First question on this forum...

[pfredop]

Hello all. So i just got back into brewing after a few years. I brewed 2 batches so far. They both went absolutely nuts as I used starters for the first time (learned it here). After I bought an extract kit from NB, I got to researching and thinking about augmenting this batch with a partial mash (learned that here too!). Please share thoughts if you would on this:

Kit is dry irish ale. I am going to mash @ ~155, 2# 2 row pale w/ 1-1.5# "quick oats". Hold for 40 mins and "T-bag" sparge by setting the grains in 170* for 10 mins and dunk/drain. My questions are about:

1 - does my process seem ok?

2 - how much water - both mash and "sparge"

3 - a new hopping schedule (I have 4oz cascade leaf, 1oz hall leaf, 1oz n brewer pellet, and 1oz nugget pellet)?

4 - pitch onto yeast cake in primary (it was wlp001 w/1.2 L starter that absolutely "blew off"...loaded question!)?

5 - steep the mash up of specialty grains alone or put them in w mash (approx 1-1.5# or so of multi grains crushed)?

Sorry for the long wind and thanks so much for your thoughts!

 

[Fordzilla]

I've never done partial mash myself, just all-grain. However, I can address a few of your questions.

Don't pitch onto the yeast cake. An entire yeast cake is way overpitching. Fill a pint mason jar with the yeast slurry and pitch that within a week, and you'll be good to go. Just make sure to store it in the fridge between harvest and use (unless it's only a few hours or something).

Your mash temp seems a little high. Especially for a dry ale, you'll probably want to mash around 150-152. Unless for some reason partial mashes call for higher temps?

1.5 Pounds of Quick Oats seems like a lot, I think you'll want to dial that back to about 8 ounces. You should definitely mash the specialty grains with your 2-row and oats. No need to steep them separately.

And last, thumbs up for being a brewer in Erie. I grew up around there.

 

[BigFloyd]

If you're going to pitch a normal gravity ale on an existing yeast cake, you should remove about 75% of it first to avoid a massive over-pitch. Also, rig a blow-off tube as it might erupt (usually the second day).

Are you doing anything to control pitch and ferment temps? You can talk about mashing and sparging all day long, but if you ferment too high, the result won't be nearly as good as it could be.

 

[pfredop]

Yes, temp control w/ a heating band and DEF a blow off tube (learned that the messy way!). I was thinking of simplicity when pitching onto cake b/c I will be racking into secondary the same time Im brewing the stout and was hoping not to mess with the primary. Amount of oats noted...same (2#) amount of 2 row...wanted a bit more ABV. Mash temp noted - 152 will do. Ant thoughts on hopping schedule?

 

[CRoth36]

Personally I would go with a full pound of oats. That's the amount I usually use for oatmeal stouts. It gives the desired texture for an oatmeal brew. I do a brow. With a half pound of oats and while it adds some body it doesn't give off the full texture that say a oatmeal stout is known for.

 

[pfredop]

...side note...what got me back into brewing was a local brewery (Lavery's) was offering pre made lightly hopped wort for 10$ for 5 gal so I jumped and bought 10. They will be dobe wed or thurs (10-11 days) and Im moving the one (wlp001) into a secondary with peaches. Point? - the OG was 1.055. Should I still be ok with pitching slurry or too much stress on yeast?

 

[cluckk]

Use an English hop--Fuggles or Kent Goldings are my go to for Irish Ales. Most of your hops will be for bittering (60 minute boil) with a flavor charge at around 15 minutes left on the boil. Some like to do a small aroma charge at flameout, but I don't do this for my dry stouts.

 

[pfredop]

Thanks chuck...any thoughts on schedule using the hops I already have? I would like to keep from buying more...the kit came w/ the nuggets.

 

[unionrdr]

I brewed Midwest's PM Traditional Stout kit & racked it onto bourbon soaked white oak for a week. Mashed at about 152F. Added 1.1ozs more of chocolate malt to it with fuggle & wakatu hops for a robust porter that'll get vanilla beans soaked in vodka. The stout had bittering only,as the roasty malt flavors are ment to carry the flavor. Hops added for flavor @ 20 & 15 minutes left on the porter.

 

[pfredop]

What do you guys think about stress on the yeast? Ill use the nugget (1 oz) for 30-45 and the cascade (1/2 oz) for 15...sound good? Im going to go with 8oz oats and 2# pale 2 row w specialties at 152 for 40 mins. Thoughts?

 

[pfredop]

PS - I do have a pound of dark DME also...add it...or no? Worried about too much "grainy" taste...

 

[unionrdr]

The dark DME might be a bit much for an irish ale imo.

 

[pfredop]

Cool, ill nix the dry. opinions on yeast stress...Im thinking if my OG is close to 55 or over I should be ok. Sound thinking...or over-thinking?

 

[unionrdr]

How much of the yeast cake did you use?

 

[pfredop]

Havent moved it yet...still bubblin along. Prob move this Sun (4 more days for a total of 15) and im getting mixed reviews about the cake. I know it will be a massive overpitch to use the whole thing but the simplicity of racking the done brew then adding the new wort is appealing...