Recipe Advice Thread

[denimglen]

Thought it might be handy to have a thread for some of the more advanced brewers to give some advice on recipes.

Let's see how it goes eh...

[jt]

I do batch sparge - I was just wanting a bit more volume

[Ralph]

ah of course. I forget that 17.5L is small volume!! I find it convenient as I can fit 2 x 20L cubes in my temperature controlled fridge and have a couple of brews fermenting at once. When I get to the stage that I have recipes where I am not experimenting quite so much then I am likely to brew in bigger batches, but i like the smaller batches for experimenting with!!

[jt]

Ok, boiling now tee-bix, after the addition of some weetbix after Nate's suggestion.
Missed the strike temperature and mashed at 67 but my boil gravity is way up, could be the 4 weetbix or just shabby calculations

[jt]

I'm just the opposite, finishing up may base malt. Specialities all but gone. Order placed to freshen up supplies and a bag of Golden Promise arriving next week. First change in base malt since a wee tinker with the global koelsch a couple of years ago, think it could be good and I'm looking forward to it

[jt]

Hydrometer sample tonight.
I unexpectedly got 1040 here instead of 1034 or sp and I didn't adjust the hops to keep the intended balance.
I dry hopped last hight and a hydro sample tonight. It's a really nice malt combination Stu, very much what i'd expect from you.
Wit the higher OG it's maltier than ive been brewing lately but it's good to have a change in focus.
The Goldings for the dry hop is different to the more aromatic hops I've dry chopped with lately, but again, nice to have change and something earthier rather than fruity/spicy.

Anyway, down to 1015 and tasting good, not fussed if it doesn't go much further

[Ralph]

Nice. Hopefully I will get time this weekend to put the brew down myself.

[jt]

Didn't go any further, still 1015 tonight, nice & clear and on it's way into a keg

I was wondering about my unexpected jump in gravity and was contemplating the 4 weetbix - 70gm - which wouldn't add much to gravity but the other ingredients may have contributed to better mash conditions. Any comment from regular weetbix brewers ?

Tasting sweet Malty but the hops are flavoursome. I thought the goldings dry hop mightve dominated it, but the sauvins still there nicely inthe bqckground, melds with the cascade.
Missing the upfront bitterness I may have had at 1034, but overall, given it's new found balance, I'm happy with it.

The only shame of it is that it's not a full kegfull.

[jt]

I thought I read 7gm sugar per 100 gm of bix, maybe I was wrong.
Anyway, just got my 18 liters and a sudsy half. I think I'm going to enjoy this beer.
Having thoughts of subbing in motueka for the Goldings, though sometimes these things are best left alone ?

[Ralph]

I thought I had styrian when I went to brew this, and then found out it was fuggles... and so subbed the fugs for the styrians. My OG was lower than I was aiming for too and so I topped up a little with dry extract. I dare say I will need to do a rebrew and get it right sometime soon!!

 

Every time I have done a brew with the Marris Otter malt I have been way under what I was aiming for with gravity. I thought I had compensated this time but it was even lower than what I expect. I am finding it a lot easier to use the Gladfields pale!!

[Ralph]

I would happily do a comparison brew Nate, especially if I can grab some of the London Ale II wash you have.

[Ralph]

Hey Nate, I am more keen to go with a slightly modified version of what Stu has posted below this which is the actual recipe. I can chuck you through the BS file again if you like?

 

I dont have pale choc or black malt, and will need some more munich II and Nelson Sauvin hops... so I need to organise some ingredients too.

[Stu McKinlay]

You could try something like this...

 

Anticipated OG:    1.038
Anticipated SRM:    33.3
Anticipated IBU:      30.0
Wort Boil Time:          60

Grain/Extract/Sugar  
%    Name
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
46.5 Golden Promise
34.9 Munich II
11.6 Crystal 90
 4.6 Pale Chocolate Malt
 2.4 Black Patent Malt

Hops  
Amount    Name        Boil Time
----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
x.x g/l Nelson Sauvin        60 min. (enough to hit desired IBU)
1.8 g/l Nelson Sauvin         0 min.
1.8 g/l NZ Styrian Goldings   0 min.
1.8 g/l NZ Cascade            0 min.
0.8 g/l NZ Styrian Goldings  Dry hop (for 3 days from end of krausen)

Yeast
-----
Wyeast 1968, pitch at 18c and let rise to 20c

Mash Schedule
-------------
Mash Type: Single Step @ 69c

 

 

Although in my homebrewery I could add more hops without bumping up the OG, which I can't do commercially because we get IBU's at 0min additions. Home brewery begins chilling immediately while commercially the wort sits just under 100c for 10-15min.  If I was to do that beer again I'd probably add 50% more crystal... maybe more... and cut back on the pale malt.  I'd like just a little more hop and body. Maybe up the colour a bit too... it can look almost amber in narrow glasses.

 

The european ale yeast would work splendidly too... probably better than 1968 if you want it really hoppy.