YeastFace Brewdays

[YeastFace]

Fermentation is over and finished at 1.015 so a good 5%. I added the hazelnut extract and cacao nibs into the keg - is being carbed relatively low and should be ready to start testing in a couple of weeks. Tastes from the sample jar pre-kegging were nutty and malty, but perhaps a bit muted. That was intentional as I was keen to avoid burnt or coffee flavours which might have interfered with the hazelnut. I do think the Golden Naked Oats I'd originally planned would have provided more depth of flavour.

 

[YeastFace]

The hazelnut extract has arrived. It's a unique flavour - tastes like the non-edible bits inside a walnut, mixed with a slight mouldiness.

I will add the recommended dosage to a shop-bought porter I think, to see if it works. Otherwise, I might add cacao nibs too - although I'm not sure they were growing cocoa in the Weald in the middle ages.

I think I should have trusted my instincts. I'm sure there's something wrong with that extract, the mould/mulched leaves has carried into the beer, which is likely ruined.

Considering adding some vanilla and coffee and seeing if that can mask the flavours from the extract; but also don't want to throw good money after bad...

A reminder that simplicity is generally the best policy. The base porter itself would have been tasty enough, damn you archaeologists and your hazelnut kernels!

All being well I should be brewing a Saison on Saturday, with no dodgy additions.

 

[YeastFace]

I have transferred from one keg into another with 75g cacao nibs, 85g coffee beans (apparently this blend is like hazelnut), and 2 pods worth of vanilla bean paste. Hopefully that and some further conditioning will make something at least drinkable.

 

[YeastFace]

Saison brewday is on.

Head is a little fuzzy (when will I learn to have a quiet one before a brewday) but HLT is warming up now.

As per the porter, this uses barley, wheat, and oats (as per the archaeological survey for the estate I live on); but definitely no hazelnut this time!

Recipe.

3kg Extra Pale Malt (79%)
300g Wheat Malt (8%)
200g Imperial Malt (5%)
150g Naked Oat Malt (4%)
150g Wheat Flakes (4%)

12g Admiral (60 mins)
26g East Kent Goldings (15 mins)
26g East Kent Goldings (Whirlpool)
26g East Kent Goldings (Dry Hop)

Mangrove Jacks M29 French Saison.

Estimated numbers.

Volume: 20l (19l into keg)
SG: 1.043
FG: 1.003
ABV: 5.1%
EBC: 8
IBU: 28

 

[YeastFace]

All done. Had to liquor back again, but numbers are spot on.

I amended the recipe slightly, Admiral were first wort hops. I did 52g EKG as a hop stand and may dry hop with 50g of Jester (a freebie from The Malt Miller at Brewcon).

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I brewed an Imperial Stout with Hazelnut from Special Ingredients and there’s still too much hazelnut after a year of conditioning. I only used 15ml in 23 litres but I think 5ml would probably have been enough!

I don’t know if it will ever condition out but I don’t need that (King) keg so I’ll maybe give it another year and if it’s not improved either blend it or tip it.

I hope yours fares better!

 

[YeastFace]

Had a strong ferment by Saturday evening and has been aggressive since. Down to 1.012 this morning, still a fair bit further to go.

 

[YeastFace]

Saison was kegged on Tuesday. Sample was tasty, really happy with it.

I also added some coffee extract and another vanilla bean to the Hazelnut Porter. I'm going to leave that to condition but hopefully it will mask the hazelnut and be drinkable at least.

Once I'd finished to above I did a bit of a kit pimping. MYO lager, brewed to half length, fermented with Mangrove Jack's Hophead. Am double dry-hopping, 1oz of Cryo Pop blend added during fermentation and have just added another 1oz.

The first dry hop (or possibly the yeast) seemed to give off some sulphur, but that has dissipated and turned into more of a soft fruit flavour. Will look to keg late next week.

I haven't made a kit in 8 odd years but wanted something quick to brew. The yeast and hops were freebies from Homebrew Con and the kit itself was £15. It's not done yet but signs are promising.

 

[YeastFace]

Really happy with my saison

 

[Clint]

Have you used the MJ hophead before?
You're not supping already...?

 

[YeastFace]

Have you used the MJ hophead before?
You're not supping already...?

First time with Hophead (was a freebie at Brewcon). Finished higher than anticipated. Sounds like Verdant is the go-to yeast for Hazy IPAs.

IPA is still conditioning in Keg, pic above is my saison.

 

[YeastFace]

Sadly the saison keg has kicked. Definitely brewing that again, but perhaps stick with a EKG dry hop or try another English variety like Ernest.

Did not document my bière de printemps brewday as it was a disaster. Decided not to HERMS and broke my digital thermometer which meant mash started quite low (probably at protein rest temp), got it up bit resulted in a very thin mash. Massively missed gravity and efficiency was obliterated, however should end up around 6% which is in the region of a few commercial examples.

