Scotch Ale Brewing Question

[premington]

Hi Kids! New member here... first post!

I've made wine in the past and am familiar with the process of fermenting, but new to the world of making beer. I have a new kit I received, which I'll boil this Saturday. It's a Highland Heavy Scotch Ale from Jasper's. Looks delicious!

I have a question about the boil. The instructions state to steep the grains and then bring the mixture to a boil, then add the malt extract. Boil time is 60 minutes. They then say to draw off 24 oz. to caramelize the wort, then add it back. This takes about 15 minutes. They then state to add the hops and boil for 60 minutes.

What's confusing is, the instructions state the boil time is 60 minutes, but the math doesn't add up. If I bring to a boil and add the malt, then caramelize for 15 minutes, then add the hops and boil for 60 minutes, that's at least 75 minutes. It looks like something's a little off in the recipe instructions.

Anyone have experience to share to correct my understanding of how to boil the malt and hops?

Also... I've watched a ton of videos of people on YouTube brewing extracts. A few recommended adding the hops first for maybe 30 minutes or so, then adding the malt. They state, by adding the malt first, it creates a very dense wort and flavors and aroma from the malt are better released by adding the hops BEFORE adding malt. Is this true?

Just want to be sure I nail the process properly before diving into my first batch on Saturday. Any help ya'll can provide would be much appreciated!

-Paul

 

[kev211]

Caramelize? You dont want to caramelize anything. Heres what the general process should look like.

Bring water up to ~160 deg. Add the steeping grains (in a grain bag).
Let them steep in the water for 20 mins or so around ~153 degrees. Remove grains and raise the temp to boiling.
Once boiling, briefly shut off heat and add your malt extract, stirring the whole time. You want to shut off the heat because the extract is going to want to sink. With the heat on, you risk scorching the sugars in the extract.
Turn heat back on, and resume boil. Once its back to boiling, add boil hops and begin 60 min timer. Add hops as necessary following recipe.

Total boil time should be around 60 mins.

Ive never heard anything about boiling just the hops and adding the extract towards then end. I guess it can be done, but I doubt that it has any effect. Hope this helps.

Welcome to the hobby and the forums!!

 

[LLBeanJ]

Welcome to the forum!

To address your first question... Start the main boil and add the extract and 60 min hops together. While the main batch is boiling, draw off the 24 oz. sample for caramelization into a smaller pot and boil it down to a syrup. Once the caramelization is done, add it back to the main batch.

I've never brewed with extract, so I can't offer anything for your second question.

 

[secinarot]

With this being a Scottish ale, they are looking to create more depth of flavors and thus the reason for pulling off some of the wort and putting it through a more intense boil. That being said, a 75 minute boil should benefit the beer.

What I would do is after steeping, bring it to a boil (this will stop the conversion of the steeping grains) then kill the flame. Add your extract and mix it in well. Then draw off your 24 oz. and boil for 15 mins. At the same time you can start up the flame again and it will take a few minutes to get back up to a boil. After 15 minutes, add the caramelized wort back into the pot. Then at this point add your 60 minute hops.

Regarding you question about adding the malt later in the boil, that's a good method for lighter beers. In this case with the Scottish style, I wouldn't do that since you want more caramelization. Also you need to be aware that if you do the late boil extract addition, it increases the hop utilization so you need to adjust your recipe by adding less hops to get to the same IBU.

Hope this helps!

 

[rjwoody]

I think what the instructions mean is after you add all of your malt extract, draw off 24 oz. of wort to a separate pot and boil the wort down to almost a syrup then add it back to the main boil kettle. I've only heard of this technique but have never tried it. Supposed to add a little more flavor complexity.

 

[thedrunkenirishman]

Would agree with kev on the general flow, but I am thinking that the kit is looking for you to take some of the wort at the beginning of the boil and caramelize it to add some extra malty depth to the brew....Now, I've never done this myself (and I've never attempted Scottish beers), but I can see where the kit makers may be coming from.

I would think you should be good either caramelizing the wort at the same time as the beginning of the boil...or a better plan is to draw off the wort while you're bringing the wort to it's original boil....24 oz of wort may caramelize pretty quickly while you're taking the larger volume up to boil temp. Add the caramelized wort back to the kettle either at beginning of boil or whenever it's ready...the caramel wort will still have plenty of time in the boil

Would keep the boil time to 60 min and I would guess the hop schedule is based on a 60 min boil....

