Time for my homebrew to take the black. I haven't made a stout all winter so now we're way past due. The hops, yeast, and 5 lb. of non-base malt was purchased from the newly opened Brew Shop in Arlington, VA. So I dub this recipe the 'Brew Shop Stout.'
Recipe Notes
Style: Stout
Style: Stout
Batch Volume: 5 gal.
Color: ?
Target Bitterness: ?
Target OG: ?
Color: ?
Target Bitterness: ?
Target OG: ?
Grist
5 lb. 2-row
1 lb. Crystal 80
1 lb. Roast Barley
1 lb. Chocolate Malt
1 lb. Stout Malt
1 lb. Oats
0.9 oz. Perle (FWH)
0.5 oz. Nugget (FWH)
0.3 oz. Northern Brewer (FWH)
1 tsp. Irish Most (15 min.)
Yeast
Safale S-04
Brew Notes
Brew Date: 2/27/16
Mash Temp: 158
Mash Time: 90
5 lb. 2-row
1 lb. Crystal 80
1 lb. Roast Barley
1 lb. Chocolate Malt
1 lb. Stout Malt
1 lb. Oats
0.9 oz. Perle (FWH)
0.5 oz. Nugget (FWH)
0.3 oz. Northern Brewer (FWH)
1 tsp. Irish Most (15 min.)
Safale S-04
Brew Notes
Brew Date: 2/27/16
Mash Temp: 158
Mash Time: 90
Boil Time: 60 min.
Fermenter Volume: 4.5 gal
Measured OG: 13.2 Brix (1.053)
Measured FG: 1.017
Today I experimented with using my refractometer to measure wort gravity over the progression of the mash. At 4 brix after 30 minutes, 5 brix after 50 minutes, and 6 brix after 75 minutes. This had me pretty worried because were supposed to be around 12-13 for the recipe. Was using the pipette to draw wort off the top of the mash after stirring around.
After a fairly long 90 minute mash I pulled the grain bag and remeasured. Now we were up to 12 brix! Something about my mash readings just resulted in incredibly low measurements. Maybe somehow the wort on the bottom of the kettle was thicker than that at the top and I wasn't mixing properly?
At any rate I was relieved to hit pre-boil gravity. After an uneventful boil I collected 4 1/2 gallons of 13.2 brix wort, pitched the S-04 and aerated for a few minutes. I set the fermenter in front of my heater register to ensure fast fermentation and to encourage yeast to clean up diacetyl that was present in my last brew.
3/19/16 - Kegged today at 1.020 for 4.3% ABV. FG a little higher than I anticipated. Maybe because I used S-04 instead of the trusty US-05? Decided not to secondary this beer to let the yeast clean it up in primary. While racking it was a dark ruby color but crystal clear. Will likely not rack to secondary again. For dry hopping just hop in keg for a few days before chilling and carbonating.
EDIT: Actually the hydrometer is miscallibrated, reading 0.003 too high, so I think the real reading is 1.017 for an ABV of 4.7%.
Fermenter Volume: 4.5 gal
Measured OG: 13.2 Brix (1.053)
Measured FG: 1.017
Today I experimented with using my refractometer to measure wort gravity over the progression of the mash. At 4 brix after 30 minutes, 5 brix after 50 minutes, and 6 brix after 75 minutes. This had me pretty worried because were supposed to be around 12-13 for the recipe. Was using the pipette to draw wort off the top of the mash after stirring around.
After a fairly long 90 minute mash I pulled the grain bag and remeasured. Now we were up to 12 brix! Something about my mash readings just resulted in incredibly low measurements. Maybe somehow the wort on the bottom of the kettle was thicker than that at the top and I wasn't mixing properly?
At any rate I was relieved to hit pre-boil gravity. After an uneventful boil I collected 4 1/2 gallons of 13.2 brix wort, pitched the S-04 and aerated for a few minutes. I set the fermenter in front of my heater register to ensure fast fermentation and to encourage yeast to clean up diacetyl that was present in my last brew.
3/19/16 - Kegged today at 1.020 for 4.3% ABV. FG a little higher than I anticipated. Maybe because I used S-04 instead of the trusty US-05? Decided not to secondary this beer to let the yeast clean it up in primary. While racking it was a dark ruby color but crystal clear. Will likely not rack to secondary again. For dry hopping just hop in keg for a few days before chilling and carbonating.
EDIT: Actually the hydrometer is miscallibrated, reading 0.003 too high, so I think the real reading is 1.017 for an ABV of 4.7%.
