1 week grain to glass challenge

[mysterio]

Hi folks. Planning on brewing this Wednesday/Thursday. I'll keep it documented with pictures. The idea is to have a sparkling bright, well conditioned pint in time for Christmas eve/day.

Loosely based on Goose Island Honkers Ale. Ideally I would use WLP002 for something that will clear quickly but there's no time to build a starter.

US-05 isn't ideal either but it should be OK with finings. I don't trust Nottingham any more and I've gone off S04 a bit.

Honkers

Type: All Grain
Date: 14/12/2010
Batch Size: 12.00 gal
Boil Size: 13.74 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
6.50 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 72.22 %
1.80 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM) Grain 20.00 %
0.60 kg White Wheat Malt (2.4 SRM) Grain 6.67 %
0.10 kg Roasted Barley (300.0 SRM) Grain 1.11 %
100.00 gm Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] (60 min) Hops 27.2 IBU
150.00 gm Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] (0 min) Hops -

Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.044 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.012 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.25 %
Bitterness: 27.2 IBU Calories:
Est Color: 12.7 SRM

[danbrew]

What's not to trust about Nottingham mysty? I did my last brew with it and I wasn't that impressed either...

[mysterio]

I used to love it, in fact it was my standard yeast for a while, but they have had quality control issues recently. Something to do with the BB date piercing the packages. Myself and others have experienced long lag times with it recently, I think someone had an infected batch due to it too.

Take a look : viewtopic.php?f=12&t=31746

[DrewBrews]

So what tricks are you gunna use to get this done in a week?

Lots of yeast and a high temp at the beginning to get your attenuation followed by crash cooling to near 0 degrees with 7 tonnes of isinglass and force carbonate?

[mysterio]

Lots of yeast, yes. US-05 is generally pretty slow. SO4 would tear through it in 48 hours and would be the best bet normally. So i'll go in with 4 packs for this.

I'm not a fan of high temps, I'm going to keep it cool at 17C and ramp it up towards the end. The day before kegging I might have it as high as 25C to mature it quickly. I'm looking at brewing Wednesday 15th, fermenting for four days, diacetyl rest on the 20th, crash cool to 0C on the 21st (tasting as I go), keg on the 22nd with gelatine, then keep some light top pressure on it. I'll keep a second keg to drink over new year.

I am hoping the high amount of crystal and a high mash temp will give a good base for the hops. Thin beers with a lot of hops never taste good young. However the Styrian hop character should be tasty ... I might put some in the turkey gravy.

[Barley Water]

Well, I tried to hurry along the clone I do of London Pride once and got a ton of diacetyl because I didn't leave the beer on the yeast long enough. You are exactly correct though, WLP02 will clear really fast but of course it is also notorious for throwing off alot of diaceyl and if you don't give it time to clean up after itself, you will almost for sure suffer my fate. Since you don't have time to do a starter (and this might make the problem even worse), I would suggest adding more than one tube of yeast just to get the cell count up there (but of course that will increase the cost, I just hate that). I think if I were in your position, I would opt for WLP01 and again pitch multiple tubes mainly because that strain is a much cleaner fermenter. Because you have a relatively low gravity wort there, I think the yeast will smoke through it pretty fast. Once it's done, just crash the temperature, everything should fall out in 24 hours or so then just rack and carbonate (and pray nothing bad stays in the beer with the quick turnaround). Another style I like for quick turnaround is weizen. Of course, you don't want it to clear and it's actually much better fresh. Nothing can blow through a wort like weizen yeast, that stuff is almost explosive. I never make a starter with it and it always goes off like a bomb anyway, just amazing. Our big contest is coming up again here in March and I will be doing two weizen biers one after the other just after the new year. One will be a normal weizen and the other a dunkel weizen. The only reason it will take me more than a couple of weeks to finish the stuff is because I will naturally carbonate both batches in the keg. Anyhow, good luck.

[coatesg]

Gonna be tight for time, but not impossible. I've had an 80/- with S04 drinking well within 12 days with no particular rushing. If you crash and fine once it's done, then you're only issue is carbonating it. The other bonus is that S04 will ferment relatively cleanly at about 20-22C

Don't know if it's just me too, but I have never found Nottingham to be particularly quick at finishing off...?

[mysterio]

This will have to go on hold sadly, the courier didn't deliver today and are sketchy about when they will be able to.

Hopefully get it on early next week in time for new year.

[Spud395]

Pity that.
I had a panic brew turn around in 14 days a few weeks back, and that was bottling and natural carbonation.
Well drinkable at 14 days, it's different now (1 month) but I dont know which is nicer.
It was a 4.5% dark mild

[Manx Guy]

I'm going to do a Wheat beer in the new year (after another Ale - due to clairy problems with my last pale ale) And will see how quickly I can turn it around....

If I bottle will 14days be realistic?

Also if my current clarity issues continue - with a wheat beer - no harm done!

I'm thinking of going along the American Wheat beer style (so I'm not 100% certain if it should be clear - I may use irish moss/protofloc & se how I get on), so will this be good drank young too?

Cheers!

Guy

[Barley Water]

Actually, you can do an American wheat and it can be clear or cloudy, it doesn't matter. Most you see in brewpubs around here are cloudy but that is because they turn them around real quick for financial reasons. I made an American wheat which was fermented with a lager yeast and it ended up very clear, I was surprised considering it had 70% wheat. I also had some unmalted wheat in there and I really expected that to throw a haze but it didn't. Other than that, the beer ended up turning out pretty much as I expected. Unfortunately, I opted for a very low bitterness level to showcase the wheat and in my opinion, it was somewhat boring. Next time I do it, I will probably use an ale yeast and hop it up a little more with pacific northwest hops to add interest. I am going to make up a similar wort this coming weekend as I am brewing with a couple of lovely ladies in our brewclub. They are responsible for hopping/spicing and fermentation and my understanding is that they are going to Brett the stuff and add cherries, should be very interesting to say the least.

[Manx Guy]

Hi BW

Thanks again for a thorough reply

I do like the American style as it allows a lot more space for individuality - nothing against the excellent German wheats, but I doubt I could do that style any 'justice' as the style is fairly strict...
I'm fairly sure my earlier clarity problems may due to sparging with slightly too hot water and or increased 'efficency'... I'll keep it simple next time

I'm thinking of using a straight forward 60:40 Lager: Wheat malt recipe
With 20 IBU's from Hallertau H and maybe steep or dry hop with some cascade (or maybe just stick with the hallertau, as I'm loving this hops fuity/spicy aroma at the moment)
Ferment with either US 05 or safeale WB 06

What sort of mash schedule should I use, for a quick drinking beer?
I might just plumb for a single infusion at 66C - as I'm not after any funky clove flavours or using a specialist wheat yeast

*Edit* I see that I can go for IBU's in the region of 20-28, so I may go for the following:
OG 1050 23 litre brew
Northern brewer 15g @90 for bittering and then 70g Hallertau @30min 28g @10mins & 15g steep(0mins) for a total of 26 IBU



Guy