My First Full All Grain Stout

[GlentoranMark]

I didn't buy that fridge, when I got there it was sold. There are plenty of other fridge freezers on Gumtree but most �£50+. Being a frugal brewer I'll just bide my time and get something for free or close to it.

I'm really saddened to hear ManseMasher has not only resigned as mod but also from the forum. I don't know the politics but he helped me a lot towards a full kegging system and I hope he at least considers posting again as a regular poster. I've had disagreements with other forums but there's some that I still go back to because I find them invaluable, this is one of those such forums.

Today I'm kegging and re-doing my House Stout. I had planned on adding vanilla but my LHBS didn't have flaked barley so my "change one thing at a time" approach means I'm doing an "Oat So Simple" house stout.
22L

Again very simple recipe
3kg Irish Stout Malt
1kg Flaked Oats
500g Roast Barley

2g Liquirice 60 mins boil (added as a last minute thought)

25g Styrian Eureka 60 mins

I'm not adding any other hop additions. For stouts, hops are not that important as bittering is only secondary to the body and flavour of the beer.

 

[dad_of_jon]

I'm really saddened to hear ManseMasher has not only resigned as mod but also from the forum. I don't know the politics but he helped me a lot towards a full kegging system and I hope he at least considers posting again as a regular poster. I've had disagreements with other forums but there's some that I still go back to because I find them invaluable, this is one of those such forums.

+1 about MM, I've not seen stevej either on the forum for a while, hope he's ok.

 

[VillageBrew]

I'm about to start prep for a batch of "Niman's Stout" but was thinking of adding vanilla. Sorry for dumb question but are we looking at a whole vanilla 'pod' dropped into FV, or do I need bean paste or extract? I'm sure this has been answered before but my fat fingers \ small phone screen combination has defeated my searching efforts...
Ta!

 

[VillageBrew]

+1 ref MM

 

[GlentoranMark]

I asked earlier in my thread about vanilla, I'm not sure either. I done a vanilla stout before, I cut a pod in half and dropped it into the boil but I didn't get much vanilla flavour. I'd like to know also.

 

[GlentoranMark]

I'd a bit of unexpected running about to do and didn't start this until close to 2pm.

Spot on with my numbers again 1.040 BUT I had a stuck brew with my last batch. Only when I bottled did I realise this and couldn't do much as I'd already started this brew and needed somewhere to put it. Gravity was 1.018 and a 3%, I was expecting around 4% beer. I'm wondering will fermentation kick in for my mini keg? I kegged the other 17L so I don't expect that to change much, I'm chilling it now an will carb it later. The beer tastes fine btw.

It's the first beer that's ever stuck on me and I wasn't expecting it. It bubbled away albeit it with a slow start and I just assumed everything was fine. I didn't bother taking any readings. I think my current brew will be fine but I'll take a reading this time next week just to be sure.

I've been considering making starters for my last few brews but never bothered, I will be in future.

I also added 2g Liquirice to the boil, I found some at the bottom of my supplies that I used in a beer over a year ago. It'll be interesting if it shows in the brew.

Oh well, it will still be drunk :)

 

[GlentoranMark]

Yesterdays brew is bubbling vigorously, I've no problems with this being a stuck brew.

I'm having a pint of yesterdays kegged stout. While it's very young, it has a strong coffee taste that will only get better with age. I'm quite happy with this even though it didn't brew correct. I'll find it hard to keep away from this.

My wheat is due to be mini kegged next weekend but I'm off to Burnley of all places for a weekend piss up and football match. I will get to visit The Ministry of Ale. It's a small brew pub with his own casks, something I really appreciate. When we were there last year, I was still doing can kits and an AG virgin. This year I'll know a bit more about the subject and I'll take a few photo's.

The wheat will wait another week, it should be fine. I plan on washing the yeast of this after reading a few threads.

 

[Cqr]

When i did a cider with cinnamon and cloves a steeped them both in a small amount of rum for a week or two
Then added at the end off fermentation, worked great for me :drunk:

 

[GlentoranMark]

The beer ended at 1.016 meaning a pretty weak brew. I only just realised it's a top brewing yeast so I'm assuming that is a lager type that brews at low temperatures. I don't mind weak beers so long as it tastes fine. I think this will end up about 3.2%. I put the "All Wheat on the Night" into 3 mini kegs.

