Brew UK Forum | General Brewing Discussions
Father-in-laws are great
It has to be said i have the best father-in-law going...
Last night he went to a meet the brewer event at the local pub - Woodfordes head brewer.
I got home from work and he asked me to pop in to the house. Now thinking uh oh what have i done? Called me over and asked whether these would be useful as i he knew i did homebrew!
Wow was all i could say...
In a box were 4 different grains and 3 different types of hops too. I was in heaven...
The grains were:-
290gms Chocolate
265gms Crystal
250gms Cara
345gms Pale
The hops were:
46gms Challenger
43gms Goldings
68gms Motueka from NZ... and boy does these babies smell lovely!!! I mean lovely too...
"Can you make a brew out of those he asks"? "Not sure says i but i know some people who might be able too."
So the challenge is on ladies and gents... lets come up with a recipe using some of or all of those ingredients to see if my father-in-law will like it?
Salivating at the chance....
Neil
Responses
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Hi Neil, you can definitely get a brew together from that stuff but you'll need some more pale malt
I would go:
Pale :94%
Crystal:2.5%
Cara:2.5%
Choc:1%
Challenger 90 mins
Goldings 15 mins
Motueka aroma
Amounts based on IBU around 25% TBC once you decide on brew length.
Not sure how that combi will come out as not tried Motueka in anything but 100% pale malt recipe but they are a lovely hop, very similar to cascade.
I reckon this would turn out nice though. If you father-in-law favours the darker, sweeter beers then you could up the Crystal and choc % a little.
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
I second greg for that recipe, mouteka are good Ive used them in a few brews, quite high aa (7.2%) but have a really citrusy, pinappley smell. Deffo the challenger for bitterness, dunno if the goldings would get lost with a fair whack of mouteka tho.
Your a lucky man, and you never know get it right and bottle one up to the head brewer for a thankyou and who knows what will happen!
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Thanks Greg/Nath,
Will need to install Beersmith on my new laptop and run my ingredients through and see what i comes up with. I am looking at 15/20ltr batch... probably boil length 60minutes?
Will work out the weights of my ingredients as well.. unless of course Greg i am being totally thick and you've given me those?
I can't wait to do a brew now... i am not too keen on my first AG brew so might bin that and start again. Or bottle it like someone has advised.
Nath i am indeed a lucky man...
When you say for aroma with Mouteka is that dry hopping? Or putting into the wort after the boil?
Neil
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Oh i will probably order some more pale malt as well...
Neil
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
You could do a bit of both with the mouteka. When the boil had finished you could chuck the whole lot in and steep for 30mins, some people wait for the wort to cool to 80c before adding it but I just do it at "flame out". Or you could chuck 50g in at the end of the boil and dry hop the 18g for 3 or so days.
The fact that you have only 15l means that which ever way you so it, it will have some great aroma.
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I've never heard of Mouteka before but they smell lovely........
I can push it to 20ltrs my boiler i think is 21?
Hmmmmm i am liking the sound of that idea though Nath... wouldn't 50gms be a bit over powering? I know it's all trial and error in this game.
Right back to beersmith and trying to phathom it out?
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
To be honest getting 20 l from 21 l is a bit impossible! Im struggling to get 23 from my 29l(ish) boiler. You can always add water at the end to make it up to 20 ltr but to be honest whats a few pints eh?
50g, hmmmmmm, could be overpowering, could not be. The trouble is when you open a beer an instantly smell those hops its like heaven, so in my mind the more aroma hops the better. It wont add bitterness to the beer just aroma. If your worried split them:- 30g @10mins 30g @ flameout and dryhop 8g. Or just half it at flameout.
What ever you do dont worry! I remember asking all the hop time questions but just stick to a certian bitternes and add what you want for the later additions. Turst us, you wont go wrong. You may just need to tweak for future brews!
If in doubt slap your beersmith recipe up here and we can have a look, but I reckon you will be fine.
Ta
Nath
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Right here goes...
With the original ingredients my beer came out like nats piss 1.05% Abv.. not strong enough to get my cat drunk. (Not that i do that). So i tweaked it a little on Beersmith.
