Thread Jacking

[JoKing]

Sorry for jacking everyones threads and going off topic.

Feel free to jack this thread - or use this thread if there is someone pissing you off because they just jacked your thread.

[Nolen Smith]

Thanks - unfortunately this batch isn't as good as the first one. No, I haven't posted the recipe yet. I'll grab it off BrewSmith this evening and put it up. It's good, not quite what I'm after yet, but getting there. I'm trying to make something similar to Sierra Nevada PA, but with just a wee bit more maltiness. And I want it to be fully ready to drink (flavour, appearance, etc) 21 days from brew day.

[JoKing]

I wish I could help out with a recipe similar to SNPA, but none of my Pale Ales have the same balance of flavour. The first one I brewed did (from memory) but in the end each brew just gets progresively more and more hoppy. Now, I'm getting less satisfied with the bitter / sweet balance - and you may as well call my Pale Ales low alcohol IPAs.

[Nolen Smith]

That's exactly how this second batch turned out - more like a low alcohol IPA. The first one I used 3kgs of light malt syrup as the base and just tea-bagged the specialty grains. It came out a bit too malty, with a nice hop balance though not really enough bitterness for the style and about 6.3%!

The second batch was a mini-mash. I adjusted for the difference (well, thought i did) but the gravities didn't come out anywhere near the same. It was no where near as malty (too much the other way) and the bitterness and even the hop flavour are way different (and the hops are from the same bag). Anywho - I'll try again. If I can get it somewhere in between, I'll be happy.

[JoKing]

I'll tell you what though, Nolen. You really do have to brew well to get the right malt flavours in there. Chose the right base malt, the right specialty malt. Mash at the right temp... boil the wort properly. Your yeast selection...

I find it is easy to make hoppy beers, but malty beers - with clean malt flavour... very difficult. And when you do get it right, you want to showcase it! Do you use as many hops this time?

All fun brewing!

[Nolen Smith]

Yea, couldn't agree more. At the moment I can only AG brew 11 liter batches and get some decent results (well, I think they're decent) and have had a few good malt/hop balances. But I can certainly tell a difference in my 20 liter brews when I have to use DME or syrup to top up the fermentables.

Re you're question: I did adjust the hops down to account for the level of concentrated boil. BeerSmith said it should've been roughly the same result, but I must've missed something somewhere.

On thing that probably had a big impact... the second batch was the first time I used my new mini mash set up. :-)

Best thing about brewing at home is... you learn something new *every* batch.

[Reviled]

Why can you only do 11litres at a time? Kettle size? Do you traditional brew or BIAB?

[Nolen Smith]

Yep, kettle size is the biggie. Also, my mash equipment at the moment wouldn't quite handle the amount of grain. I am starting to collect the necessary bits and pieces for 20 ltr AG. I've never tried BIAB, have always taken a traditional approach. What are the main advantages of BIAB?

[Reviled]

Main advantages are you only need a big ass pot, its all done in one vessel, instead of two or three, so that cray cooker from the warehouse is everything apart from a bag to do 20 litre batches... Oh, and you dont ever get a stuck sparge with BIAB...

It roughly takes about the same time as tradtitional..

With BIAB, you mash in the kettle, having the grain suspended in the mash in a bag, then when the mash is finished, you pull the grain bag out, leaving your wort... :o)

If you wanna read about it, check out www.biabrewer.info

[Reviled]

Or you could just be a crazy mofo like Martin and split the boil ;o)

[Martin Bridges]

It certainly makes life interesting!

I really really must sort someone out to drill and weld the kg I want to turn into a kettle.

[Doublehoppy]

Martin,

I can give you the details of an engineering shop that I got to my drilling and welding. It's in Morningside. Let me know if you're interested

[Martin Bridges]

Definitely Brett, drop me an email.