Brandon O needs Emergency HELP!!!

Heres the deal, first runnings in the kettle. realized the LHBS forgot the 3 lbs chocolate malt. Mostly because it's NOT BLACK WORT!!!!

What can I make this into? It's brewpastors stone RIS clone, minus the chocolate malt. Thank you for replies in advance.

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Wyeast 1056
Yeast Starter: HUGE
Batch Size (Gallons): 10
Original Gravity: 1.100
Final Gravity: 1.020
IBU: 100+
Boiling Time (Minutes): 90
Color: 47
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 4-5 @ 68 F
Additional Fermentation: cold storage
Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 2 weeks @ 68 F

Here is a Stone RIS clone I have drawn up but not tried. I think it will be close, but can't say for certain. The IBUs are right around 100, the alcohol is almost 11%. I would mash low, at no more then 146 degrees. All that alcohol is going to make this sweet and so you want it to finish as dry as you can, so pitch a HUGE slurry of a good, clean ale yeast. All the specialty grains and all that 120L Crystal are going to balance each other out, but still have a caramel tone that will fill it out. It will be dark as coal.

Enough. Here it is:

Stoneface RIS
A ProMash Recipe Report
Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 10.00 Wort Size (Gal): 10.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 36.50
Anticipated OG: 1.10046 Plato: 23.858
Anticipated SRM: 47.3
Anticipated IBU: 102.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
75.3 27.50 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) Great Britain 1.03800 3
11.0 4.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.03600 2
8.2 3.00 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.02900 350
4.1 1.50 lbs. Crystal 120L America 1.03300 120
1.4 0.50 lbs. Roasted Barley America 1.02800 450


Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.50 oz. Warrior Pellet 16.00 59.5 60 min.
1.50 oz. Warrior Pellet 16.00 21.6 20 min.
2.50 oz. Warrior Pellet 16.00 21.6 10 min.
2.50 oz. Warrior Pellet 16.00 0.0 0 min.
1.50 oz. Warrior Pellet 16.00 0.0 Dry Hop

Yeast
-----
WYeast 1056 Amercan Ale/Chico

Mash Schedule
-------------
Mash Type: Single Step

Saccharification Rest Temp : 146 Time: 75
__________________
Before I learned to brew I was poor, lonely and sober. Now I am just poor.

i have centennial, amarillo, chinook, simcoe, and challenger on hand BTW. oh and a whole crapload of warrior.

With that big of a recipe, id consider leaving the wort in the brewpot for a bit and doing a bit of a minimash on the 3lbs of chocolate and add that in, get it right, shouldnt take much more work, tho it will take more time!

BrewTaster said:

With that big of a recipe, id consider leaving the wort in the brewpot for a bit and doing a bit of a minimash on the 3lbs of chocolate and add that in, get it right, shouldnt take much more work, tho it will take more time!

Click to expand...

good call except........NO LHBS IS OPEN.

Steep the chocolate with some more pale at 158 for 40 minutes and then throw it in the kettle?

Depending on your evap rate you might want to hold the kettle at a simmer and not start adding hops just yet.

It's what I got.

You could just steep the chocolate for 30 minutes...

Poindexter said:

Steep the chocolate with some more pale at 158 for 40 minutes and then throw it in the kettle?

Depending on your evap rate you might want to hold the kettle at a simmer and not start adding hops just yet.

It's what I got.

You could just steep the chocolate for 30 minutes...

Click to expand...

Why are you guys assuming I have chocolate malt on hand?

when i said "they forgot the chocolate malt" I meant the LHBS who put the freaking recipe together.

I'd drop the 60 min hop addition down to 1.75-2 oz and proceed as usual. Your OG will be lower, so this will help to bring it back into balance.

Do you have any comparable malt on hand Brandon??

LakeErieBrew said:

I'd drop the 60 min hop addition down to 1.75-2 oz and proceed as usual. Your OG will be lower, so this will help to bring it back into balance.

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gonna run with it. thanks man

BrewTaster said:

Do you have any comparable malt on hand Brandon??

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no, none at all.

Then yea, id do as said before, tone down the hops and try and balance it out.

Sorry for the ass/u/me/tion. I have to buy everything in one pound increments, so I have a freezer full of less than a pound of whatevers.

Good luck, sounds like you are back on track.

thanks for the help guys.

My question now is, what do you think a LHBS should do to make up for this huge mistake?

Yes, my receipt shows I was charged for it. I have spent 3,000 at this shop in one years time.

I am not touching that.

