Making fresh wort kits

[fattox]

Hey guys,

I'm basically a newish BIAB brewer with around 6 batches down now, I have the idea down pat but what I wanna know is how do you work a fresh wort kit?

For example, I'm working a recipe for the old boy, who has got lazy and just buys fresh wort kits now, and was thinking because I've pinched his last couple of cubes he got them in, I could clean them out, and punch a brew of my own in.

I've got a basic recipe for an APA, to make up to 17 litres at an OG of 1.077, 44.2 IBU and 20 EBC

3.7kg Pale ale malt
1.5kg pilsner
480 melanoidin
370 caramalt

This is to yield a 17 litre wort kit (that's all I have volume for in the cube), and then by adding 6 litres of cold water to said brew, he ends up with OG 1.057, 40 IBU, 16.3 EBC.

Does this sound about right? My logic is make it overly concentrated, and then it will get back to the right level of gravity etc. with the water addition when he gets it.

Also, how's the recipe sound?

Any help would be appreciated!

Cheers

 

[mckenry]

Your logic is correct. I think 1.057 is as high as youd want to go. Your efficiency will suffer making a high SG wort. 1.077 is going to take more grain than just linearly increasing the grain the SG ratio. Just be prepared for that. Regardless, you'll still make wort. Hop utilisation is also different in concentrated boils, so youll need to look that up.

 

[earle]

Are you sure the cubes are not 17l. Where has he been getting them from?

 

[fattox]

From Bundy home brew shop Earle. He had to add 6 litres of water to make it up to a 23 litre batch!

For what it's worth, I was actually really disappointed with the brew shop up there too. They had about 4 wort kits, and next to no viable kits or extracts to knock out a quick APA for Dad.

No joke, I sent him with a simple list - tin each of Morgan's Beer Enhancer and Pale Extract, and a pack each of Citra and Mosaic hops. Apparently they didn't even know what those hops were! And they literally only sold DME and kits, yet did all grain wort kits. Gah. Hence me punching out some fresh wort kits for him. I'll more than likely end up picking up a couple of 25L cubes and sending them down with my aunt at easter full of ready wort anyway, haha. I was gonna send him a local one too, for comparison. I think he wanted SNPA

 

[Tahoose]

Wow sounds like a tough gig with the hbs, it might be better for him to just get them delivered from craftbrewer...

I have done something similar, brewed an AG brew for a mate, no chilled into a cube and then just fermented it at his place.

Then we just split the results, works for me as he has a 400ltr all fridge with a temp controller... And I don't have that sort of space. And he gets some cheap beer.

The bonus with no chilling into a cube though is as long as your process is good the wort will last for months, so you could brew a shed load for him then just give him all of the cubes at once... Should see him right for a while

 

[Parks]

From Bundy home brew shop Earle.

I know it's a reasonable drive but maybe you should get him to see Martin at National home-brew in Hervey Bay. He's doing great work trying to compete with the other big boys out there.

He's one of the site sponsors above.

Obviously the other site sponsors are worth using too but National is a doable drive for a day trip from Bundy.

 

[fattox]

Oh yeah, HB is maybe an hour to 90 mins from Bundy. I've got two cubes now anyway, so I might punch a couple different beers out for him before the next visit and take them with me. If I'm No-Chilling them, like you said they'll last ages. I think what I'll end up doing is just doing the brews to fit the fermenter, and throwing any extra into one of my 5L carboys