Sam's brew day's

[Alastair70]

My last Amber got marked down for not delivering on caramel. I’d over shot on dark crystal malts and dipped into toffee and dark fruits. I’ve added roasted malts to dry out the finish and bring a bit of balance to the malts. Biscuit seems like a great idea, I’d went with crisp low colour chocolate on the UKHBC entry so I could keep the crystal malt % high. I’m going to relook biscuit for the next recipe.

 

[samale]

Altbier

3.7 kg pilsner
1kg Vienna malt
300g cara Munich
20g black malt at mash out for colour

15g magnum@60mins
20g tettnang@10mins

Yeast CML Kentucky common

OG 1.045

 

[samale]

Big boy stout is on the go

10kg Minch pale ale malt
500g chocolate malt
500g oats
300g Cara Munich malt
200g crystal 145
250g special B
200g carafa 2
100g black malt.

I have never seen a thicker mash..... I will up date as I go along.

 

[samale]

40g magnum FWH
Slowly coming up to the boil

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Bottled mine up last week, what og are you looking for there?

 

[samale]

Bottled mine up last week, what og are you looking for there?

Not sure I will let you know shortly. Guess work I am looking to hit close to 1.100 as I can, it's looking like close to 18 litres.
Sample is cooling in the fridge

 

[samale]

So I never hit the numbers I was guessing. I ended up with 19 litres @1.084. learning experience. This will be at the bottom end of the imperial scale, anything above 8% is classed imperial.
I do have the option of adding sugar during fermentation to bump up the abv. This is something I have never did before or because I no chill I could boil up a sugar solution and add it later on tonight.
The wort itself tastes great, either way it will be pitched on a yeast cake of WLP 023 that I saved from a previous brew. I also plan to dry hop with coffee beans and maybe add vanilla at bottling stage

 

[samale]

Am I right in saying if I add 1 kg of sugar it would add around 1.018 to my wort

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Am I right in saying if I add 1 kg of sugar it would add around 1.018 to my wort

My calculator says 1.020 but near enough... I'm not sure id add 1kg, seems a lot... how about 500g brown sugar and boil off a litre or so? If you can be arsed.

 

[samale]

My calculator says 1.020 but near enough... I'm not sure id add 1kg, seems a lot... how about 500g brown sugar and boil off a litre or so? If you can be arsed.

I will leave it as it is at the minute. I will add 500g of medium-dark candi sugar around day 4 or 5. This will lift it up to 1.094

 

[Donegal john]

I will leave it as it is at the minute. I will add 500g of medium-dark candi sugar around day 4 or 5. This will lift it up to 1.094

Does it need it though ?
The dark Candi sugar will alter the flavour a fair bit.

 

[Pennine]

Does it need it though ?
The dark Candi sugar will alter the flavour a fair bit.

Yeah I'd agree with this and would skip the sugar.

Is this the first time with the cooler mash tun? Did you partigyle?

 

[pilgrimhudd]

Mine had some sugar in it, 250 of white, 250 of brown and some dme. It just depends if you want the abv... it'll taste good either way I'm sure. I haven't tasted mine yet either mind (sample at bottling was decent tho!).

 

[samale]

Yeah I'd agree with this and would skip the sugar.

Is this the first time with the cooler mash tun? Did you partigyle?

Not this time, I was pushed for time. I will just let the beer roll as it is. I will measure the OG gravity tomorrow before transferring

 

[SMP Brewery]

Not this time, I was pushed for time. I will just let the beer roll as it is. I will measure the OG gravity tomorrow before transferring

I had an issue with mine for the Brew n Swap but decided I’d rather see what it tastes like this time around before messing around with the recipe. Then if it’s ok alter it to suit next time.

 

[samale]

I had an issue with mine for the Brew n Swap but decided I’d rather see what it tastes like this time around before messing around with the recipe. Then if it’s ok alter it to suit next time.

I think you're right

 

[samale]

The big stout has went mental in the fermenter. 18/19 litres in a 30 liter fermenter and it's escaping out the top

 

[samale]

I have been busy lately so a few up dates on my beers
Altbier gravity 1.010, crash cooling
Saison dry hopped with 50g H-blanc
American amber dry hopped with 75g strata
Imperial stout gravity check 1.084- 1.028 and is still fermenting slowly.

Check my 4 kegs all feeling light, the plan is to keg the Altbier, American amber and maybe the Saison. Bottle condition the stout

 

[samale]

Summer Saison (Lorien hops)

4kg Pilsner
500g wheat

20g @60mins
30g @flameout
50g @dry hop

Yeast WLP 590
OG 1.038 for 22 litres

https://indiehops.com/hops/lorien/First time using this hop, this will be bottled conditioned. Hopefully ready in time for the Belgian monthly competition at the end of June

 

[samale]

Ordered some new hops to try out
Opus 100g
Ernest 225g
Cascade (UK) 100g
Harlequin 100g
Olicana 100g

Planning a single hopped golden ale with Ernest, IPA with Olicane, Harlequin & Ernest and a pale ale with the Cascade & Opus. I have some WLP023 in the fridge