Bells 2 hearted

[Matt in Birdham]

Another attempt at this one, this time using 1272 and with the recipe a bit closer to the one published by the Bells General Store.
A pretty smooth brew day - actually hit every number at every stage in the process, which was nice.

Pitched a decanted 1.4l starter of 1272 (about 0.75m/p/ml, hopefully) and set the Brewpi for 18c, rising to 21 c after 24 hours or so (this was the profile that the brewer from Epic uses for his Epic Pale Ale with 1272, so I thought I'd give it a shot).

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 27.44 l
Post Boil Volume: 23.44 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 22.50 l
Bottling Volume: 22.50 l
Estimated OG: 1.058 SG
Estimated Color: 15.8 EBC
Estimated IBU: 52.7 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 69.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 69.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5.50 kg Maris Otter (Crisp) (7.9 EBC) Grain 1 91.7 %
0.15 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC) Grain 2 2.5 %
0.15 kg Caramalt (Thomas Fawcett) (29.6 EBC) Grain 3 2.5 %
0.15 kg Crystal Light - 45L (Crisp) (88.7 EBC) Grain 4 2.5 %
0.05 kg Acidulated (Weyermann) (3.5 EBC) Grain 5 0.8 %
15.00 g Centennial [8.00 %] - First Wort 60.0 mi Hop 6 15.2 IBUs
15.00 g Centennial [8.00 %] - Boil 45.0 min Hop 7 12.7 IBUs
15.00 g Centennial [8.00 %] - Boil 30.0 min Hop 8 10.6 IBUs
25.00 g Centennial [8.00 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 9 11.4 IBUs
0.93 Items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 10.0 mins) Fining 10 -
30.00 g Centennial [8.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool 5 Hop 11 2.8 IBUs
30.00 g Centennial [10.00 %] - Steep/Whirlpool Hop 12 0.0 IBUs
0.9 pkg American Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1272) [124 Yeast 13 -
0.25 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Primary 3.0 days) Other 14 -
30.00 g Centennial [10.00 %] - Dry Hop 14.0 Days Hop 15 0.0 IBUs


Mash Schedule: NO SPARGE
Total Grain Weight: 6.00 kg
----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Saccharification Add 32.76 l of water at 70.9 C 66.0 C 75 min
Mash Out Heat to 75.6 C over 7 min 75.6 C 10 min

Sparge: If steeping, remove grains, and prepare to boil wort
Notes:
------
Ca+2 Mg+2 Na+ Cl- SO4-2
mg/l mg/l mg/l mg/l mg/l
102.7 0.0 36.3 85.7 206.0

100% RO water +
2g CaCl, 3g maldon, 12g gypsum, 50g acidulated
Measured mash pH 5.3/4 matching Brewersfriend calculator

hops at flameout, stand for 5 mins
further 30g at 80c for 15 minutes (fell to 78 by end of steep)

22.5 litres in fermentor @ 1.058 - poured remainer of kettle into FV with all hop & trub

pitched at 19.5 after 60 seconds O2

Brewpi: 19.5 -> 18 over 6 hours, then 18 hours at 18 then -> 21C over 24 hours then hold for 7 days

HERMS in action:


Pumping over to the kettle:


First wort centennial:


Start of boil:


Cold break:


Transfer to FV (I ended up tipping the remainder in to get 22.5l in the FV):


Nice colour on it with the MO:


hydro:

[donchiquon]

Looking tasty! Will be interested to see what difference you reckon the yeast makes


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[alix101]

Report back on how this one turns out.

[Matt in Birdham]

Report back on how this one turns out.

Will do - I am curious about this one myself. Bubbling slowed markedly this morning and judgin by the Brewpi graph it is barely exothermic now. Will have to check the gravity today and see what is going on as that seems a little fast for this yeast.. (it was never going gangbusters). You can see from the graph that this one maxed out at about 2.5C above ambient, whereas the last beer I did (WLP002) went over 5 at one point - and fermentation lasted barely 48 hours..



new lower shelf (work in progress):

[donchiquon]

Hi Matt

Just poured the first of my Deschutes - very dark and caramelly, but with loads of fruit. Not quite what I was expecting....almost like a British winter ale but with the fruit. I'll put up some pics when I have a mo.

I'm just planning the next few brews and I'd like to do a Bells in the next few weeks. You've clearly tried a few variations and I just wondered what your thoughts were on you favourite version so far...

I usually go with WLP002 or a dry US ale yeast - what's the best yeast you have used with it?
Is the acid malt key?
Anything else worth thinking about?

