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...

[Scarrfie]

I tend to think more in terms of healthy yeast, of which temperature is a function :-) My concrete floor on the south side doesn't give me absolute control, but controls the variation well. Sure beats the old kit and kilo in the hot water cupboard from the old days!

I don't think the wish list for equipment ever gets smaller :-P 

[Kelly Milligan]

There's always something else to buy ;)

Bang on with the temp. Fermentation temp control should definitely be a top priority. You'll see a big impovement in beer quality Edmund :)

[Edmund Barker]

Yep, I can see how there will always be more gear for beer! I'm currently brewing in the laundry and it catches the evening sun, so I really need something that's going to stop those spikes.

Chest freezer for $111! I'm going to get a temp control unit from Phil (www.another1.co.nz). I was thinking heat pad for heating function. Then BIAB and then - one day - AG!

I'm getting married in Jan and am thinking of brewing beer as prezzies for the guest, any fail safe unique crowd-pleasers? 

[Kelly Milligan]

Nice, I'm running almost exactly that set up.. $50 fridge from 1970 (no electrics, will go forever!) Heatpad on bottom, 45L stainless fermenter on top. STC-1000 boxed unit (similar to Phil's ones). Probe taped to side of fermenter. Works such a treat, set and forget within 0.3 degrees :) Best thing is being able to chill the wort to pitching temp before you pitch. That first 24 hours is where the majority of flavour compounds come from (during yeast growth).

Can't go wrong with a nice crisp, moderately hoppy NZ Pale Ale

[Colin Slater]

This is exactly where I am at right now, have a well insulated fermenting box which is in a reaosnably stable room. Variation is slow and only within a few degrees but I am very keen to try and keep this down using only a heat pad (at the moment the pad is on or off). Just had a quick look at that controller and looks the go, i assume it has a temp input (from the fermenter) and then a power rippler for the output to the heat pad ?

[Edmund Barker]

Awesome! Old manual gear is always the way to go! Just picked up a 30 year old 4-phase lawnmower that my workmate was about to throw away! It works beautifully and will go forever.

I'm not too sure about pitching temp vs fermentation temp. I'm 45 pages in to Palmer, it arrived 2 days ago! Brilliant resource.

[Kelly Milligan]

Cool mate! Yep How To Brew is ace, probably the best thing you can buy before any new gear ;P

The fermenation life cycle is what you're after. Generally the idea is you pitch low (e.g. if you're using US-05/WLP001/WY1056, you can start it as low as 15c to get as clean of a profile as possible), then slowy raise it up to ~20/21c over the course of the week.

Increasing the temp serves 2 main purposes, ensures the yeast stay happy and attenuate effectively (especially important for those sneaky early-floccing english strains), and to bring temps up to the level where they can re-consume all of the flavour compounds they spit out during growth (the big one is diacetyl).

If you want to know any more about how I use my set up feel free to flick me a PM :)

[Edmund Barker]

Check out the fish-tank thermostats, they're a bit cheaper at $39 on trademe and only have one output for heating. Mind you, it might be worth getting two outputs to have the capacity for a fridge in the future.

[Edmund Barker]

Hi Colin, I'm not too technical, but it has one temp input for the probe and two power inputs for refrigeration and for heating. When your beer gets above a certain temperature it will cycle the refrigeration, when it gets below a certain temperature, it'll cycle the heat pad.

I love the set and forget nature of it.

[Colin Slater]

I have no refrigeration but if it could cycle the heat on and off then that would be better than what i currently have which is heat (and insulation) so it can get a wee bit hot. Will look into it further.

[jt]

Two ideas collide....
Been thinking of a darkie with maybe some amber malt for awhile, just to have a different dimension from the usual chocolate, roast or black.
I was also given a bottle of Cascade Stout the other week. Nice stout, not malty sweet but not dry either, no noticeable yeast esters.
Looking around AHB, the best clues for the Cascade seemed to be Warrens 3 or 4 shades of stout recipes. They're Amber, Roast, chocolate or carafa and wheat or flaked barley and look like good recipes and seem to be highly regarded.
I'm wondering if the Cascade has a bit more cara-type malt in there though and I' not sure about the roast barley.
Sort of thinking some crystal, amber, pale chocolate, maybe chocolate and a little black? Maybe the Thames Valley I've got on the go at the moment.
Any ideas or suggestions?
Cheers, jt

[Tilt]

Amber is good in a stout at 2-5%.  I recently brewed Warren's AHB four shades of stout and didn't really like what the Brown did - gave it more of a wooden flavour in combo with the roast.  In comparison I've just brewed a Brown Ale with brown, amber, pale choc, black and crystal - loving the combo - rich and fruity with 1318 yeast.