British Brown Ale Fat Squirrel clone

[Bigcorona]

Fermenting nicely at 68F. Expectations growing!

 

[timmah84]

I noticed that the fermentation temperatures listed 62 degrees. Would fermenting a bit higher, say 68 degrees be OK? I just have my bath tub, and wonderful PNW temperatures.

Excited to brew this, just got back from a family reunion in WI and really enjoyed this beer.

 

[Yooper]

I noticed that the fermentation temperatures listed 62 degrees. Would fermenting a bit higher, say 68 degrees be OK? I just have my bath tub, and wonderful PNW temperatures.

Excited to brew this, just got back from a family reunion in WI and really enjoyed this beer.

Yes, but then I'd use a "cleaner" yeast strain, say S05 or Wyeast 1056 or WLP001 (same strain, as far as I can tell).

 

[timmah84]

So London ESB, etc, require sub 65 temperatures, or they will provide off flavors?

 

[Yooper]

So London ESB, etc, require sub 65 temperatures, or they will provide off flavors?

Not "off-flavors", but instead a distinct English-y fruity ester character, depending on strain.

 

[timmah84]

Interesting, would the S05 or Wyeast 1056 strains cause a end product that is much different?

 

[Yooper]

Interesting, would the S05 or Wyeast 1056 strains cause a end product that is much different?

Yes, it would be "cleaner" and without yeast character.

 

[Tarks]

Thanks to the OP for the recipe! Cheers.

I'm going to brew an 11 gal batch this weekend, splitting into 2 fermenters with different yeasts. My yeast type will be based on what my LBS has in stock. I'll update once I know what I'm using.

 

[Tarks]

Brewed 11 gal yesterday. Over shot my OG by 5 points (1.056). Split the batch using Nottingham and S04. I'm a rookie brewer so I wanted to take this opportunity to see the difference in the two yeasts.

 

[Yooper]

Brewed 11 gal yesterday. Over shot my OG by 5 points (1.056). Split the batch using Nottingham and S04. I'm a rookie brewer so I wanted to take this opportunity to see the difference in the two yeasts.

I don't think you'll notice much difference between the nottingham and the S04, as they are very similar.

 

[Tarks]

I don't think you'll notice much difference between the nottingham and the S04, as they are very similar.

Good to know Yooper. Cheers. I'll report back with the results in about 6 weeks weeks.

 

[Yooper]

It's cool today, and it's got me thinking of fall beers.

This beer is next up on deck for me. I'll use WLP002 for the yeast for 5 gallons, and then Wyeast 1450 for 5 gallons, and compare the differences in the beers. (I'm making a 10 gallon batch.)

 

[NewWestBrewer]

It's cool today, and it's got me thinking of fall beers.

This beer is next up on deck for me. I'll use WLP002 for the yeast for 5 gallons, and then Wyeast 1450 for 5 gallons, and compare the differences in the beers. (I'm making a 10 gallon batch.)

This looks like something that needs to be brewed. Great reviews.

Yooper - how did you get my pic as your avatar?

 

[Yooper]

I finally made this yesterday! I used Wyeast 1450 for one fermenter, and WLP002 for the other. I was out of saaz hops, but didn't know it until I started brewing, so I subbed with hallertauer mittlefruh and tettnanger. It sure smelled great in my house yesterday!

 

[GeorgiaMead]

What should be changed if this was to be done BIAB?

 

[Yooper]

What should be changed if this was to be done BIAB?

I wouldn't change it, unless you had a far different efficiency.

 

[giorgio-alemani]

It has to be a partial mash, because of the oats. So let's see, you'd have to be able to mash 4 pounds of grains at a minimum.

1 pound Caravienne malt
1 pound Munich malt
1 pound flaked Oats
12 ounces flaked barley
4 ounces chocolate malt

4 pounds extra light or light DME should work for 6 pounds pilsner malt.

Bring 8 quarts of water to 168 degrees, and add grains. Use two bags if you need to, to make sure the grains are loose. Stir well, and let sit at 150-158 for 45 minutes. Lift out grain bag and pour 170 degree water over the grains up to your boil volume. Discard grains. Bring to a boil, add the DME and bring to a boil again. Add the hops as directed.

.......................

If following the PM version you created earlier in the thread could you get away with only using a gallon of 170 degree water to "sparge" so as to make for a three gallon boil?

If so, how would you adjust the hopping, if at all?

 

[Yooper]

If following the PM version you created earlier in the thread could you get away with only using a gallon of 170 degree water to "sparge" so as to make for a three gallon boil?

If so, how would you adjust the hopping, if at all?

Sure, just sparge up to your boil volume.

I wouldn't change the hops.

 

[giorgio-alemani]

Brewed the partial mash recipe last weekend. I unfortunately mashed a bit high at 160 but all in all the night went well. Just a half oz of magnum made it quite bitter. I measured an OG of 1.064, which seemed a bit high but maybe the sweetness will counteract the bitterness. Thanks for taking the time to translate the recipe Yooper!

