Hi guys,
After brewing some 75 gallons of some great beers, melomel mead and fruit wine this year, I decided to wander from the recipe path and try an experiment of sorts. So I'm posting as I have a few comments and questions.
I used a standard Irish Red recipe kit, LME added after grains steeping 30mins with a target of 4.5% ABV, 5 gallons batch using bottled water. The usual practices in brewing the recipe, 1oz cascade at 60 mins boil and 1oz fuggle 2 mins left to boil. Supposed OG of 1.042. Sterilize, sterilize, etc...
I then added to the original recipe my recent favorite hops at 60 mins, 0.75oz Magnum and another 0.75oz at 15mins, then 1oz citra at 5 mins and yet another 1oz at 1 min. Basically hopping the crap out of it through out as I luv me and knarly IPA. I also plan 1.5oz Amarillo dry hopping. Then to top it off I added 2 pounds of corn sugar around the last 5 minutes to add 20 points to the OG and it came out at 1.066 which was my target. Chilled 12 mins copper chiller, transferred and topped up water and aerated as usual. I then added an extra Safale US 05 dry yeast pack to the original which were re hydrated for 20 mins before pitching considering the higher OG. In hind sight i should have made a full yeast starter.
Anyway the damn thing smelt great and I was excited to have her in the primary and ready to roll. Then came the wait... usually on average my fermentation wait times have had yeast set up time prior airlock activity of around 16 hours to maybe 48 hours and then each batch usually takes off... this batch definitely made the excepting (other than my attempt at making Welches concentrate wine using grape 'drink' concentrate, which never ever did start up I assume due to the sulfates added for preservatives - live and learn. Cannot seem to get 100% anything anymore here in Canada.)
So this batch made me wait for 72 damn hours and I was definitely worried - thought it was a bust and be dumping it. I even started yet another full yeast starter and was about to pitch again for last attempt, when it suddenly started up and is now (so far) into 36 hours of fermentation with airlock activity about every 10 to 15 seconds. It does seem to be slightly slowing now though so not sure what will happen in the next few days. I have the second yeast starter at about 30 hours ready and now in the fridge.
I did forget to mention it was sitting at 68 degrees stable since pitching, so after 2.5 days of nothing, wrapped it in a towel to attempt to warm it up slightly and added a teaspoon yeast energizer and gave it a full stir. This was the night before the 72 hour mark, which may have helped some to get it rolling - but maybe it would have anyway? Not sure anymore.
So too all you forum people I ask, over pitched? Too many hops (is that a thing?), addition of corn sugar to raise OG not a good practice? - What caused the extreme lag in start up and why is the fermentation not overly active? If it does prematurely settle down again in the next few days and gravity is lets say 1.040, do I pitch the additional starter or would I risk a yeasty or off taste in the end? - Considering that would be three packets ...ugh
Anyway, brew on
any comments or tips from your experiences are requested. Thx, Cheers!
Chris
After brewing some 75 gallons of some great beers, melomel mead and fruit wine this year, I decided to wander from the recipe path and try an experiment of sorts. So I'm posting as I have a few comments and questions.
I used a standard Irish Red recipe kit, LME added after grains steeping 30mins with a target of 4.5% ABV, 5 gallons batch using bottled water. The usual practices in brewing the recipe, 1oz cascade at 60 mins boil and 1oz fuggle 2 mins left to boil. Supposed OG of 1.042. Sterilize, sterilize, etc...
I then added to the original recipe my recent favorite hops at 60 mins, 0.75oz Magnum and another 0.75oz at 15mins, then 1oz citra at 5 mins and yet another 1oz at 1 min. Basically hopping the crap out of it through out as I luv me and knarly IPA. I also plan 1.5oz Amarillo dry hopping. Then to top it off I added 2 pounds of corn sugar around the last 5 minutes to add 20 points to the OG and it came out at 1.066 which was my target. Chilled 12 mins copper chiller, transferred and topped up water and aerated as usual. I then added an extra Safale US 05 dry yeast pack to the original which were re hydrated for 20 mins before pitching considering the higher OG. In hind sight i should have made a full yeast starter.
Anyway the damn thing smelt great and I was excited to have her in the primary and ready to roll. Then came the wait... usually on average my fermentation wait times have had yeast set up time prior airlock activity of around 16 hours to maybe 48 hours and then each batch usually takes off... this batch definitely made the excepting (other than my attempt at making Welches concentrate wine using grape 'drink' concentrate, which never ever did start up I assume due to the sulfates added for preservatives - live and learn. Cannot seem to get 100% anything anymore here in Canada.)
So this batch made me wait for 72 damn hours and I was definitely worried - thought it was a bust and be dumping it. I even started yet another full yeast starter and was about to pitch again for last attempt, when it suddenly started up and is now (so far) into 36 hours of fermentation with airlock activity about every 10 to 15 seconds. It does seem to be slightly slowing now though so not sure what will happen in the next few days. I have the second yeast starter at about 30 hours ready and now in the fridge.
I did forget to mention it was sitting at 68 degrees stable since pitching, so after 2.5 days of nothing, wrapped it in a towel to attempt to warm it up slightly and added a teaspoon yeast energizer and gave it a full stir. This was the night before the 72 hour mark, which may have helped some to get it rolling - but maybe it would have anyway? Not sure anymore.
So too all you forum people I ask, over pitched? Too many hops (is that a thing?), addition of corn sugar to raise OG not a good practice? - What caused the extreme lag in start up and why is the fermentation not overly active? If it does prematurely settle down again in the next few days and gravity is lets say 1.040, do I pitch the additional starter or would I risk a yeasty or off taste in the end? - Considering that would be three packets ...ugh
Anyway, brew on
any comments or tips from your experiences are requested. Thx, Cheers!Chris