You want to be careful with the caramelization though....Do it slowly and reduce to a thick liquid....If you go to quickly, the sugars may burn and you could have an off flavor you would rather not have.

 

[kev211]

Would agree with kev on the general flow, but I am thinking that the kit is looking for you to take some of the wort at the beginning of the boil and caramelize it to add some extra malty depth to the brew....Now, I've never done this myself (and I've never attempted Scottish beers), but I can see where the kit makers may be coming from.

I would think you should be good either caramelizing the wort at the same time as the beginning of the boil...or a better plan is to draw off the wort while you're bringing the wort to it's original boil....24 oz of wort may caramelize pretty quickly while you're taking the larger volume up to boil temp. Add the caramelized wort back to the kettle either at beginning of boil or whenever it's ready...the caramel wort will still have plenty of time in the boil

Would keep the boil time to 60 min and I would guess the hop schedule is based on a 60 min boil....

You want to be careful with the caramelization though....Do it slowly and reduce to a thick liquid....If you go to quickly, the sugars may burn and you could have an off flavor you would rather not have.

Yup. Didnt see the part about the recipe saying to caramelize. Now I see it. Whoops. Agree with the above. Be careful with the caramelizing. It can go from nice and caramely to burnt sugar fast

 

[premington]

Wow... Thanks for all the great replies! This is a real help.

I do like the idea of caramelizing. I've done so with food recipes with great success, and I can see this as definitely adding complexity to the final product. Done properly, I can see this as being a potentially nice addition to this recipe. I just want to be sure I do it properly.

For clarification, here's exactly what the recipe states:

"Remove and discard the grains [after steeping]. Bring this mixture to a boil. Remove the pot from the heat and add the malt extract. To prevent scorching, stir until all the malt is dissolved. Then bring this mixture to a boil.

[instructions for caramelizing, which they state takes about 15 minutes.]

"Add 1 oz. of Columbus hops and 1 oz. and East Kent Golding hops. Boil these hops for the entire 60 minutes."

I watched one video with a fellow who caramelized, and the caramelization occurred quickly. So I'll be very careful to attend to the evaporation of that portion of the wort, and stir constantly.

As for the hop addition, I think I'll do it after adding the malt, as indicated in the recipe. I assume those who wrote the recipe did so after vetting it properly. I'll also do a ~75 minute boil, which (as previously stated) should add complexity to the beer. I'll top up to a full 5 gallons after it's all done, then pitch the yeast.

I purchased a SS Brewmaster stainless steel brew bucket, which I hope helps make an excellent product, rather than using the poor man's plastic bucket.

-Paul

 

[kev211]

I purchased a SS Brewmaster stainless steel brew bucket, which I hope helps make an excellent product, rather than using the poor man's plastic bucket.

-Paul

It does. I have a few of them and theyre all I use for fermenting. Great product. Easy to use/clean.

Do you have a method of controlling fermentation temperatures?

 

[secinarot]

I'll also do a ~75 minute boil, which (as previously stated) should add complexity to the beer. I'll top up to a full 5 gallons after it's all done, then pitch the yeast.

-Paul

If doing a 75 minutes boil, just be sure to add your hops at the 60 minute mark so that you get the proper IBUs as the recipe intends. If they boil for 75 minutes you'll get more bitterness.

 

[brewcat]

I wouldn't waste time on caramelization. It seems like an unnecessary step in an extract brew. The biggest key will be low temp fermentation.

 

[premington]

It does. I have a few of them and theyre all I use for fermenting. Great product. Easy to use/clean.

Do you have a method of controlling fermentation temperatures?

The lower level of my home is below grade. As a result, it's always cool down here. I've been watching the temperature, and it seems to be about 61f with no addition of heat, so I was thinking of putting the fermenter down here.

I'm really glad you brought this up, as I've been thinking of fermentation temperatures. This is also important in wine making. I've heard that higher temperatures can produce banana and fruit flavors. I can't imagine that being good for a Scotch ale.

So... With this recipe, what's a good ambient fermentation temperature? I can put the fermenter in this area, which is dry and about 61f. During peak fermentation, yeast product energy, which = heat. How much heat? And how will that affect the final fermentation temperature, given my fermentation environment?

