Devising Recipes
- Reg
- I do it all with smoke and mirrors
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Devising Recipes
Do you tweak other people's or do you think well I want something about 'x' strong and then start getting the malts together from there?
The recipe I use developed from a recipe in David Line's Big Book of Brewing which just had pale malt and crystal malt in the grist.
I use the quantity of pale malt to give the strength I want plus a small amount (500g) of crystal malt, which I know from experience will get the mash pH about right.
I vary the hop schedule with almost every brew; I find that's what really distinguishes between beers of similar style (e.g. between different bitters).
I use the quantity of pale malt to give the strength I want plus a small amount (500g) of crystal malt, which I know from experience will get the mash pH about right.
I vary the hop schedule with almost every brew; I find that's what really distinguishes between beers of similar style (e.g. between different bitters).
- Reg
- I do it all with smoke and mirrors
- Posts: 2119
- Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 1:00 pm
- Location: Knebworth, UK
- Contact:
QUOTE (jim @ May 24 2005, 09:17 AM) The recipe I use developed from a recipe in David Line's Big Book of Brewing which just had pale malt and crystal malt in the grist.
I use the quantity of pale malt to give the strength I want plus a small amount (500g) of crystal malt, which I know from experience will get the mash pH about right.
I vary the hop schedule with almost every brew; I find that's what really distinguishes between beers of similar style (e.g. between different bitters).
So how do you calculate the strength?
Which malts are good for the pH balance?
I guess the hop choice is just trial and error?
I use the quantity of pale malt to give the strength I want plus a small amount (500g) of crystal malt, which I know from experience will get the mash pH about right.
I vary the hop schedule with almost every brew; I find that's what really distinguishes between beers of similar style (e.g. between different bitters).
So how do you calculate the strength?
Which malts are good for the pH balance?
I guess the hop choice is just trial and error?
Strength:
Each lb of pale malt contributes about 30 degrees of gravity to 1 gal of wort. We make 5Gal, so the total gravity needed for a starting gravity of 50 is 5x50 = 250. So you would need 250/30 = 8.3lbs of malt (plus a bit more to cover losses).
Dark malts lower the pH.
Hop choice; yeah, experiment. I'm experimenting with adding the hops at 3 points during the boil at the moment (inspired by the Porchester Brewery methods).
Each lb of pale malt contributes about 30 degrees of gravity to 1 gal of wort. We make 5Gal, so the total gravity needed for a starting gravity of 50 is 5x50 = 250. So you would need 250/30 = 8.3lbs of malt (plus a bit more to cover losses).
Dark malts lower the pH.
Hop choice; yeah, experiment. I'm experimenting with adding the hops at 3 points during the boil at the moment (inspired by the Porchester Brewery methods).
- Reg
- I do it all with smoke and mirrors
- Posts: 2119
- Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 1:00 pm
- Location: Knebworth, UK
- Contact:
QUOTE (jim @ May 24 2005, 09:24 AM) Strength:
Each lb of pale malt contributes about 30 degrees of gravity to 1 gal of wort. We make 5Gal, so the total gravity needed for a starting gravity of 50 is 5x50 = 250. So you would need 250/30 = 8.3lbs of malt (plus a bit more to cover losses).
Dark malts lower the pH.
Hop choice; yeah, experiment. I'm experimenting with adding the hops at 3 points during the boil at the moment (inspired by the Porchester Brewery methods).
Sorry... and a starter gravity is...?
Each lb of pale malt contributes about 30 degrees of gravity to 1 gal of wort. We make 5Gal, so the total gravity needed for a starting gravity of 50 is 5x50 = 250. So you would need 250/30 = 8.3lbs of malt (plus a bit more to cover losses).
Dark malts lower the pH.
Hop choice; yeah, experiment. I'm experimenting with adding the hops at 3 points during the boil at the moment (inspired by the Porchester Brewery methods).
Sorry... and a starter gravity is...?
Hop choice; yeah, experiment. I'm experimenting with adding the hops at 3 points during the boil at the moment (inspired by the Porchester Brewery methods).
Hi Jim, what are the Porchester Brewery methods you mentioned ?
If I'm brewing a real hop-fest I add hops at 60, 30, 15 and 5 minutes in the boil.
