What's your next brew

Sandy Feet said:
With Brew in a Bag, pretty limited to single infusion.
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How so
I do BiAB step mashes and decoctions all the time
You don't need to do full volume BIAB
I start my mash 1.2 grain ratio so plenty of water left in the HLT to step mash
If you're doing a Heffe I would suggest a step mash of 113-130-152 or 113-130-145-155
 
Sandy Feet said:
I have read about the airlock. I'm going to use a blow off tube into a growler. I can't get water cold, so I am going to set the refrigerator to 50, go out, have a couple of beers, and let the fermenter get down in the 60s after about three hours before I pitch and turn up the temperature to about 65.
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Yeah, definitely set up a blowoff if your head space is limited. I've made a few Hefe's with WY3068 (BIAB, single infusion @152°F) and the fermentation was vigorous, to say the least. I pitch around 65-66°F and try to keep the temp no higher than 70-72°F. I assume you are using WLP300, so not sure if the fermentation will be similar, but probably.
Pitching cold and keeping temps in check should keep your esters low, at least in theory. Still, this yeast is usually banana forward, so be prepared. I don't mind the banana, actually I prefer it. What I don't care for is too much clove in the mix. Clove is for Saisons! :)
I've never used any White Labs Hefe strains, but according to WL, 300 is supposed to be more banana forward and 380 leans more clove.

Good luck. Keep us posted!
 
yeah no higher than 70 F
also this is a good style to start with the loose lid fermentation like a saison
you can scoop the Krausen if your fermentor is to small
you don't want any back pressure
this is not any easy beer to get right
 
Sandy Feet said:
I just found out that I am off this weekend, so I have been running all over hell tonight so I can brew on Sunday. I'm going to make my first Hefeweizen. I just ordered the grain tonight. White Labs says that the yeast likes 68-72. Given how active that shit is supposed to be and that I want something a little more balanced, I might start at 65 (ambient temp) and ramp it up to around 68 after the fermentation calms down a little. I don't want to go too cold, but I also don't want a total banana bomb. Any thoughts on this? By the way, I did order a 1/4 oz of Melanoidin as suggested by Don.
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Small batch? I use 4 oz in 5.5 gallons. But any is preferable to none.

One reasonable alternative is to do a decoction: start at 144 F and let it mash maybe 20-30 minutes. Take out about a quarter or third (wort plus grain) into a big pot and boil it (really) 10-15 minutes on the stove. Pour it back in, and viola!, your wort is at 155 or so for the rest of the mash. This is how a step mash is done, and this is how one gets the ‘cookie’ flavors that we also get from melanoidin.

Indeed: start at 105 F, 20 minutes, then scoop/boil/add to get 144, repeat for 155: a double decoction. You can even rest at 122F a while, like traditional hefes are made.

To get temperatures accurate, the math is simple: if we assume 3 gallons, 2gal @ 105 + 1gal @ 212 = 140 F. ((2*105) + (1*212)) / 3 = 140

Also: don’t fret if fermentation starts slow at 66. I like the banana so I start at 68, but I also have temperature control. A blowoff tube is almost mandatory.
 
Brew Cat said:
How so
I do BiAB step mashes and decoctions all the time
You don't need to do full volume BIAB
I start my mash 1.2 grain ratio so plenty of water left in the HLT to step mash
If you're doing a Heffe I would suggest a step mash of 113-130-152 or 113-130-145-155
Click to expand...

How long are you holding the steps?
I know there are some steps you don't want to linger on, but I feel like I'm not getting a full "extraction" from each step sometimes. Not gravity mind you, but my system seems to be a bit slower to extract. I do get there, but I'm usually extracting 90-120 minutes to make numbers, regardless.
 
Donoroto said:
Small batch? I use 4 oz in 5.5 gallons. But any is preferable to none.

One reasonable alternative is to do a decoction: start at 144 F and let it mash maybe 20-30 minutes. Take out about a quarter or third (wort plus grain) into a big pot and boil it (really) 10-15 minutes on the stove. Pour it back in, and viola!, your wort is at 155 or so for the rest of the mash. This is how a step mash is done, and this is how one gets the ‘cookie’ flavors that we also get from melanoidin.

