MyQul's Brewday

[MyQul]

In the forum tradition I'm going to do a personal log/brewday thread.

Tommorrow I'm going to make a Pseudo Lager (Dortmunder Export) with the grain bill from my Greg Hughes book and sub the hops for Dana, that I won in jims version of the geterbrewed hop comp, for bittering and a Perle hop tea for flavouring. I won't be adding the hop debris for the duration of fermentation this time and will add it at bottling time. I forgot to order whirlfloc tabs with my grain order. I have about 1/2 tspn of protofloc so I'm hoping this will be enough

Dortmunder Export

Original Gravity (OG): 1.051 (°P): 12.6
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011 (°P): 2.8
Alcohol (ABV): 5.28 %
Colour (SRM): 3.7 (EBC): 7.2
Bitterness (IBU): 27.2 (Tinseth)

95.24%/5kg Pilsner
4.76% /250g Munich I

22.2g Styrian Dana (11.5% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
20g Perle (6% Alpha) @ hop tea added at bottling time

Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 17°C with Danstar Nottingham

Cold Conditioned/Lagered for two weeks

 

[Covrich]

Looks good I noticed mine has pretty much done at 17 for most of this week.. as its nearly finished I moved it warm because it crept down to 16 so I thought the warmer may help the 05 just get it down.

When you say larger do you basically mean cold crash it for a week or two before bottling?

 

[cheapbrew]

I don't know about the nottingham danstar but if it will take colder fermentation then that is supposed to help with lager style beers

 

[MyQul]

Looks good I noticed mine has pretty much done at 17 for most of this week.. as its nearly finished I moved it warm because it crept down to 16 so I thought the warmer may help the 05 just get it down.

When you say larger do you basically mean cold crash it for a week or two before bottling?

Im going bottle it after fermentation then leave it for two weeks to carb up then essentially batch lager it by putting 15 or so in my domestic fridge for two weeks minimum,until I've drunk the 15, then put another 15 in.

 

[MyQul]

I don't know about the nottingham danstar but if it will take colder fermentation then that is supposed to help with lager style beers

I've actually got the ability to ferment at the low end of notty's temp range (14C/15C) with my brew bag but a) you need two packets of yeast and I've only got one b) It takes longer to ferment at 14C/15C, 3 weeks or more but I want it to be done in two weeks so I can get on brewing the next beer

 

[cheapbrew]

Ah I see no time to lager, After drinking some of my experimental wheat beer tonight, I'm thinking with a change of hops to something more befitting a lager than first gold (which is lovely BTW) and it would pass for a lager.

 

[Covrich]

Yep this is why its a Pseudo lager.. same reason why I am doing it really its a cheat way but supposedly a good way to do it get a clean yeast ferment low (to your best without a fridge or control), prime it like a lager and like myQul says chill it..

 

[MyQul]

Relatively smooth brew day. I started to dough in without putting my BIAB pot in the pot (I put this down to MrsMQ distracting me by wanting to make coffee - our kitchen isn't very big and not me being a spoon :lol:). Fortunately not much grain went in the pot and I got almost all of it back out again by 'swishing' a seive around in the wort.

Collected 16L of concentated wort in my no-chill cube. Normally I collect 17L but I put this down to grain absorbtion as I'm normally making 3.5 abv% - 4.5% abv beers, this is a 5.2 abv% , so less grain to absorb the liquor of course. However I took a pre-dilution gravity sample of my concentrated wort and it came in at 1.077. Using a dilution calc it tells me I should get 24L of wort when I dilute it down to my target OG of 1.051 in a couple of days . I was aiming for 23L, so I got good efficiency from 16L diluted down to 24L (no idea how to work out the efficiency though.) I'll need to take another gravity sample just before I dilute it to double check as there was quite a bit of break material in the sample which may skew the gravity reading

 

[MyQul]

Yep this is why its a Pseudo lager.. same reason why I am doing it really its a cheat way but supposedly a good way to do it get a clean yeast ferment low (to your best without a fridge or control), prime it like a lager and like myQul says chill it..

I'm doing similar to you by using a clean yeast fermented low but I came across this yesterday eve;

"A little-known fact about lager yeasts is that they can be used at ale temperatures. Your beer will be more estery than a standard lager, but will still taste like lager beer. Many times homebrewers who wish to replicate a lager beer at ale temperatures are told to use a clean ale strain (or a “steam” beer strain) of yeast. However, a clean ale does not really taste like a lager. A “dirty” lager, however, will still taste lager-like — it will just have more yeast-derived aroma."

http://byo.com/equipment/item/1564-vienna-lager-in-exile.

