Hop test Amber ale.

[GFHomebrew]

Alrighty I'm a bit crazy I've spent a couple of hours brewing up an lightly hopped starter wort.

Why!? Well it's not all crazy I thought I might test the extract potential of this new bag of Bairds Marris otter malt out as I'm going to be getting to know it for the next 25 kgs lol. I was originally going to brew a 1-10 version of this hop test beer I've got lined up but wasn't all too keen so I settled upon this sorta extractability experiment. plus I need to step up my viability starter that's spinning with my Wlp090 it took off like it's expected too in 500ml of DME @ 1.040 but it's been asleep since before last Christmasso. she's going to be a crazy high cell count with a 2 liter all wort starter to grow up on.

Recipe if you wanna see or should I say bored enough to check out.
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/492094/starter-wort

This is my first mash in my Thermomix I milled it and mashed it all in the same vessel they are cool thanks to the missus for lending it to me for my brewing I just need a 40lt version now lol.
Sooo I step mashed and adjetated the mash on reverse speed 1.5 the whole time which is sooo cool first step 55c 10 min then 60c for 30, 65c for 30 then 70for 15 and I mashed out at 75c and sparged through a fine mesh bag the missus uses to keep the pulp back when making almond milk. I added lactic to the mash and hit high ph 5.6 which is optimal for getting good extraction thanks to www.braukaiser.com for his extract potential experiments.
@das alte I chose this step mash in conjunction with your helpful feedback but I failed to boil any of the grist to bring out this amylopectin this is just a starter and extract experiment the main batch is yet to come.

Preboil according to 75% brew house (Pre-Boil) is 1.035 I hit 1.040 she's going to be a strong starter I guess.
Recipe brews house @75% =1.048 I hit 1.056 with 1.6lt of Finnished wort @71% brew house whoops

I added the wort back through the mesh bag and into my 3 liter erlymyer flask to boil for the last 10 minutes to sanitize it I ended up stupidily diluting it down at this point as my volume was way down but I suppose it was an extract experiment not a brew house plus it'll help the yeasties not having to chew through high gravity wort. Not that it has helped the Finnal gravity is at 1.056 I underestimated the boil off in this smaller pot it's a lot more but as for extractability it's sure up there and have no qualms about it.

I'm thinking I could make some mini experimental batches this way and rack the fermented wort into co2 flushed pet bottle and carb and drink maybe ...

Anyhow as you can see if you've read this far that I'm,bored outta my brains but meh what better to do on a rainy Sunday than brew a mini batch or...

 

[GFHomebrew]

@das alte hey I was researching decoction mashing on www.braukaiser.com and come across your decoction method you were referring to the hochkurz decoction schedule. I'll try this this weekend but only do single decoction From alpha to beta or from the maltose step to dextrinization step then reach mAsh out via direct fire. It's looks like rain for the weekend I'll have the time so why not.
Hochkurz Double Decoction


This version of a double decoction mash is known as Hochkurz Mash in German brewing [Narziss, 2005]. It uses a 2 temperature saccharification rest. The first decoction is used to get from the 1st saccharification rest (maltose rest) to the 2nd saccharification rest (dextrinization rest) and the 2nd decoction is used for mash-out. The dough-in can happen with the protein rest, an intermediate rest or the maltose rest. Hochkurz refers to the fact that these mashes dough in high (hoch) and are short (kurz).

To optimize the use of the beta amylase and produce a wort with high levels of maltose, German brewers often use a 2 step saccharification scheme. With today's well modified malts the protein rest is generally sipped. The first rest, usually held at 140 - 146 *F (60 - 63 *C) gives the beta amylase time to convert the glucose chains (large dextrins) into maltose. At this temperature there is already sufficient alpha amylase activity available to provide enough glucose chain ends for the beta amylase. This is needed because the beta amylase can only clip maltose from the non reducing end of a glucose chain. Due to the lower temperature, the beta amylase will be active for a longer time as it would in a single saccharification rest held at higher temperatures. To reduce and eventually terminate the beta amylase activity and to ensure that all starch in the wort has been converted (especially the small starch granules which have a higher gelatinization temperature), a dextrinization rest is held at 158 - 162 *F (70 - 72 *C). At this temperature the beta amylase is quickly deactivated and only the alpha amylase works on the starches. The rest is held until the mash is iodine negative (no starch or long dextrines in the wort). Narziss [Narziss, 2005] and Fix [Fix, 1999] suggest, that a rest at 158 - 162 *F (70 - 72 *C) benefits head retention and body of the beer though glycoproteides that are extracted from the malt but not degraded by enzymatic activity. Because of that Narziss suggests holding this rest up to 60 min. After that rest a mash-out is performed at 167-173F (75-78 C). The temperature should not be higher as this would deactivate all the alpha amylase activity and some alpha amylase activity is still needed during lautering to convert any rouge starches, that might be liberated during sparging, on their way to the kettle.

The length as well as the temperature of the maltose rest determines the fermentability of the wort. Shorter rests and/or higher temperatures will result in a less fermentable wort as the beta amylase gets less time for maltose production.

The steps for the water infusions and decoctions necessary for this mash have already been covered with the other mash schedule examples. This mash schedule can also be done w/o the use of decoctions through hot water infusions or direct heat to the mash. The latter has become standard practice in most German breweries.

 

[J A]

I often use a Hochkurz-style mash schedule using a water addition to get from dough in/protein rest to the maltose rest temp and combination of direct-fire and water addition to get to dextrin. Since I'm using a recirculating mash tun, I can't use the thick mash that benefits maltose production all the way through the process. I'll usually do the maltose rest without recirc and then get to the next step and turn on the pump. I've gotten some good beers that way...very clean wort and high efficiency.

 

[KC]

I based my process on that chart, but changed the protein rest to a looong acid rest, shortened sacc. rests, and took out thermal shock. All temp changes are direct fire and gradual.

 

[GFHomebrew]

I based my process on that chart, but changed the protein rest to a looong acid rest, shortened sacc. rests, and took out thermal shock. All temp changes are direct fire and gradual.

I read that this acid rest is good for correcting mash ph before conversion begins. If you rest it at this range the ph stablizes?

 

[KC]

I read that this acid rest is good for correcting mash ph before conversion begins. If you rest it at this range the ph stablizes?

The acid rest activates the lactobacillus already on the malt. That produces lactic acid to drop pH without making separate additions. Lactobacillus is most active at body temperature (90-104°F) but is not limited to this range. I found that for me, simply allowing crushed malt to soak overnight in soft water at room temperature gets me to the proper range for mash pH. That helped raise my mash efficiency.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Kegged this brew this evening. I quick carbed some in a pet bottle for a early taste. Remember this brew is less than two weeks old.

All I can say is Equinox T90 is delicious on the nose I'm smelling tropical fruit/ passionfruit it smells similar to me as Galaxy. I bittered with it with FWH bitterness is plenty smooth if not too low I need to up the IBUs another 10 I think. I don't know if this is something to do with the hop.

I'm not yet sure on the green peppers thing. It tastes fruity to me. I ended up throwing the dry hop charge in day two atop high Krausen.

As for decoction maltiness mmm the hops overshadow everything ATM. It's got plenty body a nice white foamy persistent head well balanced so far time will tell I'll post some picks once she's ready to be present.

Go get some Equinox in ya brew.

 

[J A]

Sounds great! As for the decoction, I'd save it for lagers.

 

[Nosybear]

Sounds great! As for the decoction, I'd save it for lagers.

And even then, only for very light ones.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Yeah any contribution is lost from the hops.