine of a thread. I'm also trying to get too much beer and straining the trub into my brewing bucket. I'll be a lot more careful today. I can also cold crash 5L, something I can't do with a 20L batch.

If it's debris from the mash I would have thought it would just sink to the bottom and add to the trub?

 

[GlentoranMark]

I think it's just poor practises by me brewing, yeast could be an issue and also the summer heat but I've had a few beers that haven't clarified properly. I'm leaving in the FV for 2 weeks so I don't see my problems stemming from that.

Todays brew is to test my theory. The SRM is 3 so I need this to be crystal clear.

 

[GlentoranMark]

I've also discovered why my reclaimed yeast wasn't working properly, I've been syphoning it off doh! When I learned that yeast settled out on the top, I've been using the beer that settles out quickly on the top of the yeast instead of the layer in below. I've some salvaged from 2 weeks ago I'll try today (fingers crossed it's still viable.)

 

[BeerCat]

Irish moss is a really good thing - but not as important in a black beer.

All my beers are clear at end of fermentation since using Irish Moss. Forgot to add it to a brew i just bottled and its murky. I also have soft water 10ppm. Highly recommend it.

 

[GlentoranMark]

Irish moss added and I'm chilling atm but yet again I've a boiler full of trub. It must be my mash bags. I'll salvage what I can but gonna build a mashtun out of my coolbox next week.

 

[MyQul]

It's not a particularly fine grain crush so you get loads of floury stuff?

 

[GlentoranMark]

It's not a particularly fine grain crush so you get loads of floury stuff?

Yes?

I suppose the batch size didn't help but everything else turned out OK, my OG was 1.040 (expected 1.039). I was careful at every stage and haven't even had a traditional drink while brewing!

 

[MyQul]

Yes?

I suppose the batch size didn't help but everything else turned out OK, my OG was 1.040 (expected 1.039). I was careful at every stage and haven't even had a traditional drink while brewing!

As the floury stuff is particularly fine perhaps it's going through your mash bag and ending up in the bottom of the boiler? You could try passing the wort through a paint strainer before it goes into the FV. You'd be surprised how much cr*p the paint strainer will catch.

 

[GlentoranMark]

I'm going to go the 1 micron filter route. I've a couple of cornys and can force carb my beer. I've always thought about this for clean crisp lagers, guess I'll try it for my ales I have also. The beer tastes fine but giving it to others isn't good.

 

[GlentoranMark]

Seeing the problems I've been having regarling beer clarity, I purchase a fliter and housing. It was more proof of concept than anything so I used it onmy Brown Porter where I used general purpose beer yeast. I'm not expecting much from this beer so it's binnable if it oesn't turn out right or spoils. I also used a 5 micron filter, this was a snap purchase and only cost £1.20 elivered so if the filtering isn't successful I can always use my housing for under my sink. I was meaning to filter using gas pressure but it worked fine with gravity.

It all went pretty well except for the customary leak and spillage. I'm not sure if I'll have to replace the filter every time. There was washable 1 micron filters but they were £11. I didn't want to waste my money if the filtration didn't work but I can see me buying one in future.

I'm not sure if I'll filter my Schwarzbier, may just let it go as it's dark anyway.

I'll build a Mashtun uring the week an maybe stick a brew on next weekend.

Hopefully I won't need this in future although I always meant to get one for brewing lagers.

 

[GlentoranMark]

I should add, the beer is in the corny but I'll wait until later until it cools down before I carbonate.

Has anyone got a carbonation chart?

 

[GlentoranMark]

The filter worked pretty well, I need to order some 1 Micron filters @ £1.99 each when bought in bulk. Think I'll use them once each and then dispose at this price. I'll only use for clearish beers, not toays brew.

Today or tomorrow's brew is a House Session Stout. Only 3.7% but I'm making it weaker as it's a session brew.

3 Kg Irish Stout Malt
1kg Flaked Barley
500g Black Barley
100g Chocolate Malt

35g Northown 60 minutes
10g Irish Moss 15 min

Pitched onto trub from my German beer which I'll bottle today.

 

[stevej]

The filter worked pretty well, I need to order some 1 Micron filters @ �£1.99 each when bought in bulk. Think I'll use them once each and then dispose at this price. I'll only use for clearish beers, not toays brew.

Today or tomorrow's brew is a House Session Stout. Only 3.7% but I'm making it weaker as it's a session brew.

3 Kg Irish Stout Malt
1kg Flaked Barley
500g Black Barley
100g Chocolate Malt

35g Northown 60 minutes
10g Irish Moss 15 min

Pitched onto trub from my German beer which I'll bottle today.

Where did you buy the filter from Mark ? have you got a link please