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PilgrimHudds Brewdays
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Landlord.
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A very quick brewday for me today...
Perusing my stock yesterday I realised I probably had just enough to do another Pilsner before my big order arrives from the Homebrew Company..
So it went something like this for a 10l batch, the otter was just to bulk it up a little bit.
2.1 kg pilsner
400g vienna
300g otter
200g carapils
mashed in at 62c for 90 mins or so.
30 minute boil so 60g Hallertau @30 and whirlpooled 20g each of hallertau, tettnang and harsbrucker for 15 mins at around 75c.
Cooled really quickly, pitched cml 'Hell'.
My fridge is in use so the fermenter will stay in the utility, it's around 17c in there so should be fine. The packet states the range is 12-21c.
OG of 1052 which is about what I was expecting.
Perusing my stock yesterday I realised I probably had just enough to do another Pilsner before my big order arrives from the Homebrew Company..
So it went something like this for a 10l batch, the otter was just to bulk it up a little bit.
2.1 kg pilsner
400g vienna
300g otter
200g carapils
mashed in at 62c for 90 mins or so.
30 minute boil so 60g Hallertau @30 and whirlpooled 20g each of hallertau, tettnang and harsbrucker for 15 mins at around 75c.
Cooled really quickly, pitched cml 'Hell'.
My fridge is in use so the fermenter will stay in the utility, it's around 17c in there so should be fine. The packet states the range is 12-21c.
OG of 1052 which is about what I was expecting.
No, normally mid 60's.
Yeah, so the last pilsner seems a bit sweet (although the riwaka hops might make it taste sweeter than it is...), ended at 1010 ish if I remember correctly. Obviously not a proper experiment as it's different yeast and fermentation temps but I want to see if I can get the fg lower. I may well leave it for 3 weeks in the fv too.
Yeah, so the last pilsner seems a bit sweet (although the riwaka hops might make it taste sweeter than it is...), ended at 1010 ish if I remember correctly. Obviously not a proper experiment as it's different yeast and fermentation temps but I want to see if I can get the fg lower. I may well leave it for 3 weeks in the fv too.
Slightly random question for you...
Just going back to your tropical stout, not sure if you remember now but do you know how you set your Klarstein for the mash?
You said here you mashed in at 68 - do I read that correctly as you set it to 68 and just left it overnight?
Frankly I'm trying to work out what you did to get this to go from 1.067 to 1.012 and why all my dark beers stop around 1.020 - tell me your secrets damn you beer whisperer!!!
I have a theory but unfortunately your result here scuppers it
Having said that, there's lots of fermentables in your recipe and only about 9% dark roasted malts (rather than 36%), so that might have something to do with it 
Slightly random question for you...
Just going back to your tropical stout, not sure if you remember now but do you know how you set your Klarstein for the mash?
You said here you mashed in at 68 - do I read that correctly as you set it to 68 and just left it overnight?
Frankly I'm trying to work out what you did to get this to go from 1.067 to 1.012 and why all my dark beers stop around 1.020 - tell me your secrets damn you beer whisperer!!!
I have a theory but unfortunately your result here scuppers it
Haha!
So yeah I set the klarstein at 70, then changed it to 68 once the grain was in and stirred, just thinking that the water probably loses a couple of degrees when the grain goes in. Then just left it overnight set at 68 on the lower heating setting thing. I imagine the difference in temp from top to bottom is quite large though? Unless it's just the crust on top that's cold and its warm just under.... I digress, I've lost my thermometer to check anyway...
Well look, if it makes you feel better nearly all my beer, and I mean 95% of beers that I've brewed has finished around 1010-12. I cant seem to do any different. Hence why my experimental pils was mashed at 62.
I think yours finishing at 1020 was the fact that you used 36% roast malts to be honest, I'll have another look at your recipe in a minute.
I'd expect to see some temperature variation in the mash anyway. Maybe not quite so bad in your case as you're mashing in a bag, whereas I use the grain basket which has solid rather then perforated sides.