If this Dortmunder export turns out ok I think I'll have a go at my next pseudo lager using some saflager yeast

 

[MyQul]

b]Aroura Peckham Pale Alae [/b] (Standard/Ordinary Bitter)

Original Gravity (OG): 1.038 (°P): 9.5
Final Gravity (FG): 1.010 (°P): 2.6
Alcohol (ABV): 3.73 %
Colour (SRM): 6.8 (EBC): 13.4
Bitterness (IBU): 30.8 (Tinseth)

95.51% 3.7kg Maris Otter Malt
4.49% 174g Crystal 60

0.8 g/L Styrian Dana (11.5% Alpha) 18.6g @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
0.3 g/L Styrian Aroura (8.8% Alpha) 7g @ 15 Minutes (Boil)
0.3 g/L Styrian Aroura (8.8% Alpha) 7 g@ 5 Minutes (Boil)
0.6 g/L Styrian Aroura (8.8% Alpha)14g @ 0 Minutes (Boil)


Single step Infusion at 67°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at about 18°C with Nottingham yeast


Recipe Generated with BrewMate

Made some Peckham Pale today with some of the new Slovenian hops. I'm going to do a "micro boil" after my wort has cooled down in a couple of days. I'll take out 3L after I've diluted it to the full brew length (it concentrated at 15L at the mo) bring it to the boil and add the late additions like a regular boil. Then cool the micro boil down in the sink and add the it to the rest of the wort then pitch the yeast

 

[MyQul]

Making the following brown ale on sat. It's based on the Northern Brown Ale reciepe from my GH book. The name comes from the fact I'm using four different types of crystal to use up a few bits and bobs I have. Will also be using some of the slovenian hops I won fo the first time and the Shepard Neame yeast strain I have bottle cultured up for the first time too

Hung Drawn & Quartered Brown Ale

Original Gravity (OG): 1.049 (°P): 12.1
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (°P): 3.1
Alcohol (ABV): 4.81 %
Colour (SRM): 13.0 (EBC): 25.6
Bitterness (IBU): 24.2 (Tinseth)

4.8kg Pale Malt
100g Chocolate
Crystal medium 90g
Cara Gold 50g
Crystal dark 50g
Special-B 50g

9.5g Styrian Cascade (5.6% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
16g Styrian Wolf (13.6% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Boil)

Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 20°C with Shepard Neame

 

[MyQul]

Making this tommorow, yet another tweek on my house bitter. Using more slovenian hops, MJ Dark Ale yeast and Special B instead of regular crystal, non of which I've used before (well I used a bit of special b last week but the beer is still in the FV). I chucked in some golden syrup to hopefully counter the medium attenuation (I've read it gives about 68%) from the yeast

Wolf Whistle Bitter

Original Gravity (OG): 1.038 (°P): 9.5
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011 (°P): 3.1
Alcohol (ABV): 3.55 %
Colour (SRM): 10.2 (EBC): 20.0
Bitterness (IBU): 25.4 (Tinseth)

84.52% Pale Ale Malt 3.2kg
10.57% Golden Syrup 400g
4.91% Special-B 186g

1.3 g/L 30g Styrian Cascade (5.6% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
0.2 g/L 4.5g Styrian Wolf (13.6% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Boil)
0.2 g/L 4.5gStyrian Wolf (13.6% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil)
0.7 g/L15g Styrian Wolf (13.6% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Boil)

Single step Infusion at 65°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 20°C with Mangrove Jacks Dark Ale Yeast

Recipe Generated with BrewMate

 

[MyQul]

Update on my Aurora PPA.

I bottled it on thursday so I'd had a little tester bottle. Despite having only 2 days conditoning it's eminantly quaffaby. It quite clean (cuz I used notty I presume), there as very slight hint of what I think is passion fruit. There's also a very slight soapyness which comes from leaving the flavour/aroma hops in the FV for the 10 days of fermentation. This will condtion out. When it does this is defiantely going to be a lovely beer - It's nice enough already

 

[MyQul]

Im making this tommorow

I Don't Go Sarf of the River - Lite Anglo American Steam Beer/Pseudo Lager

7L

OG 1.039
FG 1.007

IBU 12

Mash Temp 64C

Lager Malt 1.056kg
Vienna Malt 149g
Table Sugar 137g
CaraBlond 50g

First Gold 5.59g @ 60min
First Gold 3.78g @ 0min

Yeast: Mangrove Jacks Califorian Lager yeast

I might dry hop it with the same amount of first gold as the 0 min addition

I've added 25% more grain as I'm doing a no sparge. I will also be using my new mill for the first time

