Q4 Brewersfriend Community Recipie 2021.

For some reason my extraction was great on brew day so mine went from OG 1.058 to 1.009 FG with Notty

Sample from bottling wasn't boozy, fingers crossed it stays malty and flavorful without the punch. "Imperial Irish Fling" I guess lol
 
For some reason my extraction was great on brew day so mine went from OG 1.058 to 1.009 FG with Notty

Sample from bottling wasn't boozy, fingers crossed it stays malty and flavorful without the punch. "Imperial Irish Fling" I guess lol
Yawza! You're going to get your money's worth out of that one! :D At 6.5% ABV it's just over the high end of the range and easing into Scottish Strong Ale territory but it's going to be crisp and light-bodied. Should be an easy drinker and a bit of a creeper if you're not careful. :)
 
Mine went to 1.005 (90% atten) with S04.
Holly crap:eek: that is some bast@dry hungry happy yeasties.
I bet your version is crisp on the finish Alan.
Actually that's one thing I'm enjoying about this beer is the clean crispish finish even though it's got the Munich malt I added that dark English crystal malt too which I thought would delay some attenuation and risk comming across sweet but gladly it's remained ballanced.
 
Holly crap:eek: that is some bast@dry hungry happy yeasties.
I bet your version is crisp on the finish Alan.
Actually that's one thing I'm enjoying about this beer is the clean crispish finish even though it's got the Munich malt I added that dark English crystal malt too which I thought would delay some attenuation and risk comming across sweet but gladly it's remained ballanced.

I haven't bottled it yet - doing that tomorrow - I have two brews to bottle / mini keg and an Extract brew to do (see my earlier post on Starters) so I'm going to be busy.
 
Yawza! You're going to get your money's worth out of that one! :D At 6.5% ABV it's just over the high end of the range and easing into Scottish Strong Ale territory but it's going to be crisp and light-bodied. Should be an easy drinker and a bit of a creeper if you're not careful. :)
The perfect Christmas party beer for my in-law's :) deceptively strong. I'll be happy as long as it's not too sweet and has good bitter balance
 
Actually that's one thing I'm enjoying about this beer is the clean crispish finish
That's been the quest with this beer ...Balancing a malty, caramel flavor profile with a clean, dry finish. I think the yeast selection is key. A little extra fruitiness from the yeast pushes it a little toward a sweet flavor no matter how you try to avoid it. Good attenuation and lower ester production helps to get the graininess of the malt forward in the flavor and helps the hops shine through.
My carb-cap sample bottle from the Notty batch is a little sweet but early samples from the keg, which is clearer because of fining with Biofine, is showing a cleaner finish and less fruitiness from the yeast. :) If I can get the 004 batch to settle out and lager a bit, I think it'll come off just as clean and dry, even though the attenuation is less.
 
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Both kegs are reasonably carbed and fairly clear and I was able to compare the two fermentations. It's obvious that the inadvertent difference in temperature between the two batches made a big impact. When comparing the two the biggest and most noticeable difference is the level of diacetyl. The Nottingham batch started relatively warm and stayed in the range of 64 to 66 degrees in a waterbath the whole time and then got a little raise to 68+ room temp at the end.
The 004 batch started warm but went much cooler because of the cold air layers in the freezer/chamber. Even though it was set for 60 to help drop the wort temp a little, the swing would push it much lower so the wort went below 60 degrees and took a couple of days to warm up to the mid 60s. As a result, there was a lager-style lag in the fermentation. Once it got going, it was energetic enough and didn't take a long time to drop in gravity but even with a couple of swirls and high-60s to low-70 finishing temp, attenuation was a little low.
The good thing is that it really is a delicious beer. The extra diacetyl is pleasant and perfect for the style and doesn't go to the level of cloying or off-putting. Rather, it just adds a rich, buttery, caramel note to the malt profile. I had a batch do this with S-04 at low temps and it was a really nice beer as well.
The level of residual sweetness and fruit esters seems similar in the two batches but the more attenuated Notty batch shows a crisper finish with a very slightly more tart or sharp quality in the yeast profile with the hops jumping out just a little more. I'm sure that the diacetyl quality of the 004 batch will settle a little as it clears and I feel pretty certain that blending these beers will give a really nice result.
 
I tried brewing the JA's Q4 brew yesterday. And I did brew...something...it just wasn't an Irish Red. I took JA's recipe as-is and did not notice that Acidulated Malt and Roasted Malt were in- ounces not pounds! :eek: Yes, I really did add about 10 times the amount I should have!
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Since I have never used Acidulated Malt before, I can let myself off the hook for that one. But, I use Roasted Barley all the time so I cannot explain why the alarm bells did not go off there. Maybe I created a new style: Irish Extreme Stout? It's the Acidulated Malt that is concerning me. After updating my recipe to match what I really added, the calculated pH is only 4.4. What effect will this have on fermentation and the final beer?

