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Author Topic: Process check  (Read 2993 times)

Offline yso191

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Process check
« on: December 20, 2012, 11:50:40 am »
I'm brewing my first lager on Sunday, and I am determined to get it right.  As many of you have noticed I've been asking questions about this brew for some time...   I'm assuming the brewing process is the same as with an ale.  It is the recipe out of Zymurgy an issue or so ago.  The only thing I've changed is subsituting most of the Saaz hops with Millenium.  I'll post a scanned page in a moment that will explain why.  Anyway, here are the specific plans for the fermentation process.  How does it look?

 *A Baltic Porter, OG 1.089, 5.25 gallon batch
 *Wyeast 2124 Bohemian Lager, with two 1.5 liter starters from two smack packs, decanted.
 *proper amount of yeast nutrient blend and a full minute of pure O2
 *Pitch at 45*, ferment at 48*
 *I'll wait till the day after I brew it to pitch so I can rack to another carboy leaving the trub behind.
 
Steve
Steve
BJCP #D1667

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Offline blatz

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Re: Process check
« Reply #1 on: December 20, 2012, 11:56:57 am »
sounds good to me - i'm assuming your starters are on a stir plate?

also - the racking off cold break the second day is usually a step for lighter lagers like pils, helles, dort, etc. - I don't know that I would go through the hassle for a baltic porter - its generally an aesthetics thing more than anything else and with such a dark beer, i don't think you will notice the benefit(?).

The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

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Offline yso191

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Re: Process check
« Reply #2 on: December 20, 2012, 12:02:33 pm »


So here is why the Millenium substitution.  This is from a book published by the J.I. Haas company.  The light green on the flavor/aroma wheel is the raw hop.  The dark green is the hop in solution.  Obviously intensity is the distance from the center.

I'm thinking/hoping that the Chocolate/Toffee/Cream Caramel will be really interesting in a Baltic Porter.

Steve
Steve
BJCP #D1667

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Offline yso191

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Re: Process check
« Reply #3 on: December 20, 2012, 12:07:04 pm »
sounds good to me - i'm assuming your starters are on a stir plate?

also - the racking off cold break the second day is usually a step for lighter lagers like pils, helles, dort, etc. - I don't know that I would go through the hassle for a baltic porter - its generally an aesthetics thing more than anything else and with such a dark beer, i don't think you will notice the benefit(?).

Yes.  I use a stir plate.  OK on the racking thing.  That makes sense.  I did hear on a recent Basic Brewing Radio podcast that getting the wort off the trub may lead to 'cleaner or less muddy' flavors, but as I recall it was not a major effect.

Steve
Steve
BJCP #D1667

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Offline blatz

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Re: Process check
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2012, 12:10:15 pm »
sounds good to me - i'm assuming your starters are on a stir plate?

also - the racking off cold break the second day is usually a step for lighter lagers like pils, helles, dort, etc. - I don't know that I would go through the hassle for a baltic porter - its generally an aesthetics thing more than anything else and with such a dark beer, i don't think you will notice the benefit(?).

Yes.  I use a stir plate.  OK on the racking thing.  That makes sense.  I did hear on a recent Basic Brewing Radio podcast that getting the wort off the trub may lead to 'cleaner or less muddy' flavors, but as I recall it was not a major effect.

Steve

its hard for me to know - i always drop the trub out at high krausen (I use conicals) so I've never done it any other way, but I have had friend's lagers that do not rack off the cold break and there beers taste just as good - very clean and crisp.  if you would feel better doing it, then by all means.  i might bump the volume up to 5.5 though since you'll be racking twice - nothing worse than a short fill on a keg ;-)

also - it depends on your setup - if you immersion chill and whirlpool, most of the trub will remain in the kettle.
« Last Edit: December 20, 2012, 12:12:53 pm by blatz »
The happiest people don’t necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the best of everything they have.

BJCP National: F0281

Offline yso191

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Re: Process check
« Reply #5 on: December 20, 2012, 12:20:42 pm »
Yeah, at this point I probably won't.  I do whirlpool the best I can, but a LOT of the trub gets through as I have a dip tube (off center a bit in my keggles to minimize it as much as possible), but then going through a plate chiller into the carboy.  I may end up taking the dip tube out and just have 1/2 gallon or so of loss in the boil kettle just to leave the trub behind a bit better.

Steve
Steve
BJCP #D1667

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Offline davidgzach

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Re: Process check
« Reply #6 on: December 20, 2012, 12:40:42 pm »
Don't worry about the trub.   Especially in a Baltic Porter.  I make a lot of light lagers and have found zero effects of fermenting and lagering on the trub.

Dave
Dave Zach

Offline hubie

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Re: Process check
« Reply #7 on: December 20, 2012, 02:41:20 pm »
That looks like an awesome book, I really love the use of radar charts to show off the data.  It is the hop aroma reference, correct?  Too bad you need to order them.  It looks like just the thing you'd think the hop industry would want to make available for free.

Offline yso191

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Re: Process check
« Reply #8 on: December 20, 2012, 04:21:42 pm »
That looks like an awesome book, I really love the use of radar charts to show off the data.  It is the hop aroma reference, correct?  Too bad you need to order them.  It looks like just the thing you'd think the hop industry would want to make available for free.

Couldn't agree more.  And to top it off retail is 100 euros.  It is the most useful book I have come across for selecting a hop.

Steve
Steve
BJCP #D1667

“Fallacies do not cease to be fallacies because they become fashions.” ― G.K. Chesterton

Offline mmitchem

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Re: Process check
« Reply #9 on: December 20, 2012, 07:32:08 pm »
Racking off the trub really helps a few things down the road. When you decide to keg it you won't have to worry about any of that stuff getting racked over. A really awesome thing that I have found is that if you want to wash your yeast, racking off the trub before pitching makes harvesting and washing a billion times easier.

Your process looks really good though. If you adhere to that you should have a fine lager in a couple of months. Cheers!
Michael P Mitchem
Beer and Ale Research Foundation (B.A.R.F.)
AHA Member since 2011