Blonde Ale Centennial Blonde (Simple 4% All Grain, 5 & 10 Gall)

[Time-Travelers]

What type of modifications should I make to the 5 gallon recipe if I were to use the Brew In A Bag method? Would the grain bill stay the same?

First let me say this was my first all-grain and first biab. I used the excel spreadsheet (The Calculator.xls) from the Aussie website www.biabrewer.info.

Using the efficiency of 79% from the spreadsheet, my grain bill remained the same, however I did have the grains run through the mill a second time for a finer crush.

I started with 9-gals of water in my 62-qt bayou classic brewpot and did a 90-min mash as well as a 90-min boil.

I missed my OG a bit (1.047), I think I had more of a boil-off than anticipated (maybe boiled too hard?) and my FG was 1.010.

We bottled last week and I snuck one over the weekend and it tastes great - can't wait until the next one.

p.s. I also incorporated the no-chill method with this batch and loved it!

 

[dgoldb1]

First let me say this was my first all-grain and first biab. I used the excel spreadsheet (The Calculator.xls) from the Aussie website www.biabrewer.info.

I missed my OG a bit (1.047), I think I had more of a boil-off than anticipated (maybe boiled too hard?) and my FG was 1.010.

We bottled last week and I snuck one over the weekend and it tastes great - can't wait until the next one.

p.s. I also incorporated the no-chill method with this batch and loved it!

Do you have the exact link to the calculator. I can't find it on the biagbrewer.info site.

I say it's better to be over your OG than under

 

[Grasslands]

I say it's better to be over your OG than under

+1...but tell that to my imperial hefe!

 

[molsonG]

has anyone tried adding rye to this for something a little different?

 

[Time-Travelers]

Do you have the exact link to the calculator. I can't find it on the biagbrewer.info site.

This is the link to The Calculator, however you might need to 'register' on the website to access it...

http://biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=189

From the Home page click on; The Master Guide of BIAB Brewing
from there, click on; The Calculator

I can also send it to you if you pm me your email (HBT doesn't accept .xls extensions for file attachments).

 

[timbudtwo]

I have brewed this twice and both times the flavor has come out great, however, it has absolutely zero head. Has anyone else experienced a similar issue?

 

[52pickup]

Mine has a VERY nice head to it, with good retention. Mine never cleared though. Was in primary for 3 weeks, then cold crashed, and it still looks like a wit.

 

[IPAAAA]

Anyone ever make this with strictly only cascade or centennial? What about S-05?

I have never made a 10 gal batch so this will be my first one. How would I go about splitting one packet of yeast to two fermenters?

 

[mellogrfx]

Actually I have used only cascade with this recipe...not bad. uh, seems like I just brewed this yesterday...this beer does mature quick. Also, about the yeast...It's been soooo long since I've had to buy yeast so if I remember correctly, it will say on the package to use one pack per 5 gallons. Or you could just use a cable-stretcher...those seems to work as yeast splitters too. SORRY, I had to do that.

 

[gkal1964]

Anyone ever make this with strictly only cascade or centennial? What about S-05?

I have never made a 10 gal batch so this will be my first one. How would I go about splitting one packet of yeast to two fermenters?

I've made this with US-05. It is a great yeast for this recipe. As a matter of fact I just may prefer it to the Notty. Also as for the 10 gallons, I just hydrate 2 packs and pitch them into 5 gals each. I brewed 20 gals of this and pitched 4 different yeasts. I am about a week away from sampling them I will update after tasting them.

 

[IPAAAA]

Thanks guys. I am getting tired of cascade so maybe I will just use centennial and see what happens.

 

[jmacker]

Looking forward to brewing this tomorrow with 16 lb marris otter and 1/2 lb dextrine for 10 gallons. Good Friday indeed.

 

[nate_ive]

Has anyone tried using Wyeast 1187 ringwood yeast on this?

Did you get a response? I was contemplating Ringwood with this too.

