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Home > posts > 2013 > 10 > 20131016_144254_sour-scotch-ale.html

Sour Scotch Ale

/posts/2013/10/20131016_144254_sour-scotch-ale.html

Homebrew 006. See Photos (link later)

Note, still in progress

Goal:

This is based on the clone of Oskar Blues' Old Chub (slightly modified) but sour-mashed with about 24% of the grist. It is my first time sour-mashing so I am also testing out that method and equipment. I am also testing doing no-sparge on the soured part of the grains to get an idea of efficiency

Recipe:

(PDF) (TXT) (HTML^[@rev]) (xml stored locally)

Method:

All Grain

Style:

Strong Scotch Ale

Boil Time:

90 min

Batch Size:

1.375 gallons (fermentor volume)

Boil Size:

2.15 gallons

Efficiency:

70% (brew house)

Boil Gravity:

1.050 (recipe based estimate)

Original Gravity:

1.078

Final Gravity:

1.022

ABV (standard):

7.36%

IBU (tinseth):

34.89

SRM (morey):

22.45

Fermentables

Amount

Fermentable

PPG

L

Bill %

2.5 lb

American - Pale 2-Row

37

1.8

59.9%

3.5 oz

United Kingdom - Extra Dark Crystal 120L

33

120

5.2%

3.5 oz

German - Munich Light

37

6

5.2%

1 oz

United Kingdom - Chocolate

34

425

1.5%

1.5 oz

Belgian - Special B

34

115

2.2%

1.25 oz

American - Smoked Malt

37

5

1.9%

1 lb

American Pale 2 Row for Sour Mash (25%)

37

1.8

24%

Hops

Amount

Variety

Time

AA

Use

Type

IBU

0.18 oz

Nugget

Pellet

14

Boil

60 min

34.89

Mash Guidelines

Amount

Description

Type

Temp

Time

2.3 qt

Full vol. mash sour with 162-163

Infusion

155 F

60 min

0 qt

Mash Out

Temperature

168 F

10 min

--

Cool to 120

Temperature

115 F

--

--

Innoculate with 2.5 oz grain. hold 4 days

--

115 F

999 min

4.22 qt

Mash In around168

Infusion

155 F

60 min

--

Mash Out

Temperature

168 F

10 min

2.9 qt

Dunk Sparge at 175

Sparge

168 F

10 min

Starting Mash Thickness: 1.33 qt/lb

Other Ingredients

Amount

Name

Type

Use

Time

2.5 oz

American Pale 2 Row (DO NOT MASH)

Other

Mash

--

0.25 tsp

Irish Moss

Fining

Boil

10 min

0.13 tbsp

Yeast Nutrient

Other

Boil

10 min

Yeast

Fermentis / Safale - American Ale Yeast US-05

Attenuation (avg):

72%

Flocculation:

Medium

Optimum Temp:

59 - 75 F

Starter:

No

Fermentation Temp:

69 F

Pitch Rate:

-

Notes

Based on http://www.homebrewtalk.com/f12/oskar-blues-old-chub-clone-byo-303487/ but I tweaked the numbers a bit for round numbers. And I lowered the base malt to make it less strong.

-----------------------------

Boil Volume is 2.15 so for ~25%, it is about 2 quarts. With a grain absorption of 0.3 qt/lbs, that means sour with 2.3 qt and 1 lbs of grain

-----------------------------

The 1 lbs 2-row and the 2.5 oz can be ordered together but 2.5 ounces should be withheld

---------------------------

This recipe is souring about 24%

Generated by Brewer's Friend - <http://www.brewersfriend.com/>

Date: 2013-10-17 18:35 UTC

Recipe Last Updated: 2013-10-16 21:07 UTC

2013-10-16 Notes on Sour Mashing:

• Testing slow cooker with water and oxiclean in the jar

• When set at 46C, creeps to 46.5C

• Set diff to 0.3 clicked on at 45.7. Bottomed out at 45.3C. I will change it to a smaller difference so it goes on sooner (Nope, can't get below 0.3C diff)

• Final setting is 46C with 0.3C diff

• So with this test it is 45.3C-46.5C or 113.5F-115.7F

• Took out only 2.25 oz of the grain so mashing with 1 pound 0.25 oz

• Dough in at 7:58pm @162. Droppes to 158.

• Note, changed to the small pot since it was too shallow in the bigger one, especially with the rack. So, instead I decided to use the smaller pot with no bag. I will then pour it through the bag into the bigger pot which I can then use to squeeze the bag

• Measured test oxiclean test jar and it was a bit lower. This makes sensebecause there is a bit of the thing exposed. THis may be less of an issue with a towel over it but I'll change the setting to 47C.

• T-40. 150°F. Heat on 3/10 to 156.

• T-23 154°F. Add a bit of heat.

• T-10 At 150-152. Added heat to 156-158

• I am thinking of extending the mash an extra 15 min or so. (T+...... then). Just leave the temp.

• Added 10 min

• At t+10 (70 min into mash) temp was about 152.

• Mashed out to 168. Held there for a bit. (I am now realizing that I forgot to hold for a full 10. Oh well)

• Cooled to about 115

• Collected 7.5 cups or 1.875 qt (a bit low)

• Calculated grain absorption was 0.43 qt/lbs. I wonder why considering I felt like I could squeeze more with the smaller amount of grain.

• Anyway...

