My head now hurts

 

And the dry hop can affect the pH as well, prompting some people to adjust it prior to packaging. Interesting article here on pH levels and dry hopping and some other factors - http://scottjanish.com/a-look-at-ph-in-hoppy-beers/.

As well as the science in the article above, the author did some subjective taste trials, dosing finished beer with lactic acid. He preferred a higher pH for low ABV hoppy beers and a lower pH for high ABV hoppy beers. Probably something to play around with at packaging, or after packaging, so you can adjust the next batch.

 

Matches what I've found when I do tastings with brewing salts... Lowering the pH makes light beers "pop" while raising the pH makes dark beers smoother - a generalization if I've ever heard one! But a good rule to follow if you're starting to dose beers with salts or acids. Also, the same holds for hoppy beers: A higher pH is less harsh.

 

Thank You @HighVoltageMan! I had no idea!
And, like Josh, my head hurts too.

 

Just crunching some numbers tweaking water requirements for brew session am I reading this right 10lt hop Absorption WTF

My usuall total water needed for let's say pilsner is around 26-7lt for standard hoppy beers around 30lt but 40 I've got my doubts....


Oh scrap that glad I double checked my equipment profile I must of imputed wrong field all is well now 2lt hop Absorption compared to 10 few I can live with that. And yup expected total water 30.5 erring on side of caution .

Also going to correct mash o
Ph to 5.4 with a little phosphoric sorry high voltage man we brewers are creatures of comfort. Heck maybe I'll change my mind and add to the boil on brew day ...

 

I can confirm hop absorption was higher than usual, but probably normal considering nearly a pound of hops was in there.

Brew day went well, hit my strike temp dead on, and held it within a couple of degrees, stepped up to 162 and sparged with 170 water. Acidified with 10% phosphoric acid (just used 8.8 times as much) to good effect. Below is my boil. At flame out (well, 'switch off") I lowered the temperature a bit to maybe 180, added the hops (in bags) and continued to cool it using the chiller to 170, and let it sit 20 minutes. Decanted just under 21 quarts to the fermenter, pitched at 74 F (went in at 92 F, counterflow chiller was off its game a bit, I think I know why) and today it is happily bubbling away at 67 F.

Hit my OG perfectly at 1.058, could've easily fit more grain in there but that made stirring the mash really easy. In a BZ35 I used the malt pipe but not the false bottom, and recirculated at almost full speed the whole time. As usual (for me) the temp controller was set at 158 to hold 150.

You can watch progress here:

 

I’ll be brewing tomorrow night, it may end up in a competition. How did the whirlpool smell?

 

Hoppy for sure, and a nice malt odor. Nothing objectionable.

It was not really remarkable though, and so I didn't pay much attention to it.
It was cold yesterday in Atlanta, I brewed with the garage door open, and used a fan to push boil steam out the door. Along with any possible odors. And my nose was cold too.

 

Need to free up a fermenter so I can get this brew going this weekend!
I mentioned earlier that I might move some hops around, but have decided not to mess with this tried and true beauty!
A pound of hops in a 5 gallon batch, right up my alley!

 

I am getting low on Mosaic and can't get it right now, so I will use what I have in the hopstand, top that up with some Sabro, and sub Sabro in for the dry addition as well. Haven't used Sabro yet, but I have heard good things.

 

I’ve used Sabro hops, they’re good.

 

agreed, I use sabro with centennial in a pale ale and I like it.

 

Not to be that guy but I know Gash slug and online brew Vlogger i follow ain't a fan of the Sabro Bro... rekons he can pick it out most beers it's in can't get past the coconut or something.
Just because he don't like it doesn't mean you or anyone else don't though. Just putting it out there
I've not tried it

 

Sometimes the hops that get blended clash or sometimes the hop by itself isn't as good as blend. You just never know. I know I have had hops that were good one year, the next they weren't as good. Maybe it really wasn't as good as I thought or the hops were seconds/rejects or something like that. Homebrewers get the left overs from the pros.

 

Placing an order in the next day or two. I’ll definitely have it ready for March.

 

I think it's easily recognised. It works in most beers for me and spoils a few. The wife hates it.

 

We hashed this out in the other Community Recipe thread. I typed a summery.

@Trialben took care of the drawing for this one.