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Author Topic: Steeping Crystal Malt  (Read 18145 times)

Offline MDixon

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Re: Steeping Crystal Malt
« Reply #15 on: December 23, 2010, 10:46:40 am »
I often wondered if people boiled the grains after that episode and what the results were... ;D

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Offline gmac

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Re: Steeping Crystal Malt
« Reply #16 on: December 23, 2010, 10:54:21 am »
I boiled a pound of rye malt in the last two batches I brewed due to a mis-understanding regarding instructions and I can tell you my result was cloudy beer. 
I brewed an ale first that is now sitting in my cold room and the haze is very slowly settling out.  It wasn't intended to be aged but I figured what the heck.  It was really cloudy so what is there to lose by letting it sit.
The second was a Cal. Lager beer with 1 lb of rye boiled again.  It was also cloudy but I bottled it anyway and the haze has settled out as it sat to carbonate.  It's actually pretty decent.  It has a high hops level to start with so I don't notice any tannic astringency but I'm no expert.  Probably in lighter hopped and lighter flavoured beers you would be more likely to detect tannins.

Boiling grain = cloudy in my opinion.


Offline hamiltont

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Re: Steeping Crystal Malt
« Reply #17 on: December 23, 2010, 10:56:33 am »
Man, this is getting complicated.
Thanks everyone.  My water is already 7.6 pH (I keep cichlids and pH is important for these fish so I've checked it out).  We live in an area with limestone bedrock and we go through coffee makers like crazy thanks to all the calcium build up.  

Based on what's been discussed here, I am going to steep in 2L of water while the larger volume heats up outside.  I boil outside on a turkey fryer so that I don't have so much humidity indoors and it can take an hour to get 25L of water up to the boil anyway.  I'll leave out a few liters from the pot to add the steeping liquid in when it gets close to a boil.  

The rest of my recipe, if you're interested looks like this.
6 lbs golden light DME
1 oz Northern Brewer @ 60 min
1 oz Northern Brewer @ 30 min
1/2 oz Fuggles and 1/2 oz East Kent Goldings at 15 mins
1/2 oz Fuggles and 1/2 oz East Kent Goldings at 5 mins ( I have both so I figured a bit of each.  I could easily be talked into 1 oz of one and one oz of the other.  Which is better as aroma and which as flavour?
Wyeast London ESB Yeast in a starter right now.

Plan to brew tomorrow.
Should I take the plunge and start to look at going all grain?  That seems to be where most people end up.   I've always wanted to but I've been out of homebrewing for a while now and just getting back into it.  But I'm willing to take the plunge.

Curious as to what style you're shooting for. What you have right now is going to be pretty bitter. I'm calculating an OG around 1.057, SRM ~15, IBU's ~72 and ABV ~6%.  

EDIT:  If you drop the 30 minute addition of NB Hops you'll get your IBU's down to ~46 & you'll have a pretty decent ESB.

As Kai said, go to All-Grain when your process is solid & you're ready. Cheers!!!
« Last Edit: December 23, 2010, 11:03:39 am by hamiltont »
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Offline Kaiser

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Re: Steeping Crystal Malt
« Reply #18 on: December 23, 2010, 10:56:44 am »
I often wondered if people boiled the grains after that episode and what the results were... ;D

This episode got me started with home brewing and while I now know that some of the lingo is incorrect and that one should avoid boiling the grain I think AB does a good job in introducing the masses to home brewing. Especially since he advocates going to a HBS for supplies.

Pjj2ba, who posted a little on this board has made a AG beer where he boiled all the grain. He reported that the resulting beer was not astringent but had starch haze. Based on literature sources I have read I think that the ~170F sparge temp limit is not to limit tannin extraction as much as it is to prevent complete denaturation of a-amylase. This enzyme is needed to convert any starch that may be released by the rising temp and/or lautering action.  While tannin extraction is facilitated by the higher temp it is not as severe as brewers.

Kai

Offline Kaiser

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Re: Steeping Crystal Malt
« Reply #19 on: December 23, 2010, 10:59:28 am »
I boiled a pound of rye malt in the last two batches I brewed due to a mis-understanding regarding instructions and I can tell you my result was cloudy beer.

If you have iodine (iodophor for example) you may add a drop or two to a small sample of that beer. I'd expect it to change color due to the starch haze in the beer. After that discard the sample.

Kai

Offline gmac

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Re: Steeping Crystal Malt
« Reply #20 on: December 23, 2010, 11:09:58 am »

Curious as to what style you're shooting for. What you have right now is going to be pretty bitter. I'm calculating an OG around 1.057, SRM ~15, IBU's ~72 and ABV ~6%.  

