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Vienna-style malt? Isn't just Vienna malt? Same with Caramunich-style; it's either just Caramunich, or Caramunich I, II, or III.
To get to 8% ABV with this grain bill would require some pretty good efficiency, like near 85%, which varies based on crush size, equipment, technique, etc. A brewery could achieve it easily, but most homebrewers would hit between 60% and 75%.
And, 100+ IBUs... I don't think so. Maybe 80 IBUs with pellet hops. About those hops.... this recipe calls for boiling 6.5 gallons to collect 5 gallons. You will not get 5 gallons into the fermentor, likely only three gallons if you're lucky, you know, because of all that trub. You lose about half a gallon as it is to trub with a "normal" hop load so the boil off rate would need to limited to one gallon only.
It also surprises me that a Vermont (that is, New England) brewer would use that "Chico" yeast.
I love Citra hops, but if I were to brew this I'd likely ditch that whirlpool charge entirely and only do 2oz at 5 minutes. I'd also use a different American yeast, or an English Ale yeast as I personally do not like the flavor of either Vienna or Munich malts brewed with "Chico". But hey, that's just me.
I'm not watching any more of your videos unless you get rid of that music. Besides being bad music, it was extremely LOUD. I had to cut the volume in HALF every time to music started.
Now, about brewing. Most of the things I've read about brewing say that putting the lid on the boil pot leaves some undesirable chemicals in the wort. I never use the lid for anything. I didn't see in the video if you took the grains out after steeping before bringing up to a boil, but you should. I use small mesh bags for the hops too. It makes it a lot easier to clean up. Did you top off the bucket to 5 gallons? I couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like you had put in the 2 gallons, then the wort, and pitched yeast without topping off. You'll have strong beer that way.
I'm not watching any more of your videos unless you get rid of that music. Besides being bad music, it was extremely LOUD. I had to cut the volume in HALF every time to music started.
Yeah, YouTube's music selection doesn't have a whole lot of good music to choose from. I picked the best option for the mood I was setting. I'll make it a point to lower the music after this next episode drops. Thanks for the feedback.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mensaguy
Now, about brewing. Most of the things I've read about brewing say that putting the lid on the boil pot leaves some undesirable chemicals in the wort. I never use the lid for anything. I didn't see in the video if you took the grains out after steeping before bringing up to a boil, but you should. I use small mesh bags for the hops too. It makes it a lot easier to clean up. Did you top off the bucket to 5 gallons? I couldn't tell for sure, but it looked like you had put in the 2 gallons, then the wort, and pitched yeast without topping off. You'll have strong beer that way.
I didn't have the lid on while boiling. The grains didn't come out, mainly because it was my first batch and I had NO idea what I was doing (and I lost my cheesecloth). I have a second video I'm working on that using the brew-in-a-bag method. I'll have that posted next Wednesday. I did top off to five gallons. I'm not sure if I showed the second toppings.
All that said, I made a lot of mistakes with that batch. I didn't temperature control fermentation, I didn't sprinkle the yeast (I just kind of dumped it in), I'm still not sure how to get the lid off without using tools, etc.
Location: RI, MA, VT, WI, IL, CA, IN (that one sucked), KY
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Quote:
Originally Posted by K-Luv
Vienna-style malt? Isn't just Vienna malt? Same with Caramunich-style; it's either just Caramunich, or Caramunich I, II, or III.
To get to 8% ABV with this grain bill would require some pretty good efficiency, like near 85%, which varies based on crush size, equipment, technique, etc. A brewery could achieve it easily, but most homebrewers would hit between 60% and 75%.
And, 100+ IBUs... I don't think so. Maybe 80 IBUs with pellet hops. About those hops.... this recipe calls for boiling 6.5 gallons to collect 5 gallons. You will not get 5 gallons into the fermentor, likely only three gallons if you're lucky, you know, because of all that trub. You lose about half a gallon as it is to trub with a "normal" hop load so the boil off rate would need to limited to one gallon only.
It also surprises me that a Vermont (that is, New England) brewer would use that "Chico" yeast.
