BVilleggiante
Well-Known Member
So I just brewed my Irish Red Ale for the second time using my MoreBeer Smart Recirculating System. The first time I brewed my red, it turned out to have a really nice sweet malty flavor when it was ready to drink.
I just tried a bottle from my second time brewing this recipe and that sweet malty flavor is no where to be found. Same recipe with three variations that could have resulted in this change:
1) The first time I brewed I used my Ranco Controller to monitor my rest temps. The second time I brewed I used my handheld Thermapen Thermometer and not my Ranco. The Ranco's temp. guage is centered toward the middle of the mash tun while the Thermapen measured the temp from the top of the mash tun.
2) The first time I brewed I just pitched the yeast packet. The second time I brewed I used a starter.
3) The first time I brewed I kegged. The second time I brewed I bottled.
I'm going to brew this recipe again for a third time but this time I'm going to use the Ranco Controller as my temp gauge again and split the batch into two carboys. In one carboy I'm only going to pitch the yeast packet, and in the second I'm going to do pitch a starter. I figure by doing all of this, I should be able to find what step made my malty sweetness go away in my second batch.
I just tried a bottle from my second time brewing this recipe and that sweet malty flavor is no where to be found. Same recipe with three variations that could have resulted in this change:
1) The first time I brewed I used my Ranco Controller to monitor my rest temps. The second time I brewed I used my handheld Thermapen Thermometer and not my Ranco. The Ranco's temp. guage is centered toward the middle of the mash tun while the Thermapen measured the temp from the top of the mash tun.
2) The first time I brewed I just pitched the yeast packet. The second time I brewed I used a starter.
3) The first time I brewed I kegged. The second time I brewed I bottled.
I'm going to brew this recipe again for a third time but this time I'm going to use the Ranco Controller as my temp gauge again and split the batch into two carboys. In one carboy I'm only going to pitch the yeast packet, and in the second I'm going to do pitch a starter. I figure by doing all of this, I should be able to find what step made my malty sweetness go away in my second batch.