using enzymes

http://brewery.org/brewery/library/enzymes595.html

Hopping Techniques, how to add hops

http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2008/11/11/best-hop-techniques-for-homebrewing/

http://www.beersmith.com/blog/2008/05/21/dry-hopping-enhanced-hops-aroma/

http://www.tedbrews.com/2009/05/knock-out-hops.html

ph

The mash pH should always be controlled and kept between 5.4 and 5.7 when measured at room temperature (5.05 – 5.35 when measured at mash temperature). http://www.braukaiser.com/wiki/index.php?title=Effects_of_mash_parameters_on_fermentability_and_efficiency_in_single_infusion_mashing

How to Reuse Yeast

1. pitch straight on it

2. Put 8 or more ounces in the fridge to use months later

3. wash then store to use later

http://forum.northernbrewer.com/viewtopic.php?t=7652

http://sdcollins.home.mindspring.com/YeastReuse.html

http://www.mikebeer.net/reuseyeast.htm

Brew Log 1.10.10 – BIAB Parti-Gyle multi-batch madness

Allen and I are experimenting with a modified parti-gyle with biab; not a real parti-gyle, but inspired by. The beers we are making are a belgian tripel and a belgian pale ale, starting with the tripel as first mash and the pale with the seconds.

We put the grains for the tripel in and mashed, pulled the bag and drained a bit, put the bag with grains in Allen’s picnic cooler mash tun, batch sparged 6 gallons for the pale, then sparged a few more gallons to get the tripel up to volume.

We started with 22.25 pounds of grain in a little over 7 gallons water at 150 degree mash (had a bit of trouble mashing at desired temp, ended up mashing a few degrees low). The grains were in a bag (BIAB) in a ten gallon kettle. Mashed for 60 minutes. We pulled the bag up and let it drain for a few minutes. This left approximately 4 gallons in the kettle at gravity of 1.099 for the tripel. Then we dropped the bag of grains in a picnic cooler with false bottom and spout to serve as lauter tun. We poured 6.5 gallons water at 170 F in the tun – this water included an additionl 1 pound crystal malt for the belgian ale that we introduced to the hot water a few minutes prior to adding to the tun. We stirred this and then drained. We collected 6 gallons wort at 1.049 gravity from this batch sparge. Then we sparged again with 2 gallons at 170F and collected 2 gallons at @ 1.030 and added that to the wort for the tripel. To complete the recipes, we put 2 pounds of sugar in the tripel and 1.5 pounds in the pale.

Looking back, we should have run the 2 gallons through to get the tripel up to volume first. This would have gotten a bit more sugar in the tripel and avoided getting the color from the crystal malt in the tripel. We didn’t need the sugar in the tripel, but doing so would be more true to the technique of first run for the tripel and second for the pale.

Brew day took just over 6 hours start to finish. It would have been around an hour shorter but… it was 22 degrees out and the propane in the tanks froze and we couldn’t get the worts to boil. We hadn’t seen that happen before and it took a while to figure out what the problem was and remedy it. This also meant the bittering hops in the tripel were in for almost 2 hours. The tripel did taste a bit more bitter than expected, but maybe it will mellow as it ferments.

Belgian Tripel recipe – 4 gallons from original mash plus 2 gallons from second sparge

20 lbs. Belgian Pils

1.5 lbs.Belgian Aromatic

.75 lbs.Cara-Pils Malt

2 lbs. Sugar Clear

2 oz. Tettnanger (Pellets) boiled 60 min.

1 oz. Saaz (Pellets) boiled 15 min.

1 oz. Saaz (Pellets) boiled 5 min.

Yeast : White Labs WLP530 Abbey Ale

OG: 1.097

checked gravity of the tripel on 1.19.10 – 1.026 taste is sweet and spicy, very cloudy, it seems to have a ways to go. I agitated the fermenter and closed it up.

