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« on: March 27, 2013, 03:13:41 pm »
here are more details:
Details-
My system is a 10 gallon cooler with false bottom, good ol turkey burner, and a 10 gallon SS pot with bazooka tube. I have a plate chiller, but in the winter I use my immersion chiller. I crush my own grains with a monster mill, could the crush being to fine be an issue w tannins? I use Beersmith for all my recipes and Bru'n water for additions. I just bought a ph meter but I have not used it yet. Per Bru'n water my ph was 5.3. I also have been using RO water with salt additions but I have used tap and straight RO with very similar results. The beers I have made with tap/RO that are not hoppy have had no sign of this issue. I have 5 batches of sours going for about 6-7 months and they are tasting awesome, my dunkelweisse is nearly perfect, as w my wit, etc.
On brewday I crush while my MT and water heat and then I mash in, usually half the grain then water then grain, etc. I usually shoot to mash around 152ish and am pretty close. Mash for 60 mins, drain and then batch sparge, although I have fly sparged as well. I have added near boiling water, 168 water, 180 water and all have the same(or extremely similar) results. I vourlaf until the wort is consistently clear, usually still some floaters, but as clear as I can get on this setup. Add the sparge water stir like crazy, wait 10 mins or so and repeat the vourlaf and drain. I boil for 60 mins. and have no issue getting a nice hard boil, after a good hot break I add the 60 min hops and then go as the recipe follows. I mostly use pellets. I whirlpool for a little bit after flameout hops the best I can, screen and thermometer in kettle make it a little tough, but it works some. Chill like normal and drain, I have been running a bit of wort out right away and hen as it is clear moving the hose to carboy to collect. I use a fishpump setup to oxygenate and then pitch yeast. I chill to right around 60-65 depending on temps in my basement and I pitch the appropriate amount of healthy yeast, per yeast calc. I use mostly liquid yeast and make starters with a stirplate, I have used a ton of different yeasts, and all seem to have the same result in this situation. Although I am leaning toward British/London ale lately. I ferment as close to recommended temps as I can using a swamp cooler, but generally my basement allows me to get within a few degrees and hold it. I have tried leaving the beer in the primary for the duration including dry hops, but lately have been racking as soon as the bulk of primary fermentation is over to get it off the trub and then dry hopping. Dry hops are at room temp for a minimum of 5 days and I have gone as long as 10, similar results. I rack using an autosiphon into the carbot for dry hops and then into the corney keg to be purged and sealed.
I have used Centennial, Simcoe, Amarillo, CTZ, Warrior, Chinnok, etc. I just got a fresh 6 oz. each of Simcoe, Mosaic, Cascade and Citra, all from HopUnion ordered for me from my new supply guy, stored in a cooler(like a reach in cooler) for 2 days until I put them in the freezer.
I am not careful about post fermentation oxygen pick up, I use the autosiphon and go right into keg or carboy. As for yeast, I figure what I need for the gravity and then make an appropriate starter.
Last recipe was this:
7lbs Marris Otter
4lbs Briess Pale Ale Malt
8oz Acid Malt
8oz C40
.60oz CTZ @ 60min
1 oz Amarillo @ 15
1oz Simcoe @ 10
1oz Amarillo @ 5
1 oz Simcoe @ 0
Dry hop oz each for 6 days
MAsh salts- 4.4g gypsum
2.2 Cal Chloride
1.1 pickling lime
8.4g gypsum
3.3 cal chloride
last 2 in the kettle after sparge
nailed preboil gravity and SG.
That is all I can think of for now. I am not sure what variable to attack. I plan to brew this Friday as the weather here (Carroll, Iowa) is turning awesome. I have the above hops and some Nugget, Summit and random Germans. I have a ton of malts to choose from, thinking of dropping the C40 in lieu of some lt or dk Munich. Thinking I will bitter with CTZ and then use Simcoe and Cascade. I was thinking I would measure every variable I can this time, mash temps, ph, sparge temps, etc. Although I do not think it is that since the rest of the beers are solid. I mean the dunkel weisse was so good I have made it 3 times in the last 3 months, lol. I can't seem to wrap my head around what the issue is here other than these; water chemistry, hops-old, amounts, etc, and now oxygenation. I do have about 10 unused corneys right now and some spare time and I want to get this figured out so I can drink IPA all the time.
Denny, any idea?
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