Ya know, that there alcohol, even in small concentrations, is a powerful disinfectant. That's why, in the middle ages, it was far safer to drink wine and beer than it was to drink water.
I brewed today!
- Thread starter The Brew Mentor
- Start date
- Joined
- Jun 27, 2019
- Messages
- 2,548
- Reaction score
- 7,662
- Points
- 113
Don, you might like this. I just read this a few days ago.
https://zythophile.co.uk/2014/03/04...ded-as-dangerous-to-drink-in-the-middle-ages/
Well yes, 99.99% of water was not biologically contaminated. And even more had no 'chemicals' in it. Folks drank water, at it was inexpensive, and most knew enough to only drink 'clean' water. Indeed, muddy or brackish or swamp water tastes bad (don't ask).
But beer was a lot safer than water, nonetheless.
Cool read.
- Joined
- Oct 4, 2022
- Messages
- 445
- Reaction score
- 1,534
- Points
- 93
Tried and tested is always good to hear.
Far more simplified here but basically also learned what things tend to work best for me. That said, today I went slightly higher than my usual starting temperature of 20-21 Centigrade. No controls beyond boiling water or ice. Used the latter to get down from 24.5 to 22.5C. Given this extract kit stipulates to make sure it is under 25C, I am feeling okay at what I settled for.
After two postponements, I finally got onto:
No dry hopping with the Bonfire Toffee Stout although it does have hops in the extract which was in pouches - a little more fiddly than cans.
What it also came with I found really surprising for a beer but on thinking more about the historical side maybe I shouldn't have:
I'm used to adding chips to red wines but these were much darker.
It didn't call for any additional malt but after studying the flavour guide I decided to round it out a little just in case the liquorice would be too prominent for me. Half a pound each of medium malt (I normally use for bitters but was left over and I won't be making another one of those for around six months) and dextrose. The latter being what is also for priming although I might consider golden syrup.
I dissolve my spraymalts in cool/room temperature water as I found they clumped too much with boiling. Then I add some boiling water followed by the extract with the chips and remainder of the boiling and mix vigorously. At that stage it looked like this on top:
Chocolate malt!
Give it a wee rest and after some dissipation:
Underneath it is a lot more a case of a combo between coffee, roasting and liquorice plus those oak chips.
Topped up to recommended 3.5 gallons/17Litres and thoroughly mixed again it closer fits the description for the finished beer:
The hydrometer shots didn't come out clear enough but OG was 1.060.
Bitterness rating (by their system) is 3.5/5 so roughly moderate. Taking into account the extra malt and dextrose I added, from the gravity ranges; this stout seems like it could be a possible hybrid of an 'Irish Extra' (slightly familiar) and a 'Sweet' (unfamiliar). Obviously I won't get the exact intended final product but I am expecting it to be more like an Extra without the full on bitterness I achieved last time out with my usual go to stout kit.
The treacle dimension has me intrigued and why I have been frustrated having to put this off a couple of times. As in: how prominent it is going to be and will this give it a taste like bonfire toffee. The brew looked like an explosion as I was adding the powdery chips sticking to the side of the fermenter (I did manage to clean it up). I couldn't pin down the aroma, it was quite complex suggesting the three and a half months this will have to mature in mini-kegs might just be enough. l'm going to bottle roughly half of this batch because I have currently run out of stout and I'll definitely be wanting some ready for my birthday a month earlier.
Far more simplified here but basically also learned what things tend to work best for me. That said, today I went slightly higher than my usual starting temperature of 20-21 Centigrade. No controls beyond boiling water or ice. Used the latter to get down from 24.5 to 22.5C. Given this extract kit stipulates to make sure it is under 25C, I am feeling okay at what I settled for.
After two postponements, I finally got onto:
No dry hopping with the Bonfire Toffee Stout although it does have hops in the extract which was in pouches - a little more fiddly than cans.
What it also came with I found really surprising for a beer but on thinking more about the historical side maybe I shouldn't have:
I'm used to adding chips to red wines but these were much darker.
It didn't call for any additional malt but after studying the flavour guide I decided to round it out a little just in case the liquorice would be too prominent for me. Half a pound each of medium malt (I normally use for bitters but was left over and I won't be making another one of those for around six months) and dextrose. The latter being what is also for priming although I might consider golden syrup.
I dissolve my spraymalts in cool/room temperature water as I found they clumped too much with boiling. Then I add some boiling water followed by the extract with the chips and remainder of the boiling and mix vigorously. At that stage it looked like this on top:
Chocolate malt!
Give it a wee rest and after some dissipation:
Underneath it is a lot more a case of a combo between coffee, roasting and liquorice plus those oak chips.
Topped up to recommended 3.5 gallons/17Litres and thoroughly mixed again it closer fits the description for the finished beer:
The hydrometer shots didn't come out clear enough but OG was 1.060.