-Paul

 

[cegan09]

Jaspers is my local store, and the guys there are great. Just about all the recipe kits they sell are from recipes that they have written. Give them a call and I'm sure they'd be happy to elaborate on what they mean.

However the above discussion is correct. They are saying to get the extract added, then pull out 24oz. Get the main volume up to a boil and start your 60 minute timer. At the same time pull out 24oz and boil down. Once that is done add back to the main volume. Stop the boil after the 60 minutes.

 

[kev211]

61 should** be fine. I say should because, yes, fermentation generates heat but at 61 it may rise up to 65-67 degrees which is still fine for yeast. But I wouldnt go with ambient temps much higher than that. Luckily, if you got the brewmaster edition you have the thermowell and LCD temp gauge so you should be able to monitor it

 

[premington]

The lower level of my home is below grade. As a result, it's always cool down here. I've been watching the temperature, and it seems to be about 61f with no addition of heat, so I was thinking of putting the fermenter down here.

I'm really glad you brought this up, as I've been thinking of fermentation temperatures. This is also important in wine making. I've heard that higher temperatures can produce banana and fruit flavors. I can't imagine that being good for a Scotch ale.

So... With this recipe, what's a good ambient fermentation temperature? I can put the fermenter in this area, which is dry and about 61f. During peak fermentation, yeast product energy, which = heat. How much heat? And how will that affect the final fermentation temperature, given my fermentation environment?

-Paul

Oh... One additional bit of information, which might be important for those who write a reply relating to the rise of temperature during primary fermentation. The yeast I'll be using is Wyeast 1728 Scottish ale yeast. Not sure how rigorous of a fermentation this yeast produces, but perhaps others here know. Most importantly, how this might relate to a rise in fermentation temperature in relation to the environment around the fermenter. Keep in mind, my environment will be about 61f.

-Paul

 

[premington]

Jaspers is my local store, and the guys there are great. Just about all the recipe kits they sell are from recipes that they have written. Give them a call and I'm sure they'd be happy to elaborate on what they mean.

However the above discussion is correct. They are saying to get the extract added, then pull out 24oz. Get the main volume up to a boil and start your 60 minute timer. At the same time pull out 24oz and boil down. Once that is done add back to the main volume. Stop the boil after the 60 minutes.

Thanks for the information about Jaspers. I don't know anything about them. It's nice to hear first-hand information from a knowledgeable source.

Thanks also for the clarification on the recipe.

-Paul

 

[premington]

61 should** be fine. I say should because, yes, fermentation generates heat but at 61 it may rise up to 65-67 degrees which is still fine for yeast. But I wouldnt go with ambient temps much higher than that. Luckily, if you got the brewmaster edition you have the thermowell and LCD temp gauge so you should be able to monitor it

Yup... I have the SS Brewmaster fermentation bucket. It has the thermometer.

I've been concerned about fermentation temps. I can put it in the garage, but that's about 40f this time of year, so that's not gonna work. The best I can do is the lower level of our home, which is about 61f. I'm just hoping that'll be adequate.

-Paul

 

[kev211]

Yup... I have the SS Brewmaster fermentation bucket. It has the thermometer.

I've been concerned about fermentation temps. I can put it in the garage, but that's about 40f this time of year, so that's not gonna work. The best I can do is the lower level of our home, which is about 61f. I'm just hoping that'll be adequate.

-Paul

Well, good news is that A. The thermometer on there is pretty accurate (i did a test and it was within .5 a degree of my thermometer stuck directly into the test water and B. Your garage is cold as s**t. So, if it starts to get too warm you can always heav-ho it to the garage to cool it down. Not the optimal situation, but sometimes you have to do crazy stuff to keep your beer happy

 

[bleme]

The lower level of my home is below grade. As a result, it's always cool down here. I've been watching the temperature, and it seems to be about 61f with no addition of heat, so I was thinking of putting the fermenter down here.

Before I got a fridge for fermenting in, I put my bucket in a big tub of water. The added thermal mass kept the yeast from running away with the temperature, which could be as much as 10 degrees.

I don't think that would work with your fancy fermentor though...

