Return to the Mash Tun...

[Mark D Pirate]

If temps are going to be high then either think about a Saison or at least use a forgiving yeast strain

 

[Thurston Brewer]

With an London water profile, my water adjustments would look like this:

 

[Thurston Brewer]

If temps are going to be high then either think about a Saison or at least use a forgiving yeast strain

Good point Mark... which reminds me I had a question about the yeast. I had planned to get some WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast for this, but I pitched my starter with some WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast I collected from my Pale Ale. It is rated up to 73 °F so it's better for warmer weather than most, but what would you guys expect in terms of taste? Would it be less than optimal for an Irish Red?

Since the starter is already working, I'm pretty much committed, but I'm curious for opinions from my more experienced forum-mates.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

I use White Labs WLP004 or Wyeast 1084 Irish Ale yeasts and have used any Chico yeast, it's just not the same as it's a bit too clean I think your WLP023 Burton Ale Yeast will work just fine
try to keep your water as close to this as possible Ca=50, Mg=10, Na=16, Cl=71, S04=69

 

[Thurston Brewer]

try to keep your water as close to this as possible Ca=50, Mg=10, Na=16, Cl=71, S04=69

That's a good bit different than what the water calc gives for the london profile... How did you arrive at these values?

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

its a just and even profile for both hop yeast and malt to play well together

 

[Thurston Brewer]

One final note on my first batch - the Chocolate Porter.

After several weeks it's still pretty flat and by now the chocolate and roasty flavors have slipped into the background. Also, a bottle gives me quite a headache - consistent with the high temp, racing fermentation. I'm gonna use the remaining bottles to water the grass and put them to better use holding my next batch!

Live and learn

 

[Thurston Brewer]

Just got new beer glasses, so now I can show off my brews!

Here's my Chocolate Porter...

 

[Thurston Brewer]

And here's a couple shots of my English Pale Ale:

Ahhh, my beauties!!

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

Nice I have those glasses too, I collect beer glasses and have most types, the only thing about those in my house is they don't fit in the top rack of my dishwasher

Nice beer too by the way

 

[GFHomebrew]

Dam you thirsty now your making me thirsty looking at those lovely frothies. Yummie!

Man that is some nice head on that English pale is that a bottled brew?

 

[Mark D Pirate]

How long has the English pale been in the bottle ?

 

[Thurston Brewer]

The EPA has been in the bottle for 32 days. It's a bit over-carbed... I used 62 g of cane sugar in a 3 gallon batch. I'm gonna reduce that in the future. It tastes best about 20 minutes after it's poured - when the carbonation has subsided. Pretty dang good, though!

 

[GFHomebrew]

The EPA has been in the bottle for 32 days. It's a bit over-carbed... I used 62 g of cane sugar in a 3 gallon batch. I'm gonna reduce that in the future. It tastes best about 20 minutes after it's poured - when the carbonation has subsided. Pretty dang good, though!

How's the bitterness nice and balanced with the malt? Mouthfeel does it linger in your mouth and a little later leave you wanting more.

 

[Thurston Brewer]

The bitterness is nice and subtle - the way I like it. I feel it should balance the malt flavors, not push them aside. I think I might try to up the IBUs just a bit in future, though...

I get a nice brown sugar flavor (from the brown sugar, duh!) and some tasty ale esters... not quite the mouthfeel I was aiming for but all in all a most drinkable brew. My problem is I have a gathering planned for the 17th and promised to add this EPA to the tasting... I'm down to just a few bottles, so I gotta lay off

Come on, Irish Red!! Daddy needs a new brew!!!

 

[Thurston Brewer]

About the brown sugar thing, I understand that it's just regular sugar with a touch of molasses, so I could prolly just use a spoon or two of molasses and make up the pound of sugar with more malt! Whaddya think?

 

[GFHomebrew]

Bitterness wise good idea start off low and creep her up nothing worse for me than an overly bitter brew,especially for heart burn. I've tried molasses it is a whole step above brown sugar how about golden syrup I think that's the next step below molasses .

And throw it in after primary fermentation to gain the flavour.

 

[Thurston Brewer]

And throw it in after primary fermentation to gain the flavour.

Not sure about that... adding highly fermentable sugar in the secondary would just create a second primary (hurts to think about, eh, mate?)

Anyway, I was just thinking about getting the brown sugar thing while saving the OG for malt!

 

[GFHomebrew]

Not sure about that... adding highly fermentable sugar in the secondary would just create a second primary (hurts to think about, eh, mate?)

Anyway, I was just thinking about getting the brown sugar thing while saving the OG for malt!

Adding sugar in at primary will not result in same contribution as after primary fermentation is over I'm testing this on my next batch. I think of it like adding your dry hop after primary is finished for those lovely aromas

 

[Nosybear]

Bitterness wise good idea start off low and creep her up nothing worse for me than an overly bitter brew,especially for heart burn. I've tried molasses it is a whole step above brown sugar how about golden syrup I think that's the next step below molasses .

And throw it in after primary fermentation to gain the flavour.

Okay, brown sugar is just white sugar with molasses added for color. The time to add is late in the primary fermentation cycle but not before it's over. The yeast are already getting tired and this infusion of simple sugars will allow them to take off again. You add it to secondary, the beer will start to ferment again so what's the point? Add late in primary, it'll do just fine.