Indeed: start at 105 F, 20 minutes, then scoop/boil/add to get 144, repeat for 155: a double decoction. You can even rest at 122F a while, like traditional hefes are made.

To get temperatures accurate, the math is simple: if we assume 3 gallons, 2gal @ 105 + 1gal @ 212 = 140 F. ((2*105) + (1*212)) / 3 = 140

Also: don’t fret if fermentation starts slow at 66. I like the banana so I start at 68, but I also have temperature control. A blowoff tube is almost mandatory.
Click to expand...
I'm just using a simple BIAB so single infusion. I'm boiling 7 gallons, but it will be 6 post boil and 5 or 5.5 in the fermenter. I do have a fermentation refrigerator in the garage.
 
Megary said:
Yeah, definitely set up a blowoff if your head space is limited. I've made a few Hefe's with WY3068 (BIAB, single infusion @152°F) and the fermentation was vigorous, to say the least. I pitch around 65-66°F and try to keep the temp no higher than 70-72°F. I assume you are using WLP300, so not sure if the fermentation will be similar, but probably.
Pitching cold and keeping temps in check should keep your esters low, at least in theory. Still, this yeast is usually banana forward, so be prepared. I don't mind the banana, actually I prefer it. What I don't care for is too much clove in the mix. Clove is for Saisons! :)
I've never used any White Labs Hefe strains, but according to WL, 300 is supposed to be more banana forward and 380 leans more clove.

Good luck. Keep us posted!
Click to expand...
I don't mind the banana. I just don't want it to be a banana bomb. I want just a little something, something to balance it out. 300 is my only choice right now. They don't have the 380, so it will be a fun experiment.
 
Dave Y said:
How long are you holding the steps?
I know there are some steps you don't want to linger on, but I feel like I'm not getting a full "extraction" from each step sometimes. Not gravity mind you, but my system seems to be a bit slower to extract. I do get there, but I'm usually extracting 90-120 minutes to make numbers, regardless.
Click to expand...
To expand on what @Donoroto said for a decoction
Mash in with infusion for your first step for instance 135 then pull your first decoction and heat to 145 Then rest it for 15 minutes then boil 15 minutes add back to the mash to get the whole mash up to 145
Immediately pull a second decoction and heat to 155 hold for 15 then boil for 15 and then add back to the mash to raise it to 155 for 30 minutes
So the mash in rest is 15 minutes then the total of the sach rest is 60
If just doing a infusion hold the steps about 20
 
Brew Cat said:
To expand on what @Donoroto said for a decoction
Mash in with infusion for your first step for instance 135 then pull your first decoction and heat to 145 Then rest it for 15 minutes then boil 15 minutes add back to the mash to get the whole mash up to 145
Immediately pull a second decoction and heat to 155 hold for 15 then boil for 15 and then add back to the mash to raise it to 155 for 30 minutes
So the mash in rest is 15 minutes then the total of the sach rest is 60
If just doing a infusion hold the steps about 20
Click to expand...
that is so complicated lol.
 
If course when doing the decoction mash you can mash in with more water because your not using much from the HLT using the decoctions as the infusion
I'm sorry it sounds more complicated tha5itis
 
Brew Cat said:
Single Infusion mashing is boooooring
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tell me about it! Im on my 4th brew of this week...got a couple more next week...my tank from monday will pack on monday. the lagers wont though.

the exciting thing to me is that i get the opertunity to mash in twice, heat up and cool down, sparge etc. all of it. /s
 
Bigbre04 said:
tell me about it! Im on my 4th brew of this week...got a couple more next week...my tank from monday will pack on monday. the lagers wont though.

the exciting thing to me is that i get the opertunity to mash in twice, heat up and cool down, sparge etc. all of it. /s
Click to expand...
Doing it for a living is well , work
You can live through us vicariously
 
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