Experimental side by side brewing.

[GFHomebrew]

Gday brewers

I've been thinking of doing some side by side batches similar to what @Sunfire96 been doing recently with her Basejumper beers. Sunfire I've really enjoyed reading and seeing these beers and what you thought about them side by side.

I'm thinking next year at this stage.
This will give me time to think this through and structure a brewing process that will allow me to brew/ ferment then package two batches of beer simultaneously.
It'll also give me time to purchase some brewing equipment to conduct these side by side batches.

Your thinking brulosophy?
Hell NO yes in a similar vein is my thinking but nowhere near as structured or professional.
I'm just curious is all nothing more.


My initial aim is to test out this No Chill brewing style I've adopted as my brewing process.
I've been no chilling my beers pretty much all this year and I'm sure most last year.
ive been no chilling on and off over my brewing journey one of my biggest beer influences (Gashslug) inspired me early on to adopt this Aussie Process.

Ive No Chilled in what i call a traditional method hot straight out the kettle transfered to the bottom of a HDPE cube and pushed the air out.
Ive no chilled straight in the kettle heaps of times.

Ive no chilled onto a Cornelius keg and let cool then put it in my keggerator before with horrible results (dumper early this year).

lastly is No chilled into my stainless kegmenter and pitched yeast next day (will be my go to no chill method most of the time).

The main reason i "No Chill" is Matilda my little 2 year old I no longer have hours to commit to a brew day so not having to spend a half hour chilling my wort seemed like a big bonus.

I've also cut back my mashing time and my boil time is routinely 30mins.
That has been a recent incorporation into my process.
Also I no longer sparge but full volume Biab mash.
All these things have allowed me start and finish a brew in around 2 1/2 hours.
OK so these are all variables I can test out.

.No Chilling Vs chilling a batch of light lager going to make a difference?
In an pale Ale or Stout?

Mashing longer vs shorter like 90min vs 30min mash in a lager style beer (this is more for the purported fermentability).

Boiling 30 v 60 v 90

Adding SMB at packaging vs none (this one I am super curious about given my recent International Lager and its sulphury overtones.
Also I know Sunfire96 has some interest in this.

Or how about SMB vs Ascorbic Acid at packaging? These are two antioxidants and preservants...

Forced carbonation vs keg carbing is another one.
I recently keg carbed my ginger Ninger and I like the results and saved co2.

No chill v chill in a high whirlpool hopped IPA.
This one's to test out the continued isomerisation of Alpah acids from extended hot wort temperatures.

There could be many more splits I can do.

I could even do split mashes if I modify my sparge pot to so small batches.

Anyhow would love to hear what the forums thoughts on this are?

Any side by sides you can think of ?


This doesn't have to be just my thing too we already know @Sunfire96 is experimenting with her brewing.

Just a brain worm ive got ATM nothing more but I think it would be cool.

 

[Zambi]

Sounds great!
I would really like a side by side on fermentation temperature for a specific yeast. Haven't got the facilities, but it would be nice. One day
I've done a couple saisons with same malt bill just different hops to get a bit of a better idea about hops

 

[Sunfire96]

Can't wait to hear about the results! I was never able to brew the batches simultaneously, but I'd make sure to brew them back to back so I'd still have some of the first batch by the time the 2nd batch was ready. And then a 3rd batch to compare to the 2nd one. Sometimes I bottled some of batch 1 to compare to batch 3

 

[Megary]

@Trialben
I think these are great ideas and would love to hear your thoughts on all of these potential experiments. The "process" side experiments would be very interesting to me...Boil time, Mash time etc. and their effects on clarity, conversion, fermentability, body, foam....and on and on.

Good luck!

 

[west1m]

I have only tried this once. I did three gallons and fermented in one gallon milk jugs. . Each with a different yeast. My taster wasnt picky enough to notice much difference, I'll never make it as a judge, they all were good and drinkable.

 

[Minbari]

definitely interested in the results of this. I love experimenting. I have made about 8 different chocolate milk stouts by altering the yeast or adjuncts. the base recipe was the same. you can tell the difference.

 

[Zambi]

I have only tried this once. I did three gallons and fermented in one gallon milk jugs. . Each with a different yeast. My taster wasnt picky enough to notice much difference, I'll never make it as a judge, they all were good and drinkable.

I'm with you.
I can taste differences side by side but not to say what is different and I can generally only describe 6 tastes.
1- Don't like at all. Rather drink water
2- Nah, don't like
3- Will drink if there is nothing else
4- I've had better
5- Like
6- Like very much

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Every one of your experiments interest me Ben!

 

[GFHomebrew]

Cool!

Thinking of using these bad boys for my side by sides 8lt PET mini kegs
https://www.kegland.com.au/8l-pco38-pet-keg-with-ball-lock-disconnect-tapping-head-kit.html

My biggest hurdle ATM is fermenting side by side under the same conditions.

