Misorder: belgian pils and acid malt

[jyda]

So somehow I ordered way too much acid malt with some Belgian pilsner malt and am looking for help on how to use it.

11.5# Belgian Pilsner malt
2# Acid malt

They are already milled and mixed together in what was supposed to be a triple grist.

Thoughts?

 

[Yooper]

So somehow I ordered way too much acid malt with some Belgian pilsner malt and am looking for help on how to use it.

11.5# Belgian Pilsner malt
2# Acid malt

They are already milled and mixed together in what was supposed to be a triple grist.

Thoughts?

What about using it a little at a time in other beers, for pH adjustment? That would last a LONG time, though! Using it in proportion would work.

You could make a sour- like Berliner Weiss, sort of- without adding any lacto. Just mash, ferment, and have a sour.

 

[BrewThruYou]

Personally, I'd toss it or make something that's supposed to be sour. 2# of acid malt is a ton.

 

[thughes]

Brew it up with @ 10-15 IBU's of some old hops and pitch Brett. Ferment for 60-90 days, bottle, and enjoy a sour brettabomb.

 

[bwomp313]

What about using it a little at a time in other beers, for pH adjustment? That would last a LONG time, though! Using it in proportion would work.

this is a really good idea

 

[bobbrews]

You can use 10% of the Belgian Pils in a Double IPA with 2-row, crystal, and carapils. For a 6 gallon boil / 5 gallon batch, that's like 1-1/2 lbs. at a time, which is fine if it isn't already crushed.

Edit: Oh, I just saw that these were mixed. I don't understand how that always happens. I never mix my grains or buy them that way.

 

[BrewThruYou]

Edit: Oh, I just saw that these were mixed. I don't understand how that always happens. I never mix my grains or buy them that way.

Before I had a mill, that's what I'd always do. I'd head to the LHBS with a recipe, have them mill it and put it all in the same bag.

 

[bobbrews]

You may see it as convenience, but it also seems very inconvenient if you want to design several different recipes, yet be limited because you're always starting with the same base and specialty grains that are milled in the same bag. In brewing, I want options, not restrictions.

 

[Ramitt]

Some of us only buy grain for 1 recipie at a time, why not have it all in one bag. Makes it easier for my lhbs and reduce the waste of additional bags.

 

[bobbrews]

Last minute changes always happen. A lot of us buy ingredients on impulse only to alter the final recipe last minute. I've seen quite a few posts asking for advice on how to work with/what to do with a mixed grain bag. More often than not, it just seems more of a hassle than a helper.

 

[jyda]

In my case I ordered online at Austin Homebrew. I usually order my recipe milled and assign to a grist per recipe.

This time I meant to order the pils milled and the acid malt separate unmilled to be used for pH adjustments (my LHBS rarely carries it). I guess I fell into a routine and added it all to one grist.

Anyhow, I'm too intimidated by Brett and not a big fan of sours, so I guess I'll split it into 5 or 6 brews in proportion to get ~3% acid and do a bunch of soft water beers.

Thanks for the ideas.

 

[Climber]

You can add it toward the end of your sparges to keep the pH down and astringency out. It won't be counted in your grain bill.

 

[BrewThruYou]

You may see it as convenience, but it also seems very inconvenient if you want to design several different recipes, yet be limited because you're always starting with the same base and specialty grains that are milled in the same bag. In brewing, I want options, not restrictions.

I think you misread my post, but I said that I walked into the LHBS with the recipes in hand. I didn't get a giant bag of mixed grains. I got an entire recipe put into one bag and a separate recipe put into an entirely different bag. The point is moot because I quickly bought a mill and now have base and specialty grains out the wazoo.

Last minute changes always happen. A lot of us buy ingredients on impulse only to alter the final recipe last minute.

Always happen? Really? I'm not a flip-flopper and I'm not an impulse buyer. I take my time and have solid recipes with detailed mineral and acid additions. Why would I change my recipe at the last minute on a whim? Makes no sense to me.

 

[zachattack]

I concur with Ramitt and BrewThruYou.

I also buy grain for each recipe, no mill/bulk purchases for me yet. I'm not going to walk out of the LHBS with many little ziploc bags of grain when I can walk out with one reusable sack or bucket.

