Group Brew by Correspondence

[fungrel]

got wifey picking up the Bridge Roads Biere de Garde from dans now for the tasting.

How is everyone's brew going?
Mine is fermenting slow, as to be expected putting a saison yeast at 17C. Got to 1.030 the other day.
samples are tasting pretty great... I just want to measure the gravity constantly

Tried that beer the other day.. I'm 95% sure its WY1272 under the hood as I've been using that yeast a lot recently.
Definitely as it is described on their website.. got a lot going on from the malt side, but it is tasting very clean which is what i was not expecting for this style.

 

[n87]

Brought it up to 20C over the last couple of days to help it finish off, currently at 1.008
Just waiting for the sugar water to cool down so I can add it, then wait a few days and start dropping the temp to 1C for 6ish weeks.

the sample is really moreish. malty aroma with a hint of some fruit. It has some spice which i hope will mellow with the lagering, but finishes with a nice sweet malt... but dry at the same time.
The hydro sample never stood a chance :chug:

By the looks of it, mine is going to be way over the 7.5% aim, likely due to the yeast eating up a little more than was planned. I am prob looking at ~8.5% before priming.... ah well, just need less of it before falling down


Has anyone else got theirs on yet?
Dont worry, the main reason I got mine on so early is so i can package some up for chrissie presents. the 6 week lager dictated that.

 

[mr_wibble]

Any chance you could post the Beersmith recipe (or send to the mailing list), that .bsmx thingy.

I need to pull my finger out as it were. Will get the grain today.

 

[silvana]

I'm brewed and cubed. Will probably pitch the yeast tomorrow. Totally unorganised so no split batch for me just 34/70 at 16 or 17c

 

[n87]

Any chance you could post the Beersmith recipe (or send to the mailing list), that .bsmx thingy.

I need to pull my finger out as it were. Will get the grain today.

Hi Wibs,

The recipe is listed here: http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/92648-group-brew-by-correspondence/page-3#entry1411321

OK. Recipe as follows:

OG: 1.070
batch size: 23L ~75% eff

5.00 kg Pilsner Malt 69.7 %
1.00 kg Munich Malt 13.9 %
0.33 kg Aromatic Malt 4.6 %
0.23 kg Caramunich/vienna 3.3 %
0.08 kg Amber/Biscuit Malt 1.1 %
0.02 kg Debittered Black (Carafa) 0.3 %
0.50 kg Sugar 7.0 %

94g @90mins Saaz 25 IBU




Low temp mash suggested to help it dry out
90min boil
sugar added either in the kettle or fermenter if you want to go easy on the yeast
Lagered for 3-4 weeks before packaging

Recipe blog here: http://ccbrewers.wixsite.com/ccbrew/single-post/2016/10/22/Recipe-Bi%C3%A8re-de-Garde

Yeast is dealers choice.

I could put my beersmith file up, but mine is for a double batch so you would likely have to mess around with it more than you would just adding it.
Still, let me know if you want it.

 

[gone brewing]

I've justed started the boil as I write this and planning to pitch tomorrow.

 

[mr_wibble]

I'll try to start it tomorrow ~5am.

Scheduled to do the, uh, Lake Macquarie Annual XMas Brew on Sunday too - The Gingerbread Ale from the recipe in Nov 2016 "Brew Your Own" magazine.

I'm going to have to juggle fermentation-fridge space a bit, the smoked apple ale is ready to finish, might just leave that out at room temperature for a few days. And I guess I can move the Gulden Draak clone from the 60L into a 20L since I accidentally siphoned ~20 litres into the dirt while dealing with a hop-clogged plate chiller

 

[n87]

sounds like you are doing more juggling than me.

Hope the Gulden Draak turns out, I do seem to remember that was quite a nice beer.

 

[Nicstars]

I've done mine. Almost been in the fermenter for a week. I should have waited, or changed the yeast. My poor flat mate is struggling with switching ice packs in and out 3 times a day to try and keep it blow exploding temperature!

 

[mr_wibble]

I had the mother of all stuck sparges on that wort.
Must have stirred the 3rd sparge grain-bed a bit too roughly, could not get the bloody thing to flow again.
I even tried pumping wort I'd already taken off, back up the tap - didn't budge it.

After an hour of dicking about with it, I dumped the lot into my big mash tun - that fixed it for sure.

Found the elbow on the esky mash-filter-plate was clogged with malt.

Then I got to wash up two mash tuns, hooray.

Anyway, the batch is in the fermenter. I'll do the sugar addition once it's goin' like the clappers.

 

[mr_wibble]

I've done mine. Almost been in the fermenter for a week. I should have waited, or changed the yeast. My poor flat mate is struggling with switching ice packs in and out 3 times a day to try and keep it blow exploding temperature!

Geeze that would have been an unenviable task today.

First I thought we were going to be washed away, and then by the afternoon we all were half cooked.

 

[n87]

Mine is down to 1.003.
Currently set to 0.5C for its nap time

Still tasting wonderful

 

[fungrel]

Going to put this one down on Saturday.

Has anyone modified their water for this brew? I was thinking a softer profile.

 

[n87]

I filtered my water for the first time... does that count

 

[gone brewing]

I added 7g of calcium chloride to the mash (BIAB).

 

[fungrel]

I filtered my water for the first time... does that count

That counts. Was it RO, did you add anything back?

I am leaning towards something soft, more chloride than sulfate.

 

[n87]

That counts. Was it RO, did you add anything back?

I am leaning towards something soft, more chloride than sulfate.

Just 2 stage, 0.5 micron carbon block.
Nothing added

 

[mr_wibble]

Going to put this one down on Saturday.

Has anyone modified their water for this brew? I was thinking a softer profile.

Yeah I added calcium chloride and calcium sulphate. Might have added some chalk too - don't have my brewsheet here.
But (as discussed previously) our tank water is very acidic, and devoid of nearly everything. Mash pH was 5.6. Don't remember the modified water pH, maybe 5.4? almost same as the mash.

 

[fungrel]

Pitched K-97 yesterday with loads of pure o2. Was violently doing it's thing this morning.
Intending to lager on French Oak staves, and bottle with Brett C.

 

[gone brewing]

Mine's been down for 12 days, started at 1.063 and today was at 1.007, so quite high attenuation to give a beer that's about 7.6%. A couple more days at 19 degrees then I'll cc it for a week or two. I used US05.