# Big Brew Day



## Jovial_Monk (1/3/04)

Big Brew Day will be held on May 1st

Don't have much more detail but I will register the shop as a BB site. Anybody wanting to put on or see a full mash then come along to the Jovial Monk.

AHBers in other states should try to interest their local HBSs to foster and event. They and the hobby will get some good publicity and all attending will have a good time.

I am happy to provide malt and hops if anyone wants to do a brew outside the Monk, they keep the beer.

More details later.


Jovial Monk


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## big d (1/3/04)

sounds good jm
i will/should be in adelaide first two weeks of june.
hope your planning on a brew session around this time.if not nevermind as i will pop in and say gday anyway.exact dates later as im doing the support act for batzs world tour.  

cheers
big d


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## wee stu (2/3/04)

Don't suppose you'd like to sponsor my big move to my first partial mash, would you JM? That should be happening around May 1st!!!

Or am I just being hopelessly Scottish???  :huh: 

Failing that - just post a ripper partial recipe and grain bill to get me going.


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## Jovial_Monk (2/3/04)

more the better

JM


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## GMK (2/3/04)

wee stu

The best partial recipee that i have done was/is Grumpys Old Saxon Bock....

Excellent.
Dry hopped it as well...


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## big d (2/3/04)

i know you love dry hopping gmk but outa curiosity how much would you chuck in a brew?
about 30 grams im guessing

cheers
big d


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## wee stu (2/3/04)

Saxon Bock eh Ken?

Test out the lager fridge and do my first true lager at the same time as my first partial?  Sounds good!!  

Probably dry hop with Saaz (love them Saaz), and get hold of my mate's Adelaide Hills rainwater for the job too!

Oh dear, what am I getting in to? :wacko:


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## Jovial_Monk (2/3/04)

Old Saxons only brewed ale, I think? 

How much can you mash, Stu?

There is a nice recipe for Oktoberfest

Could you mash 1.2K Vienna, 1K Dark Munich and 220g Caramunich?
then bring gravity up to 1055 with extract (about 2.5Kg dry)
35g Hallertau for 60 min, 15g for 15 min and dryhop with Saaz if liked


Jovial Monk


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## GMK (2/3/04)

wee stu

Boots and i shared the last pet bottle the other month.
It was 6 months old - ask him for a recomdation.

Dry Hopping
Usually 30-45gms...sometimes dry hop twice.
As in dry hop and leave it for 2 weeks - taste - needs more hops dry hop again with 30-45gms - and leave another 2 weeks.

Generally dry hop lots of amounts on the APA< IPA< stouts, darks and boston cream ales.

For big d....
will do a partial Old Saxon Bock that should be really good in May....especially since my birthday is in may...


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## SteveSA (2/3/04)

Wee Stu
You could do a whole lot worse than the Old Saxon Bock.

GMK
It is a belter of a recipe. I added an extra half kilo each of Pale and Munich Malt bring the OG up closer to guideline standards (1.063) and booted it up to around 6.5% ABV. B) 
Definitely not a session beer but great "end of the evening" sipper. Mine is around 7 months old now and has aged very well.
Dry hopping a bock isn't conventional but I imagine you used saaz?

JM
It's based on the place not the people


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## GMK (2/3/04)

"SteveSa

If you are coming up on the 19th Apr for Batz Brewery Tour - pleas bring some.
I have one stuby left of my Barley Wine and my highest score Scotish Ale - 124 points out of 150 possible - that i will open so that we can all try some.

I am pretty sure that i dry hopped with EKG - as it was Saxon and from England -supposedly...


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## SteveSA (2/3/04)

No worries Ken.
BTW Lower Saxony, Germany.


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## Batz (2/3/04)

This is sounding good 

JM,
I hope the Big Brew Day , will not impact on the small brew day Sunday 18th April :blink:


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## wee stu (2/3/04)

Definitely Saxony - not Sassenach!

JM - I can handle that amount (I think!!). If I understand the original message and you are going to supply the grain, I'm happy for an Oktoberfest to be the first partial. Brew in May for October drinking, sounds perfect. 

GMK - arranged time off work for the Lyndoch leg of the Batz World Tour and am certainly looking forward to some of the Scottish Ale! What with Xmas, moving and lack of stockpile due to being newbie brewer, my oldest brew is only two weeks in bottle, and might yet be a bit green.


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## Batz (2/3/04)

Speaking of Oktoberfests , anyone have a good proven AG recipe?


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## Jovial_Monk (2/3/04)

No bocks brewed in Saxony either. . .

From the CAMRA Brew Classic European Beers book (I recommend all to get!)