 

[cshamilton]

FYI boiling down the wort for 15 min won't actually get it hot enough to caramelize. Unless you have a massive burner. It will get concentrated and promote the Maillard reaction. That said Scottish brewers never did any such thing to their beers, but it's your beer so you can do whatever you like that's the great thing about Homebrewing.

 

[bleme]

That said Scottish brewers never did any such thing to their beers, but it's your beer so you can do whatever you like that's the great thing about Homebrewing.

I was thinking it might simulate decoction mashing, which was traditional.

 

[kev211]

FYI boiling down the wort for 15 min won't actually get it hot enough to caramelize. Unless you have a massive burner. It will get concentrated and promote the Maillard reaction. That said Scottish brewers never did any such thing to their beers, but it's your beer so you can do whatever you like that's the great thing about Homebrewing.

Hes only boiling down ~24oz of it. In my experience, 15 mins is more than enough time to caramelize that much liquid on a conventional stovetop.

 

[premington]

61 should** be fine. I say should because, yes, fermentation generates heat but at 61 it may rise up to 65-67 degrees which is still fine for yeast. But I wouldnt go with ambient temps much higher than that. Luckily, if you got the brewmaster edition you have the thermowell and LCD temp gauge so you should be able to monitor it

FYI boiling down the wort for 15 min won't actually get it hot enough to caramelize. Unless you have a massive burner. It will get concentrated and promote the Maillard reaction. That said Scottish brewers never did any such thing to their beers, but it's your beer so you can do whatever you like that's the great thing about Homebrewing.

I have a gas stove, which is a little different in terms of temp control than electric.

In terms of tradition, I'm not really concerned about that. I just want to make a brew that's good. This is my first attempt at a beer, so anything that's drinkable will be a pleasure for me. If I can nail it and slam out a fantastic brew... damn... I'll be the first to be cheering before giving a bulk of it away, enjoying the bragging rights that go along with the act.

I'm not sure I agree with you (respectfully, of course) with not being able to produce enough heat to caramelize. To caramelize, sugars need to be heated to a level that convert them to the various constituent polymers that result in caramelization. I'm not sure the exact temps where this occurs, but I'm sure the gas stove I have will enable this to happen.

My approach will be to look at the color and smell, along with how it visually looks. When it turns dark and thick, I pull off the heat. What I get is what I get. Part of the process is learning by what I produce, and if it gets messed up, I'll make adjustments the next time around to modify the process.

The one thing I like about beer brewing is, from boil to stein, the total time is only a few months. For wine (which is what I'm coming from), that process is at least one year for white, many years for reds. This makes experimentation much more do-able. For me, approaching this as a wine maker, beer seems so nice in that if I *F* a batch up, who cares. I'll toss it, learn from the brew, and take it to the next.

Thanks to all of you for sharing your knowledge and experience! I really appreciate it.

-Paul

 

[kev211]

The one thing I like about beer brewing is, from boil to stein, the total time is only a few months.

-Paul

If you keg it should be way less. If you bottle, it should still be way less

You, in theory could go grain to glass (by way of bottling) in ~1 month, possibly 5 weeks. Which is, as you stated, wayyyy better than wine

 

[BGHSmt7]

Brew Your Own has a great article on Scotch Ales

Choosing the right yeast for a Scottish ale can be tricky, because Scottish ales have been traditionally fermented at about 50 °F (10°C), which is the natural ambient temperature in which these brews have emerged, but which is much too cold for virtually all ale yeasts that are readily available. Ale fermentation at this low temperature keeps the level of esters, higher alcohols and other byproducts of yeast metabolism low, which accounts for the beer’s clean taste. Yeasts used in Scottish ales must also be fairly low attenuators and efficient flocculators so that the fermentation stops at a relatively early stage and some residual sweetness is preserved after the first racking. (In English beers, incidentally, residual sweetness often stems from crystal malts, which are not traditionally used in Scottish beers.)

The yeast creates a lot of it's flavor profile within the first 3-4 days, so keeping it cool in the beginning, then letting it naturally warm up would not be a bad thing.

I brewed a Double-Decoction Parti-Gyle Scotch ale and 80-Shilling ales. I pitched around 54* and after 2 days in a 61* basement, they were both at 68*. I put the carboys in a cold water bath and it got them back to where they needed to be. I brewed them late January (when we had a heat wave) and they're still sitting aging. I'm prolly going to bottle them in a month or two.

