Martin's Brewday

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Wife away, so Friday night was brew night! Thinking about doing a brew for Lager than Life (LAB) in March, so this is going to be a test brew.

Having tasted a black lager recently and really enjoyed it, thought about looking at BJCP category 8 - Dark European Lagers, and decided on a Schwartzbier.

I searched the forum, and found very little - I guess this is not a popular style.

Cobbled together a recipe, and took advice. See attached.

A brew club mate recently bought 500g of 34-70 (Weihenstephaner lager yeast), and sorted me out with a generous scoop, and plied me with lots of beer (thanks Keith).

Brew night went well, the only face palm moment was when I realised I was planning a 30l batch, which gave me no headspace in my fermenters. Ended up with a very, very clean 27l and threw away too much from the boiler (sad face).

So, OG 1046 (4/10)

Fridge set at 12C and by 6/10 it had already dropped to 1030!. Really surprised by the pace...

So, using brulosophy quick lager method, I reckon I will allow a rise to 18C tomorrow morning.

Happy days,

Martin
 

Attachments

  • Sheringham Schwatzbier - Beer Recipe - Brewer's Friend.pdf
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Wife away, so Friday night was brew night! Thinking about doing a brew for Lager than Life (LAB) in March, so this is going to be a test brew.

Having tasted a black lager recently and really enjoyed it, thought about looking at BJCP category 8 - Dark European Lagers, and decided on a Schwartzbier.

I searched the forum, and found very little - I guess this is not a popular style.

Cobbled together a recipe, and took advice. See attached.

A brew club mate recently bought 500g of 34-70 (Weihenstephaner lager yeast), and sorted me out with a generous scoop, and plied me with lots of beer (thanks Keith).

Brew night went well, the only face palm moment was when I realised I was planning a 30l batch, which gave me no headspace in my fermenters. Ended up with a very, very clean 27l and threw away too much from the boiler (sad face).

So, OG 1046 (4/10)

Fridge set at 12C and by 6/10 it had already dropped to 1030!. Really surprised by the pace...

So, using brulosophy quick lager method, I reckon I will allow a rise to 18C tomorrow morning.

Happy days,

Martin

Don't throw beer away. Use it to make more large starters for lagers. Kept cold it will last ages then a quick reboil and gravity adjustment before using it.
 
The schwartzbier went really well and has been appreciated by those who tried it. The next challenge was a Munich Dunkel and my very first decoction mash. Hand written recipe on next post.....
 
Handwritten recipe, as I was working it out from a couple of online sources..
 

Attachments

  • 20191116_105804.jpg
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OK, so the decoction mash was very straightforward, but time consuming. Fortunately I had a day off to brew this one and had a leisurely 6 hours....

Fermented well and kegged after two weeks, rock and rolled the keg and allowed a week to condition.

This is an amazing beer which I am very, very happy with - a real depth and complexity from the decoction and associated maillard flavours.
 
Another brew day today - my first attempt at an abbey dubbel. This is pretty much James Morton's recipe.

The challenge is all about managing the fermentation and the free rise. Will post recipe later....time to stir the mash!
 
Brew Day! New Kit! Happy Bunny!

Got a Brew Monk for Christmas (Geterbrewed Black Friday offer). When I unpacked it, the glass lid had smashed, but Deborah agreed to replace it - great customer service.

As part of the offer, got an all grain kit - West Coast IPA - so decided to give that a go, with one difference fermenting with Simonaitis yeast.

Norwich Amateur Brewers are doing a Kveik Off for our January meeting (brew after Christmas, bring your beer on 20th Jan to be drunk and judged.

I've watched Sarah Pantry's useful videos on using this kind of kit and the brew day went smoothly, ending up overshooting by 10 points.

Will post recipe and photos from my phone.

Cheers

MArtin
 
Recipe:
3.8kg MO
0.8kg Vienna
0.230kg Cara Malt

Mash in 18lt water at 66C for 60 mins. Mash out at 75C. Sparge with 15Lt at 75C. Boil 60 mins.

60min 10g columbus, 10g simcoe
30 mins 10g columbus, 10g simcoe
15 mins 10g columbus, 10g simcoe
5 mins 17g coloumbus, 17g simcoe

Hops all came in nice big tea bags, so no need to use hop spider

Pitched Simonaitis at 32C. In brew fridge at 30C

(SImonaitis: This culture contains multiple strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Lactobacillus. Across a wide temperature range this culture will throw an intriguing mix of orange, tropical fruit and stone fruit esters that is reminiscent of POG Juice (passionfruit, orange, guava), and produces distinct spicy/earthy/herbal undertones.)

Should be kegging by Friday!

Cheers

MArtin
 
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