As Kai said, go to All-Grain when your process is solid & you're ready. Cheers!!!

Not really shooting for any particular style.  English IPA would be pretty close (yes, too dark and too hoppy).  I wasn't sure about the 2nd NB hops addition.  I had another post asking about 30 min vs 60 and I figured this would be an interesting compromise.  I really like bitter beer though.  My old favourite which no one on here has probably ever had was the original version of Stonehammer from F&M in Guelph ON.  Really bitter which is why I think they had to re-vamp the recipe but I loved it.  Maybe I'll just go for 2 oz at 30 mins which was suggested in the other thread.  Not sure what to do.  I really prefer to experiment but if you think this is going to be way too bitter, I'm more than open to suggestion.  That's why I put the ingredients on so please let me know what you think.  

Offline hamiltont

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Re: Steeping Crystal Malt
« Reply #21 on: December 23, 2010, 12:04:32 pm »

Curious as to what style you're shooting for. What you have right now is going to be pretty bitter. I'm calculating an OG around 1.057, SRM ~15, IBU's ~72 and ABV ~6%.  

As Kai said, go to All-Grain when your process is solid & you're ready. Cheers!!!

Not really shooting for any particular style.  English IPA would be pretty close (yes, too dark and too hoppy).  I wasn't sure about the 2nd NB hops addition.  I had another post asking about 30 min vs 60 and I figured this would be an interesting compromise.  I really like bitter beer though.  My old favourite which no one on here has probably ever had was the original version of Stonehammer from F&M in Guelph ON.  Really bitter which is why I think they had to re-vamp the recipe but I loved it.  Maybe I'll just go for 2 oz at 30 mins which was suggested in the other thread.  Not sure what to do.  I really prefer to experiment but if you think this is going to be way too bitter, I'm more than open to suggestion.  That's why I put the ingredients on so please let me know what you think.  

Personally, I'd go with the 60 minute addition rather that 30. 30 minute additions just seem to be a waste of AA's IMO. Plus I don't really like the flavor of NB Hops & you'll get some in 30 minutes. This is just a suggestion but here's what I'd do.  Cheers!!!

6 lbs golden light DME
1 lb. Crystal 40
1 oz. Black Patent
1.5 oz Northern Brewer @ 60 min
1/2 oz Fuggles and 1/2 oz East Kent Goldings at 15 mins
1/2 oz Fuggles and 1/2 oz East Kent Goldings at 5 mins
Wyeast London ESB Yeast in a starter right now.

Should give you about:
OG 1.057
Estimated FG 1.012
ABV 5.8%
SRM 13
IBU's 63


If Homebrew & BBQ aren't the answer, then you're askin' the wrong questions... Cheers!!!

Offline gmac

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Re: Steeping Crystal Malt
« Reply #22 on: December 23, 2010, 01:41:15 pm »
Sounds good.  That's what I'll do.
I'll let you know how it turns out.
Thanks.

Offline gmac

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Re: Steeping Crystal Malt
« Reply #23 on: December 24, 2010, 12:16:46 pm »
Ooops.
Should have gone back and read the post again.  Working from memory I added 2 oz of black patent.  Not the end of the world, just a bit darker.

I did have trouble keeping the steeping water at or near 155.  Probably ended up spending more time at 145 to 150 because I was scared of going too hot.  Also, my thermometer sucks.  Too late to put new digital thermometer on my Christmas list for Santa though. 

Wort is boiling with hops as I type this.  Here's hoping...

Offline MDixon

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Re: Steeping Crystal Malt
« Reply #24 on: December 24, 2010, 12:52:45 pm »
For steeping, temp really doesn't matter so much. If partial mashing it would matter more.
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Offline gmac

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Re: Steeping Crystal Malt
« Reply #25 on: December 24, 2010, 02:18:54 pm »
I ended up with a bit too much wort, closer to 6 gal finished instead of 5.  I took a hydrometer reading and it was only about 1.042 or 1.044.  Not quite as high as predicted.  I also put the last gallon into another container rather than dump it so I may have 6 gals of light beer.  Actually, I am fine with that.  I'd prefer a 4 to 4.5% alcohol beer.  Will I be close or do you think even less? 

Also, does a hydrometer read "light" or "heavy" if it is too warm.  Like I said, my thermometer is terrible but I expect the wort was slightly on the warm side when I took my reading.

Offline hamiltont

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Re: Steeping Crystal Malt
« Reply #26 on: December 24, 2010, 03:27:41 pm »
The warmer the beer/wort the lower the hydrometer reading.  What was the temp when you took your reading? Cheers!!!
If Homebrew & BBQ aren't the answer, then you're askin' the wrong questions... Cheers!!!