Emergency Brew Session – Überschuss!
As mentioned in my last post, I have a problem with my kegging system – I drank all the beer, and didn’t have a new batch on-route.
This isn’t the first time my consumption has exceeded my brewing, but my usual solution – a quickly-made English bitter (ready in as little as 10 days) – was not in the cards as I’m off for two and a half weeks at the cottage (you’re bleeding for me, I know it).
Not only that, but I had some leftover hops and grain from my last batch – the hops especially need to be used as their shelf-life is not great. Using a few brew book and the net I cobbled together two recipes that would deplete this store. The first of these is a real hodge-podge of stuff, that may or may not be a good brew. Its vaugly formulated on an European-style ale (i.e. an Altbier). The second, to be brewed when I get back from the cottage, is a more traditional English Bitter.
Todays brew – Überschuss European Ale
Überschuss (German): surplus, excess
More below the fold
My mash setup; 50L cooler and a spot-plate for iodine tests (and a book on the history of the Dark Ages and Renaissance, just in case I have free time…
Mash in-progress – temperature is dead-on 67C!
Heating water for the sparge, big pot is for the boil, laptop’s playing Rush’s new album (and running Beersmith, but lets keep focused on the important stuff).
The hot break – not as bad as it looks. As you bring the wort to a boil, all the proteins used in the mash to make beer-goodness denature. At the break these proteins begin to precipitate – critical for making good-tasting clear beer.
End of the boil – 6L evaporated, and the cooling coil sanitized by boiling in wort for 15min.
5 hours later, beers in the fermented and the yeast is added.
When I come home from the cottage it’ll be beer!
The recipe, for better for for worse:
Überschuss European Ale:
Recipe Specifications
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Boil Size: 26.10 l
Post Boil Volume: 21.84 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 20.00 l
Bottling Volume: 19.50 l
Estimated OG: 1.052 SG
Estimated Color: 15.1 SRM
Estimated IBU: 36.3 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 73.5 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes
Ingredients:
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Amt Name Type %/IBU3.50 kg Pale Malt (2 Row) (2.0 SRM) Grain 70.7 %
1.00 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 20.2 %
0.23 kg Aromatic Malt (26.0 SRM) Grain 4.6 %
0.23 kg Wheat, Flaked (1.6 SRM) Grain 4.6 %
18.00 g Cascade [5.50 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 13.7 IBUs
14.17 g Perle [8.00 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 15.7 IBUs
7.00 g Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 90.0 min Hop 4.7 IBUs
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 15.0 mins) Fining -
7.00 g Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 15.0 min Hop 2.2 IBUs
7.00 g Hallertauer [4.80 %] - Boil 0.0 min Hop 0.0 IBUs
1.0 pkg SafBrew Ale (DCL/Fermentis #S-33) Yeast -
Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body, Batch Sparge66.7C, 60min, 2.6L/kg infusion ratioTotal Grain Weight: 4.95 kg----------------------------
Name Description Step Temperat Step Time
Mash In Add 13.17 l of water at 72.6 C 66.7 C 60 min
Sparge: Drain MLT, batch sparge with 2 steps (9.07 l each) of 75.6 C water