• 1.056 SG at 108°F for a calibrated 1.059

• 74.74% Pre-Kettle according to Brewers Friend. Not bad! (Note that I double crushed the grains)

• put into jar and added 2.25 oz grain to wort . Covered with cling wrap and put into hot water bath

• With insulation, it got to 47.7C which is too high (never mind, 47.7C=117.9. We want to stay below 120°F=48.8, but even then, as long as we don't hit 130°F=54.4C, we should be fine... See BYO link below)

• Spiked to 48. Set a bit lower to 46.5

2013-10-17:

• Set lower to 46.3. I've been watching it. When it clicks on, it doesn't drop any further. It then stays there for a bit before rapidly rising past it's goal. (rose from 46C to 46.8C). Continues to rise slowly and peaked at 47.5

• I just read a few things in BYO. For one, I could have sealed the container. Two, I am fine on temperatures. See below:

The most common contaminant of a sour mash is Clostridium butyricum. This anaerobic bacteria produces butyric acid, a foul-smelling compound that turns the mash rancid. Sour mashes infected with Clostridium should be thrown out. Luckily, these bugs are inactive above 112 F. Keeping the sour mash above this temperature will inhibit Clostridium.

Acetobacter, an acetic acid-producing bacteria, can also infect sour mashes. These aerobic bacteria grow on the surface of the mash if oxygen is present and can convert alcohol to acetic acid at pH values as low as 4.5. Keeping the sour mash tun tightly closed to seal out oxygen will inhibit the growth of Acetobacter. It can also be inhibited by raising the temperature above 122 F. (Temperatures above 120 F will stun L. delbruckii, but they will survive unless temperature exceeds a high of 131 F.)

• Keeping the settings where they are for the remainder of the sour mashing

2013-10-20 Brew Day:

Here are my notes. I started around 11:15 or so. Normal procedure with_italics_

• Started heating 4.22 to 168. Changed to 4.25 qts (4 qts + 1 cup)

• (11:50) Mashed in at 165 (choose to try a bit lower). Stabilized around 155

• Cover and hold for 60 min

• T-43min. ~149. Heat on 3/10 to 156. Hold 15 min

• I want to go back to mashing thinner

• t-28. 155 Hold 15

• Just to note, the sourmash used 1.42 kWh

• t-14. T~148. Took a long time to 156. I wonder if I measured too soon before

• 12:40 pull sour. Smells like apple juice

• Tastes tart but flavorful. Very clean tasting

• SG of sour mash 1.051 @ 102°F (1.057 @ calibrated)

• Recovered 7 cups=1.75 qts

• t-0. T153. Heat 3/10 t0 168

• (1:01) @168. Hold 10 min

• (1:17) Into sparge. Hold 10min

• 3 qt+1/7 cups=3.425qt first run

• first run + sour=3.425+1.75 qt = 5.175 qt

• Need 2.15gal=8.6 qt for bol so 3.425 qt from sparge. Will have to squeeze well

• 3qt+0.5cup =3.125 qt from sparge

• Combined mash (_ONLY). _3.425+3.125=6.55 qt for today's mash

• SG: 1.059@82=1.061 for today's mash

• (Separatelyentered pre-boil efficiency is therefore) 86%

• Hop Adjust: 0.18oz *14%/13.5% == 0.1866 ~=0.19oz

• 1:57 Boil! Heat to 8/10

• Began rehydrating yeast based on Palmer's instructions (p 73). Boiled 1/2 cup in microwaved. At T=95-105, added about 5 g. Covered with star-sanned Al foil for 15 min then stir. Added at 2:53 (_took forever to cool)._stirred at 3:07

• 2:58. Into the ice. Time/Temps and notes: 3:05/109°F, 3:07/no steam. lid on, 3:09/95. 3:15/80F, 3:20/72

• SG: 1.079 (1.080)

• Shook for 2 min

• Added yeast. Shook again

• 3:27 all done

• Very hard to get good height measure (used flashlight the help but not very useful)

• I think 15.5 cm --> 1.47 gal or 5.89 qts

• May need to adjust boil-off, etc. May use a blowoff tube. Not sure

• Brewhouse efficiency (remember some went to the bacteria): 77%

Quick Note

Quick note later of brew day. I was looking over the recipe and realized that I accidentally did a 60 minute boil instead of 90. Oops. I do not think it will make much of a difference other than more volume (as I found). I still had great numbers but I may have been able to do better with a longer boil. I didn't use pilsner so I shouldn't have to worry about DMS.

2013-11-15:

Moved the whole bucket to the fridge for cold crash

2013-11-17 Bottling:

Note that while I was bottling, I was also brewing batch 008. Here is my log

• Racked over to bucket

• 1.0215 @46F ==> 1.021==> 7.74% ABV

• 13.4 cm --> 1.24 gal

• Aim for 2.1 vol with temp set to 65 (fermentation temp, not crash) --> 0.80oz corn sugar

• use 1/2 cup water

• 1.24 gal = 13.2 12oz bottle which may be cutting it close

• Instead, do 11 12oz and 1 22oz bottle

• Filled. Used the autosiphon but I was really able to control it well. Isacrificeda 6-pack holder and filled into them so that I could stand towards the end to tilt the bucket and hold the siphon

• Sprayed O2 absorbing caps with star san 6 at a time and covered bottles. Capped in 6 bottle batches

• Missed by about 1/3 bottle. I'll cap it and see what happens. May take longer to carb.

• Doing the bottles in the 6 pack may have cause me to loose a bit too much since I had to wait until they just overflowed to cut it. I'll work on my technique

• once capped, I rinsed the bottles and noted brew #6 on the top

2013-12-07 Note: 3 weeks will be today, but I think it may need more timebecause of (a) the temp and (b) the cold-crash may leave less yeast

Original WP Post ID: 6770

Original WP Pub Date: 2013-10-16_144254