Questions about brewing extract Pliny

Hey everyone, I am new to homebrewing and have been searching around on the forum for some time now and first off I just want to say this forum is GREAT anyway... I have brewed 2 batches of specialty grain extract kits so far, both which came out great. Now I figured it is time to try to make an extract version of my favorite beer, Pliny the Elder. I found a great article from Vinnie http://www.homebrewersassociation.org/attachments/0000/6351/doubleIPA.pdf
with his instructions to brew the extract version and I have a few questions about how to brew it.

Vinnie recommends a full boil (8 gal) due to the large hop bill and hop utilization. I use a 10 gallon pot on a gas stove. I tested it today to see if it would get 8 gallons to a rolling boil, and it did, but it took an hour and I had to leave the lid on.

#1 After I steep the grains is a lag time of one hour okay until it gets to a boil or would it cause problems.

#2 Since it seems removing the lid kills the boil, is it okay to just remove the lid during the boil every 10 minutes or so to wipe off condensation to prevent DMS from getting in the wort?

#3 In the extract version Vinnies states when to add the dextrose, but never when to add the LME. I love the light color of Pliny, will the full boil volume give the beer a light color or should I add the LME at flameout?

#4 Ive read that with pliny using so many hops in the boil that extra steps need to be done so you dont wind up with hop particles in the finished product. Should I use a 5 gallon paint strainer bag in the boil as a hop bag? Whirlpool? or use the paint strainer bag at in the fermentor and dump the wort in there.

#5 Dryhopping. I've dryhopped once and it was with only 1 oz of hops, Pliny has 4 oz. Should these be bagged with a marble weight? or tossed in and later filtered with a paint straining bag?

Sorry seems like such a long post but any advice would be great

#1 your fine
#2 it is more of an issue with all grain brewing. See if it will hold a boil with lid half on.
#3 I would put it in at the start. It is very open for debate though
#4 does not matter. I poor my wort through a strainer to keep all that crap out of the fermenter. But it will all settle out at the end of the ferment.
#5 does not matter.

I"m a fan of LME at flame out, but you can add it earlier if you want if doing a partial boil. I would NOT boil with the lid on. I'd go back and make the biggest boil I could maintain without the lid. That's better than a bigger boil with a lid, in my opinion. You can leave the lid on to get you to a boil, but leave it off thereafter!

Let's see:
1. Fine
2. As above
3. As above. For a full boil, it can be in the whole time, but for a partial boil, add at least 1/2 of the extract at flame out
4. I'd probably just line the fermenter with the bag, if you're using a bucket, as bagging the hops in the boil may constrict them and not give you all the goodness out of them. If you're using a carboy, a "hops spider" is a good idea!
5. I've never used marbles, but however you want to do it is fine.

#5 I might be slightly worried about oxidation when pouring your beer through a paint straining bag to filter, I would probably do the marble in a bag (sanitized of course).

Good luck! I'm hoping to do a clone in the spring when I can get back to brewing.

TheBreweryUnderground said:

#5 I might be slightly worried about oxidation when pouring your beer through a paint straining bag to filter.

Click to expand...

At that point it would be beneficial....after all, you do want to oxygenate the wort to improve fermentation. Post fermentation you don't want oxygen.


@ SAVY...I wouldn't whirlpool unless you have a valve on the BK. I've had issues keeping the "cone" stable at the bottom, might be better with just straining or using hop bags. Good luck!

At that point it would be beneficial....after all, you do want to oxygenate the wort to improve fermentation. Post fermentation you don't want oxygen.

Definitely, as long as it's not post fermentation.

I just kegged my pliny extract yesterday.

Use a hop bag. This beer convinced me how great they are. get the larger ones and don't overfill them. They'll sink fine in the boil (in my experience)

Either that or a bazooka tube/false botttom attached to your valve. Hop bags are easy though. You can also put some stainless steel mesh in the inside opening of your valve (if you've got one) that will act as a strainer...and if you cool in your kettle, a strainer can catch your hops and help you aerate/oxygenate.

I use glass pebbles (like you see in the bottom of flower vases?) in my dry hop bags to help sink them in the fermentor. You can get them at Michaels, or any craft store, but I'm not sure I'd boil with them. Some of them have airbubbles.

Mine is darker then the pliny you get in a bottle right now. It's Vinnie's version though..which is not the same thing from my understanding. That said, I'd probably add the DME later if I were brewing it again.

Keep the lid off as much as possible, and your time issue is no biggie, just don't oversteep or overheat your grains or you'll end up with tannins. Take them out after your 30 minutes is up and before the temp reaches 170 (that's my method). Then turn up the heat and wait for near boil to add your LME. Most turn off the flame while they do this. I'll leave that up to you.

This is a big beer. You may not be impressed with it the first 3 or 4 times you taste it, but dryhop it right, let it age long enough (I'd give it several months if possible), and cold crash it, and it's fantastic. Mine didn't finish out as low as I'd liked, but it did get to 7.5ABV.

Good luck. Be patient. RDWHAHB