CafeRoaster
Member
I'm planning out my second brew ever. My first was this Amber Ale from a LHBS. It turned out really well.
Main thing I'll be changing is my bottling process. I didn't enjoy using Brewer's Best Conditioning Tablets. As far as tablets go, it's probably one of the easier ones, since you can add 3-5 tablets, depending on your desired carbonation. But it was an arduous process. So I'm opting for Dextrose. I picked up a bottling bucket and racking cane to help in the process.
I'd like to share the recipe I've been working on - a warm-fermented Helles. Fermentation will be in a room that is steadily 66.5-67ºF. This recipe is inspired by Charlie Papazian's Helles or High Water recipe on page 298 of The Homebrewer's Companion, Second Edition and Jordan Folks' recipe used in his xBmt, "Impact Of Ferm Temp + Yeast Pitch Rates On A Munich Helles". There are a couple of things I'd like to draw attention to and ask about.
1. I'm using a Grainfather G30 and a Fermonster 6 gallon. The default batch size for the GF30 is 6.08 gallons. My first brew was set to 5 gallons. I'm not sure if that was the correct thing to do or not. The Grainfather app says the amount you set in this field is the amount going into the fermenter. So I would think I'd select 5 gallons?
2. I am aiming for a carbonation level of between 2.2 and 2.7 volume CO2. Brewer's Friend calculator suggests using 4.8 oz of Corn Sugar for a 5 gallon batch, or 5.7 oz for a 6 gallon batch, when I set the volume CO2 to 2.5. I just wanted to make sure this is correct.
3. Irish Moss or Whirlfloc tablets? I have both on hand. Do we think that since this is a warm-fermented beer, it might need the extra carrageenan from the tablets? Fermentation with my Amber took ~5 days for activity to be pretty much unnoticeable. I kept it in there for 7 days, and bottle conditioned in a room that varies between 40ºF and 58ºF for another 7 before trying it.
4. Will longer bottle conditioning help me achieve a clearer beer?
5. Anything you see in this recipe that you would change?
edit: I don't know what's going on with Brewfather links, so here's the Grainfather link to the Helles recipe. Also attached PDF.

Main thing I'll be changing is my bottling process. I didn't enjoy using Brewer's Best Conditioning Tablets. As far as tablets go, it's probably one of the easier ones, since you can add 3-5 tablets, depending on your desired carbonation. But it was an arduous process. So I'm opting for Dextrose. I picked up a bottling bucket and racking cane to help in the process.
I'd like to share the recipe I've been working on - a warm-fermented Helles. Fermentation will be in a room that is steadily 66.5-67ºF. This recipe is inspired by Charlie Papazian's Helles or High Water recipe on page 298 of The Homebrewer's Companion, Second Edition and Jordan Folks' recipe used in his xBmt, "Impact Of Ferm Temp + Yeast Pitch Rates On A Munich Helles". There are a couple of things I'd like to draw attention to and ask about.
1. I'm using a Grainfather G30 and a Fermonster 6 gallon. The default batch size for the GF30 is 6.08 gallons. My first brew was set to 5 gallons. I'm not sure if that was the correct thing to do or not. The Grainfather app says the amount you set in this field is the amount going into the fermenter. So I would think I'd select 5 gallons?
2. I am aiming for a carbonation level of between 2.2 and 2.7 volume CO2. Brewer's Friend calculator suggests using 4.8 oz of Corn Sugar for a 5 gallon batch, or 5.7 oz for a 6 gallon batch, when I set the volume CO2 to 2.5. I just wanted to make sure this is correct.
3. Irish Moss or Whirlfloc tablets? I have both on hand. Do we think that since this is a warm-fermented beer, it might need the extra carrageenan from the tablets? Fermentation with my Amber took ~5 days for activity to be pretty much unnoticeable. I kept it in there for 7 days, and bottle conditioned in a room that varies between 40ºF and 58ºF for another 7 before trying it.
4. Will longer bottle conditioning help me achieve a clearer beer?
5. Anything you see in this recipe that you would change?
edit: I don't know what's going on with Brewfather links, so here's the Grainfather link to the Helles recipe. Also attached PDF.
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