What are you brewing?

[paul.stevens Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close paul.stevens]

Been a while since I've posted a brew on here.

Did two and a half brews this week, first was a Black IPA using some Carafa II, and Kviek Ragnarok, which looks like it's going to come out great.

Then did a Blonde Ale yesterday using Kviek Oslo, and it's already half way fermented.

The half beer I made is a Small Beer, after finishing the Mash and Sparge for the Blonde and hitting my target OG, I added more water to the mash tun and did a second mash, got 15 liters at 1.030 wort out of that after the boil, and pitched US-05, did a very basic 60,30,15 hops schedule on it should get a nice light beer out of it.

Sent from my ONEPLUS A6013 using Tapatalk

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

Mind sharing a kolsch recipe you have done before?

I've never done a Kolsch, but by it's nature it's a hard beer to master. The slightest mistakes will show up glaringly obvious. I found this out from my Helles (a very similar style, maybe just a tad more spicy and fruity).

[Chris_za1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chris_za1]

I've never done a Kolsch, but by it's nature it's a hard beer to master. The slightest mistakes will show up glaringly obvious. I found this out from my Helles (a very similar style, maybe just a tad more spicy and fruity).

Maybe then not the best for me to try at this point.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

I'm not saying be scared of it, I'm just saying keep in mind it's hard to hide flaws in it. Take a Stout or an IPA for example. You can mash them wrong and ferment them wrong and miss the IBU and get a screwed up BU:GU ratio and they'll still be good beers, and people will happily drink it. With light lagers specifically there's just nothing to hide behind, and I learned that the hard way. I made a Helles (not that I'm a pro brewer by any stretch of the imagination) and I did everything perfect (or so I thought). I mashed perfect, did the boil perfectly, used the best malt and hops, fermented with the best yeast, including a starter, at the best temps, including the correct ramps up and down, fining, etc. etc.

And I got an off flavour I can't pinpoint. I don't know what it is, but it's there.

So all I'm saying is get your numbers accurate before you attempt a fragile beer, or you might just be really disappointed in the end result. I've found that I'm more disappointed in lagers that come out "meh" than ales, specifically because lagers take more care and effort on my end.

[Dewald Posthumus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dewald Posthumus]

True words, Lagers and Pilsners are a hit and miss affair. Ales are easier..

The other thing is, I brew seasonally, so in winter I won't do Pilsners, only Ales, and darker, amber, more malty ales at that. Low bittering, easy drinking winter beers.

I will do Pilsners again from September..

[Chris_za1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chris_za1]

I'm not saying be scared of it, I'm just saying keep in mind it's hard to hide flaws in it. Take a Stout or an IPA for example. You can mash them wrong and ferment them wrong and miss the IBU and get a screwed up BU:GU ratio and they'll still be good beers, and people will happily drink it. With light lagers specifically there's just nothing to hide behind, and I learned that the hard way. I made a Helles (not that I'm a pro brewer by any stretch of the imagination) and I did everything perfect (or so I thought). I mashed perfect, did the boil perfectly, used the best malt and hops, fermented with the best yeast, including a starter, at the best temps, including the correct ramps up and down, fining, etc. etc.

And I got an off flavour I can't pinpoint. I don't know what it is, but it's there.

So all I'm saying is get your numbers accurate before you attempt a fragile beer, or you might just be really disappointed in the end result. I've found that I'm more disappointed in lagers that come out "meh" than ales, specifically because lagers take more care and effort on my end.

That's really good advice thank you. Let me look around.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

True words, Lagers and Pilsners are a hit and miss affair. Ales are easier..

The other thing is, I brew seasonally, so in winter I won't do Pilsners, only Ales, and darker, amber, more malty ales at that. Low bittering, easy drinking winter beers.

I will do Pilsners again from September..

Hah I'm the other way around. Because my summer beers are lagered I like to brew them in winter months to give them time before summer comes. I'm going to do the same in the next month or so, to let them sit long enough so I have enough summer beer. In summer, I like to brew winter beers that like time, like stronger stouts. I didn't have the best finances this summer so I didn't do some for this winter, so now I'm compensating with a light beer, and then a dark beer, and then a light, etc.

[Dewald Posthumus Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Dewald Posthumus]

Hah I'm the other way around. Because my summer beers are lagered I like to brew them in winter months to give them time before summer comes. I'm going to do the same in the next month or so, to let them sit long enough so I have enough summer beer. In summer, I like to brew winter beers that like time, like stronger stouts. I didn't have the best finances this summer so I didn't do some for this winter, so now I'm compensating with a light beer, and then a dark beer, and then a light, etc.

O ja, nou onthou ek, jy drink nie genoeg nie!!!

[RudiC Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close RudiC]

I'm looking forward to getting where you guys are, planning ahead for summer and winter beers. I'm still trying to work on getting my system dialled in and getting to a Blonde recipe that I can brew on a regular basis. Every second brew is a variation on my previous recipe.

It's fun to experiment, so every other brew is a new style of light coloured beer. Still have lots to learn, but having fun all the way

[Toxxyc Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Toxxyc]

O ja, nou onthou ek, jy drink nie genoeg nie!!!

Flip meneer, ek het die laaste keg amper alleen in 3 weke gekill. Ek het dit soortvan verwag, maar dit was nogsteeds 'n skok om die tap te druk en daar kom net CO2 uit. Badkamerskaal maak my al hoe swaarder ook deesdae...

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

Finish it in under 2 weeks, then come speak again

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

PS: i don't consider Kolsch as a fragile beer

I treat it the same as an Ale brew

I basically take Pale malt with a little wheat and ferment with LalBrew Köln at Ale temps

This was a great beer in January 2020 in the mids of summer ...
Screenshot_1.jpg

NO CHILL

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

B<>
Mind sharing a kolsch recipe you have done before?

[Chris_za1 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Chris_za1]

Literally sitting here looking at recipes. My last blonde was from NFP, but thinking of doing an Irish stout and centennial blonde, but can't find caramel /Crystal malt on their order form, nor the Nottingham yeast.




Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[JIGSAW Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JIGSAW]

Crystal what? ... you can substitute with what they have