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Author Topic: Braggot pitching rate?  (Read 1846 times)

Offline jivetyrant

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Braggot pitching rate?
« on: November 18, 2011, 06:37:13 am »
I'm going to take a shot at a braggot today, something I've never tried before.  It's not my own recipe, it's from Extreme Brewing by Sam Calagione.  Cranberry harvesting season recently finished here in southcoast MA so I really wanted to try and incorporate them into *something* but the idea of a cranberry beer sounded hideous.  A braggot, though....  now that's an idea!  The question I have regards pitching rates, as the recipe calls for champagne yeast.  I intend to use Pasteur Champagne from Red Star, I bought 4, 5g packets just in case.  Here is the recipe;

Cranberry Braggot

3 gallon boil (odd) for 1 hour
OG 1.082
FG target 1.010
ABV target 8.5%
IBU 6.8 (accordning to beersmith, does not take into account contribution from cranberries)

6.6lbs light LME
1oz Hallertau 3%AA (60 mins)
2 lbs dried, boiled, pureed cranberries (10 mins)
1 tsp irish moss (10 mins)
5 tsp yeast nutrient (10 mins) -This seems like a lot, especially since I'm using the wyeast brand which has a lower dosage than standard yeast nutrient at 1/2 tsp for 5 gallons of beer.
6lbs local wildflower honey (flameout)
1tsp pectic enzyme (at pitch)
? packets Red Star Pasteur Champagne

So, how many packets to pitch?  How much yeast nutrient to use?  Are there any other recomendations or comments about the recipe?  Thanks!
« Last Edit: November 18, 2011, 06:44:21 am by jivetyrant »

Offline chezteth

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Re: Braggot pitching rate?
« Reply #1 on: November 18, 2011, 08:58:23 am »
Typically one packet of red star yeast is used for 5 to 6 gallons of wine so I would suggest using one packet. Honey doesn't have the proper amount of nutrients for yeast which is probably why the recipe calls for so much nutrient. If you are using wyeast's nutrient blend perhaps you could cut the nutrient addition on half? Maybe someone else would have a different suggestion.

Happy brewing,
Brandon

jaybeerman

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Re: Braggot pitching rate?
« Reply #2 on: November 18, 2011, 11:38:53 am »
i'd pitch 10 grams.  re-hydrate the yeast (although most people don't)

Offline euge

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Re: Braggot pitching rate?
« Reply #3 on: November 18, 2011, 11:52:39 am »
Just drank the last bottle of a braggot done in 08. Just be prepared to condition this type of beer for a long time. Pitching rate should be the same as any beer.

Just make it. Rack to bottles and put the braggot up in cases and store in a cool place where you'll forget about them.

I think the cranberry braggot is a great idea.
The first principle is that you must not fool yourself, and you are the easiest person to fool. -Richard P. Feynman

Laws are spider-webs, which catch the little flies, but cannot hold the big ones. -Anacharsis

Offline jivetyrant

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Re: Braggot pitching rate?
« Reply #4 on: November 18, 2011, 12:52:08 pm »
Decided on a 10g pitch, according to red star this should give me 400b cells.  The recommended pitch rate according to beersmith is 370b, so that should work well.  I cut the nutrients back to 2.5tsp of wyeast brewer's brand.

It's currently chilling to pitching temp, I'll pitch the yeast and pectic enzyme soon!  Now I just have to decide how much I want to carbonate it....  probably pretty highly!

Thanks for the input, folks!

Edit: OG was 1.089ish.  I don't trust it as a solid reading due to the incredible amount of solids in the wort sample.  2lbs of pureed cranberry will tend to do that!  It's easily the best tasting wort I've made, though. ;p
« Last Edit: November 18, 2011, 01:45:20 pm by jivetyrant »