Dutto's Brew Day

Started a Pale Ale Sunday 4th March.

This recipe ticks nearly all of the boxes in BrewersFriend for a "Belgian Pale Ale". The only exception being that the ABV is "too low" for the style at only 3.2%.

This is not a problem because I intend to take the brew to France to be drank as a Session Beer during what will, hopefully, be warm Spring evenings!

INGREDIENTS
2.60kg of Maris Otter Malt
0.50kg of Cara Malt (EBC 145)
0.50kg of Crystal Malt (EBC 25)
0.04kg of Chocolate Malt
65g Hallertau Leaf
Harvested Wilco Ale Yeast
Protafloc Tablet
Yeast Nutrient

DAY ONE (completed today)
Preparation
Put on Wilco Ale Yeast Starter.
Mill 2.60kg of Maris Otter.
Mill 0.50kg of Cara Malt (EBC 145)
Mill 0.50kg of Crystal Malt (EBC 25)
Mill 0.04kg of Chocolate Malt
Mash
Strike Water = 3.0 litres per 1kg of grain = 11.0 litres at 82*C.
Doughed in and Mashed at 74*C falling to 72*C over One Hour.
Sparge Water at 85*C
Lautered until clear then sparged until Boiler at 30 litres.
The wort in the Boiler was at 68*C. It was covered and will be left overnight.

DAY TWO is later today. :thumb:

DAY TWO
Preparation
Prepared Hop Bags comprising:

• 1 x 25g Hallertau Hop Leaf
• 1 x 25g Hallertau Hop Leaf

Put out Protafloc Tablet.
Put out Yeast Nutrient.
Put out a sachet of Wilco Ale Yeast because the Yeast Starter looked "curdled"! (*)
Boil
The wort had cooled to 38*C overnight but it only took about 50 minutes to being it up to a rolling boil.
Boiled with 25g of Hallertau Bittering Hops for 60 minutes.
Added Protafloc tablet and boiled for further 10 minutes.
Flameout.
Added 25g of Hallertau Leaf Aroma Hops and steeped for 30 minutes before cooling.
Cooled to 21*C, whirlpool, run off into FV. Added 2 litres of cold water to make volume up to 23 litres.
Took OG, added Yeast Nutrient and Sachet of Yeast Starter.
Fermenting at 19*C in Brew Fridge 2 (increasing to 21*C over first week).

The OG of 1.032 is spot-on with the prediction given by BrewersFriend and the colour is amazing.



I'm hoping that it will keep the red colour during fermentation.

(*)
As the yeast starter was swirling around in the jug it looked like curdled milk does in a cup of tea, so I decided not to use it.

I was probably a bit too hasty because, after it had settled down and separated out, there was a lovely thick layer of yeast at the bottom of the jug and it tasted/smelled fine.

I'm pretty sure that a combination of too much LME in wort and the extended period in the fridge (36 hours instead of my normal 18 hours) resulted in such a great production of yeast that they started to clump together.

So, far from dumping it, I should have used half of it and saved the other half for the next brew!

Hey ho! Live and learn if you live long enough! :thumb:

I bought a Wilco Keg about 18 months ago and yesterday, when I went to inject some CO2, I discovered that the "pin" is missing from the injector!

I presume that it has been forced into the Keg and a new one is on order!

"Buy Cheap - Buy Dear" I think as the King Keg is still performing after over three years. :thumb:

Got the new CO2 injector, fitted it and injected a couple of CO2 capsules into the WK to keep the Oatmeal Stout pressurised. Here's hoping that it stays okay until June when it will next be needed.

Also took the Pale Ale out of the Brew Fridge today. One day earlier than usual the FG was at 1.011 with an ABV of 2.76%.

I'm putting down the relatively high FG to the high (74ºC to 72ºC) Mash Temperature resulting in more non-fermentable sugars than normal.