Bitterness rating (by their system) is 3.5/5 so roughly moderate. Taking into account the extra malt and dextrose I added, from the gravity ranges; this stout seems like it could be a possible hybrid of an 'Irish Extra' (slightly familiar) and a 'Sweet' (unfamiliar). Obviously I won't get the exact intended final product but I am expecting it to be more like an Extra without the full on bitterness I achieved last time out with my usual go to stout kit.
The treacle dimension has me intrigued and why I have been frustrated having to put this off a couple of times. As in: how prominent it is going to be and will this give it a taste like bonfire toffee. The brew looked like an explosion as I was adding the powdery chips sticking to the side of the fermenter (I did manage to clean it up). I couldn't pin down the aroma, it was quite complex suggesting the three and a half months this will have to mature in mini-kegs might just be enough. l'm going to bottle roughly half of this batch because I have currently run out of stout and I'll definitely be wanting some ready for my birthday a month earlier.
Doing a NZ Pils today. First lager. (https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1396974/nz-pils)
Slightly higher than anticipated pre-boil gravity, but I got lucky with the mash temp and pH. Mid-boil now but the hard bit's done!
After a positive result and turning around my stout in 5 days (s-04 @ 24C, 30psi) I'm going to try and get the Pils done in two weeks (34/70 @ 20C, 28psi).
Fingers crossed!
Slightly higher than anticipated pre-boil gravity, but I got lucky with the mash temp and pH. Mid-boil now but the hard bit's done!
After a positive result and turning around my stout in 5 days (s-04 @ 24C, 30psi) I'm going to try and get the Pils done in two weeks (34/70 @ 20C, 28psi).
Fingers crossed!
Can't see the recipie Lukas.
I did one lager late past year fermented 27c with 34/70 @ around 17psi it turned out pretty clean.
Let's us know how it turns out.
Can't see the recipie Lukas.
I did one lager late past year fermented 27c with 34/70 @ around 17psi it turned out pretty clean.
Let's us know how it turns out.
Good to hear about your experience. This pressure business is potentially game-changing for me. It wasn't a thing I remember people doing ten years ago when I was brewing (recently started again). I can't justify the space for a temp control freezer so using my electric kettle to keep the temp above ambient and consistent works way better in my situation. I tried a couple of pseudo-lagers (using US-05) but they never really turned out "right."
Sorry still new to brewer's friend. Nothing exciting but hopefully this should work https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1389770/nz-pils
I'd be surprised if it drops to 1.007 but hey I'd love to be proven wrong
.It looks tasty
I see you went ale malt in place if pilsner interesting
My last brew I made whilst being able to brew with barley was a NZ pils my workmates like it
This was my first attempt
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1330295/nz-pils-comparrison-
My LHBS was out of Pils malt and I have a sack of Ale malt to get through. I read a Brülosophy experiment that seemed to suggest it's often hard to tell the difference — I probably won't be able too. I'm more trying to figure out how to use 34/70.I'd be surprised if it drops to 1.007 but hey I'd love to be proven wrong
It looks tasty
I see you went ale malt in place if pilsner interesting
My last brew I made whilst being able to brew with barley was a NZ pils my workmates like it
This was my first attempt
https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/1330295/nz-pils-comparrison-
I'm actually hoping it finishes a little higher than 1.007 but we'll see.
How did your two fermentation strategies compare in the end?
Well your right I doubt I'd be able to tell between pils and ale malt either.
By memory they were both nice but I preferred the traditional fermentation because strangely it had more flavour.
I'll dig up The post
https://www.brewersfriend.com/forum/threads/new-zealand-pils-comparrison.16047/
Love 34/70 but never had it finish above 1.008 or 9. Super forgiving yeast. I use it traditionally in the winter and under pressure in the summer.
I love the brulosophy stuff but if they had brewers do the taste tests. Bet the “telling the difference” will be different.
I pitched the yeast for my annual batch of cider.
Temperature not so bad, but it sure is mucking fuggy!
Gonna try to bottle and brew tomorrow. The missus is big help with the bottling. She does the capping and cleaning for storage while I fill bottles. Takes longer to prep for bottling than it does to get 5 gallons in the bottles.
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2019
- Messages
- 2,184
- Reaction score
- 5,484
- Points
- 113
It is kinda hot to have a 60+ minute boil going whether it is outside or indoors. The humidity up here has been killer.
Getting going with my Helles. Side yard will be shady for another hour and then Hell heat for brewing a Helles
Once temp comes down 3-4 degrees I’ll pitch the yeast
Yeast pitched. Decent brew day EXCEPT I had two chiller mishaps. Burned part of the tubing, No deal just lost some of the tubing after the coils so chiller still useable. But when I removed the chiller from the pot to carry it inside to transfer a smidge of the water from the chiller got into my 80 F wort. So hopefully the yeast work faster and I’m doing my typical worrying.
I recalibrated my tilt since it was off 0.04. Ended up with better efficiency today than expected.
I recalibrated my tilt since it was off 0.04. Ended up with better efficiency today than expected.