Spaten Oktoberfest Maerzen, 23L, IBU22, OG55, FG12 copper colored
Vienna malt, 3K
Dark Munich 2.5K
Caramunich 220g

90 min boil (personally, I would omit the caramunich and boil for 2.5 hours. . .)
sob 34g Hallertau
last 15min 15g hallertau

Yes Stu I would supply the grain & hops
No it won't impact the Apr brewday


Jovial Monk


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## wee stu (2/3/04)

I'm getting all excited. April's looking like a big month, leading into a bigger May1


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## wee stu (3/3/04)

OK the die is cast. Wee Stu's first partial will be an Oktoberfest courtesy of the monk, followed by an Old Saxon Bok (a beer of dubious ancestry, but high repute).

What yeasties do you reckon I should use? Both lagers, so would be good to use one strain for them both.


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## Doc (3/3/04)

For the Oktoberfest I'd definitely use White Labs WLP920 (Old Bavarian Lager Yeast )  if you can get your hands on it. I love that yeast.

Otherwise WLP 820 Oktoberfest-Marzen.

Beers,
Doc


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## SteveSA (3/3/04)

For the Bock try the Wyeast 2206


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## Snow (3/3/04)

Jovial_Monk said:


> Big Brew Day will be held on May 1st
> 
> Don't have much more detail but I will register the shop as a BB site. Anybody wanting to put on or see a full mash then come along to the Jovial Monk.
> 
> ...


 JM,

can you give me some more detail on the Big Brew Day? Is it an organised thing across the world? Who in Australia is organising it? What are the parameters? Is there a list of participating HBS?

Cheers - Snow


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## Doc (3/3/04)

BBD is organised by the AHA.
You can find out all the details here.
As for Australian participation it is really up to HBS to get in and help promote the craft.

Beers,
Doc


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## ben_sa (3/3/04)

so your saying, that at a particular time, every homebrewer (from registered sites) will toast their beer, And drink up!

aha...... Might have to see if my hbs has any more details

Ben


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## Jovial_Monk (3/3/04)

yup, ideally all across the world on the same day brewers get together and brew the same recipe (well, selection of recipes)

There will be a full mash beer and a part mash beer being brewed outside the Monk (bit of a drive from Paralowie but there you go, if you want to see mashing done come along)

Jovial Monk


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## Doc (3/3/04)

Batz,

I've done that recipe that JM posted.
It is good but not as good as the OM recipe in another book I have.

Here is the recipe. It got me a Gold medal in the Qld comp last year and a Bronze at the Nationals.

Beers,
Doc

Doc's Oktoberfest-Marzen

A ProMash Recipe Report

BJCP Style and Style Guidelines
-------------------------------

09-A German Amber Lager, Oktoberfest/Maerzen

Min OG: 1.050 Max OG: 1.064
Min IBU: 20 Max IBU: 30
Min Clr: 7 Max Clr: 14 Color in SRM, Lovibond

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (L): 23.40 Wort Size (L): 23.40
Total Grain (kg): 6.04
Anticipated OG: 1.056 Plato: 13.76
Anticipated SRM: 7.9
Anticipated IBU: 27.0
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------

Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 27.53 L
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.047 SG 11.78 Plato

Formulas Used
-------------

Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.

Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
53.8 3.25 kg. Pale Ale Malt (2-row) Australia 1.037 2
37.3 2.25 kg. Munich Malt Australia 1.038 6
6.6 0.40 kg. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
2.2 0.13 kg. Crystal 40L America 1.034 40
0.1 0.01 kg. Black Patent Malt America 1.028 525

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
32.00 g. Hallertauer Whole 6.60 23.5 45 min.
16.00 g. Hallertauer Whole 6.60 3.5 15 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.17 Oz Irish Moss Fining 15 Min.(boil) 


Yeast
-----

White Labs WLP920 Old Bavarian Lager


Water Profile
-------------

Profile: 
Profile known for: 

Calcium(Ca): 0.0 ppm
Magnesium(Mg): 0.0 ppm
Sodium(Na): 0.0 ppm
Sulfate(SO4): 0.0 ppm
Chloride(Cl): 0.0 ppm
biCarbonate(HCO3): 0.0 ppm

pH: 0.00


Mash Schedule
-------------

Mash Type: Single Step

Grain kg: 6.04
Water Qts: 20.42 - Before Additional Infusions
Water L: 19.32 - Before Additional Infusions

L Water Per kg Grain: 3.20 - Before Additional Infusions

Saccharification Rest Temp : 67 Time: 90
Mash-out Rest Temp : 0 Time: 0
Sparge Temp : 78 Time: 60


Total Mash Volume L: 23.35 - Dough-In Infusion Only

All temperature measurements are degrees Celsius.


