PilgrimHudds Brewdays

[pilgrimhudd]

Yes it can take a day or two to even start and then it just chugs along at a steady civilised pace. None of that rip-roaring, Mount Vesuvius in your airlock stuff that you get with some ale yeasts.

 

[matt76]

The motor oils bit is what I'm looking forward to ha, read that description somewhere and thought I had brew that!!

Nope not used a lager yeast yet, its mangrove Jack's Bavarian, m 76.

Did you condition at low temp too? I was just fretting about having the brewfridge out of action for 12 weeks!

Nah, personally I just leave my lagers to carb at room temp - coolish if possible, but certainly not in the fridge as I don't have that option!

If the weather's cool I've been known to leave bottles in the shed to condition/lager, otherwise I just put them somewhere at coolish room temp.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Despite my total cynicism that yeast could do its work at 10c the fv is steadily bubbling this morning.

I thought you guys, the packet instructions and GH were having me on.

 

[samale]

Question about priming after cold crashing. Do you bring the temp up before priming, if not do you adjust the amount of sugar as the temps are lower. I have read different advice online. Not sure what's best practice

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Question about priming after cold crashing. Do you bring the temp up before priming, if not do you adjust the amount of sugar as the temps are lower. I have read different advice online. Not sure what's best practice

I've only cold crashed once, just to see how much difference it made, I primed cold and then placed the bottled in my usual place. I didnt think cold crashing was worth the extra time. I never thought about bringing the temp up to be honest.

 

[samale]

I've only cold crashed once, just to see how much difference it made, I primed cold and then placed the bottled in my usual place. I didnt think cold crashing was worth the extra time. I never thought about bringing the temp up to be honest.

What about the sugar for priming do you just prime as normal

 

[matt76]

What about the sugar for priming do you just prime as normal

I've ended up overthinking this in the past and never found much difference.

Now I just prime as normal after cold crashing - I think the point is that if the beer is kept cold then it will retain more dissolved CO2. But since I always bring lagers up to 18-20degC ish for a diacetyl rest then this excess will likely bubble off before cold crashing.

Or at least that's my reasoning

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I've ended up overthinking this in the past and never found much difference.

Now I just prime as normal after cold crashing - I think the point is that if the beer is kept cold then it will retain more dissolved CO2. But since I always bring lagers up to 18-20degC ish for a diacetyl rest then this excess will likely bubble off before cold crashing.

Or at least that's my reasoning

This sounds reasonable.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Bottled up my belgian stout last night, about 19x litres, fg 1012 making it 7.10%, stronger than I anticipated it would be. 100g sugar boiled in 200mls water, 5ml to each bottle.

Not quite black to look at, more a very dark brown annoyingly, thicker than the original stout, pours like oil.

Smells spicy and toasty.

Taste, definitely different to the original, amazing how much difference the yeast makes. It has a spicy fruity hint to it, and then the roasty malt comes through. Like me, its complex!

 

[matt76]

Bottled up my belgian stout last night, about 19x litres, fg 1012 making it 7.10%, stronger than I anticipated it would be. 100g sugar boiled in 200mls water, 5ml to each bottle.

Not quite black to look at, more a very dark brown annoyingly, thicker than the original stout, pours like oil.

Smells spicy and toasty.

Taste, definitely different to the original, amazing how much difference the yeast makes. It has a spicy fruity hint to it, and then the roasty malt comes through. Like me, its complex!

So although you missed your OG it seems like it attenuated more than expected

 

[pilgrimhudd]

So although you missed your OG it seems like it attenuated more than expected

Keep your big words and spreadsheets to yourself mat.

 

[samale]

Bottled up my belgian stout last night, about 19x litres, fg 1012 making it 7.10%, stronger than I anticipated it would be. 100g sugar boiled in 200mls water, 5ml to each bottle.

Not quite black to look at, more a very dark brown annoyingly, thicker than the original stout, pours like oil.

Smells spicy and toasty.

Taste, definitely different to the original, amazing how much difference the yeast makes. It has a spicy fruity hint to it, and then the roasty malt comes through. Like me, its complex!

That sounds like a nice beer

 

[pilgrimhudd]

That sounds like a nice beer

I'll send you one in 6 weeks or so

 

[samale]

I'll send you one in 6 weeks or so

I will be bottling my coconut porter next week I will get one sent over

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I will be bottling my coconut porter next week I will get one sent over

Sounds lovely, how are you getting the coconut in there?

 

[samale]

This is my second attempt. Two fresh coconuts, the flesh removed. Grated and roasted. It works out roughly 600g before I roasted it. This is added like a dry hop at the end of fermentation. I leave it in for 3 weeks. My last attempt had good flavour but too much oil it killed the head on the beer.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Righto, so bottled up my Baltic Porter tonight, 38x500ml bottles, 110g sugar boiled in 200mls water, 5mls per bottle.

Im a little concerned, I checked the gravity 2 days ago and it was 1018, checked today and it was the same. Seems high to me but it hadn't changed so perhaps my mash temps were too high? Not sure, will keep them in the garage in case of bottle bombs.

The result is that the abv is 6.5%, well down on what it's supposed to be.

To look at, it's not black, its brown, not what I was going for at all.

Taste wise, it's nice, it's full bodied and pours like engine oil, its clean tasting with a malty finish, you can also get the hops. Very pleasant

Will it be drinkable? Yes. Is it what I was going for? No.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Next stop, a citra, centennial and cascade pale or ipa depending on hop quantities.

 

[matt76]

Righto, so bottled up my Baltic Porter tonight, 38x500ml bottles, 110g sugar boiled in 200mls water, 5mls per bottle.

Im a little concerned, I checked the gravity 2 days ago and it was 1018, checked today and it was the same. Seems high to me but it hadn't changed so perhaps my mash temps were too high? Not sure, will keep them in the garage in case of bottle bombs.

The result is that the abv is 6.5%, well down on what it's supposed to be.

To look at, it's not black, its brown, not what I was going for at all.

Taste wise, it's nice, it's full bodied and pours like engine oil, its clean tasting with a malty finish, you can also get the hops. Very pleasant

Will it be drinkable? Yes. Is it what I was going for? No.

From what I've read it's quite a hard one to get it spot on. I think I lucked out to some extent when I made it last year, the current one I'm not totally happy with either so already contemplating having another go.

What yeast did you use by the way? It could just be a combination of high mash temp and a strain that doesn't attenuate so much.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Random, I was just checking GH's book and the expected fg is 1019 so perhaps what I've got is ok. I'll just check the yeast....