Kit And Grain Help Needed

[dc59]

Hey people my last two brews I used a kit and a 90min mash of approx. 1.5kg of grain (1.35kg of pale and 0.165kg of crystal). The quantity of grain was under the recommendation of HBS guy, but admitted to being slightly unsure since he only brews AG.

I was wondering if this is the right amount to be using to make a full strength beer (sorry no idea what my efficiency is).

Also wondering if anyone has advice or recipes with this style of brewing. My selecting of grains was based entirely on colour :unsure: . A stout is going to be my next beer but kit/grain combinations on any style of beer would be much appreciated.

thanks heaps for reading guys and girls.

Dave.

 

[microbe]

Hey Dravid,

I would guess that it'll turn out a bit light based on the fact that most AG recipes I've seen start at about 5Kg grain for a standard sized batch. Using this (estimating) calculator it comes out at about 3.9%.

RDWHAHB - It'll still be beer!

I've done a stout kit w/ grain but only 250g? (IIRC) HBS "Stout Mix" with a Morgans Stout (1.7) and an Unhopped Dark Malt (1.5?). Came out OK but tasted quite 'earthy' - bit of an acquired taste - maybe just too much malt?

Cheers,

microbe

 

[dc59]

Alright thanks mate. Since I'm bottling them they should be about 4.4% going from your calculations, which is great.(assuming the beer tastes good of course)

I appreciate your help, I might up grains to 2kg with kit for next one.

Since I'm doing a stout I'm thinking I might try

stout kit (Coopers variety)
1.75kg of pale grain
0.25kg of choc grain
15mL of liquorice extract
all made up to 18L

If anyone can foresee issues with this mix I'll take suggestions on board. I'll got dextrose, malto-dextrin and about 250g of malt extract as well. Thought about late hop additions but went against it, but if someone knows any that might work really well, I'll listen.

thanks, Dave

 

[redgums500]

Should work out alright. For hops I would add 15 to 25 grams of Goldings or Fuggles just to counter some of the sweetness from the grains. Wind the liquorice back to 5 to 10 ml unless you really love liquorice.
If your a stout fanatic why not add 300gms of rolled oats to the mash for a real treat.

hope this helps

Redgums

 

[dc59]

Thanks for advice redgums, this will only be my second stout, bit lazy of me since I love them.

I think I'll take your advice and roll the liqourice back to 10mL (thats how much I used last time). Are the rolled oats just the kind you get from the cereal section of the supermarket? And would they be in there for the whole mash or just towards the end?

Thanks again, Dave

 

[Swinging Beef]

I have nothing to add, as Im learning, but I hope to do a stout soon, so any information here will be for a dual purpose.

 

[rich_lamb]

Re your first question on amounts:
With partials I used to convert everything back to a common base to work out strength. My common base was DME, and I typically got 1.010 of gravity from each 500g of DME (in 19 litres) which seems to agree with most others experience.
ie. for a "normal" 1.050 beer about 2.5kg would do it.

Now for liquid malt (as in kits) I converted down by a factor of 0.8, so if the can was 1.8kg it would equal 1.44kg DME, and for grains in smallish quantities I had a conversion factor of 0.66. Your mileage may vary, but test you gravity over a couple of brews and you will dial it in. I used to be very accurate with my SG's.

Your numbers look about right for a 1.040 beer using my conversions, so bumping up to 2kg grains for your stout would be fine.
The stout recipe looks good. First go at any recipe is never what you expect but still good beer!

 

[dc59]

Thanks B&T

My only thing I'm still not sure about is Redgum's suggestion to add 300g of rolled oats to the mash. Is this just the type found in the cereal section of a supermarket or another kind. Also what will be the affects of using it?

Thanks for help people, I'll probably be putting this stout down in a couple days time.


PS: love the avatar pic as well B&T.

 

[Adamt]

Rolled oats tend to add a silky mouthfeel to the beer, just throw it in your mash, supermarket ones are fine.

 

[redgums500]

Thanks B&T

My only thing I'm still not sure about is Redgum's suggestion to add 300g of rolled oats to the mash. Is this just the type found in the cereal section of a supermarket or another kind. Also what will be the affects of using it?

Thanks for help people, I'll probably be putting this stout down in a couple days time.


PS: love the avatar pic as well B&T.

Sorry Dravid just got back from the big smoke.
Just ordinary rolled oats from the cereal section of the supermarket. I just use the black and gold brand.
And add them for the entire mash.
cheers
Redgums

 

[drsmurto]

If you are doing a partial mash i would start with a blank canvas.

Start with a Coopers lager kit, its basically liquid malt with approx 23IBUs (if topped up to 23L). Add all the colour and flavour yourself with fresh grain.

Partial mash - 2.0kg pale malt, 0.5kg flaked barley, 0.5kg roasted barley (could drop this, i like a good roasty stout).

Boil - 30g of EKG (4.5% AA) for 60 mins.

Add coopers lager kit at flameout.

If you make this up to 23L, assuming 70% efficiency for your partial mash, you get 4.80% abv and 40 IBUs.

Cheers
DrSmurto

 

[bconnery]

I have the following partial stout recipe in the db that was very very nice.

It was a big roasty stout, just the way I like them, and did very well around the place...

I used munich as my base grain for the minimash to put some nice maltiness in there behind the roast and had flaked barley and rolled oats.