If you just let it ferment for a month or so, bottle it up and enjoy it throughout the year. It should get better as it ages. As for the Caramelization, yes, your stove top can caramalize a small amount of wort just fine. Just don't use full burner.

 

[premington]

Brew Your Own has a great article on Scotch Ales


The yeast creates a lot of it's flavor profile within the first 3-4 days, so keeping it cool in the beginning, then letting it naturally warm up would not be a bad thing.

I brewed a Double-Decoction Parti-Gyle Scotch ale and 80-Shilling ales. I pitched around 54* and after 2 days in a 61* basement, they were both at 68*. I put the carboys in a cold water bath and it got them back to where they needed to be. I brewed them late January (when we had a heat wave) and they're still sitting aging. I'm prolly going to bottle them in a month or two.

If you just let it ferment for a month or so, bottle it up and enjoy it throughout the year. It should get better as it ages. As for the Caramelization, yes, your stove top can caramalize a small amount of wort just fine. Just don't use full burner.

Excellent! Thank you for this information.

I'm amazed that a yeast varietal can begin fermenting in the 50f-degree range. What yeast were you using?

Perhaps I'll hold on to a bulk of this batch, if it comes out well, and observe it as it ages. I never thought of that in terms of educating myself to how a young beer ages.

To be honest--and this may sound weird to some of you--I'm not really a big "drinker". Alcohol tends to give me headaches, and I don't mean due to drinking in excess. Sometimes I drink one beer and get a nasty migraine.

But... I love the art of fermentation. So creating a fantastic wine or beer is something that makes me really happy. Drinking it is of less interest. Giving it away is something I'm more than happy to do.

I suppose I'm the kinda' friend most people would love to have.

If I make 5 gallons, I'd probably keep a few six packs and share the rest with friends and family, then move to the next batch.

But in keeping with the spirit of learning from each batch, I suppose it would be wise to hang on to a certain quantity of it to see how it matures with age.

-Paul

 

[Hoppy2bmerry]

Welcome to the forum, I've nothing to add to the advice given. Keep things clean, have fun, be patient and do not worry too much. Cheers

 

[BGHSmt7]

I used 4 packets of Nottingham in the Wee Heavy and 3 Packets of Windsor in the 80 Shilling Ale. I used more than reccommended because I was too lazy to re-hydrate them properly and I wanted to make sure that there was enough viable yeast to ferment properly. The Wee Heavy had an OG of about 1.099 and the 80/~ was about 1.053.

 

[cshamilton]

I have a gas stove, which is a little different in terms of temp control than electric.



In terms of tradition, I'm not really concerned about that. I just want to make a brew that's good. This is my first attempt at a beer, so anything that's drinkable will be a pleasure for me. If I can nail it and slam out a fantastic brew... damn... I'll be the first to be cheering before giving a bulk of it away, enjoying the bragging rights that go along with the act.



I'm not sure I agree with you (respectfully, of course) with not being able to produce enough heat to caramelize. To caramelize, sugars need to be heated to a level that convert them to the various constituent polymers that result in caramelization. I'm not sure the exact temps where this occurs, but I'm sure the gas stove I have will enable this to happen.



My approach will be to look at the color and smell, along with how it visually looks. When it turns dark and thick, I pull off the heat. What I get is what I get. Part of the process is learning by what I produce, and if it gets messed up, I'll make adjustments the next time around to modify the process.



The one thing I like about beer brewing is, from boil to stein, the total time is only a few months. For wine (which is what I'm coming from), that process is at least one year for white, many years for reds. This makes experimentation much more do-able. For me, approaching this as a wine maker, beer seems so nice in that if I *F* a batch up, who cares. I'll toss it, learn from the brew, and take it to the next.



Thanks to all of you for sharing your knowledge and experience! I really appreciate it.



-Paul

Maltose caramelizes above 350F remember you've got mostly water there and it boils at 212F. So you need to boil off a lot of water to get it to go that hot, essentially you need to make a syrup to get that hot. So it is doable just be be careful you don't burn it.

Someone said this might mimic decoction mash flavors (melanoidins) and it probably will to some extent, but that's not was Scottish brewers did historically. They had relatively short boils in general. If you want to know the history look up Ron Pattinson - he's written a new book on Scottish Beers.

