TristanL
Well-Known Member
Howdy! I hope this thread will serve as a diary of my latest brew.
Executive Summary: Brew day went better than expected. I was a little nervous about performing my first double decoction. I ended up obtaining a higher efficiency than calculated of 84% and overshot both preboil and OG. Ended up at 1.060. This is going to be a bigger beer! Hopefully it will turn out as a great beer for winter quaffing and enjoyment! :rockin: Cooled down the wort in my keezer along with the 4L starter and pitched this morning. Airlock activity observed this evening.
Overly verbose details:
A little background on this beer. I've been researching for this beer for weeks. Listening to hours of Brew Strong (all four episodes on Water Chemistry, Yeast Starters, Decoctions, Lagering). I also listened to Jamil's Bohemian Pilsner podcast.
I had some very informative e-mail correspondence with John Palmer and Jamil Z regarding water adjustments and decoction procedure. I decided to tackle the Hochurz Double Decoction. I've only done one decoction (on a dopplebock earlier this year) so I wanted to consult a higher power. BrauKaiser and Denny Conn were kind enough to patiently answer my questions via PM regarding temps and times for the procedure. Thanks a lot gentlemen!
I brewed my Bastage Czech Tool Pilsner yesterday,..... proudly named after that trusty pipe tool that pipe smokers far and wide know and love. Here is a run down of how it went, but first I will rewind to where it all begins, the yeast starter:
Wyeast Urquell 2001 starter made on 10/5 with 2L of wort. Decanted and pitched slurry into 4L starter on 10/7.
Brew Day Notes:
Crushed 10.5 pounds of Weyerman Bohemian pilsner in barley crusher set to 30 with feeler gauges for a good crush.
Heated 8 gallons of distilled and 2 gallons of tap to 162. Added 3 grams of gypsum and calcium chloride to the water.
Preheated cooler with 2 gallons of water.
Mashed in and obtained temperature reading of 142 degrees. Added on more gallon of water to get water to 145.
Pulled decoction at 15 minutes into mash and heated to 160 ish in 12L stock pot.
Tested for conversion at 22 minutes into mash, no iodine reaction, heat back on
Started boiling at 42 minutes into mash
Returned in steps to mash tun at 52 minutes
Temp is 148 degrees at 55 minutes
brought one gallon of water to boil and added in phases to mash
Temperature is 153 degrees at 1:06. That's the best I can get.
2nd decoction, 8 quarts pulled between scooping with pyrex and manifold at 1:30.
Heated to 160, rested a few minutes and tested iodine negative, applied heat and brought to boil at 1:51
2:01 - returned decoction to main mash in steps
2:03 - 162 degrees!
2:23 - first runnings, then batch sparged two rounds
2:50 - ~7.25 gallons of water collected,..... heat applied to boil kettle
Pre-Boil Gravity measured at 1.045. Must have gotten better efficiency, calculated 78% for recipe, seems I obtained 84% after using feeler gauges to recalibrate my barley crusher
3:20 - boil achieved, timer started
90 Minute boil, Hops = Czech Saaz baby Saaz! 60 minute (1.75 oz), 30 minute (1.50 oz), 15 minute (1.30 oz) and flame out hops (1 oz) added to jelly strainer (nylon bag). Also added Whirfloc tablet and copper wort chiller into wort 15 minutes prior to flame out.
Flame out! Wort cooled for 25 minutes with 50 ft 1/2" OD copper immersion chiller to 65 degrees. Wort transferred via 1/2" tube to PBW washed and Star San sanitized 6.5 gallon carboy. Looks like over 5 gallons with the naked eye.
Wort aerated for 5 minutes by hand. Wort and starter placed in keezer. Fastened the probe of the johnson temp controller to the carboy via carboy hauler strap. Controller set up 42 degrees.
10/10 - Decanted all but .5L of starter wort and commingled with yeast slurry. Pitched slurry at 11AM. Adjusted temperature controller to 48 degrees.
Evidence of airlock activity observed around 9PM. Very slow bubbling. Will check tomorrow to see if activity is increasing.