It retained a lot of the red colour but because I didn't transfer it to a Bottling Bucket I didn't introduce a Hop Tea before transferring it to the PB's and Bottles. It probably wasn't needed because the 100ml sample for the FG tasted great. :thumb:

brilliant write up

I transferred most (18 litres) of the Belgian Pale Ale into the 8 litre Wilco Spray Bottle and the 10 litre PB's to take to France.

They were delicious and the Spray Bottle was emptied without resorting to the pump. See below for "Why?"

I bottled the remainder of the brew in 6 x 650ml swing-tops and left them on the worktop as I didn't have any room on the shelves. I tried one of them "au naturel" off the bench a week ago and although it tasted okay I had to pour it into 2 x 1 litre glasses to cope with the foam. I know why of course because ....

Dutto said:

........

Also took the Pale Ale out of the Brew Fridge today. One day earlier than usual the FG was at 1.011 with an ABV of 2.76%.

I'm putting down the relatively high FG to the high (74ºC to 72ºC) Mash Temperature resulting in more non-fermentable sugars than normal.

..............

Click to expand...

Obviously I got that wrong! The high FG was due to the fact that it hadn't fermented out sufficiently!

However, after a week in the fridge bottle number two came out like this ....



It's still a bit lively (I am burping as I type) but it has retained much of the red coloration, tastes just fine and definitely goes on to the "Do again." list.

BTW the brew is crystal clear but the glass is fogged with condensation. "Time + Gravity" does the business again! :thumb:

Out of interest @Dutto how were you pouring and how often? One pint at a time? How many pints per night?

Stephenj said:

Out of interest @Dutto how were you pouring and how often? One pint at a time? How many pints per night?

Click to expand...

The flip-top bounced open so I let it sit for ten minutes and then poured it very gently down the side of the glass, as usual.

At the moment I am on a very strict (self imposed) diet of between 800 and 1,000 Kcal a day and I have to starve myself before I have an alcoholic drink of any kind. At the moment I am averaging a pint every two days; this being when the desire for beer overtakes the desire for food!

Luckily, I have enough beer in the garage to last me until the end of August at this rate of consumption (even including summer guests) so my next brews will be to put on the shelf (ready for winter) and take over to France with me in the Autumn,

I know it's a hard life, but someone has to do it! :thumb:

Sorry, should have explained clearly I meant the pressure sprayer. Not used mine yet, beer sitting in it nicely still. Didn't know if you reckon I'd need to use it all in one or two sittings to ensure pressure stays.

In France, PBs and Sprayer all sit outside in the shade and if we have company coming I cover the three of them with a tea-towel soaked in cold water to make sure that they aren't too warm.

I kept the Sprayer for my own use, only lifted about 500ml a day on average, dispensed it through the handle (i.e. minus the sprayer and tube) and didn't use the pressure-pump at all as the pressure stayed okay and any excess was released by the PSV.

With the 10 litre PBs I occasionally have to unscrew the top caps to let the beer flow but a) They are still aerated as they come out of the PB. and b) I've never had one go "off" due to it getting oxygenated.

I'm slowly getting our French friends to appreciate slightly cooled beer that they can actually taste!

BTW, here's a photo of what I normally expect. It's a SMASH (MO & Citra) bottled back in March. Kept and poured at garage temperature the look is exactly what I expect and it tastes good enough to allow me to miss my afternoon snack with equanimity!

Today I went "Kit" and got two brews on the go ready for the Autumn. They are:

COOPERS LAGER KIT (HOPPED)
Coopers LME + 900 grams of Golden Syrup.
Fermented at 21*C
OG = 1.041
I intend to drop the fridge temperature to 10*C after 14 days and dry hop with 50g of Citra for +/-7 days.

and

B&M BITTER (HOPPED) IN ONE FV
2 x B&M LME sachets + 320 grams of Golden Syrup + 500 grams of Brewing Sugar
Fermented at 21*C
OG = 1.042
In line with the Kit instructions I plan to maintain the fermentation temperature at 21*C and dry hop with provided hop pellets and an additional 50g of Perle Hops ('cos I have them spare).

