Stu's Brewing Blog - Slow and steady does it!

[Asalpaws]

Hi Stu, a week isn't nearly enough time to carb. An inch of headspace is plenty, the more space then the more gas is in the head space and not in the beer where you want it! A smaller headspace will mean higher pressure in the gas above the beer and consequently more CO2 will stay in solution.

I have at times worried about there not being enough yeast in the bottle, especially after long secondary. However it always carbs up if enough sugar is added. T

 

[Stu]

Cheers. That makes me feel slightly better.

I've realised the temperature of the bottles isn't going to be high enough.

I know how to keep an FV warm. Anyone any ideas how to keep bottles warm?

 

[Stu]

So today, I popped out to get the bits and bobs for my next mini project.

I've realised that since I started to brew 20 odd years ago, things have changed a lot. But Coopers Aussie beers are still the best kits I've used. I love 'em - always give a consistently good brew.

So following the Aussie Stout thread , I popped out and bought a tin of this.
However, my local Wilko and general-hardware-LHBS-type-sells-everything-and-anything shop don't stock DME. I thought all Wilko's stocked it (I usually use a big one) which gave me an opportunity to pop down to a friend's wife's shop which sells bespoke furniture, paints, hand painted items as well as home brew gear (particularly medium and high-end wines). Obviously, not being a stack-em-high-sell-em-cheap type of shop, it wasn't the cheapest, but as a good local shop should do, they have time to chat about everything home-brew wise.

In case you're interested, it's called making the best(Clicky link) just south of Milton Keynes.

Whilst I was there, the owner's husband pointed me in the direction of Wine Expert's LE2012 (clicky link)
These kits look pretty tasty - 18L of liquid already in the kit - add just 5L of water.

The wife is strangely interested as she thinks we should brew one of these and give a bottle to friends and relatives as we never really did anything to celebrate our wedding last year.

Thing is, I'm a big fan of Californian and Australian reds (My favourites are things like the better end of Wolfbass and Gallo). So if they bring one of these out with the right Aussie Shiraz or Californian Cabernet, I may well consider it.

So getting back to brew day (after all, this is the "Brewdays" forum), I used the following:

1 Coopers Stout Kit
~22 litres water
1kg Dark DME (Ritchies as this is what the shop stocks)
400g Light muscovado (it's what I had in)

Because I wasn't convinced the Muscovado and DME would easily mix, I boiled up some hot water and mixed it in really, really well with a whisk.
Definitely no lumps.

Then I threw the tin in - I thought I may as well as it gets the DME and sugar mixed in with the can and gives me the opportunity to get every last drop out of the can.
Just as well I did because it slipped out of my hand. I only lost a spoonful, but I'm worried now it might not be "quite strong enough" (I'm being paranoid, of course it's normal).

I then mixed some cold (very cold - it's freezing today!) water in and topped it up to ~21L. I was carefully watching the temperature strip when it suddenly dropped to 18c. Gah! Too cold to pitch!

Fortunately, I had a kettle boiling in case this happened so topped it up to 23L with boiling water whilst furiously mixing. Temperature went up to 22c and I pitched the yeast.

So all is looking good. Put a heater in it - I'm going to raise this one slightly higher temperature as I'm told it can actually stand it. Kit instructions say 21-27 although I think that would be slightly too high. I normally keep my beers static around 20-21.

Oops and while I remember, the OG was 1042@21c.

 

[Stu]

Yeah, so that was a good idea

 

[Stu]

As I've put throughout this, whilst it may seem mildly interesting to some and annoyingly tedious to others, I'm using this as much as a reminder to myself to what I'm brewing!

Having bought a soda stream, and using the instructions of others, I've just about got a happy medium to where I think my beer needs to be carbonation wise. I had a surprise last night that one of my 500ml PETs that were sat in the kitchen was absolutely rock hard. I opened it and to my delight it was perfectly fizzy - not too much, not too little.

I have found that you can over fizz even lager with a sodastream btw. I wouldn't recommend any more than 6 pumps per litre on a modern Genesis sodastream.

With the Pear Cider, I've done absolutely everything I can to get the FG down. I've put it into secondary and tested it thoroughly. It's been kept at strictly 19c (it fermented at 21c), but it's still at 1006. I guess that's it.

It was far too cloudy for my liking - I went to put it into the original FV for bottling and it was muddy, to say the least.
I've bunged a load of pectolase in there to see if I can clear it, if only a bit. Hopefully racking should clear it a bit. I'll leave it another week before bottling. Tastes good though, almost like a scrumpy (well, no pears were hurt in making the pear cider).

And to the Stout. It's only been going for about 9 days and the gravity is still around 1012 so I'll try and hope it gets a little bit lower than that. I gave it a good, but not vigorous, stir. It did look like it had finished initially, but after this stir, it's gained its mucus-like head back again so it's still fermenting. The airlock isn't bubbling that much, although the pressure in the FV is against the lid so I'll check again at the weekend.

Any idea if stout clears? Should I go to secondary as I'm intending to keg this one?

