WildernessBrewing
Well-Known Member
Hey guys! This is my first here, but I'm a long time lurker.
Please forgive me if this belongs in Recipes/Ingredients or Extract instead.
I'm starting out with Extract brewing and I've learned a ton. Have had two great batches (an IPA and an ESB) so far thanks in no small part to the great community and wealth of information here. The first two brews were standard, stick-to-the-instructions kits from my LHBS. The only modifying I did was the hop bill and schedule. For my third brew, I purchased and am planning on doing the Switchblade Jack Pumpkin Ale from Jasper's Homebrew to have an autumn seasonal around.
The recipe PDF can be found here.
My questions are as follows:
(1) First, has anyone else brewed this kit? I know Jasper's is highly recommended, but I'm wondering how this kit in particular has turned out for anyone.
(2) I've been plugging the grain bill into a few online calculators and it seems that, even with the brown sugar adjunct, a 7.7% ABV is a little unrealistic. Especially considering that S-04 is recommended, which by most accounts seems to have a lower attenuation around 70-75%. Most calculators put this grain bill into the territory of 6.6%. That being said, adding 1lb of Light DME and an extra half lb of brown sugar seems to put it closer into the correct ABV range at that attenuation rate. Would the extra lb of DME offset the dryness from any extra sugar additions? What would the other side effects be of adding an extra 1.5lb of fermentables?
(3) Can anyone recommend any additional modifications? I'm especially partial to the taste and aroma of ST Pumking (obviously I know this isn't really close to a Pumking clone). I was considering skipping the can of pumpkin puree, as I've heard you'll end up losing 1/2 - 1 gal of final volume and that most of the 'pumpkin' flavor comes from spice additions anyway. I was also considering a 1/2oz addition of Sterling at about 10-15 min left in the boil.
(4) Last question, does anyone have a lot of experience fermenting with S-04. I know it's typically used for English ales, but I hear a lot of people use it for it's aggressive and compact floccing. If I do modify the fermentables, I'll be at an OG of 1.080. Is this high enough to justify rehydrating another half a pack (or whole)? What kind of yeast flavors can I expect from 04, and is there really any benefit to using it vs US-05 in this particular recipe?
Thanks in advance guys, I love this place.
Please forgive me if this belongs in Recipes/Ingredients or Extract instead.
I'm starting out with Extract brewing and I've learned a ton. Have had two great batches (an IPA and an ESB) so far thanks in no small part to the great community and wealth of information here. The first two brews were standard, stick-to-the-instructions kits from my LHBS. The only modifying I did was the hop bill and schedule. For my third brew, I purchased and am planning on doing the Switchblade Jack Pumpkin Ale from Jasper's Homebrew to have an autumn seasonal around.
The recipe PDF can be found here.
My questions are as follows:
(1) First, has anyone else brewed this kit? I know Jasper's is highly recommended, but I'm wondering how this kit in particular has turned out for anyone.
(2) I've been plugging the grain bill into a few online calculators and it seems that, even with the brown sugar adjunct, a 7.7% ABV is a little unrealistic. Especially considering that S-04 is recommended, which by most accounts seems to have a lower attenuation around 70-75%. Most calculators put this grain bill into the territory of 6.6%. That being said, adding 1lb of Light DME and an extra half lb of brown sugar seems to put it closer into the correct ABV range at that attenuation rate. Would the extra lb of DME offset the dryness from any extra sugar additions? What would the other side effects be of adding an extra 1.5lb of fermentables?
(3) Can anyone recommend any additional modifications? I'm especially partial to the taste and aroma of ST Pumking (obviously I know this isn't really close to a Pumking clone). I was considering skipping the can of pumpkin puree, as I've heard you'll end up losing 1/2 - 1 gal of final volume and that most of the 'pumpkin' flavor comes from spice additions anyway. I was also considering a 1/2oz addition of Sterling at about 10-15 min left in the boil.
(4) Last question, does anyone have a lot of experience fermenting with S-04. I know it's typically used for English ales, but I hear a lot of people use it for it's aggressive and compact floccing. If I do modify the fermentables, I'll be at an OG of 1.080. Is this high enough to justify rehydrating another half a pack (or whole)? What kind of yeast flavors can I expect from 04, and is there really any benefit to using it vs US-05 in this particular recipe?
Thanks in advance guys, I love this place.