Mistakes can happen anywhere in brewing. Accidentally mixing too much of one grain in can happen at home or at the LHBS. The grains are portioned and mixed eventually (whether at the mill or in your mash tun) and nobody's perfect.

OP isn't impulsively changing his recipe or making last minute changes. It was just a mistake.

 

[bobbrews]

I think we're both misreading each other.

In any case, mixing grains is something I never do unless they're actively being mashed together.

It doesn't matter if you bought them that way or decided to mix them later, you're still limiting yourself in ways that you wouldn't have to deal with if you kept them separate.

There have been many brewers who have come on here saying, "Grains mixed, I don't know what's what, Now what do I do?" or... "I got this recipe, gonna brew it tomorrow, what do you guys think?" And then we say too much of this, too little of that, I would omit this, add that, etc. - If the brewer decides to heed that advice, he cannot make the necessary changes with a mixed grain bag.

So yes, you're severly limiting yourself in more than one scenerio.

 

[zachattack]

I'm not misreading you.

OP made a mistake ordering his grain and is asking how he can use it without wasting it. He's received some good suggestions.

You've repeatedly said "buying your grain mixed together is bad if you aren't sure of the recipe, and if you impulsively change your mind later you're in trouble." That's true, and nobody's arguing with that.

But that's not relevant here. I'm getting the impression that OP seems like he knows what he's doing, and he's not changing his recipe or asking for advice after getting 20 misc. grains milled together. It was just an ordering mistake, it happens. That's why a number of us are defending him; whether or not you meant it this way, it does seem like you're accusing the OP of being an impulsive, inexperienced, disorganized brewer.

It would be like if someone posted "I forgot to tare my balance and accidentally added too much priming sugar, how can I relieve some of the carbonation from my bottles?" and someone else repeatedly responded "you need to add the proper amount of priming sugar based on volume and temperature, too many new brewers just add in all 5 oz of dextrose and the beer ends up overcarbed." Accusatory, unhelpful and irrelevant.

If you're an organized person and you buy your grain right before each brewday, there's no reason to NOT get it all milled together. Give the dude a break.

 

[bobbrews]

OP's opening statement:

"So somehow I ordered way too much acid malt with some Belgian pilsner malt and am looking for help on how to use it. They are already milled and mixed together in what was supposed to be a triple grist."

WAYYYYY LATER IN THE THREAD he said:

"In my case I ordered online at Austin Homebrew. I usually order my recipe milled and assign to a grist per recipe. This time I meant to order the pils milled and the acid malt separate unmilled to be used for pH adjustments (my LHBS rarely carries it). I guess I fell into a routine and added it all to one grist."

End result:

What I said was absolutely relevant prior to his follow-up statement. I did not repeat myself for pages and pages after the opening line so I don't know why you're saying that.

Also, this was not meant to be a bash of the OP. I was simply advising anyone who was listening, that mixing grains can limit you...as we have seen in the threads time and time again. If you avoid mixing the grains prior to mashing "IN GENERAL", then you won't run into the same problems over and over again...common sense. Some people are simply not aware that these problems will arise. But having a bit of forethought in brewing is a wonderful thing!! This does not apply to the OP's case, so I'm unsure as to why you think I'm giving him a hard time.

Good day.

 

[zachattack]

Repeating the same things over and over isn't going to get either of us anywhere. I'm sorry that I misunderstood you, but I don't think I'm the only one. Your post did seem accusatory to me.

The bottom line is that two grains accidentally got mixed together. It's possible to do this in the mill at the LHBS, in the shopping cart at Austin Homebrew, or in your garage with your own mill. It can happen if you get your grain milled together ahead of time, and it can happen if you keep it all separate until the last minute like you do.

An accident is an accident, and it's irrelevant that a lot of people come here for help after mixing grains together before finalizing on a recipe. That's not an accident, that's just poor planning. It seemed like you were lumping OP (and everyone else that mills their grain together at the shop, myself included) together with those people, which is to say you were accusing us of being disorganized.

Again, sorry that I misunderstood you.

 

[barrooze]

Soooo, me wanting to easily sour a beer using acid malt, if 2# is too much, how much should I use for a 6 gallon batch?