3rd BIAB - getting above myself???

Make grain beers with the absolute minimum of equipment. Discuss here.
Post Reply
User avatar
Meatymc
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:36 pm
Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire

3rd BIAB - getting above myself???

Post by Meatymc » Mon Jan 18, 2016 9:48 pm

So, with my vast BIAB experience (2 brews as you probably know) I thought let's try and brew something the wife might like - lagerish! But of course that would be too simple wouldn't it - and of course I'd like to think I might fancy a drop as well. The result, my own Czech Pilsner - what else?!?

In my defence I have done far more research on this than on any other brew - in fact, more research than on any other brewing aspect in general. Looked at numerous recipes, guidelines etc and decided on the following. This isn't a copy of anything I've read although I'm sure someone has done something very similar - if not the same.

Aiming at 3 gallons and 5%:

Czech Pilsner 2750g
Vienna 275g
Carahell 250g
Acid 150g

Hops all Saaz -total was to be 90g. Yeast White Labs Budejovice WLP802.

So how did it go.........well, I think we can safely say this has every chance to be my first brewing disaster!

This is the first time I've done a 'proper' starter. The instructions with the yeast differed from the instructions on the actual yeast vial - went with the written instructions. It said, at room temperature, the starter should be done in 12 to 24 hours - 24 hours later there was no discernable difference in appearance. I did notice at this point that the sell by date is 15th January 2016 - will be checking any subsequent purchases to make sure BBD is somewhat further ahead. Bit disappointed really to be given such a short sell-by given my known lack of experience, and the nature of the brew and the yeast.

Anyway, following day - yesterday, was brew day. Everything went to plan but, as a skin flint Yorkshire lad, couldn't face any waste - using 90g only out of a 113g (average) pack of hops - in fact actual weight was 120g - so used the lot but did at least average out the increment additions.

Then we come to end of boil. Started later than I wanted to hence reached this point much later than I wanted. However, very cold outside - wind blowing - bit of snow, so stick the bloody pan outside with a bit of sanitised toweling over the top. 40 minutes later - dropped 5 bloody degrees.

Lost the will so took the (cloudy) yeast starter out of the brew fridge - put in main fridge, and put the rather warm wort into the brew fridge set to 12 degrees. Up at 6.30 this morning and the bloody thing was still at 24 degrees for gods sake.

Got home at 6.30m tonight and the wort was at 12 - the yeast at 4, so yeast out and allowed to warm up a bit. I was expecting, as per the instructions, to find a thin liquid and milky yeast deposit. It was actually little different to 1 hour in to the start of the process yesterday. So, thought bugger this for a game of soldiers, most expensive brew I've ever done, so bung the lot into the FV with the wort. However, as this was supposed to be a 3 gallon brew - in a 3 gallon FV, plus the almost 2L starter and the level just under the lid, if it does kick-off we're in bother so transferred into a 5 gallon FV - plenty of unhealthy aeration no doubt! .

I think we can safely say this has every chance of being a disaster. Not conventionally cooled nor at the required rapidity, the starter looking dodgey and mucking about with extra vessels and transfers albeit everything sanitised.

Watch this space....

PS Is there any particular reason we have to put up with US spelling (not that mine's perfect by any means)? Rather working on the foolish impression English was actually our language!!

WalesAles
Falling off the Barstool
Posts: 3899
Joined: Thu Jan 24, 2013 11:07 pm
Location: South Wales UK.

Re: 3rd BIAB - getting above myself???

Post by WalesAles » Tue Jan 19, 2016 9:15 am

And I bet you are already planning your 4th BIAB! :D =D>

WA

scotsloon
Piss Artist
Posts: 204
Joined: Thu Mar 31, 2011 2:59 pm
Location: Kemnay, Aberdeenshire

Re: 3rd BIAB - getting above myself???

Post by scotsloon » Tue Jan 19, 2016 9:42 am

FV, plus the almost 2L starter and the level just under the lid, if it does kick-off we're in bother so transferred into a 5 gallon FV - plenty of unhealthy aeration no doubt! .
Don't worry about Aeration being unhealthy at this stage - yeast needs oxygen at the start so it can get on with multiplying and doing its job, its later in the fermentation that you want to exclude air, this is simply done by not stirring or moving the FV around to much. By that time there will be a blanket of CO2 covering the top of the brew.
I've done a fair few Pilzen type brews and used recovered Duval yeast (from 3 bottles), this starter particularly didn't display any signs of being a success until I pitched it and waited a good 48 hours, then it took off like a rocket.
Just relax and let the yeast get on with its job!

User avatar
Jocky
Even further under the Table
Posts: 2738
Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2011 6:50 pm
Location: Epsom, Surrey, UK

Re: 3rd BIAB - getting above myself???

