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2nd BIAB: Munich Helles Double Batch

Post #1 made 14 years ago
by stux
I've just picked up the grain,

After speaking to my LHBS, he said he was a fan of throwing in a handful of acidulated malt, so we decided to go with it,

Grain Bill scaled to 9.3KG or so.

8.6kg Weyermann Pilsner
250g German Caramel Pils
250g Weyermann Acidulated Malt
150g Weyermann Melanoidin Malt

9.25KG, plus fluff = 9.3KG which is my target weight.

200g of Tettnang Hops and my Medium Pressure Variable Reg just arrived... so I've got everything... except a masher! Going to try trawling some catering supply stores today.

I'll be playing with my 1, 1.5 and possibly 2mm drill bits tonight...

So the simplified plan is aim for 30L into two 15L cubes at 1.064, which I can dilute later to 40L at 1.048

I'll bring 48L of water to strike temp, and reserve 8L or so, so I can mash to the brim

I'll squeeze the bag, but won't bother with sparging... seems like more effort than I care for this time round

If I'm running under efficiency, I can always sparge the bag.
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #2 made 14 years ago
by stux
Now,

I'm working on the hop schedule

According to the calculator, if I was making this at OG rather than with Fermenter Dilution, I would use

Grams Minutes IBUs
36 60 7.44
44 20 5.5
44 10 3.3
35 5 1.45

Because I'm aiming for a post-boil gravity of 1.064 instead of 1.048, should I vary these in any way? Or just make it as if I wasn't aiming for the 1.064 and go for the post dilution volume?

The calculator spits out much lower weights for the hops if I leave it with my 28L of 1.064 hackery
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #3 made 14 years ago
by Ralph
stux wrote:Because I'm aiming for a post-boil gravity of 1.064 instead of 1.048, should I vary these in any way? Or just make it as if I wasn't aiming for the 1.064 and go for the post dilution volume?
Yep, that's a good question, stux!
The various algorithms for determining the beer's bitterness from several parameters (AFAIK, its the mass of hops, their %AA, the wort concentration and volume plus the boil time) allow for lower utilisation at SGs above 1.050. A general rule of thumb is 10% more hops for every 0.010 over 1.050. Brewing software usually takes care of this utilisation adjustment anyway, but with dilution we're often pulling a swiftie on it, so unless your program is post- boil dilution- aware, I wouldn't rely on its figures.
To be honest though, I generally don't bother much about adjusting for utilisation and I always deal with over- gravity wort in the Maxi-BIAB style, usually the boil ends at around 1.070, so that's prior to dilution. I also prefer lowly- bittered beers though.

As an aside, I've long wondered if the 10% per 0.010 adjustment is really just centred around bittering though, I don't think it has that much impact on flavour and aroma effects.
Last edited by Ralph on 26 Jan 2011, 09:32, edited 5 times in total.
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Post #4 made 14 years ago
by stux
Missed your response until after the brew! :)

Funny thing, I splashed a couple of litres of wort around because I didn't have a sky hook :(

Pulling the kettle runnings until the bottom, I got 30L of wort... just... I made a mistake with the water addition back...

I had a nice 32 cm cake rack... lovely... except I couldn't get it out! oopsy, made whirlpooling impossible.

Anyway, long story short, I obtained 30L of 1.070 (like you said!) wort... when I was only aiming for 1.064, what really happened is I only obtained about 26L of 1.070, and should've diluted it a little bit before the boil ended.

SO, I now understand the principle of full volume :)

What I did was I got some grain in my reserve water, so tossed it... i'll add it back later... no i won't... and I spilt 2L of concentrated wort... which means it was like spilling 3L! doh.

Anyway, it should turn out good... My boils were a bit better... but the gas burner is definately not up to the task... so I need

1) Skyhook
2) Better Mash Paddle
3) Better Burner

That should take care of it... if I could hoist the bag above the pot... then it would've drained nicely...

Fairly confident that next time my double batch will go off perfectly :)

In the meantime I have two Fresh Wort Kits just waiting to be made up :)

I'm going to try and build up a stock ;)

Maybe I'll do another brew on the weekend? :)

Blew out my Canadian Blond keg today...

PS: I didn't really bother with efficiencies since I spilt a lot... I think the conversion was good, but the brewhouse is very sticky ;)

Jeez it was hot today!
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #5 made 14 years ago
by stux
Just sampled the brew as I've managed to clarify the trub enough to take a good reading and sample...

1.073 and Yummy :)

Was surprised by how pale it turned out, lovely subtle hop aroma, very mild bitterness

30L at 1.073 = 45L of at 1.048.... gives me room for lots trub to settle out I guess :)

Can't wait to get one of these babies in a fermenter... But I'm going to have to wait a week or two for the Amarillo to finish
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #6 made 14 years ago
by stux
My wife has informed me, that if I'm doing this as a lager, then I better ferment the whole batch in one go because she wants to do cider/ginger beer before summer ends ;)

Need more fridges ;)
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #7 made 14 years ago
by PistolPatch
LOL stux!

As Ralph said, it was a very good question on the bitterness at higher gravities. You have me scratching my head now on how you would use The Calculator in this situation :scratch:. Thanks for that :angry: ;) :lol:

Yes, you need more fridges or, a new wife :o.
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Post #8 made 14 years ago
by stux
So, I pitched the yeast on the 20/2/11

12C

I ended up breaking two hydrometers with this batch... doh.

By the time I managed to get a working hydrometer it has finish primary fermentation, so I let it sit on the lees for another week or two, then crashed to 2C for lagering.

After a week or so, I noticed an iceberg in the fermenter... so raised the lager temperature up to 4C

I estimate it fermented for about 3.5 weeks, then lagered for 2.5 weeks

FG was 1.006

I kegged this last week and it's sat in the keg over the weekend coming up to carbonation and clearing, and I tried the first taste after getting some extra time in the keg.

Before when I tried it it wasn't quite clear, but now...

The clarity is fantastic, and I'm very very happy with it compared to my first BIAB :)

Taste is crisp, tettnanger shines out, and the lager bite is perfect, lacing, foam, carbonation, all fantastic :)

This was my first biab where I was actually mostly happy with the process (after correcting severe equipment shortcomings from the first one)

But I'm most happy with the clarity of the beer.

And no, I don't fine.

2 Kegs of Yummy Beery Goodness :)
helles1024.jpg
My Munich Dunkel, which is my own recipe has now taken up residence in the lager fridge, and I'm really looking forward to that one :)

And I have a TempMate with Thermowell controlling the temperature now ;)
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Last edited by stux on 05 Apr 2011, 16:02, edited 5 times in total.
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12
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