Return to the Darside. AG#1 (kindoff)

[dhendy91]

Good Afternoon everyone so tomorrow I am planning to brew all grain again for the first time in 5 years. Back in 2015 I did attempt AG twice but both brews developed a horrible plasticy medicinal taste in the FV that never faded and had to be dumped

So now I am back older, grumpier and hopefully wiser. I have upgraded from my old BIAB buffalo boiler system to a new Brew Devil from Angel Homebrew.

Just so I can settle an old score so to speak i am re-attempting my first ever Brew which is a fullers discovery clone from Graham Wheelers book. Below is my proposed recipe which I have input into Brewers Friend, would people just mind looking over it for me? In particular my water treatments and Mash/Sparge volumes, I have never done any water treatment before outside of Campden tablets but think I have the jist of it based on reading the how to posts here and using the calculator. Turns out I have quite wierd tap water.

Thanks all! I am just praying this goes well as not sure i can take much more heartbreak where AG brewing is concerned

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Fullers Discovery
Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Standard/Ordinary Bitter
Boil Time: 90 min
Batch Size: 23 liters (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 29 liters
Boil Gravity: 1.029
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)
Hop Utilization Multiplier: 0.99

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.037
Final Gravity: 1.009
ABV (standard): 3.75%
IBU (tinseth): 25.09
SRM (morey): 6.44
Mash pH: 5.47

FERMENTABLES:
3130 g - Maris Otter Pale (80.7%)
580 g - Wheat Malt (14.9%)
170 g - Crystal 60L (4.4%)

HOPS:
41 g - German Hallertau, Type: Pellet, AA: 4.1, Use: Boil for 90 min, IBU: 23.63
14 g - Czech Saaz, Type: Pellet, AA: 2.2, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 1.47
8 g - Czech Saaz, Type: Pellet, AA: 2.2, Use: Aroma for 0 min
20 g - Goldings, Type: Pellet, AA: 4.5, Use: Dry Hop for 0 days

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 66 C, Time: 90 min, Amount: 18 L
2) Batch Sparge, Temp: 75 C, Time: 10 min, Amount: 14 L
Starting Mash Thickness: 3 L/kg

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
3 g - Irish Moss, Time: 10 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil
5.19 g - Epsom Salt, Time: 60 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Sparge
0.7 g - Gypsum, Time: 60 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Mash
0.54 g - Gypsum, Time: 60 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Sparge
45 ml - CRS/AMS (6.3% HCl, 8.6% H2SO4), Time: 60 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Mash

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - English Ale Yeast S-04
Starter: Yes
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 75%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 12.22 - 25 C
Fermentation Temp: 19 C
Pitch Rate: 0.35 (M cells / ml / deg P)

PRIMING:
Method: co2
Amount: 1.03 bar
CO2 Level: 2.44 Volumes

TARGET WATER PROFILE:
Profile Name: Balanced Profile
Ca2: 80
Mg2: 5
Na: 25
Cl: 75
SO4: 80
HCO3: 100
Water Notes:
This recipe has been published online at:
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/940252/fullers-discovery

Just for reference this is my base water profile :

Ca2 : 121
Mg:4
Na:26
Cl:48
So:48
CaCO3:282
pH:7.52

 

[Dutto]

WOW! You definitely don't live in my area!

Hard Water (i.e. with a decent amount of Calcium and Magnesium) is apparently "good" for brewing so I can't understand why you are interfering with your water to make it softer.

Here in Anglian Water I have 353 mg/l of Calcium Carbonate and 9 mg/l of Magnesium. I think this is a bit too hard so I tend to mix my tap water 50:50 with bottled water to reduce it.

In Chiswick London (the location of Fullers Brewery), the water 270 mg/l of Calcium Carbonate so unless they do something drastic with the water (or brew the Discovery somewhere else) then again I can see no reason for tampering with the water.

Hope this helps.