Reg, I started with John Palmers ESB recipe on How To Brew and then a recipe from Grain & Grape in Australia (I'm sure you can find their website)
I found their recipes for a bitter style much tastier than John Palmer and I've refined recipes from that to suit my tastes .. which probably don't show any resemblence to the original recipe by now !
Also used the recipes at nzhops.co.nz for some inspiration and have just brewed their Honey Brown Ale (with the Nelson Sauvin hops ... mmmm, the most delicious hop I've found)
All the best, jaytee
Hi Jim, what are the Porchester Brewery methods you mentioned ?
If I'm brewing a real hop-fest I add hops at 60, 30, 15 and 5 minutes in the boil.
Reg, I started with John Palmers ESB recipe on How To Brew and then a recipe from Grain & Grape in Australia (I'm sure you can find their website)
I found their recipes for a bitter style much tastier than John Palmer and I've refined recipes from that to suit my tastes .. which probably don't show any resemblence to the original recipe by now !
Also used the recipes at nzhops.co.nz for some inspiration and have just brewed their Honey Brown Ale (with the Nelson Sauvin hops ... mmmm, the most delicious hop I've found)
All the best, jaytee
Hi Jaytee,
The Porchester brewery is a small commercial brewery which originally operated from the owners' garage (I mean the one attached to their house, not a car repair centre!).
Their website (there's a link on my main website- click the yellow graphic at the top of this page and go to 'links') has all their recipes on and mentions that they add their hops in several stages; that's where I got the idea. Prior to that, I just used to add a few late hops 15 minutes from the end.
I'm at work at the moment, but I'll have a look at the sites you mentioned from home. I've not seen the Nelson Sauvin hops before; where do you get yours from?
Jim
The Porchester brewery is a small commercial brewery which originally operated from the owners' garage (I mean the one attached to their house, not a car repair centre!).
Their website (there's a link on my main website- click the yellow graphic at the top of this page and go to 'links') has all their recipes on and mentions that they add their hops in several stages; that's where I got the idea. Prior to that, I just used to add a few late hops 15 minutes from the end.
I'm at work at the moment, but I'll have a look at the sites you mentioned from home. I've not seen the Nelson Sauvin hops before; where do you get yours from?
Jim
- Reg
- I do it all with smoke and mirrors
- Posts: 2119
- Joined: Fri Dec 17, 2004 1:00 pm
- Location: Knebworth, UK
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QUOTE (Jaytee @ Jul 4 2005, 10:47 PM) Reg, I started with John Palmers ESB recipe on How To Brew and then a recipe from Grain & Grape in Australia (I'm sure you can find their website)
I found their recipes for a bitter style much tastier than John Palmer and I've refined recipes from that to suit my tastes .. which probably don't show any resemblence to the original recipe by now !
Also used the recipes at nzhops.co.nz for some inspiration and have just brewed their Honey Brown Ale (with the Nelson Sauvin hops ... mmmm, the most delicious hop I've found)
All the best, jaytee
Good tips there Jaytee... I've tended to you Graham Wheeler recipes simply because that's what I have to hand. Some good tips there...
Been a bit of a day, today!!!
Nice to see you on the forum!
I found their recipes for a bitter style much tastier than John Palmer and I've refined recipes from that to suit my tastes .. which probably don't show any resemblence to the original recipe by now !
Also used the recipes at nzhops.co.nz for some inspiration and have just brewed their Honey Brown Ale (with the Nelson Sauvin hops ... mmmm, the most delicious hop I've found)
All the best, jaytee
Good tips there Jaytee... I've tended to you Graham Wheeler recipes simply because that's what I have to hand. Some good tips there...
Been a bit of a day, today!!!
Nice to see you on the forum!
QUOTE (Reg @ May 24 2005, 10:31 AM) QUOTE (jim @ May 24 2005, 09:29 AM) Staring gravity; Specific Gravity of the wort before you add the yeast.ÂÂ
This could make a good reader's article Jim... You know you want to!
And quick as flash, http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jim.dunlea ... lation.htm
B)
This could make a good reader's article Jim... You know you want to!
And quick as flash, http://homepage.ntlworld.com/jim.dunlea ... lation.htm
B)