1.23.10 – gravity at 1.016, still sweet and spicy and cloudy, a little alcohol heat and less sweet than a few days ago. that would put apparent extraction at over 80% and abv of 10.75%. serious stuff

2.2.10 – 1.014 – yeast coming on strong, bubblegum flavors, some spice, acid? or tart
bottled 2.7.10 @ 1.013 or 14, alcohol is a bit hot, maybe carbonation will help, ABV 11%, apparent attenuation 84.5%

Belgian Pale Ale recipe – 6 gallons from first sparge (seconds)

20 lbs. Belgian Pils
1.5 lbs.Belgian Aromatic
.75 lbs.Cara-Pils
1 lbs. Crystal Malt 40°L
1.5 lbs.Sugar Amber
1 oz. Cascade (Pellets) boiled 60 min.
1 oz. Saaz (Pellets) boiled 15 min.
1 oz. Saaz (Pellets) boiled 5 min.
Yeast : White Labs WLP530 Abbey Ale
OG: 1.062

ended up at 1.008 or less, abv 7.1%, aa 86.5%; nice smooth rounded in comparison to tripel,

how much grain fits in my vessel?

At a ratio of 1 qt water/lb malt, the grain is fully saturated and fills a volume of 42 U.S. fluid ounces. More than that, just add the additional water volume. Once the grain is saturated, more water per pound only adds its own volume.

small batch brewing

http://brewing.lustreking.com/articles/stovetopallgrain.html

Bottling Sugar Required

Use 2/3 cup white sugar for 5 gallons.

That’s just 10.66 tablespoons.

2 Tablespoons per gallon plus a smidge.

Brew Log 11.28.09 – Red Ale

Brewed an American Red Ale today. http://brewlogblog.wordpress.com/2009/11/29/american-amber-brewed/ John and his daughters Zoe and Tessa came over and hung out with me. We had fun ’til it got cold and dark and the girls got tired. I was still brewing and lost track of a few details. This was my third time with Brew in a Bag process. My process needs some refinement…

• I got a false bottom earlier in the day but it didn’t fit, need to return that and get something sized right.
• Almost 14 pounds of grain fit in my 10 gallon brew kettle with 8 gallons water, but it was pretty full. I could have added a couple of pounds before running out of room. If the grain bill is over 15 or 16 pounds I’ll start with 7 gallons water. As it was I was shy of 5 gallons after boil just a bit. With a big grain bill I’ll need to add a gallon before boil. A light bill would work with 7 gallon strike.
• I burned my bag where it was hanging over the lip of my brew kettle. Need to get kettle centered on burner. Need some kind of heat shield or burn proof bag. Need to get a new bag…
• The new 20 pound regulator got 8 gallons to 160 in less than 30 minutes.
• Mashed in at 160 with almost 14 pounds, temp dropped to 148, applied heat to 152 and mashed for 60 minutes.
• Forgot to raise temp for mash out. Did not drain grains long enough. I think these both contributed to low efficiency.
• Used a muslin bag for leaf hops. No problem. Pellet hops for flavor and aroma. total of 5 ounces hops, this made a bunch of suspended crap in wort.
• Tried to strain wort as drained into fermenter, but the strainer bag too too much time.
• Forgot to aerate.
• I’m wondering if my thermometer is correct.
• OG of 1.052, less than expected.

Update – 12.1.09 – Three days later, fermentation has slowed. Pulled a sample, cloudy red, less hop aroma then expected. Gravity at 1.011 ABV @ 5.3.

12.22.09 – a little more bitter than I wanted. I think I’ll do this recipe again, but add the hops later and maybe reduce the bitter hops. Using leaf hops makes it hard for me to tell how much the extra bitterness is due to the extra boil that lasts after I cut the flame or the extra bitter hops used to compensate for putting the leaf hops in a bag and just the differences of using leaf hops. Could be, longer boil after cut flame made aroma and flavor hops give  more bitter, extra leaf made more bitter, leaf was stronger than anticipated, or something else.

aroma hopping

http://www.tedbrews.com/2009/05/knock-out-hops.html