Something Dark for Christmas.

[guypettigrew]

Thanks for the info about sparging hops. I only use cone hops, so it's worth trying. If I can work out the numbers for still getting about 23 litres in the fermenter. The thought of leaving all that sugar and flavour in the hops has never sat well with me.

Surprised you use cold liquor.

Guy

[Eric]

Thanks for the info about sparging hops. I only use cone hops, so it's worth trying. If I can work out the numbers for still getting about 23 litres in the fermenter. The thought of leaving all that sugar and flavour in the hops has never sat well with me.

Surprised you use cold liquor.

Guy

There were 150 gm In that brew and gravity was 1060, so a 1035 brew with just a few hops mightn't justify the effort. Some breweries, particularly the bigger ones, put hops on the grainbed of the next brew to sparge them there. Dependent upon filtering, sparging hops in the kettle can wash out other debris, but, dependent upon the filtering, a bit of gentle recycling can significantly reduce any carryover. When you plan to do it, scooping off the insoluble proteins and unconverted starch that floats before the boil can reduce the amount of hot break. This was of this brew, a lot from the flaked oats it would seem. I read that this helps to form a better head, and it probably does, but soluble protein doesn't form haze and there is enough of that in grains to provide a good head without haze.

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It's 15C in the garage and with the beer at 20.2C, have removed the insulation from the FV to slow the temperature rise to keep the yeast within the FV. I usually let the temperature reach 23C, but that would be too risky at this stage.

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This was taken before the fourth rousing of the day.

[Eric]

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[guypettigrew]

Wow! When you harvest the yeast do you just take the 'head', so to speak. Or do you use IPA's method and take some of the beer under the head as well?

Guy

[Eric]

Wow! When you harvest the yeast do you just take the 'head', so to speak. Or do you use IPA's method and take some of the beer under the head as well?

Guy

Yes, I take the head. IPA's method collects active, healthy yeast and can be used for any type of yeast. The method I use is suitable only for heavily top fermenting yeast, and the process itself is somewhat selective.

Reasonably sized pickled beetroot jars and lids are saved, and pressure cooked for 20 minutes as required to store harvested yeast in a domestic refrigerator. Yeast is roused to return it to the wort to keep fermentation going. When CO2 production slows as fermentation approaches completion, the yeast flocculate to be noticeably thicker and rousing is ceased. Wort gravity is checked and at the appropriate point the yeast is collected, leaving a thin covering for protection and the lid placed on the vessel. By observation it will be seen if fermentation has reached the time to slowly cool the beer to cellar temperature to condition before racking.
2 to 3 days fermentation, 2 days cooling and rack a week after brew day.

Beer's down to 19.7C, yeast still quite active and being frequently knocked back. I normally only ferment 25 litre brews in this FV, but hoped it might handle 30 litres and still might. Garage temperature is now 14C and the door is currently open to hopefully cool it a little more. With luck the yeast will stay confined overnight, and fermentation might begin slowing tomorrow.

[Eric]

Hi An Ankoù, sorry to have not noticed you post until recapping on where I had left off. Your recipe isn't that vastly different to my own, which pleases me that I'm not out on a wayward limb. I must confess to knowing nothing about Gladfield's malts, don't remember hearing about them before reading your piece. Did you get the brew underway and if so, how's is it progressing and what are your current thoughts and any conclusions.

My brew is currently at 14C without insulation for a second time. Initially removed to avoid the fermenting wort from overheating and/or the yeast escaping. It was replaced as fermentation passed the peak and temperature rose to 22.5C, then levelled off. Yeast was harvested and heat applied to maintain that temperature until fermentation was noticeably slowing.

It is hoped the temperature will another 2 degrees overnight when the maxi will be used to drop the temperature to 10C, and maintained until racking on hopefully Monday afternoon.

[Eric]

Beer was at 13C this morning, 6.9 Bx, so seems to be on target. I don't know of a calculator that converts Brix of fermented beer to even a moderately accurate SG, I suppose that's where PeeBee's pyknometer would show merit requiring a relatively small volume sample compared to a decent hydrometer. The chiller is on for a targeted 10C. A complete covering of yeast is still present and often can stay intact during the racking process when it is necessary to clear it in way of the outlet, but that might be tomorrow, if time allows.

[Eric]

Well this beer was racked to a 2 and a 5 gallon plastic pressure barrels on Monday, seven days after it was brewed. At this time of year it normally is cool enough to not need the attenuator coil, but it was fitted and used, dropping the beer to 10C. Without the attenuator, the head of this type of yeast remains intact when racking, but the before and after racking pictures show how protective a proper top fermenting yeast is during open fermention.

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Gravity measured by hydrometer was 1014, which is expected to soon fall a couple of more points, so 6% plus ABV. It now has a little warmth and already some fruit in the taste, but it should benefit with a couple of weeks at cellar temperature after when, that in the 5 gallon barrel will be mostly transferred to 330ml bottles. The 2 gallon barrel will be kept for Christmas day. It isn't as dark as expected.

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[Eric]

I don't know why the first picture also appeared again at the end.

[oz11]

Because it was such a good picture?

[Jim]

Looking good Eric!

[WalesAles]

Mmmmmmmm, Nice Mun!

WA

[Eric]

Thanks for the comments. Had a sip today, one week from racking to plastic barrels and at near cellar temperature to find it well carbonated. Warmth is less apparent, possibly as hoped, with coffee now the dominant flavour backed by some chocolate and dried fruit. There's a little roughness still, but not expecting that to last much longer that hopefully will evaporate when vented in another week for bottling. The lactose wasn't obvious today.

Next brew will be 25 litres of a light bitter from pale malt with 500g of Lidl cornflakes, some light crystal and invert #1 when time allows.

[Eric]

Yesterday, two weeks from being racked to plastic barrels, 48 bottles were filled, each with a quarter spoonful of demerara sugar. The beer had been carbonating in the garage at temperature that must have averaged that of a typical pub's cellar. The barrel was first vented to allow highly volatiles to escape for a few hours while other tasks were undertaken. Afterwards a glass was filled from that remaining in the barrel, which was beautifully smooth, but sweetness from the lactose dominated the almost flat beer. The top was refitted and the beer left to recover overnight, and a pint this evening was vastly better by being slightly more carbonated. Present opinion is not to add as much as 50 gm of lactose to such a recipe, but generally this seems ideal for Christmas.

[FUBAR]

Thanks for the comments. Had a sip today, one week from racking to plastic barrels and at near cellar temperature to find it well carbonated. Warmth is less apparent, possibly as hoped, with coffee now the dominant flavour backed by some chocolate and dried fruit. There's a little roughness still, but not expecting that to last much longer that hopefully will evaporate when vented in another week for bottling. The lactose wasn't obvious today.

Next brew will be 25 litres of a light bitter from pale malt with 500g of Lidl cornflakes, some light crystal and invert #1 when time allows.

Are these the same cornflakes from Lidl that you use Eric?

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