First all-grain | Super simple BIAB

[MatthewMeredith]

Hey everyone! Greetings from the great white north. Well, Vancouver Island so more green than white.

I’ve done numerous wine kits and beer extract kits and I’m VERY excited to try my hand at all-grain brewing. I’ve done a ton of research and, as a minimalist type person, am going to do a BIAB no chill SMaSH (-ish, I have picked two malts). I haven’t really followed a recipe, I just ordered ingredients that sound like they would appeal to my taste buds. I usually like darker maltier beers but I’m also happy with a strong IPA or a big lager. Light beers and draughts are not my thing. I also picked up a 16gal stainless kettle, a better thermometer, and a voile bag.

With that being said, here’s my super-simple SMaSH-ish!

Basic Information
Style: British Brown Ale
Batch Size: 6.10 gal
Boil Time: 60 min
Initial Boil Volume: 6.6 gal
Mash Method: All Grain

Typical Style Characteristics
Style: British Brown Ale
O.G. 1.040 - 1.052
F.G. 1.008 - 1.013
ABV 4.2 - 5.4
IBU 20 - 30
SRM 12 - 22°L

Calculated & Measured Statistics
Calculated O.G. 1.055 (75% Efficiency)
Calculated F.G. 1.011 (80% Yeast Attenuation)
ABV 5.9%
IBU 24.7
SRM 16.3°L

Malt Bill
Munich Dark Malt - 30L 6.00 lbs 1.037
Canadian Pale Ale Malt– 3.2°L 6.00 lbs 1.037

Hop Bill
Pilgrim 60 min 1.00 oz 9.1%
Pilgram (dry hop) 7 days 1.00 oz 9.1%

Yeast Details
Imperial Loki A43 200b Cells 80% Medium-High

Planning on doing a standard 60min mash at med-low temp (hoping for 80%ish efficiency) with a mashout. Boil for 60min with 1oz of pilgrim at the start. Cover with plastic wrap and clamp the lid down to sit overnight. Rack into plastic fermenter splashing as much as possible and pitching kveik. Dry hop after 7 days and stay in primary for another 7.

Am I missing anything? How does my recipe look? I’m just going for something dry and malty with earthy tones more than citrusy. Really excited to try out this kveik - I’ve saves and reused yeasts in the past and I’m hoping this one will be my “house yeast” moving forward - that is, of course, if I like the taste!

Thanks everyone! I’m excited to be a part of this forum and I’ll be sure to post about the brew day!

 

[Gnomebrewer]

30L is very dark for a munich. Is it Gambrinus? I've never used it, but BeerSmith lists it as being used at 30% maximum. A typical 15 to 20L dark munich is already quite rich, so I'd be wary of that much 30L.

 

[MatthewMeredith]

30L is very dark for a munich. Is it Gambrinus? I've never used it, but BeerSmith lists it as being used at 30% maximum. A typical 15 to 20L dark munich is already quite rich, so I'd be wary of that much 30L.

Yeah it is Gambrinus. I just plugged in different ratios to get the right abc and colour according to the Brew Log app - I hadn’t seen the 30% recommended max! Well, I like malty beers so hopefully it’s not TOO malty

 

[Gnomebrewer]

Have you already brewed it? If not, get some opinions from brewers who have used it and be open to changing.
Be careful of designing grain bills simply to meet a colour. Flavour, attenuation, sweetness and mouthfeel are far more important. Use a touch of roasted barley if you really want to adjust to a darker colour (it's not malted, so IMO can still be used in a SMaSH beer!).

 

[thaymond]

I did a Bock with half dark Munich half pilsner, and it was good, but I was going for crazy malty. That's what I got. Crazy malty. My guess is that yours will come out the same. Your hops may balance out more of the malt, I only used 1 oz. For 5 gallons of a 1.080 beer and it was a 4.xx hallertau.

Personally, I'll look at style guidelines and use that to develop a recipe. The database here also has a wealth of knowledge. I use that to get ideas on recipe and technique.

Part of the fun of making your own recipe is finding what you like, and tweaking what you don't. I hope your brown turns out just the way you want it to.

 

[brewbama]

If you want 12 pounds for your brown, I recommend 11 pounds of it be your pale base malt + half pound of med crystal and half pound of chocolate.

On the other hand, if you want Munich use 11.5 lb Munich 10L + .5 lb Carafa Special II (or reduce it to 6 oz if you want). AKA Munich Dunkel grist.

I too believe the 30L extra dark Munich should be used as a character malt so your 50/50 is a bit much IMO. That’s just me.

 

[MatthewMeredith]

Thanks guys! Nope I haven’t brewed it yet, just ordered the ingredients but it was on Friday and hasn’t been put together yet so I can probably change it. Might try a 75/25 split instead. I appreciate the input!

 

[brewbama]

I hope it turns out well for you.

 

[Gnomebrewer]

I did a Bock with half dark Munich half pilsner, and it was good

I've brewed dunkels with all dark munich (and they're great) but it was German (Bestmalz), which is a lot different to the 30L stuff. Did you use the 30L (Gambrinus) or something else?

 

[MatthewMeredith]

I did a Bock with half dark Munich half pilsner, and it was good, but I was going for crazy malty. That's what I got. Crazy malty. My guess is that yours will come out the same. Your hops may balance out more of the malt, I only used 1 oz. For 5 gallons of a 1.080 beer and it was a 4.xx hallertau.

