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How's it doing now? (The FV that is, not the hydrometer sample 😉) I once had a lager take about 72hrs before or got going so probably just give it time.

If you're fermenting fairly cool, or at the the lower end of this strain's range then you'd expect it might be a little slow off the line. Even more so if you chilled down before pitching 👍

Had a look this morning, a thin film of Krausen forming, phew! I'd forgotten how long it takes!
 
I also brewed another version of Tropical England. This time I thought i'd try a hazy version.

5.8kg Pale
300g Caragold
400g Oats

OG 1062 so a bit down on last time but thats ok.

15g Admiral @60
15g Tropical @15
15g Tropical @10
25g Tropical @5
25g Tropical @ flameout

No protofloc and pitched CML Hazy at 18c.

I'll dry hop the remaining 130 odd grams of Tropical thursday probably when krausen is highest.
 
Kiwi Pilsner today, a variation of my first and probably best one.

4kg Pilsner
1kg Vienna
150g Carapils

Mashed in at 65 for an hour at 62.

Hops... I couldn't find my pack of magnum so I used challenger for bittering....

So
35g Challenger @45
30g Riwaka @10
30g Riwaka @5
40g Riwaka hopsteep for 20 mins at 75c.

Yeast, will be 2x packs of CML Hell but it's still cooling in the fridge, so not pitched just yet.

Forgot to mention, OG of 1042, I liquored back as I wanted a slightly weaker lager, that's why I went a bit high on the IBU as I knew i'd water it down a bit.


Bottled! A beautiful pineapple flavour, pretty clear honey coloured, very happy so far. FG 1008, making it 4.4%
 
Day off today so I finally decided to brew my first Porter (unless you count Baltic Porter, which i'm not), I found the recipe on the Malt Miller website. Called Rob's Chinook robust porter it has in it...

5kg Pale
600g Wheat
400g Chocolate
400g Special B
400g Carapils

Mashed at 66c for around 2 hours.

Boiled for an hour it had

34g Chinook @60
50g Chinook @5
50g Chinook @flameout

and will have 66g (or thereabouts) Chinook at 3 days dry hop.

I used CML Clipper for yeast.

I thought i'd struggle with efficiency with this one being such a large malt bill, but not a bit of it, I got 1068 for 19l so threw in another litre of water to make it roughly 1065. EBC 64. All being well I should get a beer thats around 6.8% and perfect for chrimbo.
 
Day off today so I finally decided to brew my first Porter
I'm sure you once told me one of the reasons you got into this was to make Porters & Stouts - sometimes you just need to take a bit of a run up I guess 😂

Did you do any water treatment? Just thinking about how your mega soft water will behave one you start chucking dark malts in 🤔

:beer1:👍🍻
 
I'm sure you once told me one of the reasons you got into this was to make Porters & Stouts - sometimes you just need to take a bit of a run up I guess 😂

Did you do any water treatment? Just thinking about how your mega soft water will behave one you start chucking dark malts in 🤔

:beer1:👍🍻

It was!

Are you thinking PH? It did cross my mind but to be honest I have played with water treatment and I have had success and failure either way so I decided not to bother this time.
 
It was!

Are you thinking PH? It did cross my mind but to be honest I have played with water treatment and I have had success and failure either way so I decided not to bother this time.
I'd try to do the basics for a beer this dark. Even just the baking soda to prevent the pH going too low? Before I started "properly" treating my water, I made a stout with no additions and I felt that acidity carried through. The next time I used baking soda to buffer the pH a bit it was much smoother.

I bet even a rough guestimation would be worth it... It would need someone cleverer than me tho.


In fact, just chuck 2g in the mash 😃
 
It was!

Are you thinking PH? It did cross my mind but to be honest I have played with water treatment and I have had success and failure either way so I decided not to bother this time.
Yeah, pH is one factor - when I make a dark beer even with my mega hard water I barely have to add much acid, a fraction of what I'd add in pale beers. I'd expect your mash pH is lower than ideal but evidently it works and beer still comes out the other end.

I suppose you could also consider playing with adding calcium, sulphate and chloride - I think this is one reason dark beers seem to work for me, the minerals are mostly all already there in the water.

But then again the conventional wisdom says I shouldn't be making pale lagers with my water, yet they seem to work. So who's to say your water won't make tasty dark beers! 👍🍻 :beer1:
 
I'd try to do the basics for a beer this dark. Even just the baking soda to prevent the pH going too low? Before I started "properly" treating my water, I made a stout with no additions and I felt that acidity carried through. The next time I used baking soda to buffer the pH a bit it was much smoother.

I bet even a rough guestimation would be worth it... It would need someone cleverer than me tho.


In fact, just chuck 2g in the mash 😃

I have at times played with treatment, a couple of teaspoons of gypsum here and there. I think I went overboard once and there was a slightly salty taste. Too late now anyway, if it works out well, I might do it again with a couple of teaspoons of baking soda as you say.
 
I love chinook in a dark beer, my pales haven't gone so well, I'm thinking my flavour combinations haven't worked.
If you ever come across it, Siren (just down the road from me) "Antidawn" India Export Porter - it's very piney/resiney.

The can didn't mention any specific hops but could well be Chinook given the flavour profile.
 
I also brewed another version of Tropical England. This time I thought i'd try a hazy version.

5.8kg Pale
300g Caragold
400g Oats

OG 1062 so a bit down on last time but thats ok.

15g Admiral @60
15g Tropical @15
15g Tropical @10
25g Tropical @5
25g Tropical @ flameout

No protofloc and pitched CML Hazy at 18c.

I'll dry hop the remaining 130 odd grams of Tropical thursday probably when krausen is highest.
What do you make of CML's Tropical England mix? Any good? Looks like you've used it a couple of times though not sure if this latest one has finished yet.
 
What do you make of CML's Tropical England mix? Any good? Looks like you've used it a couple of times though not sure if this latest one has finished yet.

I love it matt, its really good, I haven't tried my latest batch but I've only change the yeast so it should it should still be similiar. The only thing I might add next time is some Olicana at late boil and whirlpool to get that peppery (spicy) taste.
 
I love it matt, its really good, I haven't tried my latest batch but I've only change the yeast so it should it should still be similiar. The only thing I might add next time is some Olicana at late boil and whirlpool to get that peppery (spicy) taste.
Cool, thanks dude 👍 I'm thinking of doing another batch of this hazy pale ale, but using Tropical England this time (and as it happens, I've got another batch of the American Amber in that review in the FV ATM)
 

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