 

[Asalpaws]

Those final gravities are what you should expect. In fact you probably don't want the stout to go much lower as it would be too dry. The cider is a result! usually it ends up far too dry with FG of > 1.000. A lot of people end up back sweetening their cider. T

 

[ScottM]

Those final gravities are what you should expect. In fact you probably don't want the stout to go much lower as it would be too dry. The cider is a result! usually it ends up far too dry with FG of > 1.000. A lot of people end up back sweetening their cider. T

I wouldn't expect those gravities at all. You also contradict yourself by saying that cider normally ends up less than 1.000 (I'm guessing you meant < rather than >).

Stout I would expect around 1.010 depending what it's been brewed with (adjuncts). Cider I would expect around 1.000, although higher or lower isn't uncommon depending on ABV and sweeteners.

Cider kits are normally just over 1.000, turbo cider is normally on or just under 1.000.

Nothing to worry about though, IMO. If it tastes good and fermentation is definitely finished then you're good to go :)

 

[Stu]

I left the Canadian Blonde in the airing cupboard for 2 weeks and it's completely transformed into a very fizzy, light but easy drinking lager.

Not too much THT (That homebrewed taste), certainly one of the best brews I've ever made (that's not saying much - I'm really surprised I haven't brewed vinegar in the past - I never used to worry about hygiene and sterilising).

I've still got a fair bit of it left, but also quite a few empty bottles. I've filled them back up with the cider.

Talking of cider, so far, I'm quite unimpressed with it. It tastes very watery (I know from the hydrometer it should be ~4.5% so it's not weak). Not as much body as I hoped. But also it's not very peary either.

I've racked the WOW, although it tastes a bid odd. Not vinegary or anything, just a bit odd - I don't know what I'm quite expecting. I've also put the Stout into secondary for a week - I'll probably keg some of it next weekend and bottle the rest.

Which brings me to my latest project - some ribena wine. I've guessed most of it, but I've put the recipe up at http://www.homebrewbuddy.co.uk/viewreci ... ibena+Wine

Let me know if you see any obvious flaws to my plan. It looks like it'll be ~12.5% which is slightly higher than I was aiming for.

So as always, I leave a question... when is the latest you can back sweeten WOW?

 

[Stu]

Time for an update. Today was a brew day (I've been doing quite a lot lately), but more importantly, last week's.

I bought some Wyeast 1388 that was short dated a few weeks back and I've wanted to do a Duvel clone for some time. I'm partial to Belgian beer anyway and this is a nice clean (albeit strong) one.

So found a recipe here and set about brewing.

One thing about this recipe is it's quite complicated. Step mashes and awkward yeast, heavy grain bill and candi sugar. Had all kinds of issues making it - the wort was burning on the bottom of my Klarstein every time I set it to 3000w (bear in mind, I've made loads of brews in it and never had this problem). And that was before I put the sugar in!

I've struggled to get the yeast going. It's a week now and barely any krausen. I've got some dried belgian yeast, so could give it a go.

In contrast, I made up some Dark Rock Hazy Daze. I made some the other week and it's so moreish, I've decided to make some more. I thought I'd got all the volumes right, except I didn't. I've only got 21L. Starting Gravity is more or less right (says it should be 1.058, but I've got 1.056 at 30c, which adjusted is right)

This is new for me though. I'm using a new yeast called Mango Madness, which is thermotolerant - it says 30c is absolutely fine. So I pitched it at 26c. I'm also brewing under pressure for the first time. I don't want a horrendously fizzy beer, so I've gone for 5psi to see what happens (I've got a spunding valve of course) and because the Duvel is currently taking up the fermenting fridge, I've used a brew belt and the Fermzilla box to keep the light out (a tip given by Malt Miller).

 

[Stu]

Good news on the Duvel clone! I've been following the instructions to the letter. I think 1388 just isn't a particularly active yeast. Checked the bottom of the FV tonight (which was a bit thick) and it's 1.010 which is getting there. Started at 1.071. So around 8% (recipe suggested 8.5%, so I'd expect it to go down to about 1.006). I'll try again in a couple of days.

I genuinely thought it hadn't really taken off and I'd got a stalled (or not really started) brew.

I've realised I'm all over the place with regards to racking and transferring.
I've got a NEIPA that needs to be cold crashed this weekend. I've also got the Duvel in the Fermentation Fridge.
So what I've done is taken the Duvel out, covered it and put a heat belt on it to keep at 28c. Then I'll get the fridge down to 0c, transfer the NEIPA to a Corny and put it in the fridge. The fridge isn't quite big enough to put the Fermzilla in entirely.

 

[Stu]

OK, I'm hopping back here.
First things first, the Duvel clone was awful. Undrinkable. Oxidised and all sorts. I'll not bother again.

Anyhow....

I had the following ingredients kicking about.
• Pilsner Malt: 2.2 kg
• Wheat Malt: 1.4 kg
• Pale Malt: 1.5 kg
• Wheat Flakes: 0.5 kg

So I threw it into ChatGPT, asked it to suggest hops and yeast and method. Suggests I should get somewhere around 5.5-5.8%.

