Brewing plans while stuck at home

Get advice on making beer from raw ingredients (malt, hops, water and yeast)
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Fuggled Mind
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Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Fuggled Mind » Fri Mar 20, 2020 11:29 am

Now that most of us around the world are supposed to be practicing social distancing or are under lockdown, it seems like a good idea to plan a brew

I'm really keen on giving the Cameron Strongarm recipe in Graham Wheeler's BYORAAH a try. It's one of the earlier editions (1993) and the recipe is quite different to the 3rd edition. I like this recipe as I can use some of the stuff I have lying around the house and I haven't brewed a bitter in a while

OG 1.040
FG 1.010 (approx)
Alcohol content 4.1%
IBU - 32
Recipe is for 23L. I'll do 19L
2700g Pale malt (62%)¨
700g Crystal malt (16%) I'm out of medium crystal so I'll do 10.3% Carared and 5.8% caraaroma to get the same colour)
350g Flaked maize (8%)
Maltose syrup (14%) I'm going to use my homemade invert no 2
Hops
90g Fuggles @ 90 mins (That's almost enough to stun a horse. I guess in 1993, hops for homebrewing were not stored that well). I'm using Challenger
15g Goldings @ 15 mins. I'm using Styrian Goldings.

Mash @ 65°C for 90 mins.
Boil - 2 hours - I'll definitely shorten it to 90 mins.

So is anyone planning a brew? Share your plans and recipes

Cheers

Jason
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
W. C. Fields

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Cobnut » Fri Mar 20, 2020 1:43 pm

I've got a pack of Keyworth Mid-season heritage hops from the lovely Dorothy Hollamby at A Bushel of Hops which I've been planning to use for a while in a single hop ale. My yeast starter (Brewlab Thames Valley 1) is ready for tomorrow, so this is what I'm brewing:

Keyworth Mid-season single hop (estimated 5% AA)
23L batch @ 4.1%
OG 1041, FG 1010
EBC 8.9
32 IBU

Mash 60min @ 67C
Then 10min mashout @ 75C

4Kg Munton's Extra Pale MO
210g Crisp's Wheat Malt
110g Crisps extra dark crystal (148EBC)

Hops:
45g @ 60 min for 25.2 IBU
15g @ 10 min for 3.9 IBU
40g @ 0 min for 15 min hopstand for 2.7 IBU

Protafloc @ 15min

Ferment 18C for approx. 1 week before bottling with an appropriate amount of white sugar for priming.

Should be sampling in a fortnight, but leaving a little longer before tucking in properly!

Cheers,

Cobnut
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Fuggled Mind » Fri Mar 20, 2020 3:03 pm

That sounds like a lovely pint Cobnut. I once had some keyworth early that I used in a copy of Gales Festival Mild (which was very nice) but the recipe didn't really showcase what the hop had to offer. Wonder if keyworth mid tastes all that different?

Cheers

Jason
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
W. C. Fields

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Cobnut » Fri Mar 20, 2020 3:23 pm

This talks a little about the differences between the two:

http://edsbeer.blogspot.com/2013/02/cha ... -hops.html

I'll also dig out my book of brewing ingredients and post the relevant parts in a bit.
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Fuggled Mind » Fri Mar 20, 2020 5:29 pm

Thanks for that. Interesting stuff. Hope the brew works out well and that these hops become more popular
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
W. C. Fields

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Cobnut » Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:03 pm

I promised the details of the 2 Keyworth hops (Early & Mid-season), so here's the extract from The Craft Brewers' Compendium
Keyworth.jpg
Fermenting: nowt
Conditioning: English IPA/Bretted English IPA
Drinking: Sunshine Marmalade, Festbier, Helles Bock, Smokey lagery beer, Irish Export StoutCascade APA (homegrown hops), Orval clone, Impy stout, Duvel clone, Conestoga (American Barley wine)
Planning: Dark Mild, Kozel dark (ish), Simmonds Bitter, Bitter, Citra PA and more!

