On a lark, I threw together an Old Ale

[spexicola]

I had just bought a 2.5 gallon water dispensing jug for the fridge at the grocery store, when an idea hit me. The jug looks just like a jerry can when stood up on its end, and would make a great small batch primary fermenter. 2 gallon batches would give it around 3" of head space.

I was stopping by the liquor store on the way home, so while there I grabbed a can of Amber LME, a pack of S-04, and an extra drilled carboy bung, and came home on a mission.

All of the water went into the big blue enamel pot on the stove, and while I heated that, I ground some c120 and a touch of black. Rolled the stove back to med-hi at 145F and tossed in the steep bag until it was at 170F. Back on high to boil. Hops in. Boil 15 mins. Cooled on ice, and back into the sani'd water jug. Popped the cap back on, and shook. Added 3oz of cherry wood chips soaked in bourbon, with a couple of tablespoons of the bourbon tincture. I pitched the whole pack of yeast, bunged with a blowoff and into the water bath at 65F. Signs of fermentation in under 2 hours.

Any problems you guys can see with this? I've only brewed a couple of extract batches before, but I'm tired of long brew days for the "nth" of impact AG has on flavor. I want easy brews so I can brew more. If this little method works, I may be a happy man!


Recipe:

Extract/steep
2 gallons into fermenter
OG: 1.074
IBU: 46
SRM: 25
Est FG: 1.020
Est ABV: 7.4%

3.3# Amber sparkling extract
11.5 oz Extra light dry extract
6.5 oz Crystal 120 (steep)
1.0 oz Black malt (steep)

0.4 oz Hop Steiner Exp 6300 (15 min)

*Steep specialty malts from 140F-170F as water heats to boil

3.0 oz Lightly toasted cherry chips soaked in bourbon.
1 package Safale S-04

Shook 15 mins to aerate. Pitched at 65F.

Primary at 65F.

*One problem I noted, is I missed the gravity (actual OG: 1.066). When I try this again, I'll take a pint or two of the water from the jug before I add it to the kettle.

Pester me if I don't post updates.

 

[spexicola]

Here's the little jug in action. I'm sorry for the double post, but I don't think I can edit from my phone.

View attachment ImageUploadedByHome Brew1418139500.689129.jpg

 

[ncbrewer]

Some thoughts:

I had just bought a 2.5 gallon water dispensing jug for the fridge at the grocery store, when an idea hit me. The jug looks just like a jerry can when stood up on its end, and would make a great small batch primary fermenter. 2 gallon batches would give it around 3" of head space. <<Not much head space - probably OK with a blow-off tube>>

I was stopping by the liquor store on the way home, so while there I grabbed a can of Amber LME, a pack of S-04, and an extra drilled carboy bung, and came home on a mission.

All of the water went into the big blue enamel pot on the stove, and while I heated that, I ground some c120 and a touch of black. <<Be sure to keep milling operation away from the area where cooled wort will be exposed to prevent contamination from wild yeast and bacteria>> Rolled the stove back to med-hi at 145F and tossed in the steep bag until it was at 170F. Back on high to boil. Hops in. Boil 15 mins. <<15 minute boil is pretty short for isomerizing hops. It would take a lot more hops than normal that way, and you will get hop flavor/aroma that you might or might not want.>> Cooled on ice, and back into the sani'd water jug. Popped the cap back on, and shook. Added 3oz of cherry wood chips soaked in bourbon, with a couple of tablespoons of the bourbon tincture. <<I don't add this type of ingredients so am not an expert, but I think it is usually done in secondary. Maybe somebody else can comment.>> I pitched the whole pack of yeast, bunged with a blowoff and into the water bath at 65F. <<Possibly over pitching - could result in reduction of some flavors, but probably OK>>>Signs of fermentation in under 2 hours.

Any problems you guys can see with this? I've only brewed a couple of extract batches before, but I'm tired of long brew days for the "nth" of impact AG has on flavor. I want easy brews so I can brew more. If this little method works, I may be a happy man!


Recipe:

Extract/steep
2 gallons into fermenter
OG: 1.074
IBU: 46
SRM: 25
Est FG: 1.020
Est ABV: 7.4%

3.3# Amber sparkling extract
11.5 oz Extra light dry extract
6.5 oz Crystal 120 (steep)
1.0 oz Black malt (steep)

0.4 oz Hop Steiner Exp 6300 (15 min)

*Steep specialty malts from 140F-170F as water heats to boil

3.0 oz Lightly toasted cherry chips soaked in bourbon.
1 package Safale S-04

Shook 15 mins to aerate. Pitched at 65F.

Primary at 65F.

*One problem I noted, is I missed the gravity (actual OG: 1.066). When I try this again, I'll take a pint or two of the water from the jug before I add it to the kettle.

Pester me if I don't post updates.

Good luck with this.

 

[spexicola]

Thanks for the follow up.

I mill in the garage, and pitch in the house. I've learned that you just can't go around berlinnering everything, hehe.

I added the chips in primary because I want this beer done fast. I've always added these chips to the secondary at about 0.5 oz per gallon before and get good character after a couple weeks. I wanted something that could mellow in the bottle instead of taking up space in one of my pricey glass 3 gallons.

As for the over-pitch, you're right. By nearly double. I went with S-04 to floc fast and leave residuals, more so than ester production. A loss of character wasn't a primary concern. If it's too bland then I'll raise it to 68F at 1.030.

 

[ncbrewer]

As for the over-pitch, you're right. By nearly double. I went with S-04 to floc fast and leave residuals, more so than ester production. A loss of character wasn't a primary concern. If it's too bland then I'll raise it to 68F at 1.030.

Sounds like an interesting experiment, although I'm not a fan of intermediate gravity checks. I only open the fermenter three days before bottling to check gravity, and again on bottling day for another gravity sample, to be sure it's stable. But there are certainly lots of brewers that take several samples along the way - personal preference. I hope you'll post the results. Cheers.

 

[spexicola]

Almost done with primary now. Down to 1.022, and kicking off some very interesting, candy-like esters when I pulled the bung out.

I'm really thinking about blending half of this with a low gravity belgian red I'm fermenting, and then hitting it with Brett and Pedio.

 

[spexicola]

Update:

The beer is done. Went through a wicked diacetyl phase, but cleared up with a rouse and a bump to 68F. Nice brown ale taste, with that odd note of peat, even though there's no peat malt.

I've decided to blend it with a Special B red ale that's finishing up now, and hit the melange with a dose of Jolly Pumpkin Bam Noire dregs for a "Jolly Good Bruin". I'll reserve a gallon of the blend for a top-off later.

This thread may have just went long term.