 

[giorgio-alemani]

So. I brewed the partial mash recipe and added a 1/2 lb. of 6-row to try to get more diastatic power. I ended with an OG of 1.064. That was 13 days ago. Hydro sample today tasted great - very bitter but I was only at a gravity of 1.026. Even if tomorrow's sample is the same should I bottle or give the carboy a swirl and let it sit another week? I think there is a great balance in the beer now and it's already 5% abv just curious

 

[Yooper]

So. I brewed the partial mash recipe and added a 1/2 lb. of 6-row to try to get more diastatic power. I ended with an OG of 1.064. That was 13 days ago. Hydro sample today tasted great - very bitter but I was only at a gravity of 1.026. Even if tomorrow's sample is the same should I bottle or give the carboy a swirl and let it sit another week? I think there is a great balance in the beer now and it's already 5% abv just curious

I don't know! I brewed this recently, and it finished at 1.012. 1.026 seems terribly high, but perhaps the high temperature of the partial mash means more unfermentables. I just would be uncomfortable with considering bottling at 1.026 for this beer.

 

[giorgio-alemani]

Cool. I thought I might have unfermentables in there being at 160 for so long. I'll wait it out. Can't hurt right?

Waited it out another 10 days. Final gravity halted at 1.024. Bottled, no explosions yet. Still tasted great so far - lesson learned - control my temps better. I think I'll certainly try this recipe multiple times in the future.

Update: tastes great after carbing up and the bitterness mellowed a bit. I think this could be even better after another month in bottles.

 

[RoadKing]

I made 10 gallons this a couple weeks ago with Marris Otter. My LHBS only had 1 packet of Nottingham, so I used Nottingham in 5 Gals. and So4 in the other. The S04 went from grain to glass in 9 days (Force carb'd keg) and the Nottingham
took 2 weeks to fall clear. I had never used Nottingham before and after tasting both, I personally prefer the So4. It tastes Maltier/Sweeter.
I never had the original Fat squirrel, but this recipe looked good. And it is !

 

[EODtony]

I tried downloading your beersmith recipe for this and it gives me an error and won't load the file. Is there any chance you could repost it or send it in a PM? I love Fat Squirrel and want to make this.

 

[Yooper]

I tried downloading your beersmith recipe for this and it gives me an error and won't load the file. Is there any chance you could repost it or send it in a PM? I love Fat Squirrel and want to make this.

The recipe is in the first post- I don't have the old BSM files anymore, after my computer died.

 

[EODtony]

Thanks....was just being lazy and avoiding entering it all in.

 

[RoadKing]

I just clicked the DL for that file, it worked fine.

 

[Deathmetal]

My over-excited friend purchased everything for this recipe, but has never brewed before, lol!

I've done extracts, but never an all-grain. I don't have the time to do anything but a BIAB with a mashout reheat.

Please help a brother out, and offer suggestions for the following:
-How many approximate gallons of water should I initially use if I don't plan to sparge? (I don't know how much water the grains will absorb, and will boil off).
-Should I drop in some Irish Moss during the last 15mins of boil?

Many thanks in advance. It would be a shame to throw out such a great recipe and selection of grains.

 

[Yooper]

My over-excited friend purchased everything for this recipe, but has never brewed before, lol!

I've done extracts, but never an all-grain. I don't have the time to do anything but a BIAB with a mashout reheat.

Please help a brother out, and offer suggestions for the following:
-How many approximate gallons of water should I initially use if I don't plan to sparge? (I don't know how much water the grains will absorb, and will boil off).
-Should I drop in some Irish Moss during the last 15mins of boil?

Many thanks in advance. It would be a shame to throw out such a great recipe and selection of grains.

Grains will generally absorb .125 gallon/pound in the mash.

I have no idea how much you'll boil off. With my system, in the winter I boil off nearly two gallons an hour (I live in a dry climate, relatively, especially in the winter) but in the summer it's more like 1.5 gallons an hour. You'll boil off whatever you normally boil off. That won't change.

You can use Irish moss. I use whirlfloc..

 

[Rdom]

My over-excited friend purchased everything for this recipe, but has never brewed before, lol!

I've done extracts, but never an all-grain. I don't have the time to do anything but a BIAB with a mashout reheat.

Please help a brother out, and offer suggestions for the following:
-How many approximate gallons of water should I initially use if I don't plan to sparge? (I don't know how much water the grains will absorb, and will boil off).
-Should I drop in some Irish Moss during the last 15mins of boil?

Many thanks in advance. It would be a shame to throw out such a great recipe and selection of grains.

How many gallons really depends on your equipment losses, grain absorption, and boil off. Add these to your total expected volume and you have your starting volume. You can figure out all these variables by doing a few BIAB batches (and taking good notes) but that won't help you foe this batch. You probably already know your boil off and equipment losses from doing your extract batches. There's a BIAB calculator online you can use to get a starting point for your grain absorption. Just Google it. There's also a BIAB Brewing (with pics) sticky on here that I would recommend reading as well. I do smaller batches but I believe 7.5gal is a good starting point for 5 gal batches. Good luck!