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Rookie » Mon Mar 23, 2020 7:02 pm

I won't be able to up my brewing as I'm spending more at the store on essentials, mainly far more expensive items that I'm only getting because the lower price stuff I usually get is out of stock. Thanks hoarders.
I'm just here for the beer.

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Fuggled Mind » Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:08 pm

Rookie wrote:
Mon Mar 23, 2020 7:02 pm
I won't be able to up my brewing as I'm spending more at the store on essentials, mainly far more expensive items that I'm only getting because the lower price stuff I usually get is out of stock. Thanks hoarders.
I'm sorry to hear that Rookie - it's as if the world's gone mad. I've heard it's the same in the UK and there's been a bit of panic buying here in Switzerland. The usual suspects - toilet rolls, hand sanitizer, flour and tinned tomatoes. Like you said, it's often the cheaper stuff, not the premium products. I also noticed all the dried bread yeast had gone when I went shopping last week but I have plenty of that as I normally throw a pack in the boil when I'm brewing (as a yeast nutrient). I won't be quite as wasteful in these uncertain times now though.

Cheers

Jason
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
W. C. Fields

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Rookie » Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:55 pm

Fuggled Mind wrote:
Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:08 pm
Rookie wrote:
Mon Mar 23, 2020 7:02 pm
I won't be able to up my brewing as I'm spending more at the store on essentials, mainly far more expensive items that I'm only getting because the lower price stuff I usually get is out of stock. Thanks hoarders.
I'm sorry to hear that Rookie - it's as if the world's gone mad. I've heard it's the same in the UK and there's been a bit of panic buying here in Switzerland. The usual suspects - toilet rolls, hand sanitizer, flour and tinned tomatoes. Like you said, it's often the cheaper stuff, not the premium products. I also noticed all the dried bread yeast had gone when I went shopping last week but I have plenty of that as I normally throw a pack in the boil when I'm brewing (as a yeast nutrient). I won't be quite as wasteful in these uncertain times now though.

Cheers

Jason
Premium indeed: hamburger for over $4 a pound instead of $2.39 and we were lucky to find any, name brand flour at twice the price of store brand; same for cheddar cheese.
Luckily I have an article on tap in Zymurgy (July/Aug) and will be able to stock up once I get paid for that.
I'm just here for the beer.

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Kingfisher4 » Tue Mar 24, 2020 1:09 am

Fuggled Mind wrote:
Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:08 pm
Rookie wrote:
Mon Mar 23, 2020 7:02 pm
I won't be able to up my brewing as I'm spending more at the store on essentials, mainly far more expensive items that I'm only getting because the lower price stuff I usually get is out of stock. Thanks hoarders.
I'm sorry to hear that Rookie - it's as if the world's gone mad. I've heard it's the same in the UK and there's been a bit of panic buying here in Switzerland. The usual suspects - toilet rolls, hand sanitizer, flour and tinned tomatoes. Like you said, it's often the cheaper stuff, not the premium products. I also noticed all the dried bread yeast had gone when I went shopping last week but I have plenty of that as I normally throw a pack in the boil when I'm brewing (as a yeast nutrient). I won't be quite as wasteful in these uncertain times now though.

Cheers

Jason
I have just frozen some washed yeast slurry from US-05 batch in ice cube trays for future batches as yeast nutrient. It’s a great way to keep fresh herbs and ginger but never tried it with yeast for nutrients.

Don’t usually seem to need it but have a couple of packs ofVoss Kveik to try, seems the cheapest easiest late boil addition as a nutrient. Does anyone else use this or am I daft to think it would help?

