Something new - suggestions please

[NPi]

All

I'm need of some help, I'm wanting to use up my stores, try something different and make a half decent beer. I'm looking for something with a bit of colour, few hop types as possible, but happy for fair side quantities. Batch size about 20l

All measurements are by eye, but I can always buy more if needed.
5kg Planet pale
1kg Wheat malt
1kg Amber
400g Cara amber
400g Munich
200g Vienna
100g Carapils

All suggestions welcome
Cheers

 

[Zephyr259]

If your wanting to clear things out then I'd do something like this.

3kg Pale, 400g Munich, 200g Vienna as a malty base mix then add 400g CaraAmber and 500g Amber, that's 11% amber and 9% CaraAmber which are on the heavier side but Simpsons amber can be used up to 20%. This should be in the region of 1.050 depending on efficiency and dead volumes. If you're really trying for a clear out I'd add the Carapils too.

This is along the lines of the couple of Scottish ales I've made, just throw some bittering hops at it for 20 IBUs and it would be a nice malty beer for the winter, or add some more hops (30 - 35 IBU and some late additions) to make it more of a Best Bitter/ESB.

The you'd be left with 2kg pale, 1kg Wheat and 500g amber which could probably make an interesting beer.

 

[NPi]

Thanks @Zephyr259 that looks great, I've never had a wee heavy before, any commercial recommendations to try before I brew it? I like the ESB suggestion, would you suggest typical British hops, or experiment with something more modern? Just a neutral yeast?

I should add, I'm happy to add any malts to boot.

 

[Zephyr259]

Thanks @Zephyr259 that looks great, I've never had a wee heavy before, any commercial recommendations to try before I brew it? I like the ESB suggestion, would you suggest typical British hops, or experiment with something more modern? Just a neutral yeast?

I should add, I'm happy to add any malts to boot.

That recipe isn't really a wee heavy as it's not strong enough, add more pale malt until you hit at least 7% and it would be.

For a Scottish ale or bitter stick with British hops of your preference, that grain bill might make an interesting American amber too. I made a good one recently to use up some hops, 23L batch got 25g each of Columbus at 20 min, glacier at 10 min and galaxy at 0 min.

Scottish ale or amber would want a neutral yeast, a bitter probably wants a more characterful yeast.

Something I remembered later on is that I made a good Belgian ale with 3kg pale, 1kg wheat and 500g homemade candi syrup (could use any kind of sugar or syrup), a 15L batch than boiled down a bit too far hit 1.092 OG for a 9% beer.

I liked your question, most of these "what should I make" threads seem to be more hop focussed which isn't my thing.

 

[NPi]

That recipe isn't really a wee heavy as it's not strong enough, add more pale malt until you hit at least 7% and it would be.

For a Scottish ale or bitter stick with British hops of your preference, that grain bill might make an interesting American amber too. I made a good one recently to use up some hops, 23L batch got 25g each of Columbus at 20 min, glacier at 10 min and galaxy at 0 min.

Scottish ale or amber would want a neutral yeast, a bitter probably wants a more characterful yeast.

Something I remembered later on is that I made a good Belgian ale with 3kg pale, 1kg wheat and 500g homemade candi syrup (could use any kind of sugar or syrup), a 15L batch than boiled down a bit too far hit 1.092 OG for a 9% beer.

I liked your question, most of these "what should I make" threads seem to be more hop focussed which isn't my thing.

Too many choices @Zephyr259. I've just recently brewed a beligian single, that's not conditioned yet, but already tastes amazing. I'd be tempted to a darker stronger counterpart, but think I may have to diversify the stores.

The American Amber looks the most likely, as I only need hops. Cheers for the suggestions

Thanks

 

[Zephyr259]

Too many choices...

Haha, yeah, at the start of the year I culled my grain store and restocked with a much more sensible list of Pale, Munich, Imperial, light medium and dark crystal, brown, chocolate, roasted rye and flaked barley. From this I can make almost anything I want, although I still bought some pilsner when I fancied a couple of lagers and just added amber malt to the collection. I'm shortly going to find out if I can made a decent imperial stout using the roast grains I have rather than getting some roasted barley which I very rarely use.

Good luck with the brew, let us know how it goes.

 

[NPi]

By way of update, I managed to get this brew on yesterday evening. Using centennial and amarillo and Brexit by Whc labs "Brexit" yeast. Thanks to @Zephyr259 and @strange-steve for your suggestions and advice.

Currently sat 12 hours later after leaving overnight to cool those last degrees, and pitching in the morning, now bubbling away nicely. All things considered it was rather a stress free brew day.

Cheers, Nick

 

[Zephyr259]

By way of update, I managed to get this brew on yesterday evening. Using centennial and amarillo and Brexit by Whc labs "Brexit" yeast. Thanks to @Zephyr259 and @strange-steve for your suggestions and advice.

Currently sat 12 hours later after leaving overnight to cool those last degrees, and pitching in the morning, now bubbling away nicely. All things considered it was rather a stress free brew day.

Cheers, Nick

That's good to hear, what recipe did you go with in the end?

 

[NPi]

That's good to hear, what recipe did you go with in the end?

I went with the AAA, pretty much exactly to your recipe. 10g split between the two hops at 0m, 20g at 30m, 35g at flame out. Then I'm thinking of dry hoping the remaining 35g, as I bought them in 50g packs and 17.5g are no use keeping loose.

Nice bitter, citrus aroma when decanting into the fermenter. Fermentation rate was a little slower than I've been used to of late, by timings of bubbles, but I guess that's just me being picky.

I'll let you both know if it's any good

 

[Zephyr259]

Cool, should be a tasty one. I'd agree that a dry hop sounds like a good use of those hops, My amber was made specifically to use up left-over hops which were just going to be wasted otherwise.