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Author Topic: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy  (Read 25065 times)

Offline hamiltont

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #15 on: December 07, 2009, 02:34:18 pm »
I'm known to push

typical FGs are upper 1.020's to abour 1.035 usually 13%+  15% is not uncommon.

I've got a 20% BW I need to keg right now.


Fred
What ale yeast did you use to get to 20%?
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Offline bonjour

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #16 on: December 07, 2009, 02:37:01 pm »
Nottingham dry yeast.

Fred
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Everything under 1.100 is a 'session' beer ;)

Offline hamiltont

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #17 on: December 07, 2009, 02:40:28 pm »
Those little notty boogers.  I woulda never thunk it!  # of packs per 5 gallons?
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Offline bonjour

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #18 on: December 07, 2009, 02:43:06 pm »
persistence and multiple pitches,  started with 3 packs of rehydrated and repeated that twice.

Fred
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Everything under 1.100 is a 'session' beer ;)

Offline bluesman

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #19 on: December 07, 2009, 02:59:35 pm »
I am debating this issue myself. I was planning to boil down only the first runnings, but now I'm thinking about boiling the first and second runnings together for a few hours. I think it would be easier and I also beleive the beer would benefit from it in that the entire wort would carmelize instead of just the first runnings.

Ron Price

Offline bonjour

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #20 on: December 07, 2009, 03:06:59 pm »
I am debating this issue myself. I was planning to boil down only the first runnings, but now I'm thinking about boiling the first and second runnings together for a few hours. I think it would be easier and I also beleive the beer would benefit from it in that the entire wort would carmelize instead of just the first runnings.
Which method is better is up to the taster,  The more traditional method is to boil the whole wort. 

Just be sure to target your FG on these beers, that makes much more difference than the OG.

Fred
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Everything under 1.100 is a 'session' beer ;)

Offline blatz

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #21 on: December 07, 2009, 03:07:16 pm »
I am debating this issue myself. I was planning to boil down only the first runnings, but now I'm thinking about boiling the first and second runnings together for a few hours. I think it would be easier and I also beleive the beer would benefit from it in that the entire wort would carmelize instead of just the first runnings.



I don't follow this logic here bud.

The idea of boiling down the first gallon is to concentrate the richness.  The richest, highest quality wort is the first running.  

Unless you mean skipping boiling on the 1st gallon and you mean boiling the entire wort, together, for a longer period.  Hard to decipher which you mean.

FWIW, when I made skotrat's recipe, doing the boil down, it was the most malty result I'd ever gotten.
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #22 on: December 07, 2009, 03:10:00 pm »
I am debating this issue myself. I was planning to boil down only the first runnings, but now I'm thinking about boiling the first and second runnings together for a few hours. I think it would be easier and I also beleive the beer would benefit from it in that the entire wort would carmelize instead of just the first runnings.



I don't follow this logic here bud.

The idea of boiling down the first gallon is to concentrate the richness.  The richest, highest quality wort is the first running.  

Unless you mean skipping boiling on the 1st gallon and you mean boiling the entire wort, together, for a longer period.  Hard to decipher which you mean.

FWIW, when I made skotrat's recipe, doing the boil down, it was the most malty result I'd ever gotten.

I'm talking about boiling the whole wort instead of the first runnings. I will need to target the gravity as Fred suggested.
Ron Price

Offline dbeechum

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #23 on: December 07, 2009, 04:42:32 pm »
Whatever you do.. don't do what I did and boil it for 19 hours. :)
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Offline hamiltont

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #24 on: December 07, 2009, 04:49:26 pm »
Whatever you do.. don't do what I did and boil it for 19 hours. :)
Ummmm. Butter Brickle Strong Scotch Ale???   :o
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Offline dbeechum

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #25 on: December 07, 2009, 05:14:06 pm »
Ummmm. Butter Brickle Strong Scotch Ale???   :o

Nope.. it was Damn Heavy.

Turned out to be damn near impossible to ferment from all the long sugar!
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Offline MDixon

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #26 on: December 07, 2009, 06:10:37 pm »
Let's be somewhat clear, until you boil off the water the temp is not high enough to caramelize the sugars. So darkening occurs (maillard reactions), but not caramelization...

I like to boil my first runnings down to soft ball candy stage...
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Offline tom

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #27 on: December 07, 2009, 07:19:14 pm »
Caramelization happens within a temperature range. Has anybody checked their temperatures when boiling down the first runnings?
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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #28 on: December 07, 2009, 07:50:19 pm »
persistence and multiple pitches,  started with 3 packs of rehydrated and repeated that twice.

Was that all in one shot or did you do incremental feedings? (Can't imagine it's the former, just curious.)

Caramelization happens within a temperature range. Has anybody checked their temperatures when boiling down the first runnings?

My money's on 212°F.  ;D
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Offline bluesman

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Re: Kettle Caramelization for a Wee Heavy
« Reply #29 on: December 07, 2009, 07:52:06 pm »
Whatever you do.. don't do what I did and boil it for 19 hours. :)

Wow...that's a long brew day.  :o
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