If you spent $3k a year in my (imaginary) LHBS and I screwed up like that, I'd be tripping all over myself to replace the entire recipe, and maybe toss in a store credit to boot.

Take your receipt in (maybe a pic of your not so black wort) and ask them what they are going to do about it. After all, they did ruin your RIS

If you are dropping 3g in a LHBS, first of all, what do you do for a living, cuz I want in, second, I think they would definitely help you out somehow.

BrewTaster said:

If you are dropping 3g in a LHBS, first of all, what do you do for a living, cuz I want in, second, I think they would definitely help you out somehow.

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I really like the owner, but he isn't around lately. I have forgone places like AHS and other because the owner was so nice to me, but he isn't around much any more. everything from kegging to boil kettles I have bought there, it's one of those places where everyone knows me when I walk in. The new staff is a young boy and girl who just aren't professional enough for me. I mean, I guess they are customer service niceness wise, but they don't brew and they step all over them selves when helping you with out having significant brew knowledge.

I'm no expert, but in reading this board it seems quite a few people here mash one day. Hold it over night and boil the next day. If you have the time tomorrow and want the recipe to be 'true' I say wait and boil tomorrow. Do a mini mash with the chocolate and some 2 row. Dump it in and boil it up tomorrow. You can always add water to get to target OG if you are high and if you are low boil it off. If I spent all the money for that big of a beer I would want to do it right.

On second thought, You may want to try and get the shop to redo all of the malt for you. Make it next weekend. This beer has to sit for 3 or so months anyway, right? What's another week.

I'd want them to replace that grain bill. Maybe get in touch with the owner and let him know what happened directly, and that you know mistakes do happen but you didn't get to brew the beer you were aiming for.

Brandon O said:

The new staff is a young boy and girl who just aren't professional enough for me. I mean, I guess they are customer service niceness wise, but they don't brew and they step all over them selves when helping you with out having significant brew knowledge.

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Here is where YOU become an Excellent Customer and possibly their BEST customer.
Let them know nicely that the mistake was made. Do not fluster or buster.
Chances are they will credit you or give you a new kit.
Educate them. Talk to them about the importance of a thorough inspection of product before it leaves their doors. Invite them to brew with you sometime.

see what happens.

BrewTaster said:

If you are dropping 3g in a LHBS, first of all, what do you do for a living, cuz I want in, second, I think they would definitely help you out somehow.

Click to expand...

to be fair, I started brewing 1 year ago, so all my start up equipment was mostly from here.

bighandsray said:

I'm no expert, but in reading this board it seems quite a few people here mash one day. Hold it over night and boil the next day. If you have the time tomorrow and want the recipe to be 'true' I say wait and boil tomorrow. Do a mini mash with the chocolate and some 2 row. Dump it in and boil it up tomorrow. You can always add water to get to target OG if you are high and if you are low boil it off. If I spent all the money for that big of a beer I would want to do it right.

On second thought, You may want to try and get the shop to redo all of the malt for you. Make it next weekend. This beer has to sit for 3 or so months anyway, right? What's another week.

Click to expand...

I would love to do this, but they are closed on mondays. wierd schedule, and I wish I could just get the malt tomorrow and mash it then boil.

I would toast some pale and toss that in. As far as the screw up is concerned, I would expect my malt shipped plus some swag or freebie, nothing more.

It most likely is an honest mistake.

In the future, I would order a few pounds of your normal specialty grains unmilled and keep them a airtight container just for these situations. If you were in Austin, I could hook you up with 3 pounds of Chocolate Malt, no problem.

Roasted Barley? No problem.
Flaked Barley? No problem.
Crystal 15? No problem
Crystal 40? No problem
Crystal 60? No problem
Munich? No problem
Vienna? No problem
Torrified Wheat? No problem
Rice Hulls? No Problem
Black Patent? No problem.

Well, I know I am a crusty old coot and stuff, but at some point it is, ahem, up to the brewer tomake sure all the ingredients are ready before dough in.

No offense, but it wasn't just the LHBS that made a mistake here. We all make them.

Sometimes a fella just has to sack up.

Fwiw, I have never heard of a non mail order hbs weighing and grinding grains while the brewer twiddles his thumbs in the corner. Do the employees really have nothing better to do?

EdWort said:

Roasted Barley? No problem.
Flaked Barley? No problem.
Crystal 15? No problem
Crystal 40? No problem
Crystal 60? No problem
Munich? No problem
Vienna? No problem
Torrified Wheat? No problem
Rice Hulls? No Problem
Black Patent? No problem.

