1st Ag Bottled - Drsmurto's Golden Ale

[Schober]

Dear all,

I just bottled my first all grain brew. It was just a small 15 L batch, because I'm restricted with my volumes (at this stage). I didn't sparge, just squeezed the cheese... cloth. Next brew I have an esky lined up and will double batch sparge.

I only got about 63% efficiency into the fermenter, but still got 4.3% ABV (OG 1.039, FG 1.006). I guess that the higher efficiency also means that you extract a lot of non-fermentable stuff too that contributes to the gravity. Is this the case?

The aroma was NOTHING like I get from extract brews. There was a huge malty nose to it. Is this something I can expect for all my AG brews? Or is this just because of the 20% wheat malt in the bill?

How long should this beer be bottle conditioned?

Cheers.

 

[thesunsettree]

. I guess that the higher efficiency also means that you extract a lot of non-fermentable stuff too that contributes to the gravity. Is this the case?


Kind of, but mostly its the attenuation of your yeast

 

[Steve@PMF82]

How much non fermentables you have depends on how high temp you mashed.

I find the smell of AG brewing to be one of the best bits about the whole process, so yeah every time you mash some grains you will get that smell.
I remember my first time, it was love at first smell.

I think i did SGA for my first or second? cant remember right now, but at 2months it really was at its peak, have one left that is 4months old or so now, the last one i had, had started to go down hill a bit.
People will tell you this kind of brew HAS to be drunk fresh.

seeing its your first AG try one at 2 weeks, then every week after that, i dare say at 6 - 8 weeks you will have none left.

enjoy

 

[RdeVjun]

AFAIK, there's not a strong link between efficiency and final gravity. As sunsettree mentions, its a function of the yeast, and as Beer4U says mash temperature. Interesting proposition though WRT unfermentable extraction fraction. If its not practical, at least it sounds funky...
Condition that sort of beer for a month and you should be well pleased that it was worth the wait. A few more and you might go mad anticipating it... :icon_cheers:

 

[Schober]

Thanks folks,

I'm definitely looking forward to trying a few of them.

Cheers,