[Iliff Ave]

attempt #2 at a Summer/Session Ale. Posting it out of pure boredom. Doesn't seem to fit into a category...let me know if anyone has any thoughts about that.

70% 2 row
20% Munich 10L
5% crystal 40
5% flaked oats

11 g magnum 60 min
21 g amarillo 10 min
14 g cascade 0 min
14 g simcoe 0 min

Mashed at 156
OG 1.045
IBUs 22
SRM 7.0
S04 yeast

[In The Sand]

Looks tasty. Might have a heavier body than desired for a summer/session ale. Especially mashing at 156 and using S04, which is less attenuation than say US05. Definitely looks like it'll taste good though.

[Iliff Ave]

First go around it finished at 1.007 I think. That was mashing at 154 which got me 83% attenuation from S04 I think. I got a higher OG this time around so I am hoping to get less attenuation and keep the ABV around 4.5%

[In The Sand]

Wow

[Iliff Ave]

Hoping to get under 80% attenuation for this attempt but not sure to what degree a 2 degree change in mash temp will really change...

[morticaixavier]

Hoping to get under 80% attenuation for this attempt but not sure to what degree a 2 degree change in mash temp will really change...

when is the last time you calibrated your thermo at mash temps?

Try 162*

[Iliff Ave]

Hoping to get under 80% attenuation for this attempt but not sure to what degree a 2 degree change in mash temp will really change...

when is the last time you calibrated your thermo at mash temps?

Try 162*

I was going to try mashing above 158 but was worried I wouldn't get enough attenuation. Most of my beers finish low so I am used to it. I think I don't mind light bodied beers and most of my beers don't fit with guidelines anyway.

[cornershot]

Hoping to get under 80% attenuation for this attempt but not sure to what degree a 2 degree change in mash temp will really change...

when is the last time you calibrated your thermo at mash temps?

Try 162*

How do you calibrate a thermometer at mash temps?

[morticaixavier]

Hoping to get under 80% attenuation for this attempt but not sure to what degree a 2 degree change in mash temp will really change...

when is the last time you calibrated your thermo at mash temps?

Try 162*

How do you calibrate a thermometer at mash temps?

that's the tricky part. You have to get access to a thermo that is to be trusted in the 150-170 range and check it against that. Usually this means a NIST certified old school glass and alcohol model.

It may or may not be worth it. I personally have not done this with any of my thermos I just play around till I figure out the mash temps that work for me with my equipment. I calibrate at boiling on occasion and once in a great while at 32* but that's kind of a pain in the butt too.

[Iliff Ave]

I have never calibrated my thermometer at mash temps. It is accurate at freezing and boiling temps but I do realize it is used mainly for mash temps...

[cornershot]

I got very frustrated with digital thermometers. They never lasted long and always seemed to die at the worst time. The $ spent on digital thermometers in the past two years could've bought me a nice thermapen. Too late for that now. I switched to an alcohol and glass lab thermometer and I really like it. Wonder how many I'll break before get frustrated and I switch back to digital! 

[redbeerman]

I got very frustrated with digital thermometers. They never lasted long and always seemed to die at the worst time. The $ spent on digital thermometers in the past two years could've bought me a nice thermapen. Too late for that now. I switched to an alcohol and glass lab thermometer and I really like it. Wonder how many I'll break before get frustrated and I switch back to digital! 

I've been using a lab thermometer for over 20 years, and I've only broken one.  I like the fact that they are accurate.  Just need to be careful.

[Iliff Ave]

Beer finished at 1.011 and 4.5% ABV. When compared to my first attempt, the increase in body is definitely noticeable but so is the yeast character. My pitch temp was higher than it should have been which is disappointing. I am hoping with some carb and cold conditioning, it will taste a bit cleaner...

[james]

I got very frustrated with digital thermometers. They never lasted long and always seemed to die at the worst time. The $ spent on digital thermometers in the past two years could've bought me a nice thermapen. Too late for that now. I switched to an alcohol and glass lab thermometer and I really like it. Wonder how many I'll break before get frustrated and I switch back to digital! 

I'm like you, I've had so many different digital thermometers.  They seemed to drift or get damaged from water/steam.  I finally went and bought a Thermoworks RT600C (http://amzn.to/17pggdS) and I've been completely satisfied with it.  When I bought mine it was closer to $30 but now it is on sale for $19.

If mine ever dies I'll buy a thermapen, but I'm not sure mine will ever die.  I've replaced the battery in mine 2 or 3 times because I forget to turn it off, it looks like they have updated it to have a 1 hour auto off.

[Iliff Ave]

Two weeks in the keg. Still not completely carbed. Has a very "English" character from the yeast. I must have fermented this one too high. The amarillo and simcoe are completely masked by the yeast and the aroma is malty, bready, fruity (banana-like). It drinks like a completely different beer that doesn't come of as 4.5% ABV.

As I have noticed in a lot of my beers, the early mouthfeel is strange. I believe this is due to using flaked oats quite often. In my experience, this will change quite a bit with a couple of more weeks in the fridge.

Very different from my first attempt. I prefer the first attempt unfortunately. I can definitely see the difference between S04 fermenting warm vs cool. On this batch I remember having issues getting my pitch temp down. May need to think about going back to US05 exclusively because it is so forgiving. I will only use S04 when I can really control the temp and keep it 65F or below.