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Johnny Davidson Ale
| Brewer : |
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Alan McKay |
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| Objective : |
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Compare Ale and Lager yeast
by fermenting identical worts of average gravity (circa
1.045) with each yeast. All other factors identical, only
the yeast varies. A lighter beer was chosen to allow the
flavour of the yeast to come through more. In hindsight,
the beer may be slightly over-hopped to properly achieve
this. |
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| Method : |
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All Grain |
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| Date : |
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98.03.22 |
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This is an extremely versatile recipe. If you use rice or corn
in the mash, it becomes a premium North American beer, whereas if
you leave that out and use a good German hops, it becomes and
excellent Kölsch-style
beer.
Ingredients for 40 litres :
- 12 lb 2row
- 1 kg Munich
- 1 kg Wheat
- 1 lb flaked maize
Procedure :
- 13:00 - 22 l @ 167F mash in to 155. Add 500ml @ 45F to
bring to 150.5F
- 13:11 - add 1l boiling to 151.6F
- 13:25 - add 1l boiling to 152.9F
- 14:03 - add 1l boiling to 153F
- 14:25 - add 5l to fill cooler, recirc 7l
- 14:30 - batch sparge begin
- 14:37 - end, refill, recirc 7l
- 14:48 - begin 2nd
- 14:55 - end
- 15:00 - turn on heat 145F OG 1.026 @ 129F
- 16:10 - boil commences
- 16:20 - add 1.5oz Perle @ 6.7
- 16:45 - add 0.5oz Perle @ 6.7
- 17:00 - add moss
- 17:20 - heat off, add 1.0oz Bill Crick's Hallertauer
- 17:30 - begin CF chill to 2 carboys
- 19:25 - Lager & Ale rehydrate 20 min in 300ml 60F
water. Lager yeast still very granular, not completely
dissolved
Notes
|
| Date/Time |
Ale |
Lager |
| 98.03.23 07:00 |
activity barely visible in
lock over 1 min. No Foam |
No activity. No foam. |
| 98.03.23 17:00 |
same as above. Add 2 tsp
yeast in 300ml 30C water. |
same as above. Add 2 tsp
yeast in 300ml 30C water. |
| 98.03.24 07:02 |
fermenting like hell. Small
amount of foam. |
fermenting like hell. Small
amount of foam. |
| 98.03.24 21:44 |
1"-2" foam on |
foam 1" from neck |
| 98.03.25 7:00 |
blew a bit out the stoppers,
high kraeusen down |
blew a bit out the stoppers,
high kraeusen down |
| 98.03.25 19:55 |
airlock once per minute - SG
1.012. Yeast still very much in suspension. Cloudy,
murky. Taste sharp, young, yeasty. Ferm temp 63F |
airlock once per 5 seconds
SG 1.012. Yeast still very much in suspension. Cloudy,
murky. Taste sharp, young, yeasty. Ferm temp 63F |
| 98.03.28 13:00 |
Rack to 2ndary. SG 1.011 |
Rack to 2ndary. SG 1.010 |
| 98.04.01 07:00 |
Yeast still very much in
suspension in bottom 1/3 to 1/2 of carboy. |
Yeast pretty much completely
flocced out |
| 98.04.08 19:00 |
Flocced out quite a bit, but
still cloudy, and could use another week in the
fermenter, or some finings. Kegged it anyway. FG 1.010. |
Bright. Kegged. FG 1.008 |
| 98.04.09 14:00 |
Hopping is just
about right, near the "medium" end of
"low". First use of Perle hops : pleasant
spiciness. Try next time with Saaz last 20 minutes
instead of Perle. Excellent head and retention. Excellent
lace. Yeast still in suspension in Ale probably just
under the flavour threshold, so a sensative set of
tastebuds might detect it. Lager is chill-hazed, but was
bright before refridgeration. This young, both taste
identical. |
| 98.04.12 12:00 |
Lager tastes
cleaner than Ale, but difficult to tell if it's simply
from yeast still in suspension in Ale. |
Comments :
- from the lack of activity on the initial pitch, it is
quite obvious that neither yeast likes being rehydrated
at such a low temperature. In hindsight, this should have
been a foregone conclusion. After a proper pitch was
done, both seem to ferment extremely well, and very fast.
- 98.04.01 07:00 10 days after brew day the Lager
yeast has flocced out almost completely, where the Ale is
still very much in suspension. If it stays in much
longer, it could prove problematic. Nothing a bit of
chilling won't fix, but your average brewer doesn't have
this tool at his disposal.
- 98.04.09 07:00 unfortunately the Ale had to get
kegged before it had fallen bright, simply because I'm
getting low on beer :-) Will do another batch, though.
Both carboys will be Ale yeast, one of which will be
fined if not bright after my regular 2 week 2ndary, the
other of which will be allowed to sit as long as it takes
to fall bright.
Conclusions :
- The Ale yeast is far too powdery, and takes far too long
to flocc out, even when chilled
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