Also doesn't help that the temperature control on the Klarstein isn't great.
But I think what you did there with your Tropical Stout is pretty much what I figured, just wasn't sure if I'd missed some important detail.
Thinking about it, you tend to make stronger beers then me so you'd be adding more base malt.
So if you add say 250g chocolate malt it might only be 5% of your grist. But for me that same 250g is more like 10% of the grist.
Looking back at my (much stronger) Baltic Porter recipes, these fermented down to 1.012 and 1.015 but the proportion of dark malt is much lower, well under 10%.
So to cut a long story short I think I've answered my own question!
Also doesn't help that the temperature control on the Klarstein isn't great.
But I think what you did there with your Tropical Stout is pretty much what I figured, just wasn't sure if I'd missed some important detail.
Yeah, I think that could be a factor
Thinking about it, you tend to make stronger beers then me so you'd be adding more base malt.
So if you add say 250g chocolate malt it might only be 5% of your grist. But for me that same 250g is more like 10% of the grist.
Looking back at my (much stronger) Baltic Porter recipes, these fermented down to 1.012 and 1.015 but the proportion of dark malt is much lower, well under 10%.
So to cut a long story short I think I've answered my own question!
Ahh yeah I forgot you use the grain basket!
I think you probably have!
I think you probably have!
Not a great start to my brew night, something tripped the klarstein in the garage so water temp still at 30c, just enough time for another stout I reckon...
Did you get it done in the end? I assume this means your missing order must have turned up?
Yes but did it inside in the end, boiling outside and had the dreaded E4 twice, using rye, you've had this problem haven't you. It's a Saison I'm doing, I'll write up the brew day later.
Recipe borrowed and tweaked slightly from @strange-steve
Okay, so cooled but not pitched yeast just yet which will be mj saison.
Malt bill
3.5 pilsner
1 kg rye malt
250g choc rye
250g sugar
Overnight mash at 63.
60 min boil
30g ekg @60
20@ 15
20 flameout/whirlpool.
As I said earlier had a bit of trouble with the electrics in the garage last night, mashed inside, boiled outside using extension from the house. Led to my favourite bit of carrying molten hot wort over to the garage so I can connect chiller....
E4 alarm went off 3 times, presumably the rye stuck on the element, solved by resetting the switch and limping on. All in all though pretty easy. Wort tastes nice and finished at 1060. 20l in the fv
Okay, so cooled but not pitched yeast just yet which will be mj saison.
Malt bill
3.5 pilsner
1 kg rye malt
250g choc rye
250g sugar
Overnight mash at 63.
60 min boil
30g ekg @60
20@ 15
20 flameout/whirlpool.
As I said earlier had a bit of trouble with the electrics in the garage last night, mashed inside, boiled outside using extension from the house. Led to my favourite bit of carrying molten hot wort over to the garage so I can connect chiller....
E4 alarm went off 3 times, presumably the rye stuck on the element, solved by resetting the switch and limping on. All in all though pretty easy. Wort tastes nice and finished at 1060. 20l in the fv
Rye huh? Don't say I didn't warn you!
By the way did you notice any hard to remove scorched on black crud on the element in the centre of the kettle?
Normally there's a bit of muck that practically just wipes off but both times with rye malt I've had to get the wet and dry paper out
As much as I swore never again with rye I was reading something the other day about doing a step mash from 40degC to get it to behave. I can't help being intrigued... must... resist...
But the way, I notice you've also got some chocolate rye malt in there - lovely stuff
By the way did you notice any hard to remove scorched on black crud on the element in the centre of the kettle?
Normally there's a bit of muck that practically just wipes off but both times with rye malt I've had to get the wet and dry paper out
As much as I swore never again with rye I was reading something the other day about doing a step mash from 40degC to get it to behave. I can't help being intrigued... must... resist...
But the way, I notice you've also got some chocolate rye malt in there - lovely stuff
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Every time I use rye I get a black scorched mark.Rye huh? Don't say I didn't warn you!
