Autumn Seasonal Beer Punkin' Ale

[Reno_eNVy]

Gonna brew this today and im going over the posts again and noticed for yeast receipe calls for 2 packages of us-05. Is this over kill? Because I've used the 05 in a ag Og 1.075 and had fg of 1.007-1.010. Has any one used only 1 package of yeast?

According to Mr Malty, a beer of this OG requires 1.8 packets of dry yeast for proper pitching rate, so I just use the full two.

 

[brianbrau]

Better safe than sorry I guess. Maby if threatens to go lower ill cold crash in the chest freezer.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

More yeast doesn't mean it will have a lower final gravity. Pitching rates have to do with speed of reproduction, fermentation lag time, and flavors created/missing due to under/over-pitching.

 

[brianbrau]

Never though of it like that. I just thought it either had enough to get the gravity low enough so its not too sweet or it did not. How would you explain the double ipa I had at og of 1.073 getting down to 1.010 on fg? Im confused :0

 

[brianbrau]

Sorry I left out that I used only 1 packet of us05

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Never though of it like that. I just thought it either had enough to get the gravity low enough so its not too sweet or it did not. How would you explain the double ipa I had at og of 1.073 getting down to 1.010 on fg? Im confused :0

That would just mean there are more fermentable sugars in the wort, but that's a different story altogether.

No matter how much yeast you pitch (provided you pitch enough cells to out-compete other microorganisms) they will reproduce to an optimal concentration for fermentation. This doesn't alter FG under normal brewing conditions, it just alters the amounts and sometimes types of secondary-metabolites produced during reproduction.

 

[brianbrau]

Cool. Today was a disaster I left out the rice hulls an ended up with a stuck sparge 2min in. The wort smelled great though and had an awesome orange color to it! Rather than vesting more time into it and ending up with sour beer in an account of it dropping temp and taking who knows how long I pitched it!! I will start this from scratch and do it right tomorrow it is already late in the evening

 

[Medevac_Chief]

Cool. Today was a disaster I left out the rice hulls an ended up with a stuck sparge 2min in. The wort smelled great though and had an awesome orange color to it! Rather than vesting more time into it and ending up with sour beer in an account of it dropping temp and taking who knows how long I pitched it!! I will start this from scratch and do it right tomorrow it is already late in the evening

Probably what I should have done, as I didnt brew till late in the afternoon. Mine is sitting in bottles right now, and I'm gonna leave them there till the day before thanksgiving to see if maybe the bottles will help mellow out the flavors and make it a LOT less sour. If not, them I am gonna re-do this one and NOT pitch ontop of an extra can of Libby's.

 

[Clearwall]

This was really drinkable and a pleasant beer. I was worried when some of my friends were turned off pumpkin beers because they'd had bad experiences with brews that were too overpowering with the pumpkin. This recipe definitely didnt have that problem. I think i would like a little more of the pumpkin to come through, but i did make a few mistakes on brew day that probably contributed to the change. The flavor i came up with was caramelly and pie spice. Mouth feel was slightly thick and a light chewiess. Head retention is the best o any recipe ive ever made. Ive been concerned about this lately and finally i made a beer that has a good thick head and tasty aroma to it.
All in all, great beer and ill definitely be making it again.

 

[brianbrau]

Just brew this again after yesterdays debacle...today I used 1lb rice hulls and had no problem with the first runnings. While batch sparging immediately another stuck sparge. I used compressed air to blow back the line which helped but only a little. Where did i go wrong? My Og ended up at 1.070 and the taste is super sweet with a hint of spice can't wait till this ones ready!

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Meh, you can't always win with that stuck sparge. I've had some minor success in clearing the manifold by hand. I turn off the flow, get a water-tight bag (I've used the grain bag from LHBS) and fill it halfway with cold water. Stick your arm in it and you can then safely reach your hand in a hot-ass mash tun. Wipe the gunk away from your manifold, let sit for 10 minutes, the continue the drain.

 

[millaj92]

My first two batches of this I only used one packet of US-05 and both times I had less than 12 hours lag time, no stuck fermentations, and no off flavors from underpitching. I'll be making my third batch this weekend and adding some oats at Reno_eNVy's suggestion just to see if it'll thicken it up a little with the mouth feel. I know I will since I say something but I've never had a problem with a stuck sparge, even on this beer. Just out of curiosity, what kind of design do you have on your lauder tun, brian brau?

 

[brianbrau]

My first two batches of this I only used one packet of US-05 and both times I had less than 12 hours lag time, no stuck fermentations, and no off flavors from underpitching. I'll be making my third batch this weekend and adding some oats at Reno_eNVy's suggestion just to see if it'll thicken it up a little with the mouth feel. I know I will since I say something but I've never had a problem with a stuck sparge, even on this beer. Just out of curiosity, what kind of design do you have on your lauder tun, brian brau?