Reference: https://www.thameswater.co.uk/help-.../check-the-water-quality-in-your-area/success

 

[The Baron]

Like Dutto says unless you are expert in water treatment which I am not I would just brew with normal tap water with 1/2 a campden tablet and see how it goes as you are getting back in the saddle, however if you are a water expert I will just shut up

 

[foxy]

Good Afternoon everyone so tomorrow I am planning to brew all grain again for the first time in 5 years. Back in 2015 I did attempt AG twice but both brews developed a horrible plasticy medicinal taste in the FV that never faded and had to be dumped

So now I am back older, grumpier and hopefully wiser. I have upgraded from my old BIAB buffalo boiler system to a new Brew Devil from Angel Homebrew.

Just so I can settle an old score so to speak i am re-attempting my first ever Brew which is a fullers discovery clone from Graham Wheelers book. Below is my proposed recipe which I have input into Brewers Friend, would people just mind looking over it for me? In particular my water treatments and Mash/Sparge volumes, I have never done any water treatment before outside of Campden tablets but think I have the jist of it based on reading the how to posts here and using the calculator. Turns out I have quite wierd tap water.

Thanks all! I am just praying this goes well as not sure i can take much more heartbreak where AG brewing is concerned

HOME BREW RECIPE:
Title: Fullers Discovery
Brew Method: All Grain
Style Name: Standard/Ordinary Bitter
Boil Time: 90 min
Batch Size: 23 liters (fermentor volume)
Boil Size: 29 liters
Boil Gravity: 1.029
Efficiency: 70% (brew house)
Hop Utilization Multiplier: 0.99

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.037
Final Gravity: 1.009
ABV (standard): 3.75%
IBU (tinseth): 25.09
SRM (morey): 6.44
Mash pH: 5.47

FERMENTABLES:
3130 g - Maris Otter Pale (80.7%)
580 g - Wheat Malt (14.9%)
170 g - Crystal 60L (4.4%)

HOPS:
41 g - German Hallertau, Type: Pellet, AA: 4.1, Use: Boil for 90 min, IBU: 23.63
14 g - Czech Saaz, Type: Pellet, AA: 2.2, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 1.47
8 g - Czech Saaz, Type: Pellet, AA: 2.2, Use: Aroma for 0 min
20 g - Goldings, Type: Pellet, AA: 4.5, Use: Dry Hop for 0 days

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 66 C, Time: 90 min, Amount: 18 L
2) Batch Sparge, Temp: 75 C, Time: 10 min, Amount: 14 L
Starting Mash Thickness: 3 L/kg

OTHER INGREDIENTS:
3 g - Irish Moss, Time: 10 min, Type: Fining, Use: Boil
5.19 g - Epsom Salt, Time: 60 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Sparge
0.7 g - Gypsum, Time: 60 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Mash
0.54 g - Gypsum, Time: 60 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Sparge
45 ml - CRS/AMS (6.3% HCl, 8.6% H2SO4), Time: 60 min, Type: Water Agt, Use: Mash

YEAST:
Fermentis / Safale - English Ale Yeast S-04
Starter: Yes
Form: Dry
Attenuation (avg): 75%
Flocculation: High
Optimum Temp: 12.22 - 25 C
Fermentation Temp: 19 C
Pitch Rate: 0.35 (M cells / ml / deg P)

PRIMING:
Method: co2
Amount: 1.03 bar
CO2 Level: 2.44 Volumes

TARGET WATER PROFILE:
Profile Name: Balanced Profile
Ca2: 80
Mg2: 5
Na: 25
Cl: 75
SO4: 80
HCO3: 100
Water Notes:
This recipe has been published online at:
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/940252/fullers-discovery

Just for reference this is my base water profile :

