BillyMojo
New Member
I propose that I do this. Brew a baseline ale, that may not be exactly the color or flavor or mouthfeel or any of the qualities of target ... just to come up with a starting point from which to tweak toward a custom ale in future batches. But not to waste good ingredients, I want it at least to be drinkable and enjoyable to as much extent possible. I search for feedback. Please point out serious red-flags anywhere in my concept.
Now I'm just thinking about this, not going to try it on the next batch but on down the road ... wort constructed completely from DME and a 'wet hop' along with keeping the hop sack in the primary.
First question is this ... for a five gallon batch, how many pounds of DME would be the appropriate starting point to achieve about 6% ABV? Flavor and color concerns be damned, for those would be variable only on hop and malt and to an extent yeast variety ...
my plan is probably obvious to experienced homebrewers.
I've read on here that DME by weight is comparable as 80% to LME.
4 lbs then of LME is roughly then relaced by 3 lbs of DME (that's 75% on the button) eazzy math.
1 oz. hops in a sack, boiled in the water when the DME is dissolved. (disregard hop type or flavor) then keep the hop sack in the fermenter.
Additionally, for a little adjunct, 1/2 lb of honey or molasses in the wort. (again disregard color or flavor)
Follow all strict and correct sanitation.
Use Dechlorinated bottled water.
Bring six quarts of water to a boil. shut off heat. drop hop sack with 1 oz. pellet hops into water, along with 3 lb DME. stir to dissolve.
Once DME is dissolved, raise temp back to boiling. Once boiling is reached, shut off heat. stir in 1/2 lb adjunct (honey or molasses .. remember flavor and color are not of concern just yet).
{There are still 3 1/2 gallons of water (14 quarts) refrigerated at this point. I'll use that later, but for now I need a bout 8 oz. of it to be at ~70 degrees}
use that 8 oz. 70 degree water to hydrate ~12 grams of "any ale yeast" (read Safale)
pour the reamining bottled water into primary fermenter (3 1/2 gallons minus the 8 oz. used to hydrate yeast)
pour wort (including hop sack) into fermenter with the water. stir to aerate. verify fermenter wort temperature "safe" to pitch yeast.
Once yeast is hydrated, pitch into fermenter.
Seal fermenter with airlock in place. It should be full to the 5 US gallon level.
Observe and document for at least 10 days.
Wait another four days to do anything. Once the primary/secondary fermenting has been allowed to run for 14 days, bottle.
Sanitized bottles, with PRECISELY 1/2 teaspoon plain old granulated table sugar in each, carefully not allowing any aeration ... fill to about 1 1/2" with beer and cap.
Place bottles in standard 6-pack carriers, place 4 carriers each in corrugated cardboard "case carrier" boxes.
Hide boxes in temperature controlled (65-75 degrees farenheit) environment for 21 days.
now the calendar has elapsed an entire five weeks since cooking wort.
take one six-pack carrier to the fridge. let it sit and chill to ~40 degrees farenheit.
open a bottle and pour it off into a pint glass.
taste it, and figure out how to make the next batch taste better.
Should this work?
Now I'm just thinking about this, not going to try it on the next batch but on down the road ... wort constructed completely from DME and a 'wet hop' along with keeping the hop sack in the primary.
First question is this ... for a five gallon batch, how many pounds of DME would be the appropriate starting point to achieve about 6% ABV? Flavor and color concerns be damned, for those would be variable only on hop and malt and to an extent yeast variety ...
my plan is probably obvious to experienced homebrewers.
I've read on here that DME by weight is comparable as 80% to LME.
4 lbs then of LME is roughly then relaced by 3 lbs of DME (that's 75% on the button) eazzy math.
1 oz. hops in a sack, boiled in the water when the DME is dissolved. (disregard hop type or flavor) then keep the hop sack in the fermenter.
Additionally, for a little adjunct, 1/2 lb of honey or molasses in the wort. (again disregard color or flavor)
Follow all strict and correct sanitation.
Use Dechlorinated bottled water.
Bring six quarts of water to a boil. shut off heat. drop hop sack with 1 oz. pellet hops into water, along with 3 lb DME. stir to dissolve.
Once DME is dissolved, raise temp back to boiling. Once boiling is reached, shut off heat. stir in 1/2 lb adjunct (honey or molasses .. remember flavor and color are not of concern just yet).
{There are still 3 1/2 gallons of water (14 quarts) refrigerated at this point. I'll use that later, but for now I need a bout 8 oz. of it to be at ~70 degrees}
use that 8 oz. 70 degree water to hydrate ~12 grams of "any ale yeast" (read Safale)
pour the reamining bottled water into primary fermenter (3 1/2 gallons minus the 8 oz. used to hydrate yeast)
pour wort (including hop sack) into fermenter with the water. stir to aerate. verify fermenter wort temperature "safe" to pitch yeast.
Once yeast is hydrated, pitch into fermenter.
Seal fermenter with airlock in place. It should be full to the 5 US gallon level.
Observe and document for at least 10 days.
Wait another four days to do anything. Once the primary/secondary fermenting has been allowed to run for 14 days, bottle.
Sanitized bottles, with PRECISELY 1/2 teaspoon plain old granulated table sugar in each, carefully not allowing any aeration ... fill to about 1 1/2" with beer and cap.
Place bottles in standard 6-pack carriers, place 4 carriers each in corrugated cardboard "case carrier" boxes.
Hide boxes in temperature controlled (65-75 degrees farenheit) environment for 21 days.
now the calendar has elapsed an entire five weeks since cooking wort.
take one six-pack carrier to the fridge. let it sit and chill to ~40 degrees farenheit.
open a bottle and pour it off into a pint glass.
taste it, and figure out how to make the next batch taste better.
Should this work?
