[font=Arial]Hey All,[/font]

[font=Arial]I downloaded a copy of Experimental Homebrewing (Beechum & Conn, 2014) from Amazon for 3 clams American. Naturally, I wondered if the recipes could be made with integrity in the BIABacus. I have outlined below some of the information provided in the introduction to the book:[/font]

[font=Arial]Basic Assumptions (some assumptions not shown)[/font]
[ul][li][font=Arial]Most recipes assume a 5.5-gallon batch at 75 percent efficiency. If your batch size or efficiency are different, be sure to adjust grain amounts accordingly. [/font][/li]
[li][font=Arial]Unless the recipe states otherwise, it assumes you’ll be mashing with a ratio of 1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain, batch sparging, and performing a full boil for 60 minutes. [/font][/li]
[li][font=Arial]Pellet hops are assumed to get 10 percent better utilization than whole hops. Therefore, use 10 percent fewer hops when substituting pellet hops for whole. If you’re subbing whole for pellets, use 10 percent more. [/font][/li]
[li][font=Arial]Recipes assume the IBU contributed from first wort hopping is counted as a 20-minute hop addition. [/font][/li]
[li][font=Arial]If the alpha acid of the hops you have is different from what we listed, use the alpha acid units (AAU) method to substitute: multiply the alpha acid (AA) of the hops by the amount used. For example: 1 ounce of 5 percent AA hops gives you 5 AAU (1 × 5 = 5). If the hops you have are 4 percent, then you need 1.25 ounces (1.25 × 4 = 5). Use this substitution for any hops that will contribute to bitterness (up to the 15-minute addition). After 15-minutes, you can simply substitute ounce for ounce for similar flavor and aroma contributions. [/font][/li][/ul]

[font=Arial]Brewing Instructions (some instructions not shown)[/font]
[ul][li][font=Arial]For most beers, mash your grain in 1.25 quarts of 164° F water per pound for 60 minutes. (The temperature will drop to about 152 ° F once you mix the water with the grain.) 1.25 quarts per pound doesn’t have to be an exact figure. Feel free to round up to an even number. [/font][/li]
[li][font=Arial]Recirculate some of the liquid through the grain bed until it runs clear, then run off the liquid into your kettle. [/font][/li]
[li][font=Arial]After you run off your mash, measure how much wort you have in your kettle. Subtract that from the amount you want to boil. (You’ll usually need to boil around 6–7 gallons for a 5-gallon batch. It will depend on your own equipment, and you’ll have to determine the exact amount through experience.) The answer you get is how much sparge water to use. Sparge by infusing your grain with that amount of 180 ° F water. Recirculate and run off like you did for the mash. Go ahead and heat up a little more than you think you’ll use. Extra hot water always comes in handy on brew day.[/font][/li][/ul]

[font=Arial]As an example, here is their "base" recipe for some of the experiments:[/font]

CALIFORNIA MAGNUM BLONDE

For 5.5 gallons at 1.050, 45 IBUs, 3.4 SRM, 5.0% ABV, 90-minute boil

GRAIN BILL
10.25 lbs Great Western California Select Pale Malt 

MASH SCHEDULE 
Rest 154° F 60 minutes 

HOPS 
0.75 oz Magnum Pellet 11.6% AA 60 minutes 
0.75 oz Magnum Pellet 11.6% AA 20 minutes 
0.75 oz Magnum Pellet 11.6% AA 0 minutes 

OTHER INGREDIENTS 
1/ 2 tablet Whirlfloc 10 minutes 

YEAST
WLP001 California Ale, WY1056 American Ale, or Safale US-05 

NOTES 
Ferment in primary for 12 weeks. (Why so long?)

What do you think?

Thanks,
Steve

Hey Steve  , I remember scanning the above just after you posted it, and, like you, noticed the 12 weeks in primary. That would definitely be a typo, maybe they meant 1-2 weeks in primary?

As for the rest, it looks like they have given quite nice detail besides the ambiguous 5.5 gallon 'batch' and 75% 'efficiency' bit. Just plug one or two recipes into the BIABacus and that will help clear up what batch size and efficiency measurement they are referring to.

Only other thing I spotted was Whirfloc at ten minutes, should be five, but that is something that not too many brewers know about.

So, unless I have missed something else, looks pretty good*.


PP

* The generalisation of 75% 'efficiency' is something you will see everywhere as brewing software (besides the BIABAcus) is unable to differentiate between low and high gravity brews.

I signed up over at experimentalbrew.com to ask the question regarding batch size. I have both of their books and would also like to know. Someone beat me to it. Drew answered that by batch size they mean volume of ambient wort. Drew stated it as finished wort in the kettle. 

Lumpy5oh wrote:I signed up over at experimentalbrew.com to ask the question regarding batch size. I have both of their books and would also like to know. Someone beat me to it. Drew answered that by batch size they mean volume of ambient wort. Drew stated it as finished wort in the kettle. 

And that gives us integrity - sweet !

PistolPatch wrote:Hey Steve  , I remember scanning the above just after you posted it, and, like you, noticed the 12 weeks in primary. That would definitely be a typo, maybe they meant 1-2 weeks in primary?.

[font="Trebuchet MS", "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Experimental Brewing Errata[/font]
[ul][li]pg. 27 - California Magnum - Notes - It says ferment for 12 weeks. Should read - "ferment for 1-2 weeks"[/li][/ul]
Good catch!