Brewing again

[Bomber Rock]

Hi all,

Just started brewing again after a long time off. I had bought a 60L fermenter set up and brewed 6 batches with my brother in law. Last one didn't turn out so great, so we never touched it again... Hahaha.

But I was given a keg fridge and a couple of kegs from a friend, so I had no choice but to brew again.

I always made the aussie pub draught from brew craft in Richmond, using the lager yeast. This is what I currently have going now. But, I'm the meantime, I have discovered Grain and Grape, which is about a 10min drive from my house, and they seem to have a better set up happening.

I now have a Crown Urn, and cubes, so I have cooked an English Bitter, and it's waiting in a couple of cubes to be fermented.

My aim will be to have 6 kegs, always have a supply of a standard pub beer for when friends are around, but also try and make some nicer beer for those who like that sort of thing. I really like Mornington Porter, so I'll be asking for help in the appropriate forums to try and emulate that.

I will also be asking for help for coming up with a recipe for a standard pub beer.

Anyway, I've learnt quite a lot in the last few weeks reading the threads here. I now understand a lot of what I have been doing incorrectly (like using lager yeast without lagering). Thanks to everyone who has inadvertently taught me so much already. I look forward to further enhancing my basic skills, then upgrading to BIAB.

Cheers, Bomber

 

[Grott]

Welcome back to brewing and hope you enjoy your time in making good brews. There's lots of info and help here and as everyone will rightly tell you-

Cleanliness
Sanitisation
Fermentation temperatures

You won't go far wrong

 

[Bomber Rock]

Cheers Grott,

Yeah, Im good with sanitation and temp control, but I think it's step 1 (cleaning) is where I have let myself down. Oh well, moving forward, I'll be as clean as a whistle.

 

[Mardoo]

Breweries are sometimes said to be cleaning companies that happen to produce beer

 

[Bribie G]

Most stupid comment I made recently was at the New England Brewery in Uralla when I popped in for a pint or six. Glancing over to the brewhouse area I said without engaging brain " ah, cleaning day today?"

Got a frosty look.

Standard Pub Beer:

You got an urn so I take it you are thinking of all grain with a bag? Grain and Grape will fix you up there - I seem to remember that they put on demo days or was that someone else?

Anyway a good pub style beer - for a 22L version for kegging: A good yeast to use is Saflager S-189 that can be fermented at 19 degrees as if it's an ale.


2017 Australian Premium Lager
Australian Premium Lager

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 22.0
Total Grain (kg): 4.200
Total Hops (g): 22.00
Original Gravity (OG): 1.047 (°P): 11.7
Final Gravity (FG): 1.010 (°P): 2.6
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.79 %
Colour (SRM): 3.1 (EBC): 6.1
Bitterness (IBU): 25.9 (Average - No Chill Adjusted)
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 74
Boil Time (Minutes): 60

Grain Bill
----------------
3.500 kg Barrett Burston Pilsener (83.33%)
0.400 kg Weyermann Vienna (9.52%)
0.300 kg Cane Sugar (7.14%)

Hop Bill
----------------
12.0 g Super Pride Pellet (13% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (0.5 g/L)
10.0 g Ella Pellet (16.3% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Aroma) (0.5 g/L)

Misc Bill
----------------

Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes.
Fermented at 19°C with Lager yeast

 

[Bomber Rock]

Hi Bribie,

Thanks for that. A few questions:

1. Watching 'FastBrew' on you tube, he uses a pulley system to lift his grain bag from the kettle. I don't have the ability to rig such a system. Do you have any alternative suggestions on how to do this?
2. I have a 60L fermenter. To do a 44L batch, could I just use a DME to make up the required fermentable content?
3. Does the yeast require the longer lager times that is typically required for a lager yeast?

Cheers

 

[mtb]

Hi Bribie,

1. Watching 'FastBrew' on you tube, he uses a pulley system to lift his grain bag from the kettle. I don't have the ability to rig such a system. Do you have any alternative suggestions on how to do this?

Cheers

I recently invested in this - an electric lifting winch. For ~$90 I can attach this to my malt pipe (or your BIAB bag, no worries). There are probably better options out there but I'm lazy and this was easy.

 

[Bomber Rock]

My issue is I don't have a roof structure I can attach the pulley system to. Might have to get a mate around and just use man power...

 

[laxation]

The grain bag isn't THAT heavy ... you should be right. Just chuck a strainer under it like he does in the videos to save your arms.

 

[Mardoo]

My issue is I don't have a roof structure I can attach the pulley system to. Might have to get a mate around and just use man power...

Tree?

 

[TwoCrows]

Ladder?

 

[S.E]

Skyhook?

 

[Grott]

iCloud?

 

[Bomber Rock]

Hahaha. As awesome as all those suggestions are, I think I'll just lift it. Should weight about double the dry weight. Double again for 44L batch, so about16kg. Think I'll manage.

 

[Mardoo]

Floating space zombie?

 

[Bribie G]

couple of spare fridge shelves

 

[akx]

Welcome. Making beer is my favorite hobby, and I have too many hobbies. This forum is really helpful

 

[malt junkie]

When I first did biab, I got a 10L and 2 20L Bunnings buckets drilled holes in the 10L that I'd sit in side a 20L. End of mash I'd lift the bag drop it into the drainage set up leave it for ten minutes, then move the 10L with grain bag to the other 20L and sparge with hot tap water. Worked a treat, actually made my best wheat beer with that rig.

 

[wereprawn]

Hahaha. As awesome as all those suggestions are, I think I'll just lift it. Should weight about double the dry weight. Double again for 44L batch, so about16kg. Think I'll manage.

And probably double that again initially, until the bag drains. Unless you can get over the top of your grain bag using a step ladder or something, most people would find it impossible to lift that weight when it's at close to a 90 degree angle in relation to their body.

Edit- Using 2 bags to split the grain will make life a lot easier.