Since malt extract is expensive...

[Chlorate]

I'm thinking about going all the way with all grain this time.

The recipe I was thinking of:
4kg Maris Otter
1kg High colour crystal
A slack handful of chocolate malt (couple hundred grams max.)

Challenger hops for an hour
Bramling cross for 15, 5 and dry hopping
S04 yeast

What I have been doing previously with partial mash brews was to fill a little nylon straining bag with just over a kilo of grain and sit it in my 2 gallon pot.
I split the ingredients in two, mash and boil twice (takes ages but always turns out good) and pack the rest out with extract.
The home brew shop sells a "mashing/sparging bag" for a thorn boiler, which I'm reasonably confident will fill it up so I can do a proper mash, or two of them...

Wish me luck!

 

[pittsy]

hi , i think 1 kg of crystal may be too much but it depends on what you want , it will be darker than space .Maybe 200g of that and poss 100g of chocolate , do you know what alpha acids your hops are and also what your bittering target you would want ? you could do as you wanted just split into 2 as you say 66c is ideal mash temp , 60 mins rest , do amount that your pot can do then do another batch of water with same grains , then change grains repeat , you will want around 27l /to 30l (you will loose a few litres each boil ) of wort collected just boil what you can twice keeping remaining wort for fv vessl to make up amount needed better than adding just water :thumb:

% KG MALT OR FERMENTABLE YIELD EBC

93% 4.000 Maris Otter Malt (Thomas Fawcett) 80% 5

5% 0.200 Crystal 80L 71% 132

2% 0.100 Chocolate Malt (UK) 73% 744
4.3
Batch size: 23.0 liters edit
Original Gravity
1.043 / 10.7° Plato
(1.038 to 1.045)
Final Gravity
1.011 / 2.8° Plato
(1.009 to 1.011)
Color
28° EBC / 14° SRM
(Copper to Red/Lt. Brown)

Alcohol
4.3% ABV / 3% ABW

 

[RobWalker]

1kg of crystal sounds like a lot to me :s if you want it dark you might be better with a little black malt to darken and some lighter crystal, or less of the high colour.

 

[Chlorate]

Thanks for running that through the calculator for me there :)
The home brew shop says the challengers are 7.9% alpha bramling cross 7%.

In hindsight, 1kg of high colour crystal is a bit much. I recall now I used 500g in a partial mash a while ago and it turned out lovely and dark and malty. Shall save the rest for another batch methinks.


Alex

 

[pittsy]

Thanks for running that through the calculator for me there :)
The home brew shop says the challengers are 7.9% alpha bramling cross 7%.

In hindsight, 1kg of high colour crystal is a bit much. I recall now I used 500g in a partial mash a while ago and it turned out lovely and dark and malty. Shall save the rest for another batch methinks.


Alex

do you like it really hoppy or are you unsure as what ? if i have an idea of your IBU in recipe (how bitter) then i could work it out for you

 

[pittsy]

Bitterness
32.5 IBU / 10 HBU



hops
USE TIME GRAMS VARIETY FORM AA

boil 60 mins 35 Challenger leaf 7.9

boil 15 mins 15 Bramling Cross leaf 7.0

boil 5 mins 15 Bramling Cross leaf 7.0

dry hop 7 days 20 Bramling Cross leaf 7.0

Boil: 17.0 avg liters for 60 minutes edit

this is if you boiled 2 gallon twice then added remaining wort to make up 23l

 

[Chlorate]

Life, liberty and the pursuit of hoppyness is my motto!

Honestly not a clue regarding IBUs, I like bitter beers. But never had anything to compare to with a known value of bitterness.

In my previous partial mash brews, the whole bag (100g ) usually ended up going in the pot (split over two brews) and that always turned out well, and I generally found that using less ended up with very weak hop flavours. Although that's probably due to that particular method.

 

[pittsy]

more like this then

hops
USE TIME GRAMS VARIETY FORM AA

boil 60 mins 40 Challenger leaf 7.9

boil 15 mins 25 Bramling Cross leaf 7.0

boil 5 mins 25 Bramling Cross leaf 7.0

dry hop 7 days 20 Bramling Cross leaf 7.0

Boil: 17.0 avg liters for 60 minutes edit
Bitterness
40.6 IBU / 11 HBU
ƒ: Tinseth edit
BU:GU

 

[pittsy]

p.s try this link add malts etc and chance liquid amounts it will work out whats what
http://beercalculus.hopville.com/recipe :thumb:

 

[Chlorate]

That looks like a grand brew! Looks like I wasn't too far off then.

Many, many thanks. That link seems like it'll be handy too, I'll play around a bit.

Anyway, should be boiling up this batch sometime next week. Or whenever my order arrives.
I'll try and find this thread again in a few weeks with a taste test and perhaps some pictures.

Alex.

 

[graysalchemy]

Why not take the lead from forum members and use a recipe in the recipe section or buy yourself a copy of Graham Whellers Brew Your Own British Real ale. You will get a feel for quantities. Once you have got the hang of ingredients and what they do you will be able to tweak a brew to your taste.

 

[beffrey]

Maris Otter shines on its own. Any crystal and your beer will be too rich - especially if you are after a hoppy beer.

Similarly I'd up the bitterness to around 38 IBU. Obviously personal taste but it's easier to drink a bitter that has a bitter character than one that is cloyingly sweet.

Good luck!

 

[keith1664]

I'm going to agree with beffrey and then disagree with him.
Yes it's down to personal taste, but then I like a little sweetness to my beers. I've found I don't like 100% pale malt beers so will add at least a small amount of caramalt or a light crystal, 5% tends to be good for my palate, but you'll only find what suits you by brewing a few beers, drinking them, tweaking and then brewing some more... it's hell this hobby!