Huge beers

[Velu]

Dilute and measure??

 

[MHB]

From personal experience, I would look at adjusting the mash temperature and perhaps pH to favor Beta Amylase. In very big beers (say <12%ABV) you can end up with a lot of non-fermentable residues in the beer.
The best results I have had were by following a mash schedule from Brewing Science and Practice, 4.2 Mashing Schedules; reportedly designed to give the most attenuateive wort possible.

In Germany highly fermentable wort may be made by using an exceptionally `intensive' temperature-programmed mash, with rests at
50 oC/30min.; 62 oC/45min.; 65 oC/45min.; 68 oC/30 min.; 70 oC/30 min.; 72 oC/15 min. and then mashing off at 73-74 oC This process takes 3.5-4 h.

Another case of having a Braumeister at the time and see what it could do, worked well and got a reasonably attenuateive wort.
Mark

 

[Grainer]

The issue becomes how the hell do you measure that? Honey refrac?

Serial dilutions

 

[MHB]

When my Hydrometer or refractometer run out of range, I just weigh a sample in a volumetric flask; a 1000mL flask +/-0.5mL weighed to 0.1g is accurate enough.
Mark

 

[MastersBrewery]

From personal experience, I would look at adjusting the mash temperature and perhaps pH to favor Beta Amylase. In very big beers (say <12%ABV) you can end up with a lot of non-fermentable residues in the beer.
The best results I have had were by following a mash schedule from Brewing Science and Practice, 4.2 Mashing Schedules; reportedly designed to give the most attenuateive wort possible.

In Germany highly fermentable wort may be made by using an exceptionally `intensive' temperature-programmed mash, with rests at
50 oC/30min.; 62 oC/45min.; 65 oC/45min.; 68 oC/30 min.; 70 oC/30 min.; 72 oC/15 min. and then mashing off at 73-74 oC This process takes 3.5-4 h.

Another case of having a Braumeister at the time and see what it could do, worked well and got a reasonably attenuateive wort.
Mark

So in a reiterated mash would you run the same schedual saving mash off till mashing was completed or run the second/third iterations just at sac? And would ph adjustments take place at mash in of each iteration?

 

[Goose]

Hey,

Above have covered the post questions but I'm interested in the hop schedule. It's seems really excessive for bittering additions? Achieving 100ibu without a single last addition seems blizzard with a somewhat dank hop like galena, it would be better served late.

As a suggestion only, take All the galena and add it at 5mins, if the Ibu is not high enough maybe at 10mins but definitely late in the boil.

Also Extend the boil to 90mins and use less centennial at 90mins to get 33ibu and then make a single middle addition with centennial at 45mins.

Maybe it's no chill.

Thanks for this pratts.

You can probably tell I've been bequeathed a shedload of Galena and part of this big and high IBU beer is to shift it out. I have used it before in an IPA with many staggered additions and find the hop has a kind of sharp citrus taste to it that compliments the centennial. Its relatively high IBU so was trying to make the most of it earlier in the boil, but I take your point on the 90 mins to better utilise the Centennial. On the dry hopping I'm throwing in a tad of Nelson Sauvin for that floral chardy aroma if it at all come through.

How about this:

Mea Culpa

American IPA (14 B)


Type: All Grain
Batch Size: 44.50 l
Boil Size: 53.16 l
Boil Time: 60 min
End of Boil Vol: 48.36 l
Final Bottling Vol: 43.00 l
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage
Date: 04 Apr 2015
Brewer: Goose
Asst Brewer:
Equipment: BrewMagic 45 Litre
Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 73.1 %
Taste Rating: 30.0
Taste Notes:
Ingredients
Amt Name Type # %/IBU

13.66 kg Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (3.9 EBC) Grain 1 76.5 %
2.65 kg Wheat Malt, Ger (3.9 EBC) Grain 2 14.9 %
0.79 kg Munich Malt (17.7 EBC) Grain 3 4.4 %
0.75 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (118.2 EBC) Grain 4 4.2 %
90.00 g Centennial [8.68 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 5 35.8 IBUs
90.00 g Centennial [8.68 %] - Boil 45.0 min Hop 6 30.7 IBUs
150.00 g Galena [12.50 %] - Boil 10.0 min Hop 7 29.1 IBUs
50.00 g Galena [12.50 %] - Boil 5.0 min Hop 8 5.3 IBUs