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## Batz (3/3/04)

Thanks Doc,
I can always rely on you for a good recipe , what book do you get most of your recipes from , have to order a birthday present here !


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## Doc (3/3/04)

Batz,

I have a number of books with AG recipes.
My two favourites for recipes are 

Brew Classic European Beers at Home Info here.
and
Brewing the Worlds Great Beers Info here

The later is great for great recipes.

When I'm making my own recipe I use Ray Daniels Designing Great Beers book. It is an awesome reference.

Beers,
Doc


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## big d (4/3/04)

big brew day hey
woo hoo
ive got three on the books in arnhemland.
me,myself,and i  
and about 20 free loaders.
they provide the food and im up for the beer.
minus the natives about 2500 and im the grouse for may 1.  

big d...the only brewery in arnhemland. <_< talk about market exclusivity


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## Jovial_Monk (4/3/04)

Hmmmmmmm black malt? hmmmmm That was used in the SE United States and still today in Mexico in "the Graf version of the Standard Vienna" (Modello Negra etc)

A recipe book may have a recipe for any style beer, how good is that recipe? Are special procedures needed?

Now, as regards Oktoberfests, there is a Beer Style Series book on the subject by G & L Fix. they describe the history of the style, going all the way back to the days of Dreher and beyond. they also discuss the lagering needed, cautions in the handling of the mash and wort etc etc.

So ask for and brew recipes, just be aware there is likely a helluva lot more to know about a whole style of beers.


Jovial Monk


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## Batz (4/3/04)

Only want to brew a beer , I am sure one could go into it deeper than asking for a recipe , but I don't have the time to study the entire history of every beer style I choose to try :blink:


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## Jovial_Monk (4/3/04)

well, black malt is defintely not part of any mainstream Oktoberfest

and a recipe is only a starting point

Like, would you decoct a maerzen? a bock? (N,Y)

Jovial Monk
with 2 doz beer books in his library and thirsting for more


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## Crispy (5/3/04)

I'm with you Batz,

Brew it, Drink it, enjoy it

Don't give much of a toss about the history behind it.


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## Jovial_Monk (5/3/04)

hehehhehehe I for one think digging into the history of a beer style adds to my brewing enjoyment. Going to recreate one of the earliest of all beerstyles this year--beer made from sprouted barley bread 

Jovial Monk


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## PostModern (5/3/04)

Have you made kvas at all? Eastern European small beer made from dried out brown bread. Bottles are primed with sultanas.


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## Murray (5/3/04)

PostModern said:


> Have you made kvas at all? Eastern European small beer made from dried out brown bread. Bottles are primed with sultanas.


 Watch out for that sultana-priming buisness. Unknown amounts of sugar/sultana = potential bottlebombs. Authenticity is one thing, but explosives and rampant wives are another.


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## PostModern (5/3/04)

Murray said:


> Watch out for that sultana-priming buisness. Unknown amounts of sugar/sultana = potential bottlebombs. Authenticity is one thing, but explosives and rampant wives are another.


 The traditional method involves priming, unstopping the bottles then decanting thru cheesecloth into cleaned bottles before re-sealing. Lithuanian peasants have been making it for generations... centuries even


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## wee stu (8/3/04)

PostModern said:


> The traditional method involves priming, unstopping the bottles then decanting thru cheesecloth into cleaned bottles before re-sealing. Lithuanian peasants have been making it for generations... centuries even


 Lithuanian peasants were heavily involved in the production of both you and me PM. So they must be doing something right!!


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## Jovial_Monk (8/3/04)

A customer is going to give me 20K brewing barley this year

Going to make the bread beer made by the Sumerians and Egyptians. the Egyptian beer, zythos, was not only drunk but used to soften ivory by ivory carvers!

Also going to homemalt and sundry a lot of it, recreate some peasant brews (will add some viable oat, rye & wheat corns for more authenticity)

As regards kvas, how was the starch in the bread (exactly what bread?) turned into sugar to make alcohol? I think in many parts of Egypt & the African continent bread-beer
is still being made and consumed. As it should! Fermentation increases the vitamin content of the grain

Jovial Monk


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## PostModern (8/3/04)

This sort of story http://www.balticsworldwide.com/coke.htm brings a tear to my eye. Baltic peasants causing Coca-Cola to list a loss by bringing back mass-produced kvas.

The involves getting stale brown bread (like Estonian Sweet and Sour) and baking it until it is hard. You then grind it up, mix it with water and sugar (probably beet sugar) then ferment it in bottles (with baking yeast). After x days, the bottles are opened, strained of the bread crumbs, primed with sultanas then rebottled and sealed again.

I'm not sure what's involved in making the street kvas that the article above mentions.