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Kingfisher4 » Tue Mar 24, 2020 1:10 am

Fuggled Mind wrote:
Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:08 pm
Rookie wrote:
Mon Mar 23, 2020 7:02 pm
I won't be able to up my brewing as I'm spending more at the store on essentials, mainly far more expensive items that I'm only getting because the lower price stuff I usually get is out of stock. Thanks hoarders.
I'm sorry to hear that Rookie - it's as if the world's gone mad. I've heard it's the same in the UK and there's been a bit of panic buying here in Switzerland. The usual suspects - toilet rolls, hand sanitizer, flour and tinned tomatoes. Like you said, it's often the cheaper stuff, not the premium products. I also noticed all the dried bread yeast had gone when I went shopping last week but I have plenty of that as I normally throw a pack in the boil when I'm brewing (as a yeast nutrient). I won't be quite as wasteful in these uncertain times now though.

Cheers

Jason

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by vacant » Tue Mar 24, 2020 10:06 am

I was in Wells yesterday as I thought it would be the last chance before lock down. Popped into Morrisons, filled the bike - petrol was 107.9p, the car park was half empty. They were very well stocked apart from no flour and yeast i.e. huge stacks of bread in plastic bags, huge stacks of basics toilet roll, pretty good selection of eggs. I just panic-bought some beer on offer. I usually do the self-checkout but went for a till as there were no queues and my checkout guy was idling spraying disinfectant on the conveyor. Looks like the panic buying has subsided over there at least.

Social distancing was also no problem in town, all was very quiet with only 20% of shops open. Bishops Palace Garden is set up for "no contact" - no car park as a pinch point, just showed my membership card, others using contactless payment. There were only about a dozen people in 14 acres.
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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Fuggled Mind » Tue Mar 24, 2020 11:35 am

Kingfisher4 wrote:
Tue Mar 24, 2020 1:09 am
Fuggled Mind wrote:
Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:08 pm
Rookie wrote:
Mon Mar 23, 2020 7:02 pm
I won't be able to up my brewing as I'm spending more at the store on essentials, mainly far more expensive items that I'm only getting because the lower price stuff I usually get is out of stock. Thanks hoarders.
I'm sorry to hear that Rookie - it's as if the world's gone mad. I've heard it's the same in the UK and there's been a bit of panic buying here in Switzerland. The usual suspects - toilet rolls, hand sanitizer, flour and tinned tomatoes. Like you said, it's often the cheaper stuff, not the premium products. I also noticed all the dried bread yeast had gone when I went shopping last week but I have plenty of that as I normally throw a pack in the boil when I'm brewing (as a yeast nutrient). I won't be quite as wasteful in these uncertain times now though.

Cheers

Jason
I have just frozen some washed yeast slurry from US-05 batch in ice cube trays for future batches as yeast nutrient. It’s a great way to keep fresh herbs and ginger but never tried it with yeast for nutrients.

Don’t usually seem to need it but have a couple of packs ofVoss Kveik to try, seems the cheapest easiest late boil addition as a nutrient. Does anyone else use this or am I daft to think it would help?
Years ago, I read a post on this forum in which the person brewing threw some yeast into the boil - there was a photo - in fact it might even have been added to the boiler as the person collected the runnings from the mash tun. I also read about adding dried yeast to the boil on American homebrew forums but some people said there's no proof it actually works (but as it does no harm to the finished beer, there's no need to stop doing it).

Graham Wheeler, in Brew Classic European Beer's At Home states in the Fullers ESB recipe 'Fuller (Page 84), apparently, throw a bucketful of yeast into the copper during the boil, probably as a yeast nutrient for the subsequent fermentation'

So are there others who are doing this?

Cheers

Jason
Once, during Prohibition, I was forced to live for days on nothing but food and water.
W. C. Fields

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Kingfisher4 » Tue Mar 24, 2020 6:52 pm

Cheers Jason,
I knew it wasn't my original idea and there it is in my copy of that excellent book too. Might be subliminal influence, but would love to know if others use it, though doubt we will have scientific proof either way. As you say, unlikely to spoil anything so may try sometime.

Their Nussdorf St Thomas recipe ready to start on Friday after recommendations on here.

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Re: Brewing plans while stuck at home

Post by Northern Brewer » Tue Mar 24, 2020 8:50 pm

Cloudwater use yeast as nutrient - and why not, all the micronutrients will be in the perfect proportion.

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