Tasting 1st AG...need diagnostic :)

[Diablotastic]

So I cracked my 1st AG (Ed's Haus Pale)....Opened it warm and added to a frosty mug just to sample. 1st impression is a fairly strong alcohol taste (which I expected) and the other is exceptionally sweet. I'm assuming this is to be expected since I missed my pre-boil volume big time on the low end which led me to an OG 1.064 and FG of 1.020. I'm thinking they will mellow out in the fridge after a couple of days...any thoughts?

Here are the brew day notes

Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: Nottingham (subbed WLP008)
Yeast Starter: Nope
Additional Yeast or Yeast Starter: Nope
Batch Size (Gallons): 5.5
Original Gravity: 1.051
Final Gravity: 1.011
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
IBU: 39
Color: 5 SRM
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 10 Days at 68 degrees

Grain Bill
8 lbs. 2-Row
2 lbs. Vienna
0.5 lb. Crystal 10L (subbed 20L)
Mash
Single Infusion mash for 60 minutes at 152 degrees.
I batch sparge in a 10 gallon water cooler with a stainless braid manifold. Click here for great info on Batch Sparging.
Dough-in with 3.5 gallons of water. After 60 minutes, add 5 quarts of 175 degree water and begin vorlauf. My system only takes about 2 quarts before it clears up, then it's wide open to drain in the kettle. Have another 3.25 gallons of 175 degree water ready for the next batch sparge. You should then get 6.5 gallons to your ket

Boil & Hops
1.0 oz Cascade 6.6% at 60 min.
0.5 oz. Cascade 6.6% at 30 min.
0.25 oz. Cascade 6.6% at 15 min.
0.25 oz. Cascade 6.6% at 5 min.




I had to sub out the crystal 10L with a 20L and the Nottingham Dry yeast for WL east coast WLP 008 due to availability

Soooo..everything seemed to go as planned...I may have been about 2 degrees lower on my mash temp @ around 150 finishing at 148 but maybe not....I seemed to have different pockest of temp when I doughed (maybe it's my thermometer?)

 

[Bert]

How long has it been in the bottle? The sweetness could be from priming sugar not having feremnted out yet if it hasn't been very long or if the bottles were stored at a lower temperature.

 

[blacklab]

Strong alcohol taste? You shouldn't be getting that with a grain bill like the Ed's. I would never bottle at 20 either. Swish it around gently and give it another week. But that's just me.

 

[Bjornbrewer]

It will taste sweeter if it's warm. That may also account for the strong alcohol taste.

 

[Diablotastic]

Well the alcohol taste I think can attributed to the fact that my pre-boil volume was way to low and I never adjusted it properly....ABV is like 5.8 or something since my OG was way higher then it needed to be 1.064

As far as time in the bottle it's been about 18 days (2 -1/2 weeks) @ about 70 degrees.

I was thinking that since the sample was relatively warm that I tried...they may just need to be chilled.

I'm going to boil another batch of Ed's haus thuis weeked to try and refine my technique

 

[Bjornbrewer]

5.8% still shouldn't be giving a alcohol taste...the temp didn't flucuate from 70° while in primary? (didn't hit 80 or something if the furnace was on?...just a thought)

Hey, it's a good excuse to brew another batch if nothing else!

 

[Saccharomyces]

Yeast guide says "Similar neutral character of WLP001, but less attenuation". You got 69% AA. I'm guessing you didn't use a starter or you would have had better attenuation, but it likely wouldn't have finished lower than 1.018 at that OG.

I would recommend keeping everything the same but watch your pre/post boil volumes next time, and use US-05 or Notty unless you are planning to pitch a starter. I routinely get 80% AA with US-05 mashing around 152*F.

This high-tech device helps with boil volumes :

 

[Diablotastic]

Yeah i have both a pack of Notty's and Us-05 this time...probably going to use the US-05 and save the Notty's fro my next Lil Sparky's Nut Brown which is planned after this batch.

I did much better with my pre-boil volume on my 2nd AG (Lil Sparky's Nut Brown) but then pre-maturely topped off with additional water post boil without taking hydro reading...definately seem to be getting there and slowly refining my technique.