And stu, yes  I reckon Lithuania is to Eastern Europe what Australia is to the rest of the world - a small country that excels in whatever it attempts (well, that is if all it attempts is basketball).

EDIT: JM, and anyone else who might be interested, here's a modern recipe for kvas.

'With eight quarts water take 1 1/2 lb. malt, 1 lb. rye flour, 1 1/2 lb. 
sugar, 1/8 of a lb. mint leaves, half pepper pod, and half cake of 
yeast. Mix the malt and flour with boiling water and make a thick dough. 
Put into barely warm oven, and leave for the night. Next day dilute 
dough with eight quarts boiling water and pour into a wooden tub. Let 
stand for 12 hours, then pass through a cloth. Pour one quart into an 
enamel saucepan, put on fire, add 1 1/2 lb. sugar, and an infusion made 
with the mint leaves (resembling weak tea). Boil once, then take off 
fire, cool until just warm, and add the yeast previously diluted with 
one cup of this same warm liquid. Let stand in warm place until it 
begins to ferment; then pour it into the rest of the kvass in the wooden 
tub, and let stand until bubbles appear. Prepare clean bottles, putting 
one malaga raisin into each; pour in the kvass, cork the bottles, tie 
the corks with string to the necks of the bottles, and keep in a warm 
place for a day or two. Then put in a cold cellar.' --- R.C.B." 

Looks like a basic mash and ferment. There are many recipes for a "soft" version - ie drink it one day old, but they'd be of little interest to this group


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## Jazman (26/4/04)

Dont forget guys this saturday is it and im brewing my first All grain at the monks 
and wee stu doing his first partial so come along and wathc some mashing and learn and throw some question at us so those ontrested in coming got to the jovial monks and i may have a few pils for u

also i know a few are brewing at goliaths but at least get involed for some fun


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## big d (26/4/04)

best of luck jazman doing your first all grain beer.may it be one of many.
once the ag beer bug has you by the short and curlies theres no turning back.you will be addicted for life.hope ya wife/partner is prepared for the journey.  

cheers
big d


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## Jovial_Monk (27/4/04)

Two first time mashers. Can you imagine the language?

Seriously, any Adelaide AHBers thinking they want to get into mashing, even if only part mashing, then next Sat at the Monk will be very educational. I am getting help at the shop so I can be outside mostly, helping the mashers and explaining/answering questions from whoever.

We will do the Toast to the worldwide HB community at 12 noon, I will provide beer but do bring along your latest and greatest brew by all means.

Jovial Monk


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## wee stu (27/4/04)

Jovial_Monk said:


> Two first time mashers. Can you imagine the language?


 disnae wurrie me, naeb'dy'll un'erstan' mah bletherin onyway!


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## GMK (27/4/04)

Good luck wee stu and Jazman - I am sorry but due to prior Family committments i am unable to make it.

I hope that wee stu has learnt much from the Grand Master.....

Ken...


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## wee stu (27/4/04)

GMK said:


> I hope that wee stu has learnt much from the Grand Master.....
> 
> Ken...


 more than words can say .......... and decorum will allow


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## Jazman (27/4/04)

well inot my first total mash as i have done 5 partial mashes and the missus aont ready for the jououny she dont like it know


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## jayse (27/4/04)

disnae wurrie me, naeb'dy'll un'erstan' mah bletherin onyway! [/quote]
:lol: 
I have found I can't speak properly after holding down a good conversation with you stu.
It seems your accent is contagious.

You may have seen a couple things the 'grand master' do which may not be that good.
ie, we're all sitting around waiting for the wort to be cooled after the all the hops and stuff had settled to the bottom of the pot.
Then along come GMK in a drunken state and gives it a big old stir up much to the horror of us standing and watching.  

Jayse


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## wee stu (27/4/04)

Jayse, I am finding these collective brew days highly educational. Hard to believe two all grain brews would have taught me so many things *not to do* :lol: 

Maybe too many brewers spoil the ale, eh? 
Or is it too many ales spoil the brew?

Whatever, I am resigned to the fact that lots of things will go horribly wrong on Saturday, and some months later I'll be drinking a more than passable beer.

That's given me an idea. What we need for a future AHB SA Chapter gathering is a comparative tasting of JM's brew of last week, GMK's from yesterday, mine and Jazman's from Saturday, and the result of the collective endeavour at Goliath's on Saturday as well. 

Just need to find neutral ground to hold it on.


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## jayse (27/4/04)

Sounds like a idea stu.
Maybe the middle of june at my joint when bigd is down to celebrate all that is beer.


Jayse


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## wee stu (27/4/04)

Last I heard I was doing an Oktoberfest - so could well be in cc still then, but maybe I could separate some off for early bottling? Or just drink the rest of the stuff anyway?


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