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Home > posts > 2013 > 08 > 20130808_210053_americanbelgium-ipa-homebrew.html

American/Belgium IPA Homebrew

/posts/2013/08/20130808_210053_americanbelgium-ipa-homebrew.html

I am brewing beer. I will update this as I go. See 2013-08-18 Update, See See 2013-09-05 Update

2013-08-08 Brewing:

I am using [this recipe from Bull City Home Brew](<http://bullcityhomebrew.com/recipes.aspx?id=American%20IPA%20>(One%20Gallon).xml)(which I also saved as a PDF). I am following the recipe except I used WYESTStrain: 3787 | Trappist High Gravity. I chose a Belgium strain because I wanted a Belgium yeast for a fruitier beer and I chose_this_ strain because it can handle a bit higher fermentation temp and my apartment is around 78.

Standard Beer recipe style:

Batch Size: 1.25 gal

Estimated OG: 1.069

Measured OG: 1.059

FG: 1.012

ABV: 6.2%

IBUs: 55.2 (calculated, not measured)

2.10 lb 2-row American Malt (Rahr) (1.8 SRM) (64.6%)

0.74 lb Munich, Light (Weyermann) (6.0 SRM) (22.8 %)

0.27 lb Carared (Weyermann) (19.5 SRM) (8.4 %)

0.14 lb Caramunich I (Weyermann) (19.5 SRM) (4.2 %)

0.13 oz Columbus (US) Hop Pellets [13.10 %] - Boil 60.0 min 19.6 IBUs

0.20 oz Columbus (US) Hop Pellets [13.10 %] - Boil 30.0 min 22.6 IBUs

0.25 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 mins) (Fining)

0.26 oz Cascade (US) Hop Pellets [6.20 %] - Boil 15.0 min 9.2 IBUs

0.13 tsp Yeast Nutrient (Wyeast) (Boil 10.0 mins)

0.26 oz Cascade (US) Hop Pellets [6.20 %] - Boil 5.0 min 3.7 IBUs

0.5 (or 1.0) pkg WYEST Strain: 3787 | Trappist High Gravity

Photo Post (on aseparate post)^[@rev]

These are my WAY OVERLY DETAILED lab notes

Here are transcribed notes I took while I was working. A PDF "scan" is HERE. The transcribed notes are in the regular font. My comments as I am writing are in italics

• (4:15) All clean. Begin. Popped yeast activator
• Started. ~1.02 gal (1 gal, 1/2 cup) water to heat. Bottled.Heated on induction stove
• Heat water in saucepan to preheat cooler (mash tun)
• mixed cleanser (1 Tbsp to 1 gal water. Added to 1/2 the water, mixed, added other 1/2)
• mixed sanitizer (1/4 oz to 1 gal H20. " ")
• Set aside hot bottled water to adjust temp of mash tun
• Ugh. Digital thermometer broke. Switching to glass. (Only read high temp when probe fully immersed. Pulled on cord, pulled too hard. wires came out)
• Said to mash in at 163.7. Aimed high to 168 (Because when Wes and Ethan did it, they said to go high)
• End goal is 152
• (4:44) Dumped all strike water. Saw dirt floating in it_(fuck) Next time, I make sure this is cleaner._
• (4:57) Mashed in at 167. Measured temp at 160. Added a bit of bottled water and hit 155.
• Note: bag fully submerged_(Wes and Ethan weren't sure if that was the case for them)_
• (5:28) Agitated mashtun
• 5:35. Made cups for hopping schedule.See picture
• Note, grains weighed by shop
• Boiled additions (actually measured). Scale measures to 0.05 oz:
• 0.15 then 0.20 columbus. 0.25 cascade w/ 1/4 tsp irish moss. ~1/2 of 1/4 tsp (~1/8) tsp yeast nutrient. 0.30 cascade. (See pic)
• This sucks. With these small number, I need a more accurate scale!!!!
• Went out to buy more water. Didn't expect to dump a whole gallon. Have more extra next time
• (5:55) heated sparge water (1.07 gal= 1 gal, 1 cup). Aim 168
• (5:58) Pulled bag. (140 degrees). Note: the grains swelled and were a bit out.see picture.
• I need to research two things. (a) the bag swelling and being out of the water and (b) how to maintain the temperature better. 140 seems too low.That's a big drop
• (6:01) Started draining. Collected 11 1/2 cups
• Need a bigger strainer (Actually, I think this is fine. Bigger won't do anything)
• Aim to collect 1.7 gal = 27.2 cups. Need 15.7 more
• I collected by using the spout into a 4 cup measure. I sparged with water at the right temp on the induction. I used a different measure cup (2 cups but actually more) to pour batches over the grains. I poured about 2-6 cups at a time between draining
• Note: I put grain bag+strainer into another big bowl to keep draining while I tipped the cooler to get it all out. A small amount remained that looked rather cloudy. I guess that's good.
• (6:12) Turned on heat (high) while I was still sparging so it could start to heat
• _Added additional as I sparged (right word?) it._Collected 16 cups
• (6:20) All wort in pot
• As it approached boil (measured with temp) I lowered the heat
• (6:37) BOIL!!! Added #1
• Next add @ 7:07
• played with temp. ~1/2 way between med-high gives nice boil (maybe a bit closer to high)
• Actually, 3/4 of the way to high is better. I keep playing with it
• (7:07) Added addition #2. Next add at 7:22
• (7:22) Added #3. Next add @7:27
• ...Rest added by schedule
• (7:38) End of boil. Started cooling_in sink filled with ice and water._Rotatated pot every once in a while to stir. Temp-Times with gentle stir: 7:50 - 90F. 7:56 - 66F
• Sanitized fermenter + strainer (again) + measuring cup + yeast package
• _Poured__through strainer._Lots of trub...
• The trub clogged the strainer. I used a sanitized, slotted spoon to pull out some of the hops and let the rest drain i
• Pulled out the test tube to test OG. Couldn't get clear reading with all the foam. Will return back
• Pitched yeast. Did whole thing despite them calling for only half
• (8:02) Fermenter lid on
• (8:05) Air-lock on_(I forgot to sanitize it. Had to do that first...and ensure I was doing it right)_
• I took an OG reading. Hard to see w/ foam (Ask_ about how to deal with that_). ~1.059 (target 1.069). fuck
• Fermenter in closet. Done