Ca2 : 121
Mg:4
Na:26
Cl:48
So:48
CaCO3:282
pH:7.52

Looking at your water report, looks like you haven't entered one, you need your water report to know what salts you need. Where it says source water select your local water, then the calculator will help you with the salt and possible acid additions. Keep scrolling down to the bottom of the page until near the bottom it will give you the mash pH and whether you have hit balanced.
Leave out the Epsom salts I will doubt you will need that.
Mash pH *: n/a

Mash thickness: n/a qt/lb
pH Delta from Water: n/a
effective water residual alkalinity: n/a ppm as CaCO3
effective strength of weak acids: n/a ppm as CaCO3
* mash prediction is for mash sample cooled to 25 C / 77 F
Overall Water Report:
Ca+2 Mg+2 Na+ Cl- SO4-2 Alkalinity Residual
Alkalinity
mg/l mg/l mg/l mg/l mg/l ppm
as CaCO3 ppm
as CaCO3
0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 2.6 2.6

low

normal

normal

normal

low Range Check
SO42-/Cl- ratio: ClSO42 concentration too low for meaningful ratio
Total lactic acid as equivalent acidulated malt in grist: n/a %
As you can see there is no source water in the calculations.

 

[dhendy91]

Hi guys, thanks so much for all the advice. Not sure why you can’t see my original water profile on brewers friend but I definitely entered it. I am by no means a water expert, I got those salt amounts from the water calculator on this website.

I am based in Bracknell so that’s a good point about my water being somewhat similar to fullers. I suppose I am doing the water as it feel it may have contributed on my failures last time, but I also understand what you are all saying about keeping it simple. I will have a think over night and make a decision in he morning.

 

[foxy]

Hi guys, thanks so much for all the advice. Not sure why you can’t see my original water profile on brewers friend but I definitely entered it. I am by no means a water expert, I got those salt amounts from the water calculator on this website.

I am based in Bracknell so that’s a good point about my water being somewhat similar to fullers. I suppose I am doing the water as it feel it may have contributed on my failures last time, but I also understand what you are all saying about keeping it simple. I will have a think over night and make a decision in he morning.

If you are Southeastern Water I make your additions to be 3 g gypsum 7 g chloride and 5 ml acid CRS/AMS mash pH 5.54. and a balanced profile. If you aren't on that water ignore

 

[dhendy91]

Ok I think I need to explore this a little further. But the main message I seem to be getting is that my base water should be more than fine. So I am going to go ahead with my tap water and forget the additions for today. I will probably still take a reading of the mash pH though just to see.

 

[dhendy91]

So everything is going well so far! All doughed in and about halfway through the mash! Mash pHis about 6.1 so definatley a bit high. So will do some water treatment next time to fix that

 

[dhendy91]

So I finished with 21 litres in the FV at an OG of 1.040 for 69% efficiency which I'm happy with! Brew day went pretty smooth overall, defiantly need to fine tune my process but it is just cooling down now in the fermentation fridge as I transferred out of the Brew Devil a little early. Once the temp lowers a bit I will pitch 1 packet of S-04 and leave it untill I dry hop. Thanks again for all the help

 

[dhendy91]

So finally got time to calibrate my iSpindel last night and put it into this brew. Love it, especially with the brewers friend integration, and wow S-04 acts fast! No sign of fermentation until 3pm Sunday and as I speak its down to 1.011 already. I can’t stop looking at the graph.

https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/940252/fullers-discovery

 

[dhendy91]

So this finished out at 1.011 and, I then cold crashed and added Kwik clear to the FV for 2 days before Kegging. It has been in the Keg since Friday and although it tastes great it is annoying cloudy even though it was crystal clear going into the Keg. Don't think it is chill haze as I cold crashed at colder than I serve so wondering if it disturbed a little Trub/yeast as I siphoned it? Hopefully if it is that it will clear up given some time!

So after 2 failed attempts some years ago I have finally succeeded with an AG brew and man does it feel good! Once it clears up a bit I will add some photos of it Did another AG brew on Saturday but will start my own Brewday thread and update that there as I see lots more brew days in the future.

Thanks for all the help everyone.