Today's One Can partial mash

[Slid]

Hi all.

Along with many others, no doubt, I recently picked up the Greg Hughes book Home Brew Beer. This includes a number of AG recipies that also include an extract equivalent recipe. Using these recipe data makes it very easy to convert them to a "half way house" recipe which is, in essence, half extract, but using a kit can, and half mashed base malt plus other grains and adjuncts.

Today's effort gives the "nod" to the Single Hop Ale recipes that appear on pages 118-121. I followed this faithfully, changing only the yeast, the hop, the speciality grain, the brew length and the methodology.

Mine was a Marynka Polish Pale Ale, using 100g of 2011 harvest hops I picked up from Rob the Malt Miller for £1 ages ago.

Did a mash in a 15L pot 2.25k MO and .25k Crystal (don't know the colouring nuber, but guess 60). This amount of grain really does fill the pot, pretty much. Followed the advice of clibilt in his newer version of this style.

Then did a mash out to 75C. At this point, I transfer the contents of the pan into the bag which lines the FV. This enables a dunk sparge in the pot, fairly soon after a rapid bag drain.

All the wort would have fitted in the pot for the boil, but I put some in a smaller pan at first as to make the boil easier to manage.

Split the hops something like 25 / 20 / 27 / 28 at 60m / 15m / 5m and flameout. (As GH suggests, except for the proportions).

I would not expect anything like a modern interpretation of IPA (PPA?) as the hops will have faded a fair bit over time. Am hoping more for a sort of English style hop presence, the sort that might be obtained using EKG, Fuggles Bramling X, First Gold etc but with a slight twist.

Then added a Coopers Cerveza kit (Tesco Sale!) and 650g table sugar to brew to 26.5L. This will probably give me 23-24L in secondary FV of very clear and very drinkable beer after 3 weeks in FV and similar 3wks + in bottles.

 

[Slid]

The beer I am drinking now was pitched at the end of March. Used a similar method as above, except that I used less less base grain and 500g DME. Also added 100g of Dry Roasted Barley and a little dark malt. The APA kit has ~ 30 bittering units, as opposed to the Lager style Coopers kits, which are more like 20 IBU's.

It is great and I totally understand now why the extra 3+ hours of elapsed time brewing it is worthwhile. :thumb:

 

[baggybill]

Thanks for taking the time to post the figures/numbers :-D I'll be using/ cross referencing these soon.

I also have the book, same size pan, and Rob's MO & Crystal (just what number is it?). Hoping to move on to kit & mini mash soon, now that I've cleared another couple of 1 tin kits off the shelf today (Cerberus IS).

Now left with a Tom Caxton Lager, Barley Wine and a cider I think. Oh... and 10K of MO, 2K of Crystal, 1K of roasted barley and various hops ;-)

 

[clibit]

Let us know how the Marynka works out. Another hop I haven't used. :thumb:

 

[Slid]

Thanks for taking the time to post the figures/numbers :-D I'll be using/ cross referencing these soon.

I also have the book, same size pan, and Rob's MO & Crystal (just what number is it?). Hoping to move on to kit & mini mash soon, now that I've cleared another couple of 1 tin kits off the shelf today (Cerberus IS).

Now left with a Tom Caxton Lager, Barley Wine and a cider I think. Oh... and 10K of MO, 2K of Crystal, 1K of roasted barley and various hops ;-)

Hi BB

An updated outline of what I do is here.

http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=50779

The only difference to what is accepted practice is that I see little point in doing the mash in the bag.

Hope this helps.

 

[Slid]

Thanks for taking the time to post the figures/numbers :-D I'll be using/ cross referencing these soon.

I also have the book, same size pan, and Rob's MO & Crystal (just what number is it?). Hoping to move on to kit & mini mash soon, now that I've cleared another couple of 1 tin kits off the shelf today (Cerberus IS).

Now left with a Tom Caxton Lager, Barley Wine and a cider I think. Oh... and 10K of MO, 2K of Crystal, 1K of roasted barley and various hops ;-)

Would that be Smileyr8's recipe, per chance?

