First AG - Better Red than Dead

[surly]

Hey all,

I am planning my first AG using Nicks $30 BIAB technique.
After cruising through the recipe DB, this caught my eye http://aussiehomebrewer.com/recipe/709-better-red-than-dead/

I scaled it down to 40% of original to equal a 9L ferment. Is this ok? Just want to make sure that as volumes get smaller, the ratios can stay the same?

Also, I have a question about the yeast. I will follow the recipe and use the 1084, but have never used a liquid yeast before. Is there anything I need to be aware of? Does this store well in the fridge?


As I wasn't able to find the exact brand of grain as per original, this is what I am intending to grab from Grain and Grape on the weekend:



Bairds Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt is not avail, sub: Simpsons Ale Maris Otter

The rest are avail as below.
Weyerman caramunich 1
Weyerman Carared
JWM Crystal (exact colour not specified on site)
JWM roasted malt


Would love to hear your thoughts, just please remember I am brand new and know nothing.

Cheers,

Tim.

 

[philmud]

Liquid yeasts are easy to use - with 9L I'm not even sure you'd need a started (I've used wyeast with 23L batches, no starter and they've been fine, will probably use one next time though). They'll store in the fridge till you're ready to brew, no worries. I've never scaled a recipe down, but I suspect it's not a straight scaling of ingredients. I think brewmate (free) will allow you to enter a full batch recipe and scale to suit. I'd give that a shot.

 

[surly]

Thanks Phil, will look into brewmate,
Was using the Excel program that someone on here made, but if it had a function for scaling, I didn't find it.

 

[philmud]

I think you can scale if you save the recipe, but the macros were being a bit funny for me. It's a great spreadsheet mind you.

 

[dago001]

Just a heads up surly. The recipe uses Munich 1, not caramunich. They are 2 different types of grain.
Cheers
LagerBomb

 

[roverfj1200]

I wouldn't get to up tight about brewing with BIAB. It is quite easy. I've got a few (urn) brews underr my belt now and find the process relaxing. Don't worry to much about stroke temp or holding the temp over the rest. Just wrap the brew in what ever you are going to use and leave it for the time. No matter what happens you will get beer at the end.

Cheers.

 

[surly]

Just a heads up surly. The recipe uses Munich 1, not caramunich. They are 2 different types of grain.
Cheers
LagerBomb

Thanks for the warning LagerBomb!
I saw this a bit late though and already have my grains.. Oh well, will see how it turns out.

 

[lukiferj]

If you have subbed the munich for caramunich it will end up being very sweet. That's a lot of crystal for one brew.

 

[surly]

Can I balance it out with extra bitterness? I had the grain milled and put in the one bag. Not using it would be a real shame, have extra hops so an increased bitterness would be easy.
Also willing to get my hands on extra grain to balance the results better and brew a larger batch (would have to combine as I only have the 1 19L pot), or use a tin of goo or something.

 

[lukiferj]

Would need to run it through brewmate to determine. Do you have the exact amounts you bought? Might be able to use some DME/LME as well as some more bittering hops to try and balance it out. Never tried that much crystal before.

 

[surly]

Maris Otter: 1.4kg
Roast Malt: 0.05kg
Crystal: 0.1kg
Caramunich 1: 0.6kg
Carared: 0.12kg

 

[lukiferj]

Sorry mate. Just mashing out atm.

That's almost 40% crystal! Are you limited to a 9L ferment? If you have a bigger fermenter you could scale the recipe up to around 23 L. If you add 2 Kgs of DME you would get something drinkable. Or take the risk. No idea how it would turn but would be curious to see how it tastes.

Not sure what your hopping schedule is but you could add a touch more early to compensate for the still very high crystal ratio.

Happy for someone more knowledgeable than me to chime in but can't see any other way other than scaling up and adding extract.

 

[surly]

EDIT (just saw lukiferj's reply).

Cheers for the help. I have a 30L FV, so very happy to scale upwards.
My hopping schedule was to replicate that in the original recipe, so Fuggles @45 and Goldings @15, was adjusted for volume. If sticking to the original 23L I am short on fuggles as I only have 40g.


I have brewmate, so should be able to work out quantity of LME/DME relevant to volume for the desired alcohol % and IBU, but is there any way to determine sweetness?

Pretty annoyed I have messed this one up before I have even turned on the stove.. :unsure:
Very happy to try and fix it though, just have little idea of where to begin.

 

[ianh]

Thanks Phil, will look into brewmate,
Was using the Excel program that someone on here made, but if it had a function for scaling, I didn't find it.

If it was my spreadsheet, you just change the ferment value in cell C3 on the Main worksheet.

 

[surly]

If it was my spreadsheet, you just change the ferment value in cell C3 on the Main worksheet.

G'day ianh,

Yes, it is you SS I was using. I did try adjusting cell C3 and the sheet did calculate the effects on %, IBU, gravity etc. I was hoping to keep all those figures the same and the grain values would change.
By the way, your workbook is very impressive.

 

[lukiferj]

2kgs of DME should do it. If you don't have any extra hops just give it a go. Could always add the fuggles at 60 mins for slightly more bitterness. Worst case scenario is that you end up with slightly sweet beer. At the end of the day, it will still be beer

Don't feel too bad. Everyone's had a bad brew day.

 

[surly]

Thanks a lot for your help lukiferj, feeling more amused than anything. Thought I had this under control

Anyway, looks like I will be doing a 23L batch. Could add a little extra of the EKG as a bittering hops too I suppose?
Considering it is going to be a bit sweet, do you have an idea of what I should aim at in terms of IBU? I should probably change the thread title as Fatgodzilla may not appreciate his recipes association with this shamozzle.

 

[lukiferj]

All good man. Don't let it put you off. It really isn't that hard but little things can mess you up good I use this grain chart when I need to find substitutes. http://www.brew.is/files/malt.html

I would maybe up the IBUs to about 30 but wouldn't want to go too bitter. Should still turn out ok. Would be interesting to try it with the actual recipe for a comparison.

 

[surly]

Thanks for the link, is now in my favourites.
I will follow your advice and hop it to approx 30IBU. Naming this brew the "Search and Rescue Red Ale" if it works and the "Ruined Red Ale" if it is crap.

On a side note, due to quarantine red tape, Grain and Grape are not selling Wyeast 1084. So I bought some Windsor yeast.

 

[lukiferj]

Ha ha. Nice one. Let me know how it works out.