My "Oat so Simple" also ended up a weak beer of 3.5% but the taste is amazing. My previous house stout is very coffee like but this is much more mellow. I can't taste the liquorice but it will maybe shine through with age. I'll definitely be using oats instead of barley in future. This went into a corny and will get drank when my last house stout is finished.

I saved the trub from both yeasts and made a starter with the S04. I plan on brewing a pseudo hoppy ale on Tuesday. I've a load of grains to use up, I'll maybe ask the forum for ideas when I make an inventory.

My trip to Burnley went well. I made it to the House of Real Ale but it was before the match and it was jam packed with supporters. Only took one photo of their house stout (more of a black ale). There was also a real ale festival on in the local Spoons, I was able to get 1/3rd pints of a lot of different brews. Some of the hoppier beers were gut wrenching but overall the beer was fine. Only �£2.09 a pint. Wolves equalised in the 90th minute but a brilliant weekend nonetheless. Next year will be our 20th year travelling to the town, we are hoping to rent a box next year.

 

[GlentoranMark]

I still haven't got a brew fridge, it's went to the back of my mind.

Yesterday I brewed an Alcoholic Ginger Beer. I was so pleased with the way it went I'm going to do a 22L batch at a later date.

Today I'm making a Styrian Wolfhound. This is my biggest brew to date. I'm still having some clarity issues so I'm hoping for a clear beer this time with a few different steps taken. I won't be squeezing my mash bag for starters.

6kg Maris Otter (shop didn't have Irish Ale Malt but MO is just as good)
10g Styrian Wolf 60mins
10g Styrian Dana 60mins
10g Styrian Wolf 20mins
10g Styrian Dana 20mins
10g Styrian Wolf 1min
10g Styrian Dana 1min

Safale US 04. Made a starter on Friday and it's bubbling away.

 

[GlentoranMark]

First faux pas, I forgot to reintroduce the first wort back into the grains, that certainly wont help for a clear beer. I also noticed a lot of my grains weren't cracked properly when I was getting them crushed. That won't help efficiency but we'll see. I'll probably end up with a weaker beer but it was pretty strong to begin with. That is my mashing done.

I've also realised that my ginger beer yesterday, I forgot to add the powdered ginger and I never put yeast nutrient. I can add the latter but the ginger beer is bubbling away so I'm not sure if it's essential. It still tastes amazing.

 

[GlentoranMark]

Doesn't look too bad, 25L pre boil volume at 1.039.

 

[GlentoranMark]

I've just discovered my hop bag leaks hops! That could be my problem. Just look at the clarity issues. Seems to be protein clumps or disintegrate hops. Time to order a few hop balls but has anyone any idea's? My beer tastes just fine and stouts which are my normal tipple it doesn't matter. It's when I try and do a clear beer like this when I have the problems.

If it's still cloudy when bottling, I'll run this through a 1 micro filter.

 

[cheapbrew]

I squeeze the feck out if my mash bag and have had no issues with clarity, mine looks like your sample above but clears nicely towards the end of fermentation.

 

[GlentoranMark]

Been a while since I posted in this thread even though I've done a couple of brews in the mean time.

Today I'm doing a House Stout with a slightly tweaked set up.

I've bought a false bottom for my Peco Boiler but I'm also using my Inkbird that I bought for my fridge for temperature control.

My idea is to keep my Mash Temperature at a constant 67° while manually recirculating my mash. I've ordered a pump but it was lost in the post so if this works then I'll order another pump and have it continually recirculating.

3kg Maris Otter
1kg Flaked Barley
500g Black Barley
100g Acidulated Malt (read this gives Stouts a twang)

25g Styrian Eureka 9.9 Alpha 60 mins

S04 yeast from a brew a few months ago.

I'm just rolling up to a boil. I missed all my numbers, got my water volume wrong and managed to burn some liqueur as I forgot to switch off the Inkbird. The recirculation went really well and the false bottom saved the day from the burning liqueur, despite my mistakes I'm really happy with this brew so far. Pre boil gravity is 1.024 but I think the brew will end up OK.

 

[GlentoranMark]

Certainly my best brew day to date even if I did miss my numbers. The flase bottom was a revelation and the amount of trub it caught (hops?) will give me my cleanest beer to date.

FG ended up at a weak 1.034 for 22L in the fermenting vessel. I'm not after a strong beer, more a session brew and even if it ends up at 3% it won't go to waste.

I've a Ceverza Can kit with a 3 month out of date yeast. I could make a yeast starter but I was just thinking of throwing it in along with some S044 yeast I've saved from trub of another brew. Maybe tomorrow or maybe next week.