Extract again

[jalc6927]

Just completed my first partial/ extract brew in last 5 months, been doing AG.

Forgot how quick and easy this is.

First time to rehydrate dry yeast and did half LME at boil then at 30 minutes

Looking forward to seeing how it turns out

From here in it’s my new brew boss BIAB system

Merry Christmas and Happy Brew Year

 

[Redpappy]

If you don’t mind me asking, why did you decide to go from AG to BIAB. I have just started the hobby/obsession and right now still doing extract, but have been really looking into AG or going BIAB.

 

[jalc6927]

I liked the electric automated system the brew boss offers

AG and BIAB are just about the same thing, just a different way of mashing, no sparging and all in one kettle

There are many variables to AG and my hope is this system minimizes them

 

[jalc6927]

First time ever rehydrating dry yeast, and still no action in fermenter [emoji30][emoji30][emoji30]

 

[rnorman57]

You let the boiling water cool before you added the yeast, right?

 

[jalc6927]

Oh yeah, had it down to 62 degrees F

I’ll give it a swirl if it doesn’t kick in

 

[rnorman57]

Awesome... I just asked bc you said first time rehydrating

 

[ncbrewer]

If it was me, I'd sprinkle a packet of dry yeast just to be on the safe side. I rehydrate all the time with no problems, but there are lots of possible variations. I feel that some of the possible variations could cause problems. I use the method from Danstar procedure: http://www.lallemandbrewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rehydration-Ales.pdf except I use a cup of water instead of 10 times the yeast weight.

 

[tri_clamp_ninja]

I also recently started playing with extract + steeping grains for fun again after several years of just all grain. It feels weird knocking out a batch in 2~ hrs start to finish instead of 4-6~ hrs though. Not a bad thing though. I actually hold 90% of my total DME until flame out and only actually boil usually 10%. If I'm using steeping grains i'll add 100% of my DME at flame out. I stopped using LME entirely and all of a sudden extract beers starting tasting good lol.

I also do BIAB style all grain, even on a commercial scale when using a traditional 2-3 vessel steam jacket systems I typically do full volume no sparge mashing. If you keep your mash temp steady, mill on the finer side, and recirc/stir the mash constantly you'll easily hit 85% or higher mash efficiency even on a homebrew 5 gal system. In most of the breweries i've been with I typically was handling brewing, cleaning, packaging, and shipping/receiving all at the same time so being able to remove the sparge step has really helped my sanity at work haha.

 

[Remos112]

I Started brewing all grain this summer, and have no plans to give that up. However for creating enough yeast for a special brew I have planned early next year. I did a simple extract brew, and like you said, it is so quick and easy, all grain costs me a day, and this is done within 30 minutes. Really convenient! Best of holiday wishes for you too!

 

[tri_clamp_ninja]

If it was me, I'd sprinkle a packet of dry yeast just to be on the safe side. I rehydrate all the time with no problems, but there are lots of possible variations. I feel that some of the possible variations could cause problems. I use the method from Danstar procedure: http://www.lallemandbrewing.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Rehydration-Ales.pdf except I use a cup of water instead of 10 times the yeast weight.

In my brewery I've done extensive testing on pitching dry vs rehydrating (including various methods of rehydrating including using additives such as yeast extract, yeast hulls, etc) with results verified by an external Lab. I've consistently found that rehydrating actually does very little in the long run besides allowing you to push maybe 1 extra re-pitch out of a single batch of yeast. Now on a commercial scale when you are producing double to triple digit barrels per batch, that can help to increase profit margins on that 1 extra re-pitch. For a homebrew scale it's an entirely unnecessary step that could potentially hurt more then help as has an increased probability of infection and/or diminishing cell counts prior to pitching. For a typical 5 gal batch of a standard 1.040-1.050 OG Ale, x1 11gram pack of yeast does not usually contain enough cells as is so rehydrating isn't going to magically make more cells appear. It is far better, easier, and more consistent to pitch x2 packs of yeast vs rehydrating x1 pack. The only difference I ever see when rehydrating is my FG usually being 0.001 lower then pitching dry. This usually results in a negligible difference in final alcohol content and sometimes leading to a beer being overly dry. If a beer is supposed to be dry stylistically, like a pilsner for example, I'll just mash lower and skip the carapils or use an extract with high fermentability/attenuation potenial such as Pilsen Light for example.

If you are doing a big bold high grav beer it's much better to brew a low to standard grav beer first, double pitch dry, then cast your high grav beer on top of that yeast cake.

