Here’s the recipe that I’m using that I took from Zymurgy:
5 Gallon recipe
10.25 lbs. Pale LME
Mash the following @ 152*F for 60 mins.
16 oz. Bisquit
12 oz. 40*L Crystal
12 oz. Munich
8 oz. Wheat malt
First Wort Hops
1/2 oz. cascade leaf
1/2 oz. simcoe leaf
60 mins.
3/4 oz. centennial pellet
45 mins.
1/4 oz. chinook pellet
30 mins.
1 oz. crystal pellet
1/2 oz. cascade leaf
15 mins.
1/2 oz. warrior pellet
0 mins.
1/2 oz. simcoe pellet
1 1/2 oz. cascade leaf
Dry Hop
1 1/2 oz. cascade leaf
I think those specialty grains will get lost in the hops. I would consider simplifying the bill and just use say 8oz crystal for color. This eliminates the tiny mash. I also would encourage you to add something around a pound of table sugar to dry her out especially with the LME.
Hop additions look a little low for a double but too lazy to input them… 6oz or so. I would consider doubling the late additions. I consider 8oz on the low side and have been known to use a full pound…
It’s too late for the wort, but about as far as the pound of sugar goes I’m assuming it’s fine to just boil it in something like 20 oz. water, cool it, and pitch it (quietly of course).
Funny we are talking about adding sugar post boil as I forgot to add mine last night but otherwise a perfect brew day. You want the minimum water to liquify the sugar right? pH adjustment, overkill? I think I will boil and few minutes, cool, and pitch post krauesen. First time post boils sugar addition for me.
My brewnight last night was a goddamned nightmare. My strike water was allegedly at the right temperature when suddenly (after doughing in) the temperature spiked to above 190*F. Naturally I ripped the grain sack out, and did some calibrations with my thermometer. I noticed the temp was rising in my hand as I simply held it and that’s when I noticed the crack at the base. One thermometer down.
I grabbed my floating thermometer and threw it into the water. Even with the heat on high the temperature was leveling out at 140*F and not rising. Strange since it almost started boiling. I was so upset about the last thermometer that when trying to see if this one was working I checked it with my ice bath water. Going from nearly boiling to ice cold resulted in the thermometer shattering. Two down.
Drove to store. 10:30 p.m. Bought a digital thermometer. Now that I’m reading temps correctly I feel a little more relaxed. I grab a rye whiskey neat and sip it while reading and waiting for the partial mash conversion.
After sparging I added my LME and stirred it for about 10 minutes trying to make sure it was well diluted in the water. I set the kettle on the turkey boiler, and then I go about getting it up to boil. I smell a strange burning, but can’t find smoke anywhere. When the boil finally happens there are black flakes everywhere coming up to the surface. Scorched wort. Great.
I turn it off and strain everything out, clean the bottom of the kettle, and try again with a much lower flame. Everything was going fine until my final hop addition caused a boilover on the balcony of my third story apartment… which went between the boards down onto my neighbor’s balcony. Thank god no one was outside that late.
It’s in the fermenter now, but I’ve got so much clean-up work, apologizing, and fretting to do now. Lessons were learned last night, but the biggest, toughest one was that I was lazy and reckless. My prep work is coming with a check sheet next time.
[quote=“Hoppenheimer”]I smell a strange burning, but can’t find smoke anywhere. When the boil finally happens there are black flakes everywhere coming up to the surface. Scorched wort.[/quote]Not even sure how this is possible if you stirred for 10 minutes - is your spoon long enough to reach the bottom of the kettle?
Yeah, it’s a mystery to me. I have a 2 1/2 foot stainless steel spoon that I use, and the wort was already at 150+ degrees so I’m really struggling to figure it out.
Get yourself a few large concrete pavers to insulate the wood over the fryer area (and to minimize boilover damage ) Your not supposed to use turkey fryers on wood decks, but then again, you’re also not supposed to use them in a garage either, and I do and many others do too. Just be smart and safe about it. I trust you have a fire extinguisher.
Tough brew days, I’ve had plenty. You learn alot from them though. You’re spot on about early prep, but I am guilty of slacking on that when I get the urge.
Thanks for the constructive and not at all condescending criticism.[/quote]
I inquired with my apartment manager about brewing on my deck. She said to ask the FD. They said that a turkey fryer was classified the same as a gas grill, closed flame. You could see that they were concerned though. I assured them that sugar water was not flammable, I’ve boiled over many times when I was living in a house.
My advice for brewing on a deck would be to have something to catch any boil over. There are large pans at the auto parts store to catch oil drips. And maybe get some brick pavers to deflect the heat.
[quote=“zwiller”]Get yourself a few large concrete pavers to insulate the wood over the fryer area (and to minimize boilover damage ) Your not supposed to use turkey fryers on wood decks, but then again, you’re also not supposed to use them in a garage either, and I do and many others do too. Just be smart and safe about it. I trust you have a fire extinguisher.
Tough brew days, I’ve had plenty. You learn alot from them though. You’re spot on about early prep, but I am guilty of slacking on that when I get the urge.[/quote]
I think the issue is using the burner to heat oil. Boil over with oil creates a fire. Which as we know starts the deck on fire, which starts the house on fire.
I would likely take a long time for a deck to start on fire from close proximity to the burner. It may scorch the wood though. You have the same idea I have with having some brick under it.
Thanks for the constructive and not at all condescending criticism.[/quote]
I apologize for being so non constructive, but after reading your whole update that was the only thing that stood out to to me. I have lived in apartments with wood decks and seen people use gas burning and charcoal burning grills and knowing here in MN…at least a long time ago, it was not allowed and thought you might want to think about that. I guess I could have sugar coated it a bit more.
Thanks for the swift responses guys. Garret, my apologies for the sarcasm, I’m just grumpy about the whole series of events. To be clear: I have a fire extinguisher, but that’s just plain good advice. I have talked to my landlord about the burner and she okayed it. I have a tarp underneath the metal scaffold I constructed to hold the burner because I didn’t want to scorch the deck or leak boiling lava hot sugar water onto my neighbors heads; the wort just leaked out over it and now I know that that’s not enough. I would love to get a bigger kettle but can’t afford it… okay… I’m done with the defensive :lol: time to move on and do better and be safer.
Great move to check with the landlord. Even with a kettle twice nearly twice the size of my batches I run into a boilover now and then, it’s just not one of those disastrous volcano ones.
I hope your next brew days goes as planned (and it usually does!) :cheers:
6oz or so. I would consider doubling the late additions. I consider 8oz on the low side and have been known to use a full pound…