 

[JakeFegely]

I brewed this last Friday as my fifth batch. I used the extract version. My OG was 1.047. The yeast I had planned to use was bad, so on brewday I went to the LHBS and picked up White Labs East Coast WLP008. It took about 16 hours to get good active fermentation (no starter obviously), and the airlock activity stopped within 3 days. I took my first gravity reading this morning. It was 1.020, which quite surprised me. Also there is a full layer of kreusen on top of the beer. I had planned to leave this in primary for 2 weeks and then bottle.
I'm concerned about the whether the gravity will get closer to expected (Beersmith says 1.012).
I'm also concerned about the kreusen. Is that typical of this yeast? Should I move to a secondary to help clarify, or am I better leaving as is, hoping that the yeast in the kreusen is still slowing working?
Thanks,
Jake

 

[JakeFegely]

Also, White Labs says the optimum temp for this yeast is 68-73. During active fermentation the temp was around 70-72. The fermenter is in my basement with ambient temp of 66 and the fermenter has settled to that temp. I could move the fermenter to a kitchen closet where temps are staying about 70-72. I think that may increase yeast activity, but would it also increase other flavors (diacetyls??)? Does that seem like a good idea for this beer?

 

[IPAAAA]

When it says this...

Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 5 Days at 68 Degrees

Does that just mean I should leave it in the primary for 9 days since I don't use a secondary or does it mean it is already in the keg after the initial 4 days in primary?

 

[VoodooManX]

Here's mine after a week and a half in the keg. Awesome recipe.

 

[PJM]

Just got mine in the fermenter. Hit my numbers dead on. Pitched Safale 05. Never used dry yeast before. Looking forward to drinking this soon.

 

[EllisTX]

I had a few earlier post about bready taste. I made a 10 gallon batch and the first one I rushed to keg and the other I cold crashed for a week. The one I rushed has settled out now and tasted great. The second I dry hopped with an oz of cascade. They're both awesome and crystal clear. The picture would look clearer without the condensation. Thanks BM. Now on to my multiple AHS kits.

 

[mrduna01]

When it says this...

Secondary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 5 Days at 68 Degrees

Does that just mean I should leave it in the primary for 9 days since I don't use a secondary or does it mean it is already in the keg after the initial 4 days in primary?

Just primary that sucker for two weeks, keg it and let er rip... Should be good to go. It will improve with another week or so primary though. No need for secondary.

 

[cincybrewer]

Just brewed this yesterday. Hoping it turns out great. Finished with a 1.041 OG which is a little lower than I expected, especially for an extract.

Usually I wait 3 weeks in primary. Would this be a candidate for only 1 or 2 week primary, then kegging?

 

[IPAAAA]

Just primary that sucker for two weeks, keg it and let er rip... Should be good to go. It will improve with another week or so primary though. No need for secondary.

2 weeks seems long in the primary especially since the first post says from grain to glass in 2 weeks. Guess we will see what happens since I have seen people pull this off the yeast in as little as 4 days.

 

[terrapinj]

wow ended up with 84.5% apparent attenuation

OG 1.047
FG 1.007

mashed at 149°

 

[mrduna01]

2 weeks seems long in the primary especially since the first post says from grain to glass in 2 weeks. Guess we will see what happens since I have seen people pull this off the yeast in as little as 4 days.

It may be long but I never go any less than two weeks regardless of the recipe.

 

[PJM]

@terrapinj - Which yeast did you use? I brewed this Friday. Mashed at 151 and pitched Safale 05. I'm kind of surprised at how slow the yeast is working. Just now starting to very slowly bubble. First time using dry yeast. I've always heard that they are fast starters

 

[rack04]

@terrapinj - Which yeast did you use? I brewed this Friday. Mashed at 151 and pitched Safale 05. I'm kind of surprised at how slow the yeast is working. Just now starting to very slowly bubble. First time using dry yeast. I've always heard that they are fast starters

Did you aerate the wort prior to pitching? Did you rehydrate the dry yeast? When I did this recipe using us-05 I had activity working 6 hours and had to switch to blowoff within 12 hours.

 

[PJM]

I did aerate but did not rehydrate. I had read that it was not necessary. Will that cause me problems?

 

[terrapinj]

I used nottingham rehydrated.

You can pitch dry but it apparently kills a lot of cells from the shock and can cause slower start times.

 

[smagee]

When I made this, I did it with nottingham rehydrated and it took about 24 hours before I saw any noticeable activity. Notty is a somewhat notorious slow starter.

 

[mountainman13]

Just did a 5gal AG of the original recipe with S-05 (nothing against Notty, just pretty loyal to 05). Bubbling away like crazy, can't wait. Been trying to find something that wife will drink, hopefully this does the trick.