Type AG
Batch size 4.16 imp gal
Boil size 5.01 imp gal
Boil Time 90mins
2.5kg Pale Malt 72.46%
0.75kg Crystal Malt 21.74%
0.20kg Chocolate Malt 5.80%
43gms Goldings (90 minutes)32.0 IBU
35gms Challenger (30 minutes) 28.0 IBU
not sure on the Mouteka as i couldn't find them on Beersmith
1tsp Irish Moss (10 minutes)
S-04 Yeast
Est OG 1.042
Est FG 1.011
Est ABV 4.05%
Single infusion, medium body, batch sparge
sparge water 5.77 imp gal
sparge temp 67c
60 minutes
Now this was me messing about not really knowing whether i was going down the correct route or not. Still getting the hang of this AG lark.
Neil
Let me know what you think... happy for you to rearrange things etc...
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
In beersmith options - (Tools - Options - Units) set it to uk (unless you are a usa-ite!)
In regards to the hops, you need to fiind out what alpha acid they are to work out bitterness. In regards to the Mouteka - dont worry too much about aa as you will be using them as an aroma addition so it wont make much difference.
Because you have it in gallons means its way over the 20 ltr top mark.
Crystal malt is 20% of the total grain bill. This may be a little over depending on what type of beer you are trying to make.
What type of beer do you like?
EDIT - Make sure that when you double click on the hops they are in leaf form for leaf, pellet for pellet and so on, or you will get a wrong IBU figure. Looking at the recipe it looks like a stout colour wise and its 81 ibu's. thats pretty harsh depending on what you want.
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
I agree with Nath. That will be a very dark beer Neil and also quite bitter for the ABV. Personally I don't think it will be very nice.
I would reduce the amount of crystal to around 5% max total and the choc to around 2%. I would also reduce the hops to give you 30 (ish) IBU, possible lower. You can add Motueka to Beersmith, just go into hops, select add new then put in the details. It will be around 7% alpha, not sure about beta.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi BM .. missed this thread somehow.
Yes ... looks like nath and greg have hit the nail on the head there. If it were me (I'm at work so don't have access to beersmith I'm afraid), I'd up the pale malt to 3kg, the crystal right down to .25, the chocolate down to .1 (or .15 if you want it dark). Drop the Goldings down to 35 over 90 min, add 25g challenger at 15 min and 20g of the mouteka at 80C. I'd also try dropping the mash temp down to 66 or 65 and keep it a little on the thicker/sweeter side - especially if you go for .15 of the chocolate.
If you have the opportunity, stick that in beersmith and see what comes up.
Damn ... I want to brew it now, heard so many good things about mouteka. Have fun BM. :o)
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Thanks Nath/Greg,
It's all trial and error... i will have a play around with beersmith later me thinks when i have a bit more time on my hands. I have a very impatient 7 year old waiting to go to school lol... Not sure where he gets that from certainly not his father that's for sure.
Not sure how i am going to find the alpha? I take it this will be on the handy little gadget too?
Yes... i'm coming! Must dash kids!...
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
The alpha is normally printed on the bag the hops come in and expressed as a percentage - eg- 5.5%aa but seeing as you got these from a brewer im guessing they have none on there. You could just wing it as beersmith brings up default values so shouldnt be far out or you could ring the brewer up!
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Nath,
You're right the alpha rating is not on the packets of hops.
Right following guidance from you guys i've had another go at the beersmith recipe so here goes.. Let me know your thoughts again. Can always tweak it.
Beermonkey's Brew.
Batch Size - 18ltr
Boil Size - 12ltr
Boil Time - 90mins
Ingredients:-
3 Kg Pale Malt Marris Otter (5.9% EBC) 89.5%
0.25 Kg Caramel/Crystal Malt (19.7 EBC)7.46 %
0.10 Kg Chocolate Malt (886.5 EBC) Grain 2.99 %
35.00 gm Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (90 min) Hops 20.6 IBU
25.00 gm Challenger [7.50 %] (15 min) Hops 10.3 IBU
20.00 gm Mouteka [5.00 %] (0 min) Hops
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs SafAle English Ale (DCL Yeast #S-04) Yeast-Ale
Beer Profile
Est Original Gravity: 1.042 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.011 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.00 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 30.9
Mash Profile
Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge Total Grain Weight: 3.35 kg
Sparge Water: 8.52 L Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C
Single Infusion, Light Body, Batch Sparge Step Time Name Description Step Temp
75 min Mash In Add 8.74 L of water at 71.9 C 65.6 C
Does this sound better than the last?
