Best bitter

[Rookie]

5.5 pounds Crisp #19 maris otter milled for tomorrow's brewday.

[PeeBee]

I may await your verdict. I've been toying with getting some No.19, but I'll probably cave-in and get Plumage-Archer instead. The brews I'm currently planning are http://barclayperkins.blogspot.com/2023 ... pride.html (bit borderline to pass off as "best bitter") and his 1940 Whitbread Extra Stout (his "Stout!" book) (err ... not best bitter at all!).

As both those dates pre-date Maris Otter (1975) I suppose the Plumage-Archer is more in-keeping.

Anyway, it'll have been Plumage-Archer straw bales I used to make me dens out of as a kid! So, a bit of nostalgia?

[Eric]

Got no MO or Plumage-Archer either, but desperately low on beer and a quick 19 litres/5 US gallons of London Pride might nicely fit the bill and resurrect July's yeast harvesting. Can't brew tomorrow, earliest would be Wednesday if nothing raises it's ugly head above the parapet and the garage is cleared of accumulated rubbish. Fingers crossed.

[Rookie]

Mash smells awesome

[Rookie]

I usually get 1.044 in 3 gallons using Briess or Great Western pale ale malt. With this malt I got 1.051 in 3.25 gallons.

[Eric]

Wow. Massive difference. I recon you got 82% extraction efficiency from the Crisp MO.

[Cobnut]

I hope it ferments out...

[Eric]

I hope it ferments out...

That will be interesting to learn. Briess, and potentially all US grown barleys, contain more nitrogen and enzymes, so convert
more quickly than UK grown malting barleys.

Crisp generally advise a 60 minute mash with their products, except when making low gluten or gluten free beers, where they advise a 90 minute mash. I mostly mash for 90 minutes, especially when the mash contains a high proportion of unmalted adjuncts, while I've read that Briess pale malt can self convert in as little as 20 minutes.

There are of course other reasons for lesser attenuating fermentations.

[Cobnut]

Eric, I was referring to the strange experiences I'd had with No 19 MO from Crisp whereby every brew failed to ferment out.

https://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/vie ... 43#p867443

I do have some left so perhaps it would be worth extending my mash to 90 mins, but I don't think Crisps see this as necessary with any of their malts.

[Eric]

Eric, I was referring to the strange experiences I'd had with No 19 MO from Crisp whereby every brew failed to ferment out.

https://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/forum/vie ... 43#p867443

I do have some left so perhaps it would be worth extending my mash to 90 mins, but I don't think Crisps see this as necessary with any of their malts.

Yes, you referenced that occasion twice in Rookie's previous post on receipt of that particular grain.

My post should have been better worded, particularly as my memory has been fading rapidly of late, with age or other things?

As you suggest, Crisp's current advice is for 60 minutes mash other than for gluten-free beers, which I think may also include rice. Frequently using lots of unmalted adjuncts, I do mash for 90 minutes to ensure good extraction efficiency and suitable attenuation. Nonetheless, it is sometimes necessary to halt sparging and recycle a while to stop a sudden fall in gravity of the runnings and reduced efficiency.

Rookie obviously brews for taste rather than strength, so he may not be bothered if the brew doesn't fully attenuate and compare his experience and yours. Here, fermenting with Yorkshire yeasts of British origin, near racking gravity is usually achieved in 2 to 3 days, very occasionally one more, before cooling green beer to clear and rack on day seven, but then I've not used No 19 MO.

[PeeBee]

... particularly as my memory has been fading rapidly of late, with age or other things? ...

What you on, Eric? Only yesterday I was being told at Hospital if you think something like that is going to happen, it won't be. If you are totally unaware it's going to happen, it will, and you'll have no idea what is happening. And from such advice you've obviously got ages and ages to go.

Where upon, he booked me in to see another Psychiatrist!

[Rookie]

I hope it ferments out...

Me too. The reason I treated the Crisp #19 the same as my usual pale ale malt is to see the result and decide if I need to adjust my normal procedure.

[Rookie]

I hope it ferments out...

Me too. The reason I treated the Crisp #19 the same as my usual pale ale malt is to see the result and decide if I need to adjust my normal procedure.

I ended up with a F G of 1.019. I really liked the taste even with the higher ending. Now I know what I'm dealing with. Next time I'll mash at a lower temperature and for a longer time. I'll also be using a yeast that normally ferments lower.

[Eric]

Thank you for that information. Could you tell us for how long you mashed?

[Cobnut]

Also let us know how you get on with a longer mash. I think I still have some of the No. 19 MO sack left in my stocks…maybe I’ll try a lower mash temp for longer with it…

Bottling and kegging a dark mild today. Brewed last Saturday. The Wyeast Whitbread was done within about 2 days, but I left it another couple of days before allowing it to cool down to shed temperature (c. 8C). 18L has gone into a keg with 11L to be bottled for various purposes.

Clarity is lovely a;ready, so I’m using a Blichmann Quick Carb to get it ready for drinking almost immediately. The bottles will condition for a week or so warm before I need the fermenting fridge for my next beer.