stout recipe

[delboy]

Tried an AG stout at the weekend ended up with this

4.5 kg marris otter
0.5 kg vienna
0.5 kg choclate malt
0.5 kg flaked barley
0.3 kg flaked oats (toasted)
0.25kg roasted barley
0.25kg crystal malt 120


mashed at 67C for 90 mins
Batch sparged (still making up my mind)
~7.25 gallons preboil
65g fuggles 90 mins
post boil ~ 5.5 gallons at 1060.
Pitched with a packet of safale 04

opinions anyone?

There was still plenty of sugars in the mash but i got tired batch sparging and settled for what i had. i'm thinking of having another go at the fly sparging just need to get my equipment elevated enough to let me go three tier.

[Frothy]

1.060 is very handsome. A lot of people use a fridge/ Freezer to create their 3 tier, just something I noticed from photos.
Have you worked out your efficiency?

Frothy

[Garth]

Frothy is right, a fridge freezer can make an excellent three tier job, just watch out if you have the HLT on the top, I've melted a large round dish shape in the top of mine

[delboy]

Haven't managed to work out the efficency for this one, i don't have any of the computer programs for doing it, maybe some sunday i'll sit down and download one and get to gripes with it instead of brewing (any recommendations of good progs). But at the moment im trying to build up a good stock of beers. I've seen a quite a few recipes and i've got a rough idea of what gravity i should roughly be hitting and then i add some more grain for newbie efficency, although i know i left fermentables behind on this one cause the runnings were still really dark.
Im lucky in that i have sheds and stuff to mess about in so i'll proably try to build something semi permanent for a three tier system (although im unlucky in that i have hands like feet so anything i'll build will probably end up some precarious monstrosity ).

[Dunlambert]

Hi Delboy,
I am in Belfast also. I only have a couple of AG's behind me (first one should be ready to drink this weekend) but I was wondering where you are getting your grain from. Anywhere local. I have seen a little in Natures Way but I dont think they carry much stock. So far I have been buying from Leyland which is great but as usual the postage to Northern Ireland is a killer

[mysterio]

Haven't managed to work out the efficency for this one, i don't have any of the computer programs for doing it, maybe some sunday i'll sit down and download one and get to gripes with it instead of brewing (any recommendations of good progs). But at the moment im trying to build up a good stock of beers. I've seen a quite a few recipes and i've got a rough idea of what gravity i should roughly be hitting and then i add some more grain for newbie efficency, although i know i left fermentables behind on this one cause the runnings were still really dark.
Im lucky in that i have sheds and stuff to mess about in so i'll proably try to build something semi permanent for a three tier system (although im unlucky in that i have hands like feet so anything i'll build will probably end up some precarious monstrosity ).

I use Beersmith, very handy.

http://www.beersmith.com/

After punching your recipe in, your efficiency looks like it was 73%, very good

[delboy]

Hi Delboy,
I am in Belfast also. I only have a couple of AG's behind me (first one should be ready to drink this weekend) but I was wondering where you are getting your grain from. Anywhere local. I have seen a little in Natures Way but I dont think they carry much stock. So far I have been buying from Leyland which is great but as usual the postage to Northern Ireland is a killer

Hows it going Dunlambert glad to hear there is someone else on the forum from Belfast. You seem to be at the same stage as me (i.e. a few AGs under the belt and one on tap at the moment).
Yeah natures way is ok for homebrew kits and some of the mainstay hops but they aren't at all set up for AG.
I asked them about ordering grain but the prices were pretty expensive plus i don't think they can grind the grain like the homebrew shops on the mainland do. I ordered my AG kit from Hop and Grape so it wasn't much more of an expense on the postage to add a pile of grain 25Kg sack of marris and a pile of other stuff.
My grain supplies are dwindling rapidly (mainly because im brewing at least once a week at the moment to build up a stock).
I was thinking of perhaps getting in touch with Hilden brewery just outside lambeg and see if they would be prepared to sell me primarily grain but maybe also yeast/hops at a reasonable price (they might tell me to bugger off but nothing ventured nothing gained).
I suppose we could always start a grain co-op and save on the postage .

BTW what AG brew have you coming on line this weekend.
My own is a light ale made with marris, vienna and a touch of crytsal 5.5%but is so smooth you would'nt dream that the alcohol was that high (looking forward to getting bluttered on it).

PS this is my patented gorgonzola brew with added mould!!

[delboy]

Haven't managed to work out the efficency for this one, i don't have any of the computer programs for doing it, maybe some sunday i'll sit down and download one and get to gripes with it instead of brewing (any recommendations of good progs). But at the moment im trying to build up a good stock of beers. I've seen a quite a few recipes and i've got a rough idea of what gravity i should roughly be hitting and then i add some more grain for newbie efficency, although i know i left fermentables behind on this one cause the runnings were still really dark.
Im lucky in that i have sheds and stuff to mess about in so i'll proably try to build something semi permanent for a three tier system (although im unlucky in that i have hands like feet so anything i'll build will probably end up some precarious monstrosity ).

I use Beersmith, very handy.

http://www.beersmith.com/

After punching your recipe in, your efficiency looks like it was 73%, very good

Thanks for doing the math mysterio, 73% im very happy with that .

[Dunlambert]

Delboy, this weekend I shall mostly be drinking my Festival Mild, I tried a wee drop last weekend and it was pretty good, but think it needed about another week or two just to mature that little bit more. But as its my birthday Saturday I fully intend to give it a good caining.

I thought about getting grain from a local brewery. There is also Whitewater in Kilkeel if I remember correctly.

I have some friends coming over from England at easter and have ordered 25kg of crushed Maris to their house with free postage from Leyland £28.99. They will hopefully bring it over with them as they are driving if they have the room so they tell me. I also asked at Natures Way about 25kg pale malt and was quoted around £38. But I may still use them for hops and a bit of crystal etc. That reminds me must get another keg

[delboy]

Hi
I had thought about whitewater as well but they are a bit out of the way you'd put about a tenner through the car anyway (i suppose i could load up swmbo and the dogs and spend the day in the mournes before picking up a few sacks).
I might give hilden a phone call tomorrow or i may leave it until i can go up in person probably more likely to have success that way.
Have a good b'day.

PS what kind of keg are you looking for? if its a king keg top tap i'd say don't bother, but if it is one of those you have your heart set on i have one that i could be persuded to part with (i've started the move to cornies). Nothing wrong with it apart from what i consider to be a fundamental design flaw on the part of king kegs (top taps) that you have to feed it gas a lot!!