Hopefully brewing a petite saison next weekend. I'm building up a super saison blend from dregs of Blaugies (d'Epeautre, La Vermontoise, & Darbyste), Dupont (Original Saison and Cuvée Dry Hopping), Fantôme (Original Saison, Printemps, & Pissenlit), de Glazen Toren (Saison d'Epre-Mere), and de Ranke (Saison de Dottignies). It's tasting great already and each strain has given something to the flavour profile rather than any one dominant; which was a concern. I have a pack of Lallemand Farmhouse (bought out of interest, a non-diastatic strain but with excellent attenuation) as a backup. I'm trying to use as many UK ingredients as I can, so hopefully this can become a house strain for me, despite the provenance. All the beers were excellent and no waste this way .

The Hazy IPA keg (a The Range MYO kit pimped with Cryo hops and Hophead yeast) has also kicked. Very disappointing in terms of hop and yeast aroma and flavour, but incredibly easy drinking (and clear as a bell ). All I have left is the Porter. Short period of conditioning hasn't improved the mold aroma at all so I will be pouring it down the sink soon .

I now have a replacement thermometer (Inkbird IHT-1P) which seems quite decent.

 

[Manxnorton]

Hallow pal,
Thanks for looking on one o my channels.
Ohhh i love the hazlenut porter, even though it was so hazlenut lol.
great set up al.
Catch you lata Bri

 

[YeastFace]

Not the full writeup today and didn't take as many photos today, but today's brew was a witbier.

Had a bit of trouble with leaks in the HLT (I have removed my HERMS coil and replaced with plugs - added washers but they do not need or like them at all!) which meant I started a bit later than intended.

After I'd sorted those my PID controller was giving off wild readings and I was ready to throw the towel in but made do with a thermometer.

Think I'm still a bit out of practice and am doing stupid things like leaving tap valves open when transferring

In spite of those challenges I hit my numbers so a successful brewday overall. The wort was tasty (the spices were so fragrant) and is all tucked up in my ferm fridge.

Chamomile, Grains of Paradise, Coriander, Orange Peel

Didn't recirculate as clarity not an objecive here

 

[YeastFace]

This was my first brew using a domed lid upgrade. Didn't have any activity in the blow off vessel but after looking into it, part of the spring on the PRV wasn't sitting right so the PRV was slightly open. Sorted that out and now sealed properly.

Fermenting at 18° and will raise a degree each day.

 

[YeastFace]

Still early days but airlock activity has stopped. SG is at 1.016, but would expect it to go a bit lower (1.011 or thereabouts).

Have read that M21 can stall and restart after a period of inactivity (well lack of observable activity) so I'm not too concerned. Sample tasted good - young, obviously, but nice and fruity. Hopefully the ramp up will introduce some more phenols.

 

[YeastFace]

Kegged the witbier today, finished at 1.014. Left a full 3 weeks so think it was done and didn't seem to get the second period of fermentation. In my photos I can see I accidentally pressed the hold button on my thermometer, so this may well be right for the actual mash temp.

Am keg conditioning as hoping that will stop the yeast from dropping out too much. Have added a bit of yeast to the dextrose solution (Mean Brews adds a few grains of M21 to each bottle when bottle conditioning so replicating that). Have erred slightly on the carbonation levels, but can correct this once in the keezer.

Barring a disaster this will be one of my LAB entries.

First pressure transfer using the domed lid and it went really well.

 

[YeastFace]

Brewed a Bière de Garde yesterday. Similar grist to my annual recipe, but with Wyeast 1007 German Ale as it's too early for the French Ale strain and I couldn't get hold of the Artisan Country Ale strain which is meant to be a good substitute.

First time using my asparagus pot HERMS, which worked really well. No sign of any leaks so my soldering must've been ok.

I mashed inside, keg is just there to balance the pump.

OG was a good 10 points off, even though my pre-boil was only 1 point off. I must've overestimated the boil off rate so need to adjust in Beersmith.

Colour and clarity was good and the sample was rich and malty.

I'm pretty sure that plant is dead

It's fermenting away at 15.5°, will do a diacetyl rest once it's nearing FG and then lager for 6 weeks or so. Aim is to keg, draw off some bottles and then age until Christmas (but hopefully it will be so tasty none make it that far)

Sadly my bière de printemps has a fault, which I knew at kegging so no surprise. Can't describe it but have pinpointed to two possible causes. 1 - Topping up with untreated tap water (won't do that again) and 2 - fermented too hot (have a ferm fridge again so that shouldn't be a problem).

I've had this same fault before which was again with a Kölsch yeast (K-97 then, Lallemand Köln now) but its quite feasible I made the same two mistakes then.

 

[YeastFace]

Maiden brew on the G40 today.

*Touch wood* all going swimmingly so far.

Doing a small spelt saison so decided to play around with a step mash.

New mash paddle

No sparge with 3kg grains - a rather thin mash

Protein rest

 

[Old Fart At Play]

I'm really itching to get my maiden G40 brew on!