A few notes. I liked setting a timer for the full boil so I could always tell what was left and I could respond accordingly. Also, pre-measured hop additions were nice.

The biggest question is why the low OG. I have two guesses. It could be the grain being exposed at the end and/or it could be the temperature drop. I will investigate these two issues as well as everything else I mentioned. Not sure how to deal with the temp drop but I could probably use more strike water and less sparge water to keep the grains covered

Ideas for next time(updated2013-08-08_230914)

I have been doing more reading, etc and I have a few things I think I will try next time:

1. Open the bag in the mashtun with the edges safely secured around the edges (bungee cord? rubber-band?). Keep the lid on lightly. Retie bag before sparge. Need to make sure to remind shop to tie off with a slip-know

2. Check the mash temperature often (maybe every 15 min?) with hot (but not too hot) water ready to add to bring it up. And stir (if it's too hot, it'll be the equivalent of a mash out)

3. Also add water to keep grains covered. This should go along well with the previous step.

Alternatively, since there isn't too much volume, I could do a full-volume, no-sparge mash. But from my reading, it_lowers_efficiency.

Also, I should start measuring (calculating) efficiency so I can calibrate

2013-08-18 Update:

****Around 10:10 pm, I carefully moved the fermenter to the counter and let it sit while I sanitized everything else. The fermenter read 73F. When I opened it up, I saw a lot of stuff floating on the top. I do not know if that is yeast or hops. There looked like there was even more on the bottom. (see photo post^[@rev])

At round 10:25, I used the auto siphon into the secondary and I did my best to keep it just below the liquid line. I got nervous since I didn't want to incorporate any air into the hose and I didn't want much trub. However, I also started to suck up some of the trub so I clamped it off and pulled the siphon. I then let out the clamp just enough to let most of the rest of the beer pour into the secondary.

I think I had it too low and/or chickened out and clamped way too soon. It looks like I only got about 1/2 a gallon into the secondary! That sucks! There was so much liquid left over. So, for next time, I will be more careful about where the siphon sits. I think I have a bit more room than I realize with the plastic piece on the end of the siphon. (see photos^[@rev])

I wasn't planning on taking a gravity measurement since I didn't want to lose ~8oz of liquid but since I had so much left, I took a measure and saw 1.010. That is approx. 6.4% ABV. Not bad!

Also, with so much left, I think I will up the batch size a little bit. I still don't like the idea of wasting so much but at the very least, upping the batch size (maybe 1.5 gal or about 2 gal into the boil) will fix that. I'll also ask around about reducing the trub.

Photos: link^[@rev]

...

As I was cleaning up, I was playing with the siphon and realized I missed that there was an additional tip to prevent picking up sediment. I'll use that next time too. Oh well. (I guess this really is a learning experience)

2013-09-05 Update: Bottling

Below are a combination of my notes at the time and comments

• Aiming for 2.3 volumes of CO2
• Took temp of the beer to be 73 based on the Saison next to it (with it's thermometer strip)
• Used Norther Brewer Priming Calculator since it is more specific than others
• Palmer says 2 cups water for 3/4 cup of priming sugar. Also, based on playing with NB's tool, I found (6.47 cups sugar=45.67 oz). Therefore: (2 cups H20/ 3/4 cup sugar)*(6.47 cups sugar/45.67 oz sugar)=0.378 cups water/oz sugar
• ___Racked to the bottling bucket then get a measure. First filled the (sanitized) test jar_
• FG: 1.010 @ 73F. Hydrometer calibrated at 60 (I think) ==>1.012
• Covered. Measured height to 7.5cm ==> 0.60 gal
• ==> 0.49 oz corn sugar and 0.185 cups=2.96 Tbsp ~= 3 tbsp water
• Dissolved sugar in hot water. Cut heat at 150. Raised to 160 from element._Cooled in small bucket of ice water(why not?)__

_

• 7:48pm,_gently poured sugar down tilted edge._Gently stirred
• Sanitized bottles (see below)
• ~8:10 filled
• Filling with the siphon was hard. I had to try a few times to get it going and clamp quickly to lose as little as possible. I will definitely look into making a bottling bucket

To sanitize the bottles, I filled a measuring cup with enough sanitizer. I then filled the bottle and swirled. I then poured the bottle back into the measuring cup and, at a certain point, submerged the neck into the sanitizer. I then poured the rest into the cup, shook the bottle, and moved it to the sanitized rack.

OG: 1.059, FG: 1.012 ==> ABV 6.2% (197 calories)

Original Wordpress ID and Date: 6441, 2013-08-08_210053