Kiltlifter Wee Heavy (AG) - Page 3

nigel31 · 09-09-2010, 07:31 PM

Any suggestions, mojotele, on mash temp? I understand that wees are usually mashed "high" to create more unfermentable sugars (or a less fermentable wort, perhaps). I'll be doing this one as my first partial mash next week (ingreds. arriving later today) and was just looking for some final guidance/ideas/tips.

Big thanks,
Nige

ArizonaDB · 10-12-2010, 06:30 PM

Any suggestions on a dry yeast that would work well? I use primarily dry yeast, not only for its ease of use but also its price point.... CHEAP. I was thinking either SafAle S-04 or Danstar Manchester might work well. Anyone ever used a dry yeast on this recipe?

ohiobrewtus · 10-12-2010, 06:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArizonaDB

Any suggestions on a dry yeast that would work well? I use primarily dry yeast, not only for its ease of use but also its price point.... CHEAP. I was thinking either SafAle S-04 or Danstar Manchester might work well. Anyone ever used a dry yeast on this recipe?

There are certainly many styles that take dry yeast very well, but I'm not sure that this is one of them.

nigel31 · 10-12-2010, 06:40 PM

I'm unsure as well. I know that Nottingham and Windsor are pretty generic yeasts, but to really get the big up-front maltiness that a wee heavy demands, I can only recommend using one of the liquid versions (WLP028, Wyeast 1728) and even a basic yeast starter. But really, with a brew of this gravity and characteristics, one should use a big starter (at least a gallon with 2 vials or 2 gallons with one vial).

You don't do starters, ArizonaDB? For most ales, a dry yeast can work well enough. I say "well enough," because they may not be optimal but, at lower/common gravities, can "do the trick." With an 8% or larger brew, though, the right amount of healthy/viable yeast is really needed for flavoring and a proper/fast/complete fermentation cycle. Homebrewing--and certainly fermentation--is not, in my opinion, the place to be cheap. Save money on this or that, but not where fermentation's concerned. Fermenatation's pretty much EVERYTHING.

mojotele · 10-12-2010, 09:06 PM

You should really go with the Edinburgh yeast on this one. I know it is considerably more expensive, but the good thing about this yeast is it is a rather versatile ale yeast. If you wash the yeast you can reuse it for many different styles which brings the overall cost down.

Also, I know this is very late for nigel, but I followed ohiobrewtus's instructions for mashing and mashed at 154*F.

nigel31 · 10-13-2010, 02:42 PM

Thanks all the same, mojo.

The man's right, though: one can wash their own yeast--I'd wholeheartedly planned on actually doing it with this batch of WLP028 (Edinburgh), but wasn't able to get mason jars (or a reasonable substitute) in time, so I'll do it next time around.

That all said, the liquid yeast is still only $6 for 50 bottles' worth (vs. $1.50 or $2 for the dry yeast). Spend the extra money and get something that'll really make a brew great and truer to style with all that maltiness and character. $6 can barely even get you lunch these days! Save up and get the good stuff to make your own stuff great.

casey914 · 12-07-2010, 02:42 PM

Any ideas on making this one a extract based beer?

**binaryc0de** · 02-05-2011, 06:59 PM

I'm not sure that you could brew this beer as an extract brew and have it be the same beer without at least mashing some of the grains. I think the peat smoked malt and the aromatic malts need to be mashed.

Erroneous · 06-27-2011, 08:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ohiobrewtus

Most online shops carry Lyle's Golden Syrup. I would highly recommend leaving it in there. I tried it without it and it's been a while so I can't tell you exactly what it was that was missing, but it wasn't anywhere near the same beer without it.

Sorry to bring up an old post, but do you think table sugar would suffice instead of Lyle's? From what I can tell everything describes it as adding fermentables without flavor. Also, from what I gather on their site it is basically sugar that has been refined to some extent.

jacobezzell · 09-03-2011, 03:32 AM

I want to use up some hops I have in the freezer for this, not sure which to use. I have Magnum, Saaz, Tettnang, and Target. Tried to use BeerAlchemy to guess on IBUs but not coming close to what is stated in the recipe. I get 54 by putting in the fuggles and goldings, but what's listed is 28.5? So maybe just throw in 0.5oz of magnum at 60 and 1oz of saaz at 10?