Crafty_Brewer
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- Feb 13, 2014
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I made my first batch of beer today.
I was going for an ESB, but I think I ended up with an English Barleywine.
I had my spreadsheet for an ESB worked out, but left it on my desk at work (doh!). I do however own a copy of "How to Brew". It has a simple formula in it.... 1 lb of grain per 1.5 quarts of water. I am shooting for 1 gallon batches. Ok, so here's what I've got:
9 quarts of water (city water, tastes clean, treated with Campden)
5 lb Marris otter
1/2 lb Victory
1/2 lb Crystal 20l
1/2 oz East Kent Goldings at 60min
1/4 oz Fuggles at 15 min
1/2 oz East Kent Goldings at 5 min
1 packet of Safale S-04
My mash method was stovetop BIAB, no sparge. I did squeeze the bag.
I am using a polarware 5 gallon economy kettle, and a lows 5 gallon paint strainer. I had no boilover issues whatsoever. I had a little too much headspace, so I had to fire the burner to hold the mash temp.
Strike water at 163, hit mash temp of 152; held at 150-156 for 60 min (had to fire the burner and stir twice)
Boiled for 60 min, with hop additions at 60, 15, and 5...I plan to dry hop towards the end of conditioning...probably just toss the left over hops in (1/4 oz EKG, 3/4 oz Fuggles).
Started with 9 quarts of water
Pre boil: 7 quarts (grain absorbed 2 quarts....1/3 quart per lb)
after the boil I had 4 quarts left (boiled off 3 quarts)
I used an immersion cooler to drop the temp from boiling to 62F in 17 min.
Then I poured in the fermentor, aerated it, and pitched.
I re-hydrated the yeast in 1 cup of water (city tap, campden treated, boiled, cooled to 100F, sprinkled on top. Let sit for 30 min, swirled to suspend, pitched in the fermentor)
I am keeping it cool in a swamp cooler. The fermentor is reading 66 on the strip, the water is 56.
Range for S-04 is 53.6-77....ideally 59-68.
My yeast "poofed" in the warm water before it hit the fermentor....so I should have some happy yeast.
BG 1.071
OG 1.112
Beersmith's estimations:
SRM 15.2
IBU 41.8
estimated FG 1.044
estimated ABV 9.1%
All that being said...it looked like wort, smelled like wort, samples tasted like sweet wort. As long as I have enough happy yeast in there it should make beer....hoping the high gravity doesn't kill em all. I used 1 pack for 1 gallon...so should be alright, considering I think I re-hydrated them properly.
What do you think? Viable beer? English Barleywine? Or just a too big ESB? It is definitely not to style by ESB guidelines... but the IBU, SRM, OG, and ingredients match up with what BJCP has listed for an English Barleywine.
I was going for an ESB, but I think I ended up with an English Barleywine.
I had my spreadsheet for an ESB worked out, but left it on my desk at work (doh!). I do however own a copy of "How to Brew". It has a simple formula in it.... 1 lb of grain per 1.5 quarts of water. I am shooting for 1 gallon batches. Ok, so here's what I've got:
9 quarts of water (city water, tastes clean, treated with Campden)
5 lb Marris otter
1/2 lb Victory
1/2 lb Crystal 20l
1/2 oz East Kent Goldings at 60min
1/4 oz Fuggles at 15 min
1/2 oz East Kent Goldings at 5 min
1 packet of Safale S-04
My mash method was stovetop BIAB, no sparge. I did squeeze the bag.
I am using a polarware 5 gallon economy kettle, and a lows 5 gallon paint strainer. I had no boilover issues whatsoever. I had a little too much headspace, so I had to fire the burner to hold the mash temp.
Strike water at 163, hit mash temp of 152; held at 150-156 for 60 min (had to fire the burner and stir twice)
Boiled for 60 min, with hop additions at 60, 15, and 5...I plan to dry hop towards the end of conditioning...probably just toss the left over hops in (1/4 oz EKG, 3/4 oz Fuggles).
Started with 9 quarts of water
Pre boil: 7 quarts (grain absorbed 2 quarts....1/3 quart per lb)
after the boil I had 4 quarts left (boiled off 3 quarts)
I used an immersion cooler to drop the temp from boiling to 62F in 17 min.
Then I poured in the fermentor, aerated it, and pitched.
I re-hydrated the yeast in 1 cup of water (city tap, campden treated, boiled, cooled to 100F, sprinkled on top. Let sit for 30 min, swirled to suspend, pitched in the fermentor)
I am keeping it cool in a swamp cooler. The fermentor is reading 66 on the strip, the water is 56.
Range for S-04 is 53.6-77....ideally 59-68.
My yeast "poofed" in the warm water before it hit the fermentor....so I should have some happy yeast.
BG 1.071
OG 1.112
Beersmith's estimations:
SRM 15.2
IBU 41.8
estimated FG 1.044
estimated ABV 9.1%
All that being said...it looked like wort, smelled like wort, samples tasted like sweet wort. As long as I have enough happy yeast in there it should make beer....hoping the high gravity doesn't kill em all. I used 1 pack for 1 gallon...so should be alright, considering I think I re-hydrated them properly.
What do you think? Viable beer? English Barleywine? Or just a too big ESB? It is definitely not to style by ESB guidelines... but the IBU, SRM, OG, and ingredients match up with what BJCP has listed for an English Barleywine.