The lager kit looks favourite for a mini mash. You could try something like 1.7kg MO, 200g Crystal and 100g RB. 2kg of grain (or a bit less) is plenty for a first try and will allow you to add whatever hops take your fancy on the day.

I say, Just Do It, it will be worth the time and effort.

 

[clibit]

Rob's MO & Crystal (just what number is it?).

Says on Maltmiller website it's EBC 120-140. SRM therefore about 60-70. Which is right for standard crystal.

 

[baggybill]

Would that be Smileyr8's recipe, per chance?

The lager kit looks favourite for a mini mash. You could try something like 1.7kg MO, 200g Crystal and 100g RB. 2kg of grain (or a bit less) is plenty for a first try and will allow you to add whatever hops take your fancy on the day.

I say, Just Do It, it will be worth the time and effort.

Yeah, I'm thinking the same. Still trying to get my brain round which hops and where. I gather the higher alpha hops are for bittering e.g. 60 minutes and the lower for flavour/aroma ~15 mins and less.

Hop pellets I currently have in my freezer are (bought some random ):

Cascade 9.1%
Styrian Golding (Celeia) 1.6%
Columbus 12.7%
Fuggles 3.96%

May add to this collection with some saaz & hallertau shortly.

Too busy working just now to get brewing... <sigh>

 

[Slid]

Hi BB

Since you have some what sound like US Cascade, I would suggest for a US style PM pale ale, Lager Kit plus MO and some crystal, maybe some Columbus for bittering at the start of whatever boil length, then the Cascade at 15mins and flameout.

It takes ages to cool down 12L of wort in a 15L pot and the flavour will be extracted from the hops long after the boil finishes.

A second PM might be the Barley Wine Kit, Plus MO and RB and Crystal not already used. Columbus looks like a good bittering hop and the Fuggles go well in a Porter style beer with Roast Barley. I doubt adding Cascade hops ever spoilt any beer, although they are perhaps more in character with the #1 brew suggested.

 

[Slid]

Let us know how the Marynka works out. Another hop I haven't used. :thumb:

Bottled today and the little taster from the hydrometer jar was just great.

No definite bittering, no obvious hop presence, just a really light summer type ale.

I used a recycled Coopers yeast and was a bit concerned about it being perhaps a bit off, or tired, but the beer is really quite clear and a lovely orangey colour.

Very pleased with this one, which I had planned for ages, but never got around to.

 

[Slid]

The Coopers kits I recently got from Tesco's latest sale included (as ever) one dented can. So that made the choice of today's partial mash brew easy.

It's a Stout, with 180g Roast barley, 150g Chocolate, and the rest of the 2.5k of grain in Maris Otter.

Boiled for a full hour, using Pacific Gem (25g) as the bittering hop and an after thought 25g of First Gold at 15 mins, because it was there, cluttering the freezer.

Used the Coopers yeast, because the weather forecast suggests few problems with over-heating in the next few days. After my recent re-cycled brews using US 05, 7g of yeast looks pretty inadequate, floating around on the top.

 

[Slid]

Today was an English Bitter day. Using the guides from Greg Hughes (again), I decided on a Coopers English Bitter kit, plus a mini mash 2.25k MO and 250g Crystal. As the kit is pretty well bittered, I went for a 45 min boil, using Challenger (20g at start, 15g at 15 and 15g at 5) and then the other half of the Multihead hops (4.2? Alpha) at flameout. Then I added 700g sugar and brewed it out to 27L.

My brew day now involves doing both a mash-out, by raising the temps to 75C, and a dunk sparge, by putting the grain bag into 80C water for 10 mins.

Whilst, as ever, the credit goes to Greg, clibit and the men on whose shoulders they stand, I have changed nothing, except the ingredients, the method, the timings and the central philosophy.

I encourage all to follow their own approaches and not mine.