Post by Jocky » Tue Jan 19, 2016 10:16 am

Regarding the starter - was there more yeast in the bottom of your starter vessel than when you pitched?

The reason I ask is that starters can be blink-and-you-miss-it fermentation as you are pitching 10+ times what you would into a regular batch of wort. Also lager yeasts tend to show much less activity than an ale yeast.
Ingredients: Water, Barley, Hops, Yeast, Seaweed, Blood, Sweat, The swim bladder of a sturgeon, My enemies tears, Scenes of mild peril, An otter's handbag and Riboflavin.

User avatar
Meatymc
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:36 pm
Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire

Re: 3rd BIAB - getting above myself???

Post by Meatymc » Tue Jan 19, 2016 12:25 pm

Are you reading my diary WA? I have in fact a list of the next 10 BIAB brews copied out of Graham Wheelers book borrowed from the library - just trying to get things in order to see if I can't 'buy better' by doing things in sequence.

Cheers Scotsloon - I'm not the best at sitting back and relaxing but will give it a go.

And Jocky - if anything, there seemed to be slightly less in the bottom of the 'vessel' but it could be me being paranoid. I'll just have to wait and see what happens!

Haydnexport
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 637
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 2:12 pm

Re: 3rd BIAB - getting above myself???

Post by Haydnexport » Fri Jan 22, 2016 9:51 pm

i wouldn't worry too much about your brew day , ive had plenty of worse ones and ended up with good beer. The only issue i could see with your recipe is the amount of hops , 90g of hops would take it to 38 ibu or there abouts and 120g would take it to 50+ ibu , and that would be nowhere near a pilsner , or even a lager i think. My best attempts at lager have been at around 24 - 28 ibu anything above 30 and you (I) cant taste anything but the overwhelming bitterness, i did 3 batches in 3 weeks last year at around 30 ibu thinking i'd nailed it and was master brewer only to be only barely drink it when it was ready :oops: Try 60g spread in 3 additions next time, then you will have enough for another batch out of same packet of hops 8)

Disclaimer: The above views are from a confused individual who might not know what he is saying ! :=P

User avatar
Meatymc
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:36 pm
Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire

Re: 3rd BIAB - getting above myself???

Post by Meatymc » Sat Jan 23, 2016 7:18 pm

Hi Haydn

I'm working from Beer Engine that is using EBU's rather than IBU's. As I understand it EBU's come in lower than IBU ratings.

Struggled to find many EBU references for a Czech Pilsner but what i did find was a couple giving a range of between 30 and 36. On my intended additions my recipe came in on Beer Engine at 32 so appeared OK.

However, by throwing the whole pack of hops in it has raised that on Beer Engine to 42EBU's - clearly way over the top.

Would appreciate any further comments on EBU/IBU etc as still very much on a learning curve - and clearly adding more won't always help to get what you want.

I would finally say though that it will have to be bloody awful not to get supped - too much time, effort and money gone into this one!!

Haydnexport
Lost in an Alcoholic Haze
Posts: 637
Joined: Tue Jan 06, 2015 2:12 pm

Re: 3rd BIAB - getting above myself???

Post by Haydnexport » Sat Jan 23, 2016 8:00 pm

i'm a beginner myself, and it is a steep learning curve , had all kinds of things go wrong so far, forgot to close the mash tun tap today when filling up sparge water , at least it went into the boiler this time ! Let it ferment and if its too bitter make a batch of the same with no hops and blend them together. I learned that one on my 3rd brew , a dortmunder export from greg hughes book , id bought some hallertau (northen brewer) AA8.5% hops , off a homebrew shop.... id asked for hallertau hersbrucker (the recipe asked for 3.5% aa) it was .

I bought beersmith2 after a recommendation (it's how i worked out your ibu's) and after watching tutorials about how it works it's been amazing to use , sort of helped me work things out in my head how brewing works. I'd also recommend greg hughes book home brew beer and do a few tried and tested recipes to nail before going too exotic. I use the recipes in it as a base and tweak a bit here and there.

User avatar
Meatymc
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 836
Joined: Mon Sep 01, 2014 8:36 pm
Location: Northallerton, North Yorkshire

Re: 3rd BIAB - getting above myself???

Post by Meatymc » Tue Jan 26, 2016 11:38 pm

Having had to re-arrange my set-up tonight including moving the fridge etc thought I'd check whatever is lurking in the FV. Well not much going on on top - but as it's a 'lager' I suppose that shouldn't be a surprise. Did a gravity reading and a bit taken aback to see it's down at 1014 after only 8 days at 12 degrees - OG 1048. So maybe it's not a total cock-up after all.

Not rushing this. Will leave at least another week before checking again and then start thinking about transferring to a secondary for lagering.

Post Reply