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I am speechless

Brandon - I would think that any of the two remaining LHBS in the valley would take care of you (I heard the 3rd closed?). Obviously doesn't help now, but just a quick mention next time you're in there that they kinda screwed ya (charged ya, but didn't deliver).

and maybe EdWort needs to open an emergency LHBS to ship at odd times since he seems to have a grain or two laying around!

AZ_IPA said:

d maybe EdWort needs to open an emergency LHBS to ship at odd times since he seems to have a grain or two laying around!

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Let's just say I we split up a few bags of specialty grains during the last bulk buy.

EdWort said:

Let's just say I we split up a few bags of specialty grains during the last bulk buy.

Click to expand...

again.....speechless!

EdWort said:

I would toast some pale and toss that in. As far as the screw up is concerned, I would expect my malt shipped plus some swag or freebie, nothing more.

It most likely is an honest mistake.

In the future, I would order a few pounds of your normal specialty grains unmilled and keep them a airtight container just for these situations. If you were in Austin, I could hook you up with 3 pounds of Chocolate Malt, no problem.

Roasted Barley? No problem.
Flaked Barley? No problem.
Crystal 15? No problem
Crystal 40? No problem
Crystal 60? No problem
Munich? No problem
Vienna? No problem
Torrified Wheat? No problem
Rice Hulls? No Problem
Black Patent? No problem.

Click to expand...

This stock idea is a really good idea.

As for the LHBS, they bent over backwards for me.

This LHBS is the whole reason I was able to brew good beer from the start. They have never steered me wrong.

They took care of their fare share and more. This place is the reason I don't shop online for most things. They make me feel like a part of their community and when disaster happens they take care of it and more.

brewersconnection not only made it right, they made me feel better about the whole deal. They asked me what they could do to make it right, and I told them. They made it right. Nothing more you could ask, someone to make it right and beyond is tops. I am glad they understand cheap grain comes at a high cost of time.

a similar thing happened to me - my "stout" turned out light brown rather than black. it was obvious to me that one of the grains got tossed in without being cracked. oddly enough, it was an excellent beer, even if not "stout". glad it worked out for you...

Looks like a good LHBS too me! Bet yeah, that is something they should fix. Three pounds of chocolate is a significant amount.

Poindexter said:

Well, I know I am a crusty old coot and stuff, but at some point it is, ahem, up to the brewer tomake sure all the ingredients are ready before dough in.

No offense, but it wasn't just the LHBS that made a mistake here. We all make them.

Sometimes a fella just has to sack up.

Click to expand...

Shoot!, I would make the same mistake, when looking at a bag of milled grains it's hard to figure what the exact grains are. It's good you caught it later on.

It still looks like a good recipe without the chocolate.

I guess at this point it goes without saying that you are supposed to check your grains before you brew, make sure everything is in order. I'm sure that from now on you will take inventory before you brew (lesson learned! ).

However in your defense I always sort of assume my LHBS is going to get the order right. I work in sales, and everytime you screw up you have to make it right or else you face losing a customer for life. Even if it means eating the entire order, giving a substantial credit, or whatever the hell you need to do. If I owned a LHBS I would offer to replace the entire order, because if you are buying grain for a specific recipe, the recipe is no good w/o all of the parts. One recipe isn't going to hurt them in the scheme of things no matter how much/little you might have purchased there before. Those costs are just part of doing business and are already accounted for.

Glad it worked out for you Brandon sounds like a good LHBS to me wish I had one around me. I have to do everything online

cvstrat said:

I guess at this point it goes without saying that you are supposed to check your grains before you brew, make sure everything is in order. I'm sure that from now on you will take inventory before you brew (lesson learned! ).

Click to expand...

Kinda hard to check your grains when its crushed and in a bag. If you are doing your own crush you would know if you were short some grain

Brandon O said:

The new staff is a young boy and girl who just aren't professional enough for me. I mean, I guess they are customer service niceness wise, but they don't brew and they step all over them selves when helping you with out having significant brew knowledge.

Click to expand...

Story of my fukin' life.

Since the INCIDENT I always ask them to keep the grains separate. This way I can even change my mind and brew something different. Now go order a Barley Crusher and keep some grain on hand

I would of just used some chocolate malt.

I'm still pretty new to AG but could you do a mini-mash after two weeks with the chocolate and any hops you left out. Cool and add to a secondary and rack on top of it. It should get you pretty close to the original recipe after a good aging.