Northern Brewer American Amber

[NateG]

I am currently sitting in front of my brew pot soaking the specialty grains. I decided to deviate from the instructions and soak in the full 5 gallons of water. I added the grains when it hit 120 degrees and started a 30 minute timer. I brought the water up to 165 and slowly turned down the gas until I hit 168 and turned it off all together, 8 minutes left it is still sitting at 165. I am also going to add only half the extract at the start and the rest at 20 before I drop in the wort chiller.

This should be interesting, the last time I used specialty grains I only did a couple gallons and that beer was quite thin.

 

[ncbrewer]

There seems to be some disagreement, but the hop utilization foumulas tell us that hop utilization will be higher with a lower gravity boil. Your late extract addition would cause lower gravity for most of the boil = greater hop utilization = more bitterness. You might want to adjust the hop schedule.

 

[NateG]

I added the rest of the extract at 30 minutes instead and I am going to add the aroma hops here shortly at 5 minutes.

Update:
Added the aroma hops at 7.5 minutes. Pitched the yeast at 78 degrees. Original gravity was 1.042 which is on the low side, supposed to be 1.047.

 

[duckmanco]

There seems to be some disagreement, but the hop utilization foumulas tell us that hop utilization will be higher with a lower gravity boil. Your late extract addition would cause lower gravity for most of the boil = greater hop utilization = more bitterness. You might want to adjust the hop schedule.

Meh, IME it seems to be more of a perceived bitterness rather than actual, and less carmelization of the extract, which is without a doubt the best way to make extract taste as best as it can. One of my favorite ways to make extract kits as of late is the 20 minute boil. Less top off water, less propane used, and more time saved.

 

[NateG]

I am doing a American Wheat now, last time I made it I did half extract at the start and half in the middle of a full boil, this time I am trying doing a full boil with all 6 lbs of extract at the start, we will see how they compare when it's done.

 

[NateG]

Well as usual both batches of beer have stopped fermenting after 3 days, it's been hot, I am going to wait out the two weeks before kegging them though.

 

[NateG]

They have been in the kegs for 3 days and are nicely carbonated, still green but the Amber has a very pleasent citrus flavor going on, I might have to get the all grain version for my next brew to see what its all about but if it only gets better with age I will be brewing this one again as an extract.