When/how to use the malt?

[haighter]

So my first batch of brew is now in secondary, comes in about 8%abv and tastes pretty darn good. Now I'm gearing up to head to the homebrew store this weekend, but before I go I wanted to run a couple questions by the community:

I am going to be brewing the following recipe from extract:

Russian River Pliny the Elder
=========================
6.15 lbs DME
1 lb 2-row Pale Malt
0.28 lbs Crystal Malt 15L
1 lb Dextrose
0.86 lbs CaraPils Malt

19.5 AAU Chinook Mash Hop
42.9 AAU Warrior 90 min
6.1 AAU Chinook 90 min
12 AAU Simcoe 45 min
14.3 AAU Columbus 30 min
20.5 Centennial 0 min
12 AAU Simcoe 0 min

3.25 oz Columbus dry hop
1.75 oz Centennial dry hop
1.75 oz Simcoe dry hop

White Labs WLP001 California Ale

Mash @ 150-152
Boil for 90 min

Steep grains for 45 min @ 151


I am not sure when to add the crystal malt, carapils, dextrose, and 2-row. Are these the ingredients that I put in the mesh bag and steep for 45 minutes? Perhaps I leave the dextrose out? Or do I add all of these with the DME once the wort returns to boil? I fear that if I do that I'll have a lotta debris floating around in my wort. Sorry I'm just a little unsure of the process here.


Also, when does the 19.5 AAU Chinook Mash Hop go in? Do I put that in the grain bag at the beginning of the steeping process or do I add them after I steep but before I bring the boil on?


Thanks!

 

[TexLaw]

Add the crystal, carapils, and 2-row to the mesh bag and steep them. Really, you ought to mash the 2-row, but you probably will get out of it what you need. I would actually substitute some more DME for the 2-row and not worry about the mash.

You can add the dextrose at any time. With the steeping grains is fine (but stir in the dextrose to dissolve it), or you can add it after you cut the fire. See if you can find out how the recipe was designed about as for when to best add it (i.e, wort gravity affects hop utilization, and the recipe designer probably considered that). If you can't find that out, I wouldn't get too concerned, as a beer like Pliny probably gets plenty of hops, one way or another, and I don't think a pound of dextrose will through you too far off kilter.

In any case, you will not have a lot of debris. Dextrose is very fine, and it dissolves very quickly.

Just so you know, that's a mighty big beer you have there!


TL

 

[mrk305]

be sure to take the pot off the heat when you add the DME or it will scorch !!

 

[haighter]

You can add the dextrose at any time. With the steeping grains is fine (but stir in the dextrose to dissolve it), or you can add it after you cut the fire.

Just so you know, that's a mighty big beer you have there!


TL

Just so I understand you correctly, when you say "add it after cutting the fire", does that mean after the boil with hops? Or before the boil, after I remove the steeping bag but before I start to add most of the hops?


And oh yeah! Mighty indeed. Pliny is hands down my favorite, but really anything with that big hop bite is right in my wheelhouse.

 

[agusus]

That's not an extract recipe, I think you got a partial mash recipe. It's easy to convert to extract though. As TexLaw said, don't use the 2-row, just increase your extract quantity a bit.
This is a pretty advanced beer for your second brew - if I were you I'd do a few more standard beers first. But if you're really set on this go ahead. : )

You don't need to use the Chinook mash hops, since you won't be mashing.

"after cutting the fire" means at flameout, which is the end of your boil right before you start to cool the wort. Same time your 0-minute hops go in.

 

[mrk305]

After you steep the grains at 151 for 45 minutes, remove the grains in the grain bag and rinse them. They are done, throw them away. You just did a partial mash.

If you add the extract now and bring to a boil, it will be darker. Bring to a boil and add the hops for the amount of time on your hop schedule. A kitchen timer is a great help. If you add the extract later in the recipe it will be lighter in color.

If you choose to do the later extract addition, remove the pot from the heat. Add the extract and stir until it is completely dissolved, otherwise it will scorch. Bring it back to a boil and finish adding the hops as per your schedule.

 

[haighter]

That's not an extract recipe, I think you got a partial mash recipe. It's easy to convert to extract though. As TexLaw said, don't use the 2-row, just increase your extract quantity a bit.

When you say "by a bit", how much are we talking? 1 lb, more, less?

 

[snipper_cr]

Somewhere around there, maybe even a little less... like .5lbs but if you are going for a big beer, 1lb DME/LME will be roughly close.

If he leaves the 2row in there for 45 minutes, wont there be SOME sort of conversion, and thus additional fermentable sugars? I mean it almost looks like a minimash.