Thanks
dc

[Matt in Birdham]

I've brewed variations on this 6 times over the past year, with 3 different yeasts - WLP090, WY1272 and WY1318. I can only judge the beer as a "beer" and not as to how close it is to the original, since I have never had it. This recent one is good, but my favourite so far was a version with WLP090, which is closer to a dry US ale yeast than WLP002 (although I think this could be good with WLP002). Grain bill from this version is good, though. As far as acid malt goes, it really depends on how you tackle your water - you may not need it with your water, but since the grain bill is quite pale you might need to acidify somehow. I find I need a touch of acid even with RO water + CaCl and gypsum in the mash, to get mash ph to 5.4ish (room temp).

[donchiquon]

Thanks Matt - that sounds good - I've been looking for an excuse to try WLP090, so I'll get that ordered and match the grain bill above. I'm doing a UK IPA next, and then possibly Blind Pig or Bells....haven't decided yet. Too much choice!

As you know, tackling my water is giving me a headache at the moment. I wish I'd concentrated a bit harder in chemistry at school!

What is the alternative to using acid malt, is there a chemcial option for lowering alkalinity? Is this CRS?

[Matt in Birdham]

Lactic acid is supported by most calculators (just make sure you know what strength you are buying), and CRS/AMS (same thing) is supported by a few as well (including the brewers friend one). CRS will increase your chloride and sulphate somewhat, which can be useful - you won't need a lot in any case with your water, so it won't add too much.

[Hanglow]

One of my first ever all grain brews was based on this, I used MO and Vienna I think. Was a really good beer. I did have the beer in the US about two and a half years ago and it was good, although I preferred the one I brewed I think, probably a freshness thing.

[Matt in Birdham]

One of my first ever all grain brews was based on this, I used MO and Vienna I think. Was a really good beer. I did have the beer in the US about two and a half years ago and it was good, although I preferred the one I brewed I think, probably a freshness thing.

The version with Vienna is the one I normally brew - really nice. This version is straight from the "Bells general store" recipe, where they also recommend the 1272 yeast, and this is the first time I have tried it with that one. I'm not sure how critical the grain bill is with the amount of centennial and the yeasts used, and I suspect to some extent the vienna is there because the rest of the grist is US 2 row, whereas if you are using MO as base you are getting some extra flavour/colour from that.

[donchiquon]

Lactic acid is supported by most calculators (just make sure you know what strength you are buying), and CRS/AMS (same thing) is supported by a few as well (including the brewers friend one). CRS will increase your chloride and sulphate somewhat, which can be useful - you won't need a lot in any case with your water, so it won't add too much.

Thanks Matt. Given than my total alkalinity is only 37ppm I'll probably try it with 140 Sulphate and 50 chloride and see how the mash pH works out.

Although given the number of beers I want to brew I won't be getting to it until Jan....starting to wonder about a second brew fridge.....

[6470zzy]

The flavour is indeed impacted by the use of MO as opposed to 2 row, so if what you are after is a real clone then 2 row is the way to proceed if possible. Granted, the MO produces a wort with a fuller flavour to be sure.

Cheers

[v-zero]

Any particular reason you went for such low hopping rates, especially in the dry hop, compared to what Bell's has said they use/reccomend? Having had this fresh in Michigan I can say it has a huge Centennial aroma and flavour, which I can only see being achieved with 100g+ dry hopping they reccomend. Obviously if you're not going for a punchy beer then that is explanation enough.

[Matt in Birdham]

Any particular reason you went for such low hopping rates, especially in the dry hop, compared to what Bell's has said they use/reccomend? Having had this fresh in Michigan I can say it has a huge Centennial aroma and flavour, which I can only see being achieved with 100g+ dry hopping they reccomend. Obviously if you're not going for a punchy beer then that is explanation enough.

This is a slightly lighter version of one of the old Bells 2 hearted recipes that appeared on Hombrewtalk years ago. I have seen the recipe put out by Bells and might well give it a go, but the total amount of hops is pretty much the same as this recipe (actually slightly more in this recipe) - just added at different times. The Bells one has a massive dry hop but no additions later than 30 mins in the boil, whereas this one has 85g of hops going in after 30 mins, including 2 lots of hop stands. It would be interesting to see what the difference is but I wouldn't say this one lacks a hoppy punch by any means!

[alix101]

The one I made followed the Bells recipie as close as I could although I did use the extra light MA instead of us two row which I've been advised to use lager malt.
I over shot my volume which ended up making a slightly weaker beer but I just went with it .
The beer I made needs that extra alcohol to balance the bitterness I also couldn't help using an extra 40 g in the fermenter.
The hop is overpowering but given a week longer should be good ....Anyway I guess I'd say just follow the recipie dont mess your volumes or add extra hops follow it exactly and it will be excellent.