Now that I've turned my freezer into a glycol chamber i can't just plonk the two pet kegs in there.
I think I'm gunna look at an alrounder or if there is a temp coil for the fermentasaurs.
A bubble fermenter with a glycol coil attachment another glycol pump a insulated jacket for the fermenter and a temp controller and out and return lines for second glycol pump.

I think the fermentations have to be consistent.

I was thinking of just fermenting both at ambient under pressure a cheaper option maybe?
But then these is the pressure fermentation as well as the difference I'm trying to test for...

Anyhow looks like we got some thinking to do.

I can I think with a little adaptation from my already coupled together PWM and STC1000 make a little biab 12lt kettle out of my sparge pot but I'll give this some more thought.

Boiling with two elements going at once might be tricky to lol
That would be 2400 w and a 3300Watt yeah I'd have to find a different circuit maybe I'll hold off on that one and just brew the wort in my kettle then introduce variables post boil and in the fermenter like even yeast choices and pressure vs no pressure variables....

Exciting

 

[GFHomebrew]

All Rounder
https://www.kegland.com.au/fermzilla-30l-all-rounder-pressure-rated-keg-fermenter.html

All rounder pressure kit
https://www.kegland.com.au/fermzilla-plastic-pressure-kit-suits-conical-and-all-rounder-model.html
All rounder Jacket
https://www.kegland.com.au/fermzilla-all-rounder-30l-jacket.html

Allrounder tapping head pet kegs.
https://www.kegland.com.au/8l-pco38-pet-keg-with-ball-lock-disconnect-tapping-head-kit.html

Temp twister
https://www.kegland.com.au/temp-twi...rol-your-fermzilla-with-a-glycol-chiller.html

Temp twister line kit
https://www.kegland.com.au/temp-twister-pump-kit-with-return-line-and-clamp.html


They do sell this glycol controller but it doesn't come with a hot side relay and I'm not sure about temp sensor https://www.kegland.com.au/icemaste...menter-control-with-2-integrated-pumps-2.html

Might just go with STC1000 for glycol controller
Another 12v one as I know I can run 240v through the hot side relay.

This is what I've gotta get to get another glycol fermenter roughtly 200$ so I need to think.

I do have a fermenterasurus but the opening is 3" not big enough for a temp twister coil.


260 all up for that includes thermowell kit and temptwister all rounder template lid.

 

[west1m]

I'm with you.
I can taste differences side by side but not to say what is different and I can generally only describe 6 tastes.
1- Don't like at all. Rather drink water
2- Nah, don't like
3- Will drink if there is nothing else
4- I've had better
5- Like
6- Like very much

That really covers it well!

 

[GFHomebrew]

That really covers it well!

Yeah about as scientific as I'm going with it as well

 

[GFHomebrew]

Will have to wrap my head around this side by side triangle tests as well.

All this won't be until next year even maybe as far as Feb/March but will keep my finger on the pulse so to say.

 

[Ward Chillington]

My biggest hurdle ATM is fermenting side by side under the same conditions.

Split the wart then do a Kveik v Ale yeast experiment. I've split wart a couple of times to play with yeast for science....I also did a 3 way split for a bourbon porter with some Makers Mark v Jameson v the base porter.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Split the wart then do a Kveik v Ale yeast experiment. I've split wart a couple of times to play with yeast for science....I also did a 3 way split for a bourbon porter with some Makers Mark v Jameson v the base porter.

Will take this on board good idea

 

[Steve SPF]

A 2.5 hour brewday is pretty cool, must be a neat process you have going there.

 

[GFHomebrew]

A 2.5 hour brewday is pretty cool, must be a neat process you have going there.

Yeah mate I'm good at cutting corners.

Oh but remember that's not chilled into the fermenter.
So 2.5 hours till knock out - go and do something else.

next day rack into fermenter or cool the wort down (in kegmenter) and pitch starter then clean kettle pack away equipment .

So yeah if I were chilling it's be a 3 hour plus with kettle clean and put away.

I don't know breaking it up helps me focus on yeast and cleaning and such I'm not rushing things that's for sure it goes by quick though no standing around.

 

[Over The Cliff Brewing]

I have not tried a 30 min mash yet. I have done a 30 min boil. The result was ok. I guess it depends on the malt type, efficiency and ABV you get when cutting mash and boil.

 

[GFHomebrew]

I have not tried a 30 min mash yet. I have done a 30 min boil. The result was ok. I guess it depends on the malt type, efficiency and ABV you get when cutting mash and boil.

Yeah I've been boiling consistently 30mins but mashing I'll step mash 15 low 15 high then do a quick mash out so a little over 30 mins.

I'm getting 76- 78 % brewhouse no sparge Biab short mash short boil which I'm over the moon about.
With a sparge I'm 83% peeking 87% on a really rare day.

 

[Ward Chillington]

Your thinking brulosophy?
Hell NO yes in a similar vein is my thinking but nowhere near as structured or professional.
I'm just curious is all nothing more

The Experimental Brewing guys went to New Zealand in 2018...maybe 19...and there have been numerous mentions on the podcast of no chill since and the consensus is that there is no discernable difference in the taste...."only your brewer will know"!