 

[BGHSmt7]

Also Greg Noonan's book Scotch Ale (Classic Beer Style)

 

[Gerry_P]

First off, kudos to you for brewing this style. It seems like most people want to be bashed over the head with a hop hammer these days, so delicious malt-forward beers are often ignored. Scotch ales are my favorite to both drink and brew, so I'll throw in my $.02.

Caramelization of extract wort works exactly the same as caramelization of wort that one makes by mashing grains. When you use extract, you're letting the extract people do the mashing for you. No offense to the person who said not to bother caramelizing extract wort, but I strongly disagree. Extract recipes will benefit from kettle caramelization as much as all-grain recipes.

I boil all my Scotch ales for 2 hours. Depending on the recipe, I'll sometimes remove part of my mash and reduce it.

I prefer Wyeast 1728 over WLP028, so I like your yeast choice. They're supposed to be the same strain, but ideally your fermentation temps should be in the low 60s and the Wyeast strain, in my experience, seems to perform better in that temp. range. "Perform better" in this case means that it finishes faster and cleaner in the low 60s with less conditioning time than its White Labs counterpart. Both are good yeasts and both will get the job done, but WLP028 likes things a bit warmer.

Here's a well-known and much respected wee heavy recipe, which I've used with excellent results. As you'll see, removing part of the wort and reducing it is a key part of the process. (Note: Traquair House uses East Kent Goldings in their recipe.)

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=8071.0

 

[BGHSmt7]

These are the two I brewed January 22. The one on the right is the wee heavy, The one on the left is the 80/~ ale. Nottingham/Windsor respectively. The basement is around 65°f.

 

[Gerry_P]

I purchased a SS Brewmaster stainless steel brew bucket, which I hope helps make an excellent product, rather than using the poor man's plastic bucket.

-Paul

I won't hold it against anyone if they have enough disposable income to spend hundreds of dollars on a stainless fermenter. This poor man, however, has switched back to plastic buckets from glass carboys. Cheap, easy to clean, and easy to move. Extended aging can take place in a corny keg, from which the beer can be dispensed.
Here's a picture of Traquair House's fermenters, just to put things in perspective.

 

[brewcat]

Choosing the right yeast for a Scottish ale can be tricky, because Scottish ales have been traditionally fermented at about 50 °F (10°C)

That isn't right. They maybe pitched at 50 early on, but pitching temps were raised long ago. It is more like pitch mid to high 50s and ferment up into the 60s.

 

[premington]

Wow... Beautiful pics, BGHSmt7. I wanna draw some off and drink it! Black, bold, and beautiful!

-Paul

 

[premington]

First off, kudos to you for brewing this style. It seems like most people want to be bashed over the head with a hop hammer these days, so delicious malt-forward beers are often ignored. Scotch ales are my favorite to both drink and brew, so I'll throw in my $.02.

Caramelization of extract wort works exactly the same as caramelization of wort that one makes by mashing grains. When you use extract, you're letting the extract people do the mashing for you. No offense to the person who said not to bother caramelizing extract wort, but I strongly disagree. Extract recipes will benefit from kettle caramelization as much as all-grain recipes.

I boil all my Scotch ales for 2 hours. Depending on the recipe, I'll sometimes remove part of my mash and reduce it.

I prefer Wyeast 1728 over WLP028, so I like your yeast choice. They're supposed to be the same strain, but ideally your fermentation temps should be in the low 60s and the Wyeast strain, in my experience, seems to perform better in that temp. range. "Perform better" in this case means that it finishes faster and cleaner in the low 60s with less conditioning time than its White Labs counterpart. Both are good yeasts and both will get the job done, but WLP028 likes things a bit warmer.

Here's a well-known and much respected wee heavy recipe, which I've used with excellent results. As you'll see, removing part of the wort and reducing it is a key part of the process. (Note: Traquair House uses East Kent Goldings in their recipe.)

https://www.homebrewersassociation.org/forum/index.php?topic=8071.0

Thanks Gerry,

I really don't care for overly hoppy beers. That bitter bite does nothing for me. Scotch ales and some super rich stouts are my favorite types of beer. I prefer them bold, rich, meaty, and malty!