So I'm guessing at this point i'm just gonna keep them in the fridge to shill and then drink away

 

[Saccharomyces]

There is nothing wrong with topping off post-boil to get to your desired OG as long as you use fresh bottled water or pre-boil the water you add. I did this with the 9-9-9, I measured the OG and calculated exactly how much I needed to dilute, and hit 1.119 exactly. :rockin:

If you measure your starting volume and gravity you can adjust your boil time to get close to the OG you want. This esp. helps if your efficiency isn't predictable ahead of time (big beers) or you have variations in your efficiency while you are getting new equipment dialed in.

This weekend I'll be doing my first "normal" gravity brew with my new mash tun, so it should be an interesting experience. My eff. on my old equipment was a predictable 78-82% so I have no idea where I will end up.

 

[WBC]

Ale that is not aged long enough will be sweeter. I would keep brewing so you can get some beer in the pipeline. Beer 5 to 6 weeks from brew day should be quite drinkable. If you don't like sweetness then swap 1 LB Crystal 40L and 1 LB 2 row for the Vienna grain and see how you like that.

Always stir well when you dough in. Wait 5 minutes (lid on) and then (lid off) stir well and take the temperature in several places. It should be the same in all places tested.

 

[Diablotastic]

After refridgerating a bit the sweetness and alcohol taste has mellowed a bit

WBC that is definately one area I've struggled with. Getting alot of different temp readings in grain bed upon dough in. I feel i'm stirring quite a bit but maybe not enough. I'll try leting sit for 5 with lid on and lid off to see if that stabilizes it a bit

 

[Yooper]

After refridgerating a bit the sweetness and alcohol taste has mellowed a bit

WBC that is definately one area I've struggled with. Getting alot of different temp readings in grain bed upon dough in. I feel i'm stirring quite a bit but maybe not enough. I'll try leting sit for 5 with lid on and lid off to see if that stabilizes it a bit

Yes, that's a good plan. Stir, stir, stir, stir, and let sit a minute with the lid on. Check the temperature in the center, the sides, etc before deciding to adjust with more water.

Are you using a cooler MLT? If you are, preheating the MLT can help you maintain stable temps throughout, too.

If you do need to adjust the temperature by adding boiling or cool water, stir well and wait a minute or two. Many people new to AG get it too hot, too cool, then too hot, etc. because it takes a few minutes to stabilize.

Once you get your system dialed it, you should easily hit and maintain your temperatures. It just takes knowing your system.

 

[BierMuncher]

Congrats.

You have brewed an American IPA version of Ed's Haus ale.

A bit low on the IBU's for an IPA, but it should be tasty.

That alcohol warmth is typical in a young IPA.

Age it several weeks at room temp then package, chill and serve.

:rockin:

 

[Diablotastic]

Biermuncher ...Yeah they've been bottled at room temp for 2-1/2 weeks and in the firdge for two now. The alcohol/sweetness has subsided...seem to getting a dry after taste though

Yopper...I use a coleman 52qt convert....and I have been pre heating....i'll give this all a shot on Sunday

 

[mandoman]

did this beer finish at 1020 or did you continue fermenting before bottling, or did it continue fermenting in the bottle? that seems high and I would think cause the sweetness - lots of residual sugars unfermented. Is ed's haus supposed to be high FG? Glad to hear it's improving with time!


cb

 

[Diablotastic]

did this beer finish at 1020 or did you continue fermenting before bottling, or did it continue fermenting in the bottle? that seems high and I would think cause the sweetness - lots of residual sugars unfermented. Is ed's haus supposed to be high FG? Glad to hear it's improving with time!


cb

Yeah it finished @ 1.020 after 2 gravity readings...then bottled. I messed up the pre-boil volume and then never adjusted the post boil volume either....live and learn...not the intended end results but its still tasty in my book

This next round should go better

 

[TeleTwanger]

1.020 is kind of high for east coast ale yeast. I just racked a similar beer to the secondary and it didn't taste sweet at all nor should yours. My grain bill was 10 lbs pale, 1/2lbs crystal 20, 1/2 lbs munich, og 1.062 fg after 10 days was 1.014 with London ale yeast. There was some alcohol warming which there should be for a 6% ABV beer.