A ss braid. I pitched the 2 us05's cause I had them lying around. I did notice action in the airlock after only 3 hrs!!! It could of been less time that's just when I checked it.

 

[brianbrau]

Inside a 60qt cooler.

 

[millaj92]

Is the ss braid just the standard mesh tube? If so, I think your setup is probably what's causing your stuck sparge. Nothing wrong with the cooler, but you might want to build a manifold instead, to increase your "false bottom" surface area to mash volume ratio. The higher the better.

 

[brianbrau]

It has a copper tube inside the braid w drilled holes... my air lock has slowed down drastically at only day 2! Feeling like I should pf pitched only 1 package of yeast. Might need to check gravity in a day or 2 and stir and areate more

 

[brianbrau]

Are u saying pre fab a false bottom w p/u tube?

 

[Reno_eNVy]

It has a copper tube inside the braid w drilled holes... my air lock has slowed down drastically at only day 2! Feeling like I should pf pitched only 1 package of yeast. Might need to check gravity in a day or 2 and stir and areate more

Airlock activity is not an indication of fermentation... you'll hear that a lot on HBT.

Leave it alone... check the gravity after 2 weeks.

 

[robrob]

30 days ago I tried my batch and liked it...as did folks at the chili cook off as 5 gal was gone in a flurry.

I had the other 5 gal sitting cold at around 37 - 40 for about 3 weeks...wow.

This is a much better beer...I am drinking it around cellar temp and it has great balance...

This is two completely different beers...good to great.

One a funny note....the first 5 gal was in my lil fancy SS conical with temp gauge and meticulous tending...this was in one of my older buckets with the bubbler pulled and foil over it for 30 days...its a much better beer...prolly got lucky but it makes me laugh a little...all these gadgets...simple tools and time wins out...cheers!

 

[millaj92]

Are u saying pre fab a false bottom w p/u tube?

There are many options but the goal is to draw from across the entire bottom, not just from one point. You could build a manifold like most people use with rectangular coolers out of copper pipe and cut slits in it or you could use a pre-fab round perforated false bottom with a pickup tube. Either way, you need to increase the "size" of your output "filter."

 

[ZACKARU]

Is the ss braid just the standard mesh tube? If so, I think your setup is probably what's causing your stuck sparge. Nothing wrong with the cooler, but you might want to build a manifold instead, to increase your "false bottom" surface area to mash volume ratio. The higher the better.

I used a stainless braid with rice hulls on this recipe and had no problems at all. Of course I think I used closer to 2lbs.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

Yeah I've used the same ss braid for a couple years now with zero problems.

 

[brianbrau]

Reno is that fire near you?

 

[Reno_eNVy]

No, not even close luckily. But my sister who is out of town lives in the evacuation zone and had to have her cop friend go in and get her dogs and cat.

 

[D_BLOCK]

Thanks for posting this, the recipe sounds great. I'm going to give it a shot in a week or two.

I'm going to do a partial mash. What do you think the best way to use the pumpkin is? Should I add it to the grain bag in the partial mash or just throw it in the boil? I feel like adding it to the grain bag is probably best and if some oozes out into the wort it won't be a big deal.

 

[Reno_eNVy]

From what I've heard keeping the pumpkin in the grain back or a separate steeping bag is the way to go.

Back in my extract days I added the pumpkin to the boil and ended up with waaaay too much trub in the primary.

 

[D_BLOCK]

Sweet, that makes sense. Thanks!

 

[KCBigDog]

I just tapped my keg of this that had been naturally carbing in the keg for 6 weeks. The beer tastes sour and is under carbed. This is the first beer I've made that didn't turn out excellent, so I'm trying to figure out what could cause the carbination issue.

The sour taste could be the spices, and it isn't sour enough to be brett or something like that.

 

[millaj92]

Yeah I've used the same ss braid for a couple years now with zero problems.

Yeah I know a lot of people that use that set-up and have no problems. I was just suggesting things that might be causing his stuck sparge problem.

 

[Leeds1]

I just tapped my keg of this that had been naturally carbing in the keg for 6 weeks. The beer tastes sour and is under carbed. This is the first beer I've made that didn't turn out excellent, so I'm trying to figure out what could cause the carbination issue.

The sour taste could be the spices, and it isn't sour enough to be brett or something like that.

I had this in bottles for two weeks and tested one this past Saturday. I tasted the same slight sour notes, almost like a cider. I let this beer sit in primary for 4 weeks before bottling and then another two weeks in bottles. I'm going to give it more time and hope that it disappears. If it doesn't this is going to be my first batch that hate.