This batch I'll boil this weekend will use Wyeast 1728. Do you have any recommendations on how to prep it? Should I create a starter, or just punch the pouch and let it sit for the morning, then pitch that?

Also, do you recommend any specific temp when pitching, or should I just follow the recipe, which recommends a temp between 70f and 78f?

Will check the recipe you linked now. Thanks for sharing it.

-Paul

 

[BGHSmt7]

https://www.boomchugalug.com/product/highland-heavy-scotch-ale/

RECIPE SIZE: 5 GALLONS
ABV: 7.2%
COLOR: 17 SRM
IBU: 26
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1.077
FINAL GRAVITY: 1.022
READY IN: 10 WEEKS
STARTER: YES
2 STAGE: YES​

You will need to make a starter.

• Without a stir plate, 4.19 Liters
• With a stir plate, 1.57 liter starter

According to MrMalty, you should make a very large starter. You'll need about 277 billion cells and the smack packs are about 100 billion when packaged.

 

[premington]

https://www.boomchugalug.com/product/highland-heavy-scotch-ale/

RECIPE SIZE: 5 GALLONS
ABV: 7.2%
COLOR: 17 SRM
IBU: 26
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1.077
FINAL GRAVITY: 1.022
READY IN: 10 WEEKS
STARTER: YES
2 STAGE: YES​

You will need to make a starter.

• Without a stir plate, 4.19 Liters
• With a stir plate, 1.57 liter starter

According to MrMalty, you should make a very large starter. You'll need about 277 billion cells and the smack packs are about 100 billion when packaged.

Shoot... I'm behind the curve here. I'm scheduled to do the boil on Saturday and have a friend coming from a ways away to assist. Do you think I have enough time?

I'm used to doing starters for wine, which I use some of the juice to do. Beer doesn't have juice. I can get it set up this evening, if I get instructions on how to do it. I'll look online... but if you (or anyone else) have a suggestion on how to set up a quick starter, that would be great.

Unfortunately, I'm starting with nothing and have no equipment other than a growler bottle. No nutrients or anything, as of now. I didn't think I'd need a starter. :-( So whatever I can set up now, I can attempt.

I can set it up tomorrow evening and visit a brew shop at lunch. But I'm not sure one night is enough time for a starter to build up to 277 billion cells.

In retrospect, I probably should have purchased three of these smack packs rather than one. I'm surprised the kit place didn't suggest that, since they sold me the yeast. It would have been a bigger sale for them.

-Paul

 

[kev211]

Shoot... I'm behind the curve here. I'm scheduled to do the boil on Saturday and have a friend coming from a ways away to assist. Do you think I have enough time?

I'm used to doing starters for wine, which I use some of the juice to do. Beer doesn't have juice. I can get it set up this evening, if I get instructions on how to do it. I'll look online... but if you (or anyone else) have a suggestion on how to set up a quick starter, that would be great.

Unfortunately, I'm starting with nothing and have no equipment other than a growler bottle. No nutrients or anything, as of now. I didn't think I'd need a starter. :-( So whatever I can set up now, I can attempt.

I can set it up tomorrow evening and visit a brew shop at lunch. But I'm not sure one night is enough time for a starter to build up to 277 billion cells.

-Paul

I dont know if you wanna start digging into your kit, but you could use some of the extract from your kit tonight to build a starter with in your growler and replace it tomorrow with a visit to the HB store. Just a thought.

Tomorrow would probably be a little too little too late. But it would be better than nothing. OR if you dont mind spending a little more, you could always just go get another packet of yeast and chalk it up as lesson learned for the next batch

 

[premington]

I dont know if you wanna start digging into your kit, but you could use some of the extract from your kit tonight to build a starter with in your growler and replace it tomorrow with a visit to the HB store. Just a thought.

Tomorrow would probably be a little too little too late. But it would be better than nothing. OR if you dont mind spending a little more, you could always just go get another packet of yeast and chalk it up as lesson learned for the next batch

Good point... I'll go to the brew shop tomorrow and explain the situation. I'm not sure how common the Wyeast 1728 yeast is. Hopefully they'll have it. If not, I'll just have to wing it and hope for the best.

I could also see if my helper can come on Sunday, but that's a less convenient day for both of us.

I'm glad you guys are here to help coach me through this. Being my first brew, I anticipated I'll learn through mistakes.

-Paul