It was amazing. Suggested doing this as a witbier. Needs saaz and styrian goldings. Which I also happened to have kicking about.

In fact, the only suitable yeast I had was Abbaye and it suggested that whilst it might make a nice beer, it wasn't ideal. So I've ordered some Lalbrew Wit.

My first "use up" recipe. Sounds amazing! I'll be bottling this.

 

[Stu]

I ordered the Yeast last Friday. Still hadn't arrived today and really needed to get these ingredients out of the way, so I told ChatGPT about all the yeasts I had in and weirdly, it suggested Verdant.

So Verdant it is! It suggested putting some coriander and orange peel in (I threw the oranges in too).
It's also suggested some fruit during secondary fermentation.

I can't decide whether I like the idea of a "tropical" wheat beer with mango and/or pineapple or a slightly more fruity but tart one made with Raspberries.

I'll have a think about it. Saying all of that, using Verdant, primary fermentation isn't going to take long, so I'll need to be quick!

 

[Stu]

So the answer was yes, I actually let it sit for 8 days, then added 500g of frozen mango and let it sit for a few more days.

Bottled it last night. Filled a vial for testing the gravity and after doing that (it came bang in the middle - said it would be between 1.010 and 1.012 - it was 1.011) I drank the 100ml or so.

I'll be honest, this is an amazing beer so far. I can't describe the taste - it's neither particularly wheaty, tropical or bitter. It's just very pleasant drink. I'll leave the bottles and test one probably a week Saturday. I've got very high hopes! My previous American Wheat beer was good enough.

I've got a new favourite NEIPA. It's not cheap - around £58 - but well worth it. I've just made up another 23L.
Bear in mind I drink regularly in a microbrewery that prides itself on its juicy NEIPAs, this definitely stands up! I've tested this with a few of the regulars and they were very impressed.

In fairness too though, the fella that gave me the recipe is about to open his own brewery. So it's tried and tested.

Despite people saying it'll probably break, I've calibrated my ispindel and am using it in the Fermzilla, although I've only set it to 5 psi.

 

[Birdsnestbrewery]

That wheaty mango beer sounds lovely. What is the batch size and hop quantity/times?

 

[Stu]

That wheaty mango beer sounds lovely. What is the batch size and hop quantity/times?

Caveat here: I clearly lucked out on the efficiency. I made 23L (didn't read the water amounts properly) and was 1.053.
Finished bang on in the middle as 1.011

Belgian Hybrid Witbier Recipe
Ingredients (for a 20-litre batch):
• Pilsner Malt: 2.2 kg
• Wheat Malt: 1.4 kg
• Pale Malt: 1.5 kg
• Wheat Flakes: 0.5 kg
• Hops:
- Saaz (bittering): 20g @ 60 minutes
- Styrian Golding (flavour/aroma): 10g @ 15 minutes, 10g @ 5 minutes
• Adjuncts (Optional):
- Coriander seeds: 10g (crushed) @ 5 minutes
- Bitter orange peel: 15g @ 5 minutes
• Yeast:
- LalBrew Verdant: 1 packet (dry yeast)
Estimated OG and FG:
• Original Gravity (OG): 1.048 - 1.052
• Final Gravity (FG): 1.010 - 1.012
Water Volumes:
• Mash Water: 3 litres of water per 1 kg of grain (16 litres total).
• Sparge Water: 12-14 litres of water at 75-78°C (167-172°F) for sparging.
Mash Instructions:
1. Heat 16 litres of mash water to 65°C (149°F).
2. Mash all the grains and wheat flakes for 60 minutes, maintaining a temperature of 65°C.
3. Sparge with 12-14 litres of water heated to 75-78°C. Collect enough wort to hit a pre-boil volume of approximately 25 litres.
Boil Instructions (60 minutes total):
1. 60 minutes: Add 20g of Saaz hops (bittering).
2. 15 minutes: Add 10g of Styrian Golding hops (flavour/aroma).
3. 5 minutes: Add 10g of Styrian Golding hops, 10g of crushed coriander, and 15g of bitter orange peel (optional, for added flavour).
4. Cool wort rapidly to 18-20°C (64-68°F).
Fermentation:
1. Transfer wort to the fermenter and pitch the LalBrew Verdant yeast.
2. Ferment at 18-22°C (64-72°F) for 10-14 days, depending on gravity readings.

 

[Birdsnestbrewery]

Thanks, I will add it to the "to make" list
It's a while since I made a wheat beer.

 

[Stu]

A couple of beers on the go this weekend.
A new NEIPA that I've not tried before.
A Russian Imperial Stout. I'm estimating around 10%. I'm going to split this 2 ways. 1/2 completely plain. The other 1/2 will be on some oak staves that have been sitting in rum for some months.

 

[Stu]

Having had a few failures lately (the imperial stout went very wrong), one of the positives is that during black friday, I invested in the hop bong for the fermzilla.

Wow! That's a game changer. You do have to wiggle the handle to get it moving and I'm guessing with a really dry hop heavy beer, I might have to empty and refill it.

But it's definitely easier than magnets.