In both cases I will keep the hops in a bag because I intend to transfer the brews to 10 litre Growlers and PB's and don't want any blockages during the syphoning.

Update on the B&M and Coopers brews.

B&M Bitter:

• Dry Hopped as instructed after ten days with an extra 30g of Perle Hops.
• FG today was at 1.009 so transferred bulk to 10 litre PB, 10 litre Growler with 30g of brewing sugar in each.
• Tasted fine but quite bitter.

Coopers Lager:

• Took an FG at 1.008 so added 40g of Citra Leaf.
• Tasted fine so very hopeful that it will take on the Citra flavour.
• Chilled brew down to 10*C.
• Plan is to let the brew Dry Hop for at least 10 days at 10*C before transferring.

I'm very pleased with the taste of the B&M Bitter and hope that it will produce something worth drinking (and showing off to our French friends) by September when we may (*) head off for France.

(*)
Just got an appointment for 30th August to be assessed for my second cataract operation.

The NHS "eighteen week target", which started from my first appointment in July, can take me up to mid-November so we may be giving this Autumn's visit to France a miss!

Enough to drive a person to drink!

Update on Coopers Lager:

• Dry Hopped with 40g of Citra for 9 days (a day shorter than planned) at 10*C.
• Squeezed out the Hop Bag.
• Transferred the brew to the Wilco Keg.
• Added 64g of Brewing Sugar.
• Currently carbonating at ambient in No.1 fridge.

There has been no progress on my second cataract operation so it looks as if we will be away from home when it's time to start a Winter Brew so I will probably get an AG brew going pretty soon.

Generally, I try not to do an AG brew when it's hot, but as most of my brews are in the "Here's hoping." category of certainty it probably won't make any difference!

Get the AG on the go as thats all I do for now.Some great yeasts out there to contend with our current temps.

Sent from my ALE-L21 using Tapatalk

Here's Plan "A", a Belgian Ale - Biere de Garde that ticks all the boxes on BrewersFriend except for OG and ABV. (I deliberately set out to brew a very light, low ABV beer with a Kcal of less than 400Kcal per litre.)

INGREDIENTS
1.50kg of Maris Otter Malt
0.50kg of Cara Malt (EBC 145)
2.50kg of Crystal Malt (EBC 10)
100g Hallertau Leaf (AA 2.9%)
Wilco Ale Yeast
Protafloc Tablet
Yeast Nutrient

DAY ONE
Preparation
Mill 1.50kg of Maris Otter.
Mill 0.50kg of Cara Malt (EBC 145)
Mill 2.50kg of Crystal Malt (EBC 10)
Mash
Strike Water = 3.0 litres per 1kg of grain = 14.0 litres at 80*C.
Dough in and Mash at 74*C > 72*C for One Hour
Sparge Water at 80*C
Lauter until clear then sparge until Boiler is at 30 litres. Cover Boiler and leave overnight.

DAY TWO
Preparation
Prepare Hop Bags comprising:

• 1 x 40g Hallertau Hop Leaf
• 1 x 45g Hallertau Hop Leaf

Put out Protafloc Tablet.
Put out Yeast Nutrient.
Put out Yeast.
Boil
Boil with 40g of Hallertau Bittering Hops for 60 minutes.
Add Protafloc tablet and boil for further 10 minutes.
Flameout.
Add 45g of Hallertau Leaf Aroma Hops and steep for 30 minutes before cooling.
Cool to 19*C, whirlpool, run off into FV, make up to 23 litres.
Take OG, add Yeast Nutrient and Yeast.
Ferment at 19.5*C in Brew Fridge No.1.
After taking FG add:

• Hop Tea made from 15g of Hallertau Hop Leaf
• 10g of Brewing Sugar to Growler “D” and PB “A”.
• 3g of Brewing Sugar to 650ml bottles.

Predictions from BrewersFriend are:

• OG = 1.038
• FG = 1.010
• ABV = 3.80%
• Kcal per Litre = 367Kcal

I've decided to use the cooling facility on Brew Fridge No.1 to keep the temperature at or around 19.5*C which is right in the middle of the yeast tolerances.