 

[Slid]

KISS stands for "Keep It Simple, Slid"

Used a Coopers Real Ale kit and did a steep last night of Roast Barley at 250g and Chocolate Malt 150g. Boiled this off last night, with a view to decanting the cooled (overnight) wort into 2L PET bottles to chill in the fridge along with 3x 2L bottles of water. This is to get the Mini Mash wort useable when it gets to 35-40C, as a similar amount of liquid at ~ 4C is going to be added.

Because all the steepable grains were already "done", I did the mash with 2.5kg of base malt only (MO). 2.5kg seems to be around the best sort of grain bill for a 15L pot. Today the mash, mashout and dunk sparge got me to exactly the "line", near the top of the Wilko 15L pot that indicates the safe maximum contents.

Used a bittering hop (Pacific Gem @ 16g for 45m) and then added 30g of mixed Challenger and First Gold, 1/2 @ 15mins and 1/2 @ 5mins.

Porter style, I hope, as I really like this distinctive style, even though the fashion is currently for light coloured and much more aromatic ales, made with loads of US "C" hops.

 

[Hops_and_Dreams]

Judging by this thread, you sound like the best person to ask! How long are you finding you need to condition your partial mashes for? I've done a few with DME and they seem to be good after two weeks in the bottle, but am interested to know if it takes a bit longer when using a kit (I guess it does)?

 

[clibit]

Quite a kit of roast barley for a porter, maybe quite a stout porter!

 

[Slid]

Quite a bit of roast barley for a porter, maybe quite a stout porter!

Much so, mate, definite taste for the Roast Barley. If it's a stout porter, well, I seem to be a stout ex-marathon runner. Que sera sera, and all that.

 

[Slid]

Judging by this thread, you sound like the best person to ask! How long are you finding you need to condition your partial mashes for? I've done a few with DME and they seem to be good after two weeks in the bottle, but am interested to know if it takes a bit longer when using a kit (I guess it does)?

Hi there, Hops,

I leave them for all for as long as possible in the bottle, TBH. As you say, they are fine much quicker than a kit brew, but even in PET bottles, they do improve.

My advice is to drink no sooner than when the sediment is firm enough to leave a clear beer in the glass.

Cheers! :

 

[Hops_and_Dreams]

Cheers Slid.

 

[Slid]

KISS stands for "Keep It Simple, Slid"

Used a Coopers Real Ale kit and did a steep last night of Roast Barley at 250g and Chocolate Malt 150g. Boiled this off last night, with a view to decanting the cooled (overnight) wort into 2L PET bottles to chill in the fridge along with 3x 2L bottles of water. This is to get the Mini Mash wort useable when it gets to 35-40C, as a similar amount of liquid at ~ 4C is going to be added.

Because all the steepable grains were already "done", I did the mash with 2.5kg of base malt only (MO). 2.5kg seems to be around the best sort of grain bill for a 15L pot. Today the mash, mashout and dunk sparge got me to exactly the "line", near the top of the Wilko 15L pot that indicates the safe maximum contents.

Used a bittering hop (Pacific Gem @ 16g for 45m) and then added 30g of mixed Challenger and First Gold, 1/2 @ 15mins and 1/2 @ 5mins.

Porter style, I hope, as I really like this distinctive style, even though the fashion is currently for light coloured and much more aromatic ales, made with loads of US "C" hops.

I bottled this today and the sampling jar (plastic tube, really) tasted great, very distinctive RB taste. FG was as much as 1012, so I tried not to over-fill the bottles (2L PET).

 

[Slid]

Bottled today and the little taster from the hydrometer jar was just great.

No definite bittering, no obvious hop presence, just a really light summer type ale.

I used a recycled Coopers yeast and was a bit concerned about it being perhaps a bit off, or tired, but the beer is really quite clear and a lovely orangey colour.

Very pleased with this one, which I had planned for ages, but never got around to.

Well, I only got around to drinking this about a week or so ago and am on the second or third 2L bottle tonight.

It is really good - admitting that it is now almost 5 months since pitching and is a Partial Mash brew (2.5kg grain bill and 1.7kg kit). Very good hoppy taste - bittering and flavouring, from the 100g Marynka that were, I think, £1 and a couple of years old.

Very pleased indeed!