New Brewer

[Stiftung]

Hi,

I just signed up, and have recently started my first brew. I wanted something organic and something cheap. I didn't have too much luck finding organic ingredients locally, it's hardly a concern for most brewers.

I didn't base it on any existing recipe.

4kg of organic, GMO & Gluten free, pure harvest rice malt from Coles
24lt of water from Mt Donna Buang
50g 3% alpha, Australian take on Hallertau hops (ideally I wanted to use Organic Wakatu hops from NZ, but this was more convenient for my first batch). I added the hops for the second half of the 60min boil, then filtered the bulk of it out with a cheesecloth when tipping into the fermenter.
1 Pitch of White Labs Belgian Saison, used in a 1.5lt starter
I'm thinking of priming my bottles with organic coconut sugar (I just have a heap of it at home)

It has been bubbling away nicely since Sunday 31st at around 17-18 degrees.

I know the rice malt won't be very flavourful but I will try a secondary ferment for my second brew with the aim of a fruity, sour, tarty flavor, unless it tastes like bat piss, then I will re-think!

I'm interested in any other organic brewers tricks and I'm here to learn so any advice will be appreciated.

Cheers!

 

[Matplat]

Keen to hear the results, but very concerned that it's gonna taste like crap. Rice malt is usually used as an adjunct to get malt beers to finish really dry.

 

[sp0rk]

If you're that keen on organics, Weyermann do a bunch of organic base malts and spec malts
https://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=4932
Viking Malt also do an organic base malt
I think you'll probably never see one grown here in Aus
Mostly for the fact that Australia is a prick of a place to grow stuff in the first place, grain needs all the help it can get to grow
And I'll keep my personal opinions on organics to myself...

 

[Stiftung]

Cheers, I did manage to find some organic barley malt locally, but I'll save it for the next brew.

 

[dteahan]

Cheers, I did manage to find some organic barley malt locally, but I'll save it for the next brew.

May I ask in a non-controversial way - why organic? The end result is broadly alcohol?

 

[GalBrew]

That 'beer' is not going to taste good (I'm not entirely sure it's even a beer).

 

[Stiftung]

May I ask in a non-controversial way - why organic? The end result is broadly alcohol?

No. I'm not here to start a pro/non pro organic debate!

 

[Stiftung]

That 'beer' is not going to taste good (I'm not entirely sure it's even a beer).

It's a bit of a learning experiment. I want to use organic ingredients that don't blow my budget which pretty much limits my options. I have since found some organic barley malt that I will include in the next batch, and I want to try secondary ferments too, but I am doing it one step at a time so I can taste the difference each ingredient makes.