First Mini Mash 9th Nov

[Madbrewer]

What Have you started? I can't stop brewing!! Just kicked off a mash in my lunch hour! That's the third brew kicked off in two weeks!

So for my mini mash - rather than the Daab Dixie method, I thought I would ressurrect my old mash tun and boiler for an 8 Litre batch of TEA inspired by Norms recipes:-


I doughed in though it looks a bit wet



Off topic but also worth mentioning is my Baking Yest test batch that is currently fermenting. Actually its a top fermenting lager so it's a result of being curius enough to see how bakers yeast does & being curious enough to try and brew a brit-lager-that-isn't.

Only Slightly More off topic, I seem to be getting my beers falling bright very quickly! I remember last time I brewed I called it a runing beer as it was ready quickly, but the 'landlord' that I brewed two weeks ago today, has cleared and is v.nearly conditioned (& also better and appears brighter that the Youngers Best I had down t'pub last night) heres a bottle I also filled during casking as a sort of condition-then-re-bottle test (anyone ever done that? Re-bottled the cleared beer and hoped it kept it's 'fizz'?)



will keep y'all posted on the mini-mash!

[dean_bpm]

Liking the box of Oreos in the background

[andyp]

What's that crate of Export doing in the back? You're not swapping it over and claiming it's your own are ya?

[Madbrewer]

The problem is in definitions of the word beer. So what happens is I help someone fix their pc, they bring round a crate of 'beer' as a thank you. As that crate infact was. With Christmas coming however I have a feeling it will get used. And with my Landlord, TFL and TEA now brewing, I won't have to resort to pretending I did that one too !

[mooj]

heres a bottle I also filled during casking as a sort of condition-then-re-bottle test (anyone ever done that? Re-bottled the cleared beer and hoped it kept it's 'fizz'?)

I believe that traditional bottling techniques would condition a beer under pressure prior to bottling and not use any priming sugars so what you are doing is very similar to that. For best results chill the beer before transferring.

I do like that landlord label, if only we could get some of that stuff in the supermarket.

[Madbrewer]

.... thanks for that. Just checked the ferment this morning and the yeast has taken off slower than I would have liked though some fermentation is evident. Regarding labels - I wonder if we should set up a gallery? Here's my Christmas beer bottle label ....

[Madbrewer]

Quick Update
=========
My T.E.A. clone has been transferred to a wine fermenter for secondary fermentation though I am a little concerned that it seems to be slow (less bubbly airlock). Upon transfer I tasted a little - the flavor at that point wasn't too bad it was however a little hoppier than T.E.A bordering on their 'Hop' level of hoppiness. Due to a sluggish fermentation I am not as convinced by this brew as I was the previous one.


Top Fermenting Lager with Bread Yeast
=========================
As some may know, I was fascinated by the thoughts of what to expect when using bread yeast in an emergency. However as I was also equally fasinated to know what a top fermented lager would taste like I did a quick extract brew based on a Wheeler basic lager recipe and pitced bread yeast instead of a more suited strain. I used 'Doves Farm' bread yeast which I use in my bread machine. Its comes in a vacuum sealed 'brick' and lasts me 6 months stored in an air tight container.

Under Ideal conditions one would brew two batches one with the 'suspect' yeast and one with a 'proven' yeast so as to better compare or evaluate the yeast. I didn't. These are my observations:-

1) Fermentation started quick and went well. No starter was made and I sprinkiled 2* teaspoons onto 10Litres of cooled wort.

2) Flocculation seems adequate but not as suited as either safAle or Hook Nortons yeast.

3) Taste - I have to say the beer which is now in a barrel, clearing down 'ok' still tastes green but defintetly too fruity for a lager. This is at 17 celcuis though and a low carbonation level. Am wondering what the effect of a further week in the barrel, followed by a forced carbonation in a corny and a 'severe chilling' will do for the taste?

Conclusion (so far)
=============
Can definetely see why yeast is given alot of thought on this forum! Clearly bread yeast should be a last resort not a 'it will do' gesture!

Also depending upon how well the flavor balances in time, would say that the flavors imparted by this yeast are undesirable in subtle beers and success is more likely in brews with a fuller flavour.

This will also be my last top fermenting lager experiment. It's definetely worth benefitting from breweries many years of experience!

[Curious Brew]

I do like that landlord label, if only we could get some of that stuff in the supermarket.

My local supermarket (Sainsbury's) stocks Landlord...

[Aleman]

Can definetely see why yeast is given alot of thought on this forum! Clearly bread yeast should be a last resort not a 'it will do' gesture!

There are two statements that should be banned (Maybe sent into Room 101)

"That Will Do" No it won't and it never will

and

"Thats Good Enough" No its not, it can be done better

Now developers take your code away and do it properly





















Sorry wrong forum

[Madbrewer]

Sorry wrong forum

possibly but you could say the same about my weird experiment ... we need a weird experiments section