I love Citra hops, but if I were to brew this I'd likely ditch that whirlpool charge entirely and only do 2oz at 5 minutes. I'd also use a different American yeast, or an English Ale yeast as I personally do not like the flavor of either Vienna or Munich malts brewed with "Chico". But hey, that's just me.
Each to their own, but Lawson's is one of the best brewers in the country. He surpasses Sean Hill in my book. Triple Sunshine is one of only two 5 star rated beers I have out of about 900 different ones so far (the other being King Julius).
All that said, I made a lot of mistakes with that batch. I didn't temperature control fermentation, I didn't sprinkle the yeast (I just kind of dumped it in), I'm still not sure how to get the lid off without using tools, etc.
I have not yet invested in temperature control for brewing. Room temperature is fine for most home brews. I just try to find a place in the house that is a little cooler. I wrap a blanket around the carboy to keep out the light, but I suppose it also helps keep the temperature more steady. A wort chiller and a second fermenter would be on my purchase list before a temperature controller.
I bought a bucket opener at Lowe's in the paint department, but it didn't quite fit on a brew bucket. I ended up buying one from a brew supply place. It is a lot easier than prying the lid off by hand, and they aren't really very expensive.
Did the yeast take off and start working in 24-36 hours? If so, you did OK. I usually pick up the fermenter and shake it a couple of dozen times to get the wort/water/yeast thoroughly mixed up, and also to aerate the wort. (Do that before installing the airlock.)
How's your beer doing? You should have it in bottles by now. Did the Final Gravity come out where you thought it would? How did you get all that grain out of the fermenter?
How's your beer doing? You should have it in bottles by now. Did the Final Gravity come out where you thought it would? How did you get all that grain out of the fermenter?
Been bottled. I preferred it heavily to my "chocolate banana" porter. No temp control means that I got more clove than banana. Oh well. Live and learn, right? Guy at my homebrew shop said it was exposed to oxygen, but for a first batch, I should be proud.
I didn't have a hydrometer for this batch and I broke my hydrometer on my second batch. I'm the worst with those things.
The grain never went in the fermenter. Put the sock around the tube, poured the wort through a strainer into the bottling bucket (collecting most of the grain), connected tube to bottling bucket, then poured through the sock into the fermenter.
And, to the guy above you: I imagine room temperature would work for a good portion of the US. There are many great things about Tampa, Fl... However, something tells me that my "room temperature" is significantly higher than your's.
Been bottled. I preferred it heavily to my "chocolate banana" porter. No temp control means that I got more clove than banana. Oh well. Live and learn, right? Guy at my homebrew shop said it was exposed to oxygen, but for a first batch, I should be proud.
I didn't have a hydrometer for this batch and I broke my hydrometer on my second batch. I'm the worst with those things.
The grain never went in the fermenter. Put the sock around the tube, poured the wort through a strainer into the bottling bucket (collecting most of the grain), connected tube to bottling bucket, then poured through the sock into the fermenter.
And, to the guy above you: I imagine room temperature would work for a good portion of the US. There are many great things about Tampa, Fl... However, something tells me that my "room temperature" is significantly higher than your's.
Cheers.
How did your beer taste? I assume your house is air conditioned. Your inside temperature should stay fairly steady and in the mid-70s. That should be just fine, unless you're trying to brew a lager.
How did your beer taste? I assume your house is air conditioned. Your inside temperature should stay fairly steady and in the mid-70s. That should be just fine, unless you're trying to brew a lager.
Definitely not a lager. First batch came out fine at first, but the longer it sits, the more it tastes like a hefe. Second batch didn't come out like I was expecting at all, but the guy at my LHBS told me it came out fine. Third batch was a clone of a Ballantine IPA. Not a beer I can even tolerate, but my dad (who I brewed it for) loved it. Fourth batch was supposed to be an American Pale Ale with lime and oak. Definitely did not come out as an APA. Came out as more of a shandy. This is not a bad thing. It's probably my favorite that I've brewed so far.
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Anyone else homebrew?
