What are you brewing?

[nzbrewer]

Since this is the most popular thread on the RealBeer.co.nz forum I thought I would start it here just to see what happens

[Bambule]

That NZ Pale ale recipe got me going, so I thought I might try my own interpretation

5.5kg Pilsner
0.5kg Munich
0.25kg Crystal

20 g Nelson Sauvin @ 60mins
25 g Motueka @ 20 mins
15g Motueka @ 0mins

If I can track down some US05 I'll be set, 1968 as back-up and to hell with those esters.

I think an Oatmeal stout next, but might not be so brave with the oats as Ed, sounds interesting though.

[Edward Siddle]

brave or stupid, we'll find out in a day

[Edward Siddle]

oatmeal stout went primo. no sticking at all, i was shocked. evidently a 4 hour mash allows plenty of time for the enzymes to do the job. took the sparge slowly and it flowed out real nice, and left a quite impressive layer of protein/gloopy material on top of the grain bed at the end. waaay overshot the gravity (1046 recipe predicted; 1055 actual) but rather than water it down, just left it and decided a stronger stout would be just the ticket for mid-winter. fermenting nicely this morning. am a happy bunny.

[jt]

Any idea why the big improvement in gravity Ed - mash time perhaps - or other factors ?

[Edward Siddle]

well it was only an improvement over what the recipe predicted; i always thought the recipe looked a little big for the predicted OG. for a total grain bill including oats of 4.75kg, 1055 is absolutely normal for me (between 11 and 12 gravity points per kilo. since all my brews are 20L that's how i calculate my overall efficiency, since it is easier than points per pound per gallon or whatever the yanks use).

[Bambule]

What a comedy of errors! I woke ready to start brewing, the sun was shining, it was my birthday, a fresh packet of hops waiting.....

I tend to be an anti-perfectionist generally speaking and my brewhouse practice is no exception to this rule. I usually have to be satisified with an efficiency of between 50-55%. Not sure why, although i'm beginning to suspect the number of uncrushed grains in my malt may be the culprit. I had a rare stuck sparge today, nightmare. It took me quite a while to correct and as a result the sparge took double the time it usually does. After the sparge I checked the gravity, and I'd overshot my recipe by a mile from 1.052 to 1.064.
Ah well, I thought, I could just dilute it back. Following the boil, I set up my copper coil chiller into the wort and left it to its work, I came back about 20mins later to find the hose had slipped off and was merrily splashing into the wort. I caught it before it was ruined but I'd added about 4 litres of water into the wort...... I thought I'd blown it, and maybe I have. But the dilution gave me an OG of a respectable 1.050, Swings and roundabouts.
Cheers

[Barry]

How Now Brown Cow
American brown ale

4.5kg maris otter
600gm munich
300gm crystal
230 gm pale chocolate
170gm amber

50gm NZ goldings 4.5aau 60min

15gm NZ cascade 7.9aau 15min
10gm NZ goldings 4.5aau 15min

15gm NZ cascade 7.9aau 5min
10gm NZ goldings 4.5aau 5min

30gm NZ cascade 7.9aau 0min

S05

Just about to mash out.

[Martin Bridges]

4 BeeCee Porter

2 x 1.8kg cans Muntons Light LME
400g Dark Crystal Malt
200g Chocolate Malt
200g Black (Patent) Malt
150g Roast Barley
30g Pacific Jade @ 60 min
20g NZ Fuggles @ 10 mins
1 tsp Irish Moss @ 10 mins
500g honey (added after the heat had been turned off)
Safale S-04 English ale yeast (2 packets)

Fermenter is sat in the garage which is showing a steady temperature of around 16 degrees - bit borderline but as long as it kicks off strongly it should be OK.

Martin

[Steve Baker]

Here is my first attempt at a dark beer, bubbling away nicely now:
Bring your daughter to the porter

Maris Otter Malt 3.30 kg, Grain, Mashed
British black patent 0.17 kg, Grain, Mashed
British chocolate malt 0.17 kg, Grain, Mashed
British crystal 50-60L 0.46 kg, Grain, Mashed
CaraPils 0.17 kg, Grain, Mashed
Roasted barley 0.09 kg, Grain, Mashed

Nelson Sauvin 20.00 g, Pellet, 60 minutes
Fuggles 14.00 g, Pellet, 15 minutes

OG = 1.051 - was aiming for a couple of points higher, but close enough

[Stu McKinlay]

"Maiden Strathmore"?

[Barry]

You got 1.051 for a little over 4kg of grain? What size batch?

What's with all this roast barley in your porters people? Have you all gone crazy?

[Steve Baker]

Target was 19l, haven't checked what I ended up with. It was probably about a 2 hour mash in the end.

It was just an incy wincy bijou bit of roast.