By the way did you notice any hard to remove scorched on black crud on the element in the centre of the kettle?
Normally there's a bit of muck that practically just wipes off but both times with rye malt I've had to get the wet and dry paper out
As much as I swore never again with rye I was reading something the other day about doing a step mash from 40degC to get it to behave. I can't help being intrigued... must... resist...
But the way, I notice you've also got some chocolate rye malt in there - lovely stuff
How did chocolate rye make it into your Saison recipe
Rye huh? Don't say I didn't warn you!
By the way did you notice any hard to remove scorched on black crud on the element in the centre of the kettle?
Normally there's a bit of muck that practically just wipes off but both times with rye malt I've had to get the wet and dry paper out
As much as I swore never again with rye I was reading something the other day about doing a step mash from 40degC to get it to behave. I can't help being intrigued... must... resist...
But the way, I notice you've also got some chocolate rye malt in there - lovely stuff
Did I notice scorched on black crud????? YES!!!!!
Let us know how it goes, I'm consigning my rye to the back of the cupboard for a little while.
The recipe I borrowed off strange steve had it, to be honest I was dubious but I checked and saw other recipes with it. Only 5% of the malt bill and it fits with beersmiths colour chart for saisons.
However I have never brewed one and have only drunk one, yours.
The saison yeast like a 26-32c temp range, struggling to get up to that, got it to 25c in the brewfridge but doesnt want to go anymore, I've stuck the warming mat in there too to give it another nudge. Bubbling nicely though.
Ipa bottled up tonight, slightly lower yield of 31x500ml bottles. 90g sugar boiled in 200mls water 5mls in each bottle. Finished at 1010 so that makes it 6.2% which was more than I was hoping for, was aiming for high 5% mark.
The beer itself taste pretty good, not searingly bitter by any means, more of a highly hopped pale than an ipa perhaps. The tomahawk was fairly old I wonder if that may have affected it. The fermenter smelt great, pine and fruity but the beer in the glass had very little aroma, maybe that'll change when theres some fizz!
The beer itself taste pretty good, not searingly bitter by any means, more of a highly hopped pale than an ipa perhaps. The tomahawk was fairly old I wonder if that may have affected it. The fermenter smelt great, pine and fruity but the beer in the glass had very little aroma, maybe that'll change when theres some fizz!
Belgian Pale Ale today, pretty much following GH's recipe.
4.2kg Pale Malt
600g Caramalt 1
Mashed for 2 hours @65c with 15l
Sparged (ish) with another 15l water and brought to the boil.
40g Goldings @60
15g Saaz @10
40g Saaz @flameout
Cooled quickly and pitched Mangrove Jacks MJ 41 Belgian Ale yeast.
Got just over 20l in the FV at an OG of 1045, 5 points under what GH's recipe stated which is fine, it's what I expected and if it gets down to 1010 or something it'll be around 4.5% which is what I wanted.
For those people who know something about electrics....can you tell me why my klarstein won't maintain temp without tripping during the mash but will maintain a rolling boil half full of water when I give it a clean out? It's the 2nd time this has happened the only thing I can think of is that it's using more power (with grain in) and the electrics can't cope?
4.2kg Pale Malt
600g Caramalt 1
Mashed for 2 hours @65c with 15l
Sparged (ish) with another 15l water and brought to the boil.
40g Goldings @60
15g Saaz @10
40g Saaz @flameout
Cooled quickly and pitched Mangrove Jacks MJ 41 Belgian Ale yeast.
Got just over 20l in the FV at an OG of 1045, 5 points under what GH's recipe stated which is fine, it's what I expected and if it gets down to 1010 or something it'll be around 4.5% which is what I wanted.
For those people who know something about electrics....can you tell me why my klarstein won't maintain temp without tripping during the mash but will maintain a rolling boil half full of water when I give it a clean out? It's the 2nd time this has happened the only thing I can think of is that it's using more power (with grain in) and the electrics can't cope?
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