Executive Summary: Brew day went better than expected. I was a little nervous about performing my first double decoction. I ended up obtaining a higher efficiency than calculated of 84% and overshot both preboil and OG. Ended up at 1.060. This is going to be a bigger beer! Hopefully it will turn out as a great beer for winter quaffing and enjoyment! :rockin: Cooled down the wort in my keezer along with the 4L starter and pitched this morning. Airlock activity observed this evening.
Overly verbose details:
A little background on this beer. I've been researching for this beer for weeks. Listening to hours of Brew Strong (all four episodes on Water Chemistry, Yeast Starters, Decoctions, Lagering). I also listened to Jamil's Bohemian Pilsner podcast.
I had some very informative e-mail correspondence with John Palmer and Jamil Z regarding water adjustments and decoction procedure. I decided to tackle the Hochurz Double Decoction. I've only done one decoction (on a dopplebock earlier this year) so I wanted to consult a higher power. BrauKaiser and Denny Conn were kind enough to patiently answer my questions via PM regarding temps and times for the procedure. Thanks a lot gentlemen!
I brewed my Bastage Czech Tool Pilsner yesterday,..... proudly named after that trusty pipe tool that pipe smokers far and wide know and love. Here is a run down of how it went, but first I will rewind to where it all begins, the yeast starter:
Wyeast Urquell 2001 starter made on 10/5 with 2L of wort. Decanted and pitched slurry into 4L starter on 10/7.
Brew Day Notes:
Crushed 10.5 pounds of Weyerman Bohemian pilsner in barley crusher set to 30 with feeler gauges for a good crush.
Heated 8 gallons of distilled and 2 gallons of tap to 162. Added 3 grams of gypsum and calcium chloride to the water.
Preheated cooler with 2 gallons of water.
Mashed in and obtained temperature reading of 142 degrees. Added on more gallon of water to get water to 145.
Pulled decoction at 15 minutes into mash and heated to 160 ish in 12L stock pot.
Tested for conversion at 22 minutes into mash, no iodine reaction, heat back on
Started boiling at 42 minutes into mash
Returned in steps to mash tun at 52 minutes
Temp is 148 degrees at 55 minutes
brought one gallon of water to boil and added in phases to mash
Temperature is 153 degrees at 1:06. That's the best I can get.
2nd decoction, 8 quarts pulled between scooping with pyrex and manifold at 1:30.
Heated to 160, rested a few minutes and tested iodine negative, applied heat and brought to boil at 1:51
2:01 - returned decoction to main mash in steps
2:03 - 162 degrees!
2:23 - first runnings, then batch sparged two rounds
2:50 - ~7.25 gallons of water collected,..... heat applied to boil kettle
Pre-Boil Gravity measured at 1.045. Must have gotten better efficiency, calculated 78% for recipe, seems I obtained 84% after using feeler gauges to recalibrate my barley crusher
3:20 - boil achieved, timer started
90 Minute boil, Hops = Czech Saaz baby Saaz! 60 minute (1.75 oz), 30 minute (1.50 oz), 15 minute (1.30 oz) and flame out hops (1 oz) added to jelly strainer (nylon bag). Also added Whirfloc tablet and copper wort chiller into wort 15 minutes prior to flame out.
Flame out! Wort cooled for 25 minutes with 50 ft 1/2" OD copper immersion chiller to 65 degrees. Wort transferred via 1/2" tube to PBW washed and Star San sanitized 6.5 gallon carboy. Looks like over 5 gallons with the naked eye.
Wort aerated for 5 minutes by hand. Wort and starter placed in keezer. Fastened the probe of the johnson temp controller to the carboy via carboy hauler strap. Controller set up 42 degrees.
10/10 - Decanted all but .5L of starter wort and commingled with yeast slurry. Pitched slurry at 11AM. Adjusted temperature controller to 48 degrees.
Evidence of airlock activity observed around 9PM. Very slow bubbling. Will check tomorrow to see if activity is increasing.