Neil
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
That looks good to me!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Greg,
Can i ask you a question regarding the mashing etc?
With regards to the sparge... does that mean use 8.75ltr of water at 75c to get all of the lovely sugary goodness from the grains? The mash in does that mean use 8.75ltr of water at 65c or 71c as i notice there are two temperatures there. It could be a typo though...
Oh one more thing what is a light body, batch sparge? I know when i did my first AG i just heated water to the required temperature then poured gently over the grains until the wort ran clear.
I am new to this AG lark so any advice would be much appreciated..
Neil
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Beersmith is pretty confusing when it comes to mash/sparge stuff. It depends on your equipment really. Personally I usually heat the water to 8c more then the mash temp which then cools to hit correct mash temp once mixed with grains.
As far as sparging goes, I fly sparge with water at 75c until I fill the boiler which means I hit my targets. You'll need to work it out dependant on your equipment. I usually find I need to sparge with about 22 litres of water for a 23 litre brew length.
The light body bit refers to lower mash temps which will give you more fermentable sugars (less mouthfeel) and more alcohol. I would go for mash temp of 66 or 65c as Tony suggested which should give you a nice balance.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
My equipment is improving...
I have a 20ltr boiler and a proper mash tun now... which i think is around 30ltr? It's your standard picnic cool box by Thermos etc.No sparging arm at the moment just a jug.
Beersmith is certainly confusing that's for sure. I will give this recipe a go in the future as i have the Amarillo Extract to make next....
Thanks very much for you invaluable advice though Greg it really is appreciated.
Neil
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Nice one BM, that looks great!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Now thats a recipe! What colour does the beer come out at then?
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Everyone,
I am now getting to the stage where this beer is getting ready to be made. However, rather than use S04 i was wondering whether anyone could recommend a good yeast to use instead? Would this then have a knock on effect to the other ingredients?
Many Thanks
Neil
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Hi Neil, wyeast 1968 is a nice english ale yeast. Don't need to adjust anything else!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
So4 would be fine, if ya want something different try a wyeast smack pack esb, london ale or ringwood me thinks
Plannin'-
Loads a beer after an upgrade!
nathbrew@gmail.com
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
S04 is reliable, ferments/clears quickly but its selected for those reasons rather than great taste. I'm not knocking it as I used it for years without any issues.
If you want more hop taste then try Nottingham although it can ferment to very low final gravity.
Then theres liquid yeasts. More expensive but personally I definately think they are worth the cost. You can resuse them too which makes them better value. Depends what you are looking for taste wise. My favourite is 1318 London Ale III and 1968 ESB is also a good one.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Cheers for the advice everyone.
To be honest Greg i am not sure what flavours/tastes i am looking for. I was just looking to perhaps experiement, like you i am no knocking S04 it's been reliable for all of my brews so far.
If i could make a decision then something fruity raisin/peach flavours. But because i am so used to S04 i wouldn't really know what makes a great tasting ale with yeast.
I am happy to go with the flow.
I know i keep banging on about it but boy is the Amarillo pack good...
Neil
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
If you fancy liquid yeast then I would give the 1968 Fuller ESB a go. Good yeast, clears well and lots of flavour.
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Greg,
With liquid yeast such as the ESB would you use the whole lot? I read up on it from the website and it certainly sounds like one i'd choose.
I will be placing an order soon for 3Kg of Maris Otter grains and the ESB Yeast shortly... Mmmmm i can taste the beer already.
Neil
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Yes the whole pack. If you want to use again then just save the sludge from primary fermentation and keep in the fridge. It will be good for a couple of weeks.
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
A couple of weeks?, I was hoping it would be good for a month.
Fermenting: Marynka pseudo-lager
Maturing/Conditioning:
Drinking: Wheat beer, ESB, Vienna lager & shop bought stuff
Posted 1 year ago by Member
It will, but you'll have to put some work into it.
http://www.brewersfriend.com/2010/01/30/yeast-washing-101/
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