 

[IainM]

Im making this tommorow

I Don't Go Sarf of the River - Lite Anglo American Steam Beer/Pseudo Lager

7L

OG 1.038
FG 1.006

IBU 12

Mash Temp 64C

Lager Malt 1.056kg
Vienna Malt 149g
Table Sugar 137g

First Gold 5.59g @ 60min
First Gold 3.78g @ 0min

Yeast: Mangrove Jacks Califorian Lager yeast

I might dry hop it with the same amount of first gold as the 0 min addition

I've added 25% more grain as I'm doing a no sparge. I will also be using my new mill for the first time

Sounds like one that will be worth keeping until the weather picks up. I'll be interested to see if your efficiency bumps up now that you're milling.

 

[Redron]

But if you are using your new mill then surely this must negate the need to add 25% more grain to compensate for the 'no sparge' .
I'm interested too in your efficiency figures as I am also considering a mill to increase my poor efficiency due to 'true BIAB, no sparge' method. I'm lucky if I hit 60% !

 

[MyQul]

But if you are using your new mill then surely this must negate the need to add 25% more grain to compensate for the 'no sparge' .
I'm interested too in your efficiency figures as I am also considering a mill to increase my poor efficiency due to 'true BIAB, no sparge' method. I'm lucky if I hit 60% !

That's what I kind of thought too. But these are all new ethods/bits of kit for me so I need to do a bit of trial and error to dial everything in.

Do you stir during the mash btw? For the longest time I normally stirred during the mash then for the past few brews I kind of forgot about doing it. My efficiency took a drop (I found it too hard to work out my efficiency when doing maxi-biab so I dont know what exactly it was but I was getting lower than my target brew length). I brewed last week and remembered about stirring and stirred the mash every 20 mins and got a good efficiency. Getting 2L more than my target 20L brewlength

 

[MyQul]

Sounds like one that will be worth keeping until the weather picks up. I'll be interested to see if your efficiency bumps up now that you're milling.

Everyone reports an increase in efficiency so hopefully I will get one too. I can never keep beer long. It'll be gone a couple of weeks after I bottle it (if that)

 

[Redron]

That's what I kind of thought too. But these are all new ethods/bits of kit for me so I need to do a bit of trial and error to dial everything in.

Do you stir during the mash btw? For the longest time I normally stirred during the mash then for the past few brews I kind of forgot about doing it. My efficiency took a drop (I found it too hard to work out my efficiency when doing maxi-biab so I dont know what exactly it was but I was getting lower than my target brew length). I brewed last week and remembered about stirring and stirred the mash every 20 mins and got a good efficiency. Getting 2L more than my target 20L brewlength

Interesting point re stirring during the mash. As a rule I don't as I think I may lose some valuable heat by taking the lid off and stirring periodically. I do stir whilst making an effort at some sort of mash out, but get a bit feared that having a bag of grain in the pot with the gas on will result in a 'burned bottom' so I do it for a few minutes, maybe up to 75 degs or so before I stop and drain the bag via a hoist system in my shed.
Perhaps I should be a bit more scientific in my approach and make more notes, hey, all part of the learning process...
Whilst I generally get around 60% efficiency, I have got up to 68% on occasions, but I'm darned if I know how, hence the more scientific note making process comment...
I'm thinking a mill is a good idea, recent threads on the subject are helpful. Of course there is no problem adding more grain to compensate but it kinda goes against the rub, i.e. Producing good beer as cheaply as possible in an 'efficient' way...:thumb:

 

[MyQul]

Interesting point re stirring during the mash. As a rule I don't as I think I may lose some valuable heat by taking the lid off and stirring periodically. I do stir whilst making an effort at some sort of mash out, but get a bit feared that having a bag of grain in the pot with the gas on will result in a 'burned bottom' so I do it for a few minutes, maybe up to 75 degs or so before I stop and drain the bag via a hoist system in my shed.
Perhaps I should be a bit more scientific in my approach and make more notes, hey, all part of the learning process...
Whilst I generally get around 60% efficiency, I have got up to 68% on occasions, but I'm darned if I know how, hence the more scientific note making process comment...
I'm thinking a mill is a good idea, recent threads on the subject are helpful. Of course there is no problem adding more grain to compensate but it kinda goes against the rub, i.e. Producing good beer as cheaply as possible in an 'efficient' way...:thumb:

I think I might not add the extra 25% and see what happens. I'm brewing again on monday so can add the extra 25% if need be