Fingers
Well-Known Member
So I decided to try an experiment for two purposes: to train my palate and to determine if Maris Otter is worth the extra money. I used Orfys oaked SMaSH recipe once as written and then again substituting domestic two row for the Otter. The recipe basically just base malt, Fuggles, and yeast. I chose Wyeast English Ale 1098.
Despite my best initial intention, the two brews werent exactly equal. Basically thats because I didnt like the first recipe. The one with the Maris Otter. It came out sweet, as if it had been fermented at too high a temp. The thing is, I cant see that it could be possible. I brewed it back in late February, which is very much within a Canadian prairie winter. I keep my thermostat at 69º degrees in the winter and nowhere in the house does it get higher than that. In any case, both brews were made under similar cicumstances.
The only real difference in techniques is related to the contact time of the oak. I had failed to double the amount of oak that Orfy called for to scale his 5 gallon batch to 10. The MO recipe only had one ounce of chips for one week but the domestic batch had it for about three.
I just tapped the keg of domestic and its really good. The beer isnt sweet at all and the hop flavor is very smooth and pronounced. This beer is really clear yet the MO was cloudy even after several weeks in the keezer.
I used a smack pack of Wyeast for the first 10 gallons (the MO recipe) and then washed and reused it for the next 10 so the difference isnt due to the yeast. Both brews fermented beside my bed when it was cold enough out to require continuous indoor heat. After fermentation they were moved to the basement where its about 52º to 55º. I used the exact same batch sparge method on the same equipment for both batches.
Ive used Maris Otter many times for English and Irish Ales and have never found it to be that sweet. Is it possibly something wrong with the grains I got that caused this? Fermentation wasnt really violent for either batch so I cant see an elevated internal temp causing esthers. Besides, the second, better batch, had the washed yeast. The fermentation would have been more vigorous there.
[FONT="]Anyway, Id like your input. Help me understand what Ive experienced here. [/FONT]
Despite my best initial intention, the two brews werent exactly equal. Basically thats because I didnt like the first recipe. The one with the Maris Otter. It came out sweet, as if it had been fermented at too high a temp. The thing is, I cant see that it could be possible. I brewed it back in late February, which is very much within a Canadian prairie winter. I keep my thermostat at 69º degrees in the winter and nowhere in the house does it get higher than that. In any case, both brews were made under similar cicumstances.
The only real difference in techniques is related to the contact time of the oak. I had failed to double the amount of oak that Orfy called for to scale his 5 gallon batch to 10. The MO recipe only had one ounce of chips for one week but the domestic batch had it for about three.
I just tapped the keg of domestic and its really good. The beer isnt sweet at all and the hop flavor is very smooth and pronounced. This beer is really clear yet the MO was cloudy even after several weeks in the keezer.
I used a smack pack of Wyeast for the first 10 gallons (the MO recipe) and then washed and reused it for the next 10 so the difference isnt due to the yeast. Both brews fermented beside my bed when it was cold enough out to require continuous indoor heat. After fermentation they were moved to the basement where its about 52º to 55º. I used the exact same batch sparge method on the same equipment for both batches.
Ive used Maris Otter many times for English and Irish Ales and have never found it to be that sweet. Is it possibly something wrong with the grains I got that caused this? Fermentation wasnt really violent for either batch so I cant see an elevated internal temp causing esthers. Besides, the second, better batch, had the washed yeast. The fermentation would have been more vigorous there.
[FONT="]Anyway, Id like your input. Help me understand what Ive experienced here. [/FONT]