Well, I don't feel so bad. I did the exact same thing. However I was distracted by the stuck Mash. Not 1 drop would flow out of the Tun Drain & the Kettle was dry. After an hour of trying to get if flowing, I finally got a couple of gallons in to the Kettle. BG came out about 1,022 & the Fermenter never gave a single bubble.

My rule is when you fall off the horse you get back on & ride it to the stable. After I wasted time trying to make a silk purse from a sows ear, I dumped the Fermenter & returned to the LHBS to rebuy & rebrew the Irish Red. This time I added a pound of Rice Hulls instead of my usual 1/2 pound.

Since I brew outside, the weather can be the brew day scheduler, not me. Cold & windy delayed me until 12/29-12/30. High temp for those days was 35 F, drips & spills froze right away.

This time the Mash circulated perfectly, left all the dust on top of the Mash & put 7 gallons into the Kettle. Perfect! Fermenter is bubbling away & I'm looking forward to the 1st tap.

While all this was going on, the wind speed hit 75 to100 MPH & the Marshal Fire burned 1,000 houses in 14 hrs. My sons Town House is in Superior & right in the path of the fire. Luckily his block was not touched but neighbors on both sides were reduced to ashes. They had 10 minutes to round up important stuff, grab the dog, the kid & stuff it all into their GTI. Luckily they were able to stay with her family until the All Clear was sounded late the next day. Luck was on his side, this time. We'll celebrate & offer thanks to the Beer God when the officials allow a return to the impact area.

Thanks JA. We can't wait until we can all get that 1st taste.
 
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Mine was too sweet - my fault entirely - I used Lactose instead of Lactic Acid.... duh! I have no idea why the bells didn't ring for me too.
I will rebrew and dump my first go. I have lactic acid too but I will rebalance using acidulated malt
 
Mine was too sweet - my fault entirely - I used Lactose instead of Lactic Acid.... duh! I have no idea why the bells didn't ring for me too.
I will rebrew and dump my first go. I have lactic acid too but I will rebalance using acidulated malt
Yeah...that's not going to have the same effect. :eek:
And in the water chemistry section, your additions will probably be different, completely dependent on your water profile. I use the lactic acid to acidify the sparge but there are other ways to manage PH. As noted in the description section, use of Acidulated malt is optional (again, depending on your water profile and PH management plan). :)
 
I'm way late on my 1st taste. Moved to keg on 1/10 & turned on the gas. OG was 1.054 & FG was 1.010. 83 per cent efficient.
Fast forward to 1/16. My wife fell in the Kitchen & broke her left hip. We've been in the hospital & rehabilitation hospital ever since. We don't get out till 2/4.
I've been with her from 8am to 8pm ever since. The keg is calling to me but I'm flagged out when I get home.
Haven't been able to make the Amber yet but soon.
 
I'm way late on my 1st taste. Moved to keg on 1/10 & turned on the gas. OG was 1.054 & FG was 1.010. 83 per cent efficient.
Fast forward to 1/16. My wife fell in the Kitchen & broke her left hip. We've been in the hospital & rehabilitation hospital ever since. We don't get out till 2/4.
I've been with her from 8am to 8pm ever since. The keg is calling to me but I'm flagged out when I get home.
Haven't been able to make the Amber yet but soon.
Sorry to hear that! Anything we can do?
 
I'm way late on my 1st taste. Moved to keg on 1/10 & turned on the gas. OG was 1.054 & FG was 1.010. 83 per cent efficient.
Fast forward to 1/16. My wife fell in the Kitchen & broke her left hip. We've been in the hospital & rehabilitation hospital ever since. We don't get out till 2/4.
I've been with her from 8am to 8pm ever since. The keg is calling to me but I'm flagged out when I get home.
Haven't been able to make the Amber yet but soon.
Sorry to hear that.
 
I'm really sorry to hear about that Robert! I hope your wife feels better soon.
 
I'm way late on my 1st taste. Moved to keg on 1/10 & turned on the gas. OG was 1.054 & FG was 1.010. 83 per cent efficient.
Fast forward to 1/16. My wife fell in the Kitchen & broke her left hip. We've been in the hospital & rehabilitation hospital ever since. We don't get out till 2/4.
I've been with her from 8am to 8pm ever since. The keg is calling to me but I'm flagged out when I get home.
Haven't been able to make the Amber yet but soon.
All the best to your wife (and you). And good on you for keeping your priorities straight.
 
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Thanks fellow brewers. She's getting around a little better now but still a Non Weight Bearing order from the Surgeon.
When I got home this evening I tapped the Irish Red. It's red alright. Nice Rockie head. Tastes great but it wants some more rest in the fridge.
But very promising.
Need a better background but it's dark outside.
 
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Glad to hear things are improving.
Take care
 
Sorry to hear about the mishap, I hope she has a good recovery:(
 

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