Personally, I'll look at style guidelines and use that to develop a recipe. The database here also has a wealth of knowledge. I use that to get ideas on recipe and technique.

Part of the fun of making your own recipe is finding what you like, and tweaking what you don't. I hope your brown turns out just the way you want it to.

Thanks for the edit - even if they ship me 50/50 I’m stoked to try it out. There are very few beers I don’t like so it’ll be a happy little experiment either way!

 

[thaymond]

I've brewed dunkels with all dark munich (and they're great) but it was German (Bestmalz), which is a lot different to the 30L stuff. Did you use the 30L (Gambrinus) or something else?

It was a long time ago, probably 13 or 14. I think it was Gambrinus. I remember it being very malty. I'm pre[y sure is was 20L. My BIL thought it was amazing so I gifted him a 12 pack of it. I liked it a lot, but haven't had the patience for a true lager since.

 

[thaymond]

It will be a malt bomb, but as long as that is what you're expecting and want, then you will be pleased. Munich is one of my favorite malts. I don't use it a lot on purpose. I like it as a special treat in the fall.

I think this will be an interesting read once it is all brewed up.

Thanks for the edit - even if they ship me 50/50 I’m stoked to try it out. There are very few beers I don’t like so it’ll be a happy little experiment either way!

 

[MatthewMeredith]

Ingredients should be arriving today! I don't think they got my message to change the quantities so I think I'll be getting 6lbs each of the pale ale and dark munich. Is there anything I can add to help counter the malt-bomb I have coming for me? Like I said, I love malty beers but I don't want it to be TOO over the top. I'm going to use the kveik voss from Imperial so I'm thinking of underpitching and fermenting hot to try to get some esters going. What kind of hop pitch would help balance everything out? I have 2oz of Pilgrim to work with so maybe a late 1oz (15 min or so) and then dry hop the rest right after fermentation is done and leave it for maybe 5-ish more days?

Let me know your ideas! I also have a 5 acre property in the PNW with quite a large variety of plants/trees so if there's anything wild that can balance things out I'd be more than interested in trying it out!

 

[brewbama]

At this point I’d just go with it if there are no options to alter the plan. Who knows, you may love it.

I caution the thought of under pitching. I believe it can be successful but for me the chance of an unknown result would be too great to risk ingredients, time, and anticipation on a gamble. Again — just me. YMMV.

 

[deadwolfbones]

Gonna brew a rye IPA with Opshaug kveik this evening. I'm transitioning back to 3 gallon brews because I can't get through 5 gallon batches fast enough to satisfy my desire to brew.

 

[MatthewMeredith]

Gonna brew a rye IPA with Opshaug kveik this evening. I'm transitioning back to 3 gallon brews because I can't get through 5 gallon batches fast enough to satisfy my desire to brew.

Rye IPA sounds tasty - what's the recipe?

 

[deadwolfbones]

Haha, whoops. I actually posted this in the wrong thread.

But sure, if you're asking...

5lb Mecca Grade Lamonta (pale ale malt)
1.75lb Briess rye malt
1lb Mecca Grade Vanora (Vienna)
0.15lb Briess C60L

9g CTZ (pellet) @ 60min
13g Citra (leaf) & 10g Amarillo (pellet) @ 15min
13g Citra & 10g Amarillo @ 0min
30g Citra & 30g Amarillo @ dry hop (3 days)

Pitch 1tsp Opshaug kveik slurry @ 85F and let free ride in garage. Not going for a hazy so will dry hop a couple days after fermentation finishes.

 

[MatthewMeredith]

Haha, whoops. I actually posted this in the wrong thread.

But sure, if you're asking...

5lb Mecca Grade Lamonta (pale ale malt)
1.75lb Briess rye malt
1lb Mecca Grade Vanora (Vienna)
0.15lb Briess C60L

9g CTZ (pellet) @ 60min
13g Citra (leaf) & 10g Amarillo (pellet) @ 15min
13g Citra & 10g Amarillo @ 0min
30g Citra & 30g Amarillo @ dry hop (3 days)

Pitch 1tsp Opshaug kveik slurry @ 85F and let free ride in garage. Not going for a hazy so will dry hop a couple days after fermentation finishes.

I thought it was a bit off topic sounds good though!

 

[bleme]

Light beers and draughts are not my thing.

I've seen this before and I think 'draughts' must mean something different in English than it does in American. Is it the same as our 'lagers' maybe?

 

[MatthewMeredith]

Ohhhh no. I should have checked my thermometer before starting. I tested it in ice water just now and it is reading 39*. Poopy. I’m boiling right now but that means my strike water was only 158 instead of 165 and my mash in was only 151 instead of 158. My pre-boil gravity is 1.036 and I had about 6.3 us gallons at the start of boil.

What can I do to salvage this?! Add sugar? How much?

 

[Gnomebrewer]

I've seen this before and I think 'draughts' must mean something different in English than it does in American. Is it the same as our 'lagers' maybe?

Yep, in Australia (I think the UK might be the same) draught can mean either on tap, or a breweries standard (not premium) bottled lager. I think it came about from a marketing term many years ago that implied their bottled beers tasted the same as they did off tap.