Using what I have for first run.

[livo]

My brew room has benches built and is plumbed in with water, so I'm nearly ready to have a bash.

When I picked up some AG gear recently, I was gifted the guy's remaining grain. Half a bag of Gladfield Ale Malt, some Special B, a few roasted varieties as well as 3 bags of frozen hop pellets. Hallertau Mittelfruh (3.0), CZ Saaz (4.3) and Nelson Sauvin (2.2). I already have 2 packs of US-05, or I could use Cooper's Lager (actual Lager) yeast.

I played around a bit with Brewer's Friend and came up with this as a very basic starting point. I'm still learning how the calculators etc work and I have not yet entered a gear profile, so it's telling me my kettle volume is exceeded. Also, I'm not sure about sparge temperature and mash out etc, but I intend using Batch Sparge for now.

Any thoughts to improve or suggestions for a first batch using what I've got here. At first, I only entered Hallertau hops but then read the bag and it says they are Aroma Hops. I'm just after a very simple, no fuss brew to get me started filling 2 kegs at 43 litres to the FV.

 

[Coalface]

Just having a quick look at your recipe, do you have more hops? you may want to increase the bittering, it is currently at 18 IBU, for reference a VB or Melbourne Bitter is about 25 IBU.

 

[TwoCrows]

Sounds like a nice Kolsch, should be good. The hops sound good.
The Mittelfruh won't do much at .7 %AA
I dont think US05 will get you to 1.006 with a mash @66 C it will probably get you to 1.009
As this is your first brew day, you will need to establish your efficiency for future brews. 70 % is a good start.
Look at other people recipes in the same style to help you tweek yours.




I have had success with these numbers.

Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.011
IBU (Tinseth): 25
BU/GU: 0.45
Color: 3.5 SRM

63-40mins
70- 10mins
Mashout 75 -10mins

14 IBU— Hallertauer Mittelfruh 4% — Boil — 90 min
8 IBU — Tettnang 4.5% — Boil — 15 min
3 IBU — Tettnang 4.5% — Boil — 5 min

Water Profile
Ca2+ 34
Mg2+6
Na+20
Cl-40
SO42-60
HCO3-16

 

[livo]

Just having a quick look at your recipe, do you have more hops? you may want to increase the bittering, it is currently at 18 IBU, for reference a VB or Melbourne Bitter is about 25 IBU.

Yes, I have more. About 100g of each and I just bought 100 POR.

Edit: I was reading a recipe for a Summer Lager that was supposedly at 20 IBU, but I'd be happy with VB / Melbourne bitterness. We used to drink loads of it.

 

[livo]

Sounds like a nice Kolsch, should be good. The hops sound good.
The Mittelfruh won't do much at .7 %AA
I dont think US05 will get you to 1.006 with a mash @66 C it will probably get you to 1.009
As this is your first brew day, you will need to establish your efficiency for future brews. 70 % is a good start.
Look at other people recipes in the same style to help you tweek yours.




I have had success with these numbers.

Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.011
IBU (Tinseth): 25
BU/GU: 0.45
Color: 3.5 SRM

63-40mins
70- 10mins
Mashout 75 -10mins

14 IBU— Hallertauer Mittelfruh 4% — Boil — 90 min
8 IBU — Tettnang 4.5% — Boil — 15 min
3 IBU — Tettnang 4.5% — Boil — 5 min

Water Profile
Ca2+ 34
Mg2+6
Na+20
Cl-40
SO42-60
HCO3-16

I have to work out how to get my water tested. Rainwater. I know the pH is acidic at 5.8. I can test hardness and I know there is no chlorine. I can measure TDS but that doesn't tell me what levels I have.

Edit: The Hallertau Mittelfrau I have is 3.0%AA but provides 0.77 IBU. Which figure are you looking at?

 

[livo]

Learning to drive Brewer's Friend so go easy on me.

Any reason to, or not to include some Special B grain in the mix?

 

[TwoCrows]

Ibu is what I meant, got it wrong in the wording.

I have only used Special B in a Belgian Dark Strong and only at 3% of the grain bill. Heavy caramel and raisin flavours. Can be used in a Vienna lager. I would not add it to your recipe.

 

[livo]

Yeah, the guy who gave it to me said he liked beer you could eat with a fork.