Here's hoping! :thumb:

PS

1. The high Crystal Malt content is because I found about 500g of it tucked away in a box. It went out of date in January this year but there is no sign of weevils so I may as well use it.
2. I've decided that it will be my birthday sometime next year (they reckon that you can't take it with you!) so I treated myself to two of the Dark Farm Growlers and retired the Spray Bottle despite it doing exactly what I wanted it to do.
3. I am in the process of modifying the Wilco and King Keg PB's and the Growlers so that they will all use CO2 from a Sodastream Bottle via a manifold and some air-line connectors.
4. Today I fitted a Stainless Steel Schrader valve to the cap of the KK and it is currently under test (to check for leaks) with air pressure from a bike pump!

Happy Days!

Why 2.5kg of Crystal 10?

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Gerryjo said:

Why 2.5kg of Crystal 10?

Click to expand...

I found a bag of Crystal Malt that went out of date back in January and thought it was the EBC 10 stuff!

It wasn't so I'm just off back to BrewersFriend to find out what I am making! It looks very much like a Mild Ale!

Right, I am now brewing a Dark European Lager - Munich Dunkel. :thumb:

When I got out to the garage and looked at what was out of date and what was coming very near I made a few (?) changes and finished up as follows:

INGREDIENTS
1.50kg of Maris Otter Malt
1.00kg of Cara Malt (EBC 145)
1.00kg of Crystal Malt (EBC 150)
0.50kg of Crystal Malt (EBC 250)
0.04kg of Dark Chocolate Malt
100g Hallertau Leaf (AA 2.9%)
Wilco Ale Yeast
Protafloc Tablet
Yeast Nutrient

DAY ONE
Preparation
Mill the grains.
Mash
Strike Water = 3.0 litres per 1kg of grain = 14.0 litres at 80*C.
Dough in and Mash at 70*C which fell to 64*C over a period of FIVE hours. (*)
Sparge Water at 80*C
Lauter until clear then sparge until Boiler is at 30 litres. Cover Boiler and leave overnight.

(*)

That's the first time that I have ever done a five hour mash!

We decided that rather than fight tomorrow's Bank Holiday traffic we may as well go today ... :thumb:

... and discovered that the rush had already started!

Up and at it early tomorrow methinks! :thumb:

Dutto said:

Right, I am now brewing a Dark European Lager - Munich Dunkel. :thumb:

When I got out to the garage and looked at what was out of date and what was coming very near I made a few (?) changes and finished up as follows:

INGREDIENTS
1.50kg of Maris Otter Malt
1.00kg of Cara Malt (EBC 145)
1.00kg of Crystal Malt (EBC 150)
0.50kg of Crystal Malt (EBC 250)
0.04kg of Dark Chocolate Malt
100g Hallertau Leaf (AA 2.9%)
Wilco Ale Yeast
Protafloc Tablet
Yeast Nutrient

DAY ONE
Preparation
Mill the grains.
Mash
Strike Water = 3.0 litres per 1kg of grain = 14.0 litres at 80*C.
Dough in and Mash at 70*C which fell to 64*C over a period of FIVE hours. (*)
Sparge Water at 80*C
Lauter until clear then sparge until Boiler is at 30 litres. Cover Boiler and leave overnight.

(*)

That's the first time that I have ever done a five hour mash!

We decided that rather than fight tomorrow's Bank Holiday traffic we may as well go today ... :thumb:

... and discovered that the rush had already started!

Up and at it early tomorrow methinks! :thumb:

Click to expand...

Where is there a bank holiday tomorrow?

Leon103 said:

Where is there a bank holiday tomorrow?

Click to expand...

Bugger! Just checked and it states on my Calendar (courtesy of Apple) Summer Bank Holida..

When I clicked on the link it then expands to state Summer Bank Holiday (Scotland)!

I guess today's traffic in and around Skegness was just down to the warm weather and loads of people visiting, 'cos the town was haunching all day! :thumb: