The Homebrew Thread

[TiggaPlease]

Sounds like a go'er. You put the ingredients up a few pages back, but were there any differences in the final recipe

I mashed at 66 for 90 mins, raised to 72 for a 15 min rest then 78 for mashout.

Pitched the rehydrated Nottingham at 15 and after 3 or 4 days I let it free rise to 18.

Cold crashed after 10 days then fined with gelatin for 24 hours.

I think I probably could have got away with a shorter ferment too, this recipe certainly has 7 day grain to brain potential!

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Whats your gelatine procedure. Both times I have used gelatine I had airlock activity for like 4 or 5 days. Could have also been due to the cold crash.

 

[TiggaPlease]

1. Cold crash to 0*c
2. Place teaspoon of gelatine in roughly 100ml of tap water
3. Microwave until about 65*c
4. Stir (liquid should be clear by now)
5. Pour in to the cold fermenter
6. Swirl gently
7. Keg after roughly 2 more days cold crash

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

do you get airlock activity?

 

[Frank_Grimes]

I've never used any kind of finings, but why would you expect airlock activity?

As an aside - I haven't used an airlock in years. I simply cover the fermenter mouth with glad wrap sprayed with Starsan and use the big o-ring to hold it on.

So much easier and you can see clearly what's going on with your beer.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

I've never used any kind of finings, but why would you expect airlock activity?

As an aside - I haven't used an airlock in years. I simply cover the fermenter mouth with glad wrap sprayed with Starsan and use the big o-ring to hold it on.

So much easier and you can see clearly what's going on with your beer.

Apparently it creates nucleation sites if its not dissolved properly which releases CO2. Have no idea what this means though.

On another note, had a first taste of my pacific ale clone. It's great, has only been conditioning for a week but it's pretty spot on, even though I added a bit of williamette, the Galaxy really stands out. It's only gonna get better too.

 

[TiggaPlease]

I've never used an airlock, I'm a gladwrapper too.

If you've heated the mixture to about 65 and it looks completely clear there shouldn't be any nucleation points.

Gelatin has is the only fining I've ever used and it does make the beer look amazing.

 

[Frank_Grimes]

I've never really been that concerned with getting that super clear commercial look to my beers, but I have to admit it is temptng after looking at some of the results online. So I added some gelatine to the Rye last night and will keg it today. Keen to see how it improves the deep dark brown/red of the Rye.

 

[TiggaPlease]

How did the Big Red Rye turn out?

 

[Frank_Grimes]

Pretty damn good. Not as bold or spicy as I thought it would be, but the burnt toffee flavour works really well with the centennial hops I used. This was actually the first time I've ever used gelatine in a beer and I'm hooked. The colour and clarity is amazing even for such a dark beer. Will put up a photo when I get a chance.

 

[Frank_Grimes]

So good in fact, that the keg bubbled out early last night. That has to be a record in my house - carbed up on Easter Saturday and kicked just over a week later.

 

[Frank_Grimes]

So in the interests of keeping my taps running, and with my newfound love of Rye I will be brewing up Dr Smurtos Golden Ale this weekend with 20% Rye instead of wheat and Cascade instead of Amarillo. Just for something different.

 

[TiggaPlease]

Great to hear. I'm trying to work out what to brew next.

I might try brew a few sub 5% beers as my kegs at the moment are 5.0%, 5.3%, 5.8% and 6.8% - a bit too easy to get pissed on them.

I'm thinking a stout and another pale ale. Also keen to revisit rye again at some stage soon.

RE Smurto's, for some reason I've never clicked with Amarillo hops, it might be another I should try again.

 

[Frank_Grimes]

You could try a rice lager. There's a good one from AndrewQLD on AHB that is roughly 3.5%.

 

[Frank_Grimes]

Or you could try a Rogers clone at 3.8%

2.4kg Pale (60.8%)
0.5kg Wheat (12.7%)
0.35kg Cara-Pils (8.9%)
0.3kg Crystal 240 EBC (7.6%)
0.3kg Vienna (7.6%)
0.1kg Chco Malt (2.5%)


East Kent Goldings early in the boil and Cascade late for flavour

 

[TiggaPlease]

Of course I sit down with beersmith this afternoon and design 3 recipes pushing 5% including Dr Smurtos golden ale. I'll give it one last chance before I discard the idea of Amarillo as a single hop for good.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

I find amarillo fairly weak. I have never used it as a single hop but it gets overpowered easy.

 

[TiggaPlease]

My favourite of the newer hops is Mosaic, Equinox was alright but didn't blow my mind.

 

[Chicken_Hunter]

Havent tried mosiac except for the current hop thief but its got 2 or 3 other hops in it too

 

[TiggaPlease]

How'd your saison turn out? Mine is pretty tasty but I wish I'd pushed the temp up higher and earlier.