3.9 pkg Safale American (DCL/Fermentis #US-05) [50.28 ml] Yeast 9 -

50.00 g Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 10 0.0 IBUs
50.00 g Galena [12.50 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 11 0.0 IBUs
50.00 g Nelson Sauvin [12.00 %] - Dry Hop 7.0 Days Hop 12 0.0 IBUs
Gravity, Alcohol Content and Color

Est Original Gravity: 1.088 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.023 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 8.5 %
Bitterness: 101.0 IBUs
Est Color: 19.1 EBC
Measured Original Gravity: 1.079 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 9.1 %
Calories: 753.8 kcal/l

Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Full Body
Sparge Water: 39.43 l
Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE
Total Grain Weight: 17.87 kg
Grain Temperature: 28.0 C
Tun Temperature: 28.0 C
Mash PH: 5.20
Mash Steps
Name Description Step Temperature Step Time
Mash In Add 17.61 l of water at 84.7 C 68.9 C 45 min
Mash Out Add 7.04 l of water at 98.6 C 75.6 C 10 min

Sparge: Fly sparge with 39.43 l water at 75.6 C
Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).
Carbonation and Storage

Carbonation Type: Keg
Pressure/Weight: 86.48 KPA
Keg/Bottling Temperature: 7.2 C
Fermentation: Ale, Single Stage
Volumes of CO2: 2.3
Carbonation Used: Keg with 86.48 KPA
Age for: 30.00 days
Storage Temperature: 18.3 C
Notes

 

[Dan Pratt]

^ ^ That sure does appear much better than the previous schedule.

You still have 66IBU from bittering additions which is a lot and wont go unnoticed, certainly a good starting higher IBU beer. Next time, if you want to round that out a little, add the 90min as FWH ( first wort hopping). That is adding to the boil kettle @ 80c during the sparge. You will get a slightly lower bittering ~ 30ish however will be much smoother to the finished beer.

Will be interested to see how it turns out.

 

[Goose]

Great suggestions on the re-iterated mashing, and the mash schedule suggested for a highly fermentable wort. I do have a BM but won't be using it for this run, but to improve efficiency on the 3V rims thinking I'll try this compromise.

My recipe calls for about 18 kg of grains, 14kg of base and 4 of specialty. I know my efficiency for circa 10 kg runs, so how about:

1) mash 10 kg of base malt at 63 deg C (for max conversion) , 30 mins
2) add in specialty (4kg) + additional strike water, mash for another 30 mins at 63 deg C.
3) mashout 20 mins 75 deg C
4) sparge slowly to target volume.

Has to be better than all in one attempt ?

 

[Goose]

^ ^ That sure does appear much better than the previous schedule.

You still have 66IBU from bittering additions which is a lot and wont go unnoticed, certainly a good starting higher IBU beer. Next time, if you want to round that out a little, add the 90min as FWH ( first wort hopping). That is adding to the boil kettle @ 80c during the sparge. You will get a slightly lower bittering ~ 30ish however will be much smoother to the finished beer.

Will be interested to see how it turns out.

Thanks Pratts, question though. If I still do a 90 min boil and add the same centennial as FWH instead of the 90 min mark, surely my IBU will be higher and not lower ?

Or are you suggesting I reduce the quantity to achieve same IBU contribution ? Or shortening the boil ?

 

[Dan Pratt]

Thanks Pratts, question though. If I still do a 90 min boil and add the same centennial as FWH instead of the 90 min mark, surely my IBU will be higher and not lower ?

Or are you suggesting I reduce the quantity to achieve same IBU contribution ? Or shortening the boil ?

Keep the grams of centennial the same, just add them before and boil for 90mins. I've done a number of beers to see what the IBU bittering addition is like and found the FWH is less bitterness, more rounded which makes the perceived bitterness less.

• added at 90 mins while wort is boiling - solid strong edgy bitterness that lingers ( level of lingering depends on co humulone % )
• added at 98c a few mins before wort starts boiling - bittering that is very similar to the boil addition.
• added during sparge at ~ 80c - very smooth, rounded bitterness that compliments the middle additions and last hops.

You will know what you like when you have tried it a few times. I sometimes like a tounge tickle from the bitterness and other times just want the beer to have enough bittering to balance the abundant late hop resin/flavours.