 

[jalc6927]

This will be one and only time I’ll rehydrate, using two bags at $3.99 makes more sense

Thanks Tri_clamp

 

[RM-MN]

This will be one and only time I’ll rehydrate, using two bags at $3.99 makes more sense

Thanks Tri_clamp

Would it also make sense if I told you that if given the right conditions your yeast will double in about 90 minutes? By adding the second packet of yeast you really shortening the lag time, that time when the yeast are reproducing, by only 90 minutes of a normal 24 to 30 hour process?

 

[ncbrewer]

Tri_Clamp - I'm considering going to dry pitch, so your testing is very interesting to me. Fermentis instructs to pitch at above 68F if dry pitching, and I don't want to pitch that warm. Did you pitch at cooler temperatures in your tests?

 

[tri_clamp_ninja]

I'm usually using s-04 English (even for my "American" beers) and most of the time ferment at 66f. Now 04 runs hot for the first two days so if I have a carboy in a temp controlled fridge at 66f the actual liquid temp is usually 70f for the first day, 68f for the second day, then 66f until I cold crash. Even in a proper glycol jacketed commercial stainless fermenter set at 66f 04 will still run up to 68f for the first day haha. As far as my actual temp when pitching: if we are talking commercial scale I'll usually set the fv to 60f, get the wort below 80f, trans to fv, then by the time I clean up and pitch the yeast my wort temp is 70f or lower due to the jackets, then I set the fv up to 66f and let it do it's thing. Homebrew style wise I do basically the same thing except I set my fridge to 32f, get the wort under 80f, transfer to fv, then by the time I clean up and pitch yeast my wort is under 70f, turn the fridge to 66f and let it do it's thing. In both cases (commercial or Homebrew) I always see beginnings of fermentation activity within 3 hours by dry pitching and have full foamy typical 04 activity in 5-6 hours.

Hope this helps!

 

[tri_clamp_ninja]

Something else that is worth noting: I've used s-04 most extensively however I've done similar tests, with basically the same results, with s-05, notty, bry97, London esb, and ec1118 dry yeasts.

 

[ncbrewer]

Good info, Tri Clamp. Thanks.

 

[GHBWNY]

I also recently started playing with extract + steeping grains for fun again after several years of just all grain. It feels weird knocking out a batch in 2~ hrs start to finish instead of 4-6~ hrs though. Not a bad thing though.

Amen to this. There's absolutely nothing wrong/shameful with extract brewing. Charlie Papazian ("The Complete Joy of Home Brewing"), has DOZENS of extract brews he swears by both taste- and style-wise. And I think a lot of us here, being totally honest with ourselves, would agree that really good beer can be made with extract. While extract has some limitations (like narrower style parameters, possible "extract-y" taste, and FG struggles), for my taste, the end product has never failed me. My wife asked me to look through the NB catalog for something I might enjoy for Christmas (what a wife!), and since I'm pretty flush with everything else, I ended up circling a few extract kits. I hope she gets the memo to Santa on time!

 

[rcreamer0713]

I have done all grain and extract. I stick to extract because time. 2 hrs vs 4+ all beer i make is well recieved. 10% extract boiled 90% at flame out stir well.

 

[myndflyte]

With a second child on the way (will have 2 under the age of 2) brewing time is going to be hard to come by for me. So my new grain mill and BIAB gear is going to have to sit for a little bit. I've become really interested in extract 15 min boil brews. I have plans to do a 15 min saison and pale ale and some ideas brewing to even try something darker like a stout. I think it'll be a fun but quick way to experiment.

 

[RM-MN]

With a second child on the way (will have 2 under the age of 2) brewing time is going to be hard to come by for me. So my new grain mill and BIAB gear is going to have to sit for a little bit. I've become really interested in extract 15 min boil brews. I have plans to do a 15 min saison and pale ale and some ideas brewing to even try something darker like a stout. I think it'll be a fun but quick way to experiment.

Why? I mill my grains while the water is heating (hand cranking my Corona mill), put the bag in when the water reaches strike temp and stir in the grains. Put the lid on and walk away(in your case, spend time with the kids). Come back when a suitable time has passed, pull the bag of grains out and heat the wort to boil, add hops, and walk away again while the wort boils. You don't have to babysit the brewing process, it happens whether you are watching or not. If you mill the grains fine, the mash will not take an hour. If you adjust the hops the boil doesn't take an hour either.

You may like the 15 minute boil. The only report I got on it was that it wasn't really good beer. Buy one kit and try it so you can make your own decision before buying more.