PilgrimHudds Brewdays

[pilgrimhudd]

Thanks chaps, i've got some reading to do I think, I may send away for another water report as I seem to have lost the old one. On South West Water's website it says that my Calcium levels are 18mg/l. Looking at getting the calcium to 150ppm it seems that I would need to add (roughly) 2 tsps of Gypsum. Just read that Calcium does indeed affect clarity, though i'm unsure why my Pilsners see to be ok. Anyway whatever, it's something to try.

 

[matt76]

That sounds in the ballpark. Don't forget you need to treat your mash water and the sparge water.

When the Czechs first invented the Pilsner style (mid 19th century, I think) they didn't know anything about water treatment.

They just found that their water (very soft we now know, and as it happens similar to yours) it produced this exceptionally clear and pale beer that has become ubiquitous.

I can't tell you precisely why, but in the same way I suspect my local water is well suited to dark beers, yours just happens to be well suited to Pilsners and they just magically end up clear

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Ohhh yes i'd have forgotten sparge water!

Not sure what I want to brew next but I suppose it makes sense to try another IPA!

 

[Ben034]

The cold storage for lagers will help it to clear. It definitely takes me longer to get a lager clear using soft low calcium water then an ale using plenty of calcium. 18ppm calcium is definitely very low.

This will really help if you want to delve into water:

https://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/...ore-advanced-water-treatment-in-post-1.64822/

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Ok, so not one but TWO brews today!

2 x IPA's, the grist loosely based on @matt76 'Podium Ale'

Water treated with 1/2 Campden tablet each and 2 teaspoons of Gypsum.

Gunning for 10l in the FV.

1700g Otter
300g Carapils
350g Munich
80g Amber

16l Strike water temp 65c, both mashed for 1 hour. Bag squeezed and brought to the boil.

30 min boil.

10g Simcoe, El Dorado & Chinook & protofloc @10mins
10g Simcoe, El Dorado & Chinook @5

Water quickly cooled (brrrrr) and pitched in 1) USO5 2) Hophead MJ66

1) OG 1050 Est FG 1010 ABV 5.25% IBU 48
2) OG 1048 Est FG 1009 ABV 5% IBU 48

Now I realise I could have just brewed a 20l batch and split the wort... but I had only planned the one brew today and finished so early I was twiddling my thumbs. So I thought i'd have a yeast off!

 

[matt76]

Nice one, like it - always interesting how a yeast off turns out

You planning a dry hop?

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Nice one, like it - always interesting how a yeast off turns out

You planning a dry hop?

Probably, only got a little bit of chinook and simcoe left but plenty of el dorado.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Interestingly the hophead m66 although pitched 3 hours later was off like a rocket this morning, the 05 lagging behind, I've just swapped the heat matt over to get the 05 up to 20c or so.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

It's a marathon not a sprint hophead, safale us05 still has a big thick head of krausen which has all but gone from hophead. Both still bubbling away nicely though. Love the way the colours change over time. Better viewing than the tv to be honest.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

I also bottled up my southern cross kiwi pils v4 last night. 32 bottles of beer that's going to be squirreled away till spring. First impressions, lovely aroma, mild citrus and pine, flavour piney maybe a little barky/resiny, not unpleasant but may have overdone the hopping. Pretty clear, though photo doesnt give a good impression. Finished at 1008 so that gives it an abv of 5.3% which seems just right to me.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Next brew I think will be in the week,and am planning to copy this recipe from a forum member whose handle I can't remember. It's a 10l clone of an Orkney Ale, not sure what yeast would be best? I'll be using dry yeast whatever.

 

[matt76]

Next brew I think will be in the week,and am planning to copy this recipe from a forum member whose handle I can't remember. It's a 10l clone of an Orkney Ale, not sure what yeast would be best? I'll be using dry yeast whatever.

View attachment 58393

Judging by the ingredients and strength I take it is some sort of ESB?

I think my dry yeast go-to's would be MJ M36, Lallemand Verdant IPA or CML Beoir

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Judging by the ingredients and strength I take it is some sort of ESB?

I think my dry yeast go-to's would be MJ M36, Lallemand Verdant IPA or CML Beoir

Yeah I guess it would be an ESB, probably darker than your typical esb but in the same ball park. I was thinking Beoir, I need some ekg so was going to buy from cml anyway and have some liberty bell too....

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Ahh that's what I like to see, nice and clear fv's after a 2 week ferment.

 

[matt76]

What's in the neck of the one on the left? It looks like spaghetti. I mean, I know you sometimes like to experiment with unusual flavour additions but...

 

[pilgrimhudd]

What's in the neck of the one on the left? It looks like spaghetti. I mean, I know you sometimes like to experiment with unusual flavour additions but...

Haha, bleddy hop bag, couldnt get it out.

 

[samale]

What's in the neck of the one on the left? It looks like spaghetti. I mean, I know you sometimes like to experiment with unusual flavour additions but...

Matt How did your Brett porter turn out. I am considering something similar

 

[matt76]

Umm... Well @pilgrimhudd wasn't overly keen! I'd say it's "interesting" - I don't think it tastes "bad" or "off" as such, it just has a certain twang I can't really describe...

It might well be a "bretty" twang but I don't really have anything else to gauge it against or enough experience to know for sure.

I have a number of bottles left, I'm thinking try one every few months and see where it's at. It might be that brewing with Brett is a more delicate art, or it could just be it's not my thing.

As much as I'm not really raving about it I'm more than happy to send you one to try if you PM me your details.

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Matt How did your Brett porter turn out. I am considering something similar

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Joke!!