ezzieyguywuf
Well-Known Member
I brewed my first beer last saturday! With the help of GRABASS, my local homebrew crew, I was able to do so with nothing more than a bunch a grains, a fermenter, and a can-do attitude. I'm trying to replicate a Porter from a local brewery that I quite enjoy. Got an ingredient list from the brewery itself, had my boy Dallas cook up a recipe for me somehow (I think he pulled it out of his ass), showed up on saturday, and got to work. Here's the recipe and the adventure:
Size: 5.28 gal
Efficiency: 78.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Original Gravity: 1.060 (1.048 - 1.065)
Terminal Gravity: 1.015 (1.012 - 1.016)
Color: 27.83 (22.0 - 35.0)
Alcohol: 5.94% (4.8% - 6.5%)
Bitterness: 35.5 (25.0 - 50.0)
Ingredients:
6.75 lb Maris Otter
3.0 lb Munich Malt 1
.75 lb Chocolate
1 lb Crystal 15
2.0 oz East Kent Goldings (5.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
3.5 gallons @ 168 for 154 for 60 minutes
Sparge #1: 2 gallons @ 206
Sparge #2: 2 gallons @ 170
Uhm, I think we ended up hitting most of these numbers pretty spot on. We did the 60 min boil but it was a damn vigorous one and we ended up having not quite enough beer, so I bought a gallon of water after the fact and dumped it in. I also had some problems with my bung popping off the carboy a lot of times, and it was a heck of a journey home too. So I would call it anything but 100% sanitized right now (my beer). I'm still excited about it though. It had crazy activity for a few day, and seems to be done attenuating now and entering into full conditioning. I figure I'll let it condition a few weeks, keg it, let it 'primary' for, I dunno, not too long, then drink it.
I'm open to advice/criticism/whatever, so let me have it.
edit: took an OG of 1.060, as best as I could tell at least (It was slightly foamy and hard to read)
Size: 5.28 gal
Efficiency: 78.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Original Gravity: 1.060 (1.048 - 1.065)
Terminal Gravity: 1.015 (1.012 - 1.016)
Color: 27.83 (22.0 - 35.0)
Alcohol: 5.94% (4.8% - 6.5%)
Bitterness: 35.5 (25.0 - 50.0)
Ingredients:
6.75 lb Maris Otter
3.0 lb Munich Malt 1
.75 lb Chocolate
1 lb Crystal 15
2.0 oz East Kent Goldings (5.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
3.5 gallons @ 168 for 154 for 60 minutes
Sparge #1: 2 gallons @ 206
Sparge #2: 2 gallons @ 170
Uhm, I think we ended up hitting most of these numbers pretty spot on. We did the 60 min boil but it was a damn vigorous one and we ended up having not quite enough beer, so I bought a gallon of water after the fact and dumped it in. I also had some problems with my bung popping off the carboy a lot of times, and it was a heck of a journey home too. So I would call it anything but 100% sanitized right now (my beer). I'm still excited about it though. It had crazy activity for a few day, and seems to be done attenuating now and entering into full conditioning. I figure I'll let it condition a few weeks, keg it, let it 'primary' for, I dunno, not too long, then drink it.
I'm open to advice/criticism/whatever, so let me have it.
edit: took an OG of 1.060, as best as I could tell at least (It was slightly foamy and hard to read)
). I read a gravity of 1.016 today. I still need to google how to figure out what my ABV% is based on this, but I am totally stoked! My gravity is right where its supposed to be, which stokes me! It tasted really good too. Well, I'm being biased. It tasted ok. I def tasted some chocolateyness and caramel, which I was looking for. At the same time, though, it was a little more water than I would have liked, not to mention clearer than I would have liked as well. The color was all uneven (almost see-through at the top. I poured the sample into a glass). But I'm not worried! I'll take two more reading, two and four days from now, and if they're consistent I'll keg on saturday. Assuming my kegs get here by then. WOOT!
