The bitter and decoctions
Posted by Jared Birbeck on Sunday, August 2, 2009
The bitter went really well on the weekend. Bittered to around 37IBU, I used the TF floor malted Marris Otter (95%) and Imperial Malt for the other 5%. As a bit of a new idea for english brewing I used the German technique, decoctions. What was the result? Rather than getting 19 litres at 1045 as estimated using Beersmith with 75% efficiency, I hit just over 20 litres at 1052 which makes it an Extra Special Bitter rather than a Special Bitter.
Despite the hassle of a decoction I have found so far that it is really improving my efficiency. Its not somthing I have been to worried about before but its nice to be on the high side.
The brew day
It was an early start (before 7am) strike water heating up to around 55 degree for a Mash in of 50 degrees. I split the grain into to parts the first was going to be my decoction in a small pot. Would have been about a fifth of the total grain. the rest went into the mash tun. The decoction portion I mashed in earlier to get a head start. It was sitting at 50 degrees while I mucked about with the main mash.
Mashing in I hit 50 degrees. I let the main mash sit there at that temp for 20-30 mins while I raised the temp of the decoction portion to 65 degrees and let it sit for 20 mins. Then I brought it up to the boil. The smell of a decoction is amazing if you've never done one. Its a bit like mashing in only fuller, richer and more bready.
I added the decotion to the main mash and it brought the temp up to 62 degrees. A little lower than I had hoped so I pulled another decoction while I let it rest at that temp for 20 mins. The second decoction rested for 10 mins before I raised the temp up to boil for 5 minutes before adding it back to the main mash. temp then up to 69. Perfect.
Some of the things I had read were that the decoction needs to be boiled for 10 minutes. That may be but I've got kids running around so it boils for as long as I have time to stir it. If you don't stir it the grains can scorch on the bottom of the pan.
I let the main mash sit for another 20 mins at 69 degrees before I pulled another decoction. Rather than taking the thick part of the mash like the last two I took a much thinner decoction. The work has been done already and I wanted to decoct to mash out. Straight up to the boil, then I added it back into the main mash to take the temp upto the high 70's (I didn't actually measure this time). I let it sit at mash out for 10 mins before draining off.
The drain off was a beautiful colour, although a little cloudy. A lot of brewers recirculate to clear using the grain bed as a filter. I didn't so its a little cloudy going into the kettle. Two batch sparges and we're away.
I used Pacific Gem as my bittering hop to 24 IBU. I hate it as a flavouring hop. I'll post a review in my hop review blog. East Kent Goldings at 20 Mins to 9 IBU and Styrian Goldings at 5 mins to 3 IBU. The Styrian smelt amazing, unbelievable. Whirlpool and drain from the kettle through the heat exchanger, wonderful light golden colour and amazingly clear...pitched the Wyeast 1469 (West Yorkshire) and brew day complete by 11.20. A good day.
The smell of the Styrian though has convinced me that I need to do a comparative brew between the New Zealand Styrians and the true Styrians.
Despite the hassle of a decoction I have found so far that it is really improving my efficiency. Its not somthing I have been to worried about before but its nice to be on the high side.
The brew day
It was an early start (before 7am) strike water heating up to around 55 degree for a Mash in of 50 degrees. I split the grain into to parts the first was going to be my decoction in a small pot. Would have been about a fifth of the total grain. the rest went into the mash tun. The decoction portion I mashed in earlier to get a head start. It was sitting at 50 degrees while I mucked about with the main mash.
Mashing in I hit 50 degrees. I let the main mash sit there at that temp for 20-30 mins while I raised the temp of the decoction portion to 65 degrees and let it sit for 20 mins. Then I brought it up to the boil. The smell of a decoction is amazing if you've never done one. Its a bit like mashing in only fuller, richer and more bready.
I added the decotion to the main mash and it brought the temp up to 62 degrees. A little lower than I had hoped so I pulled another decoction while I let it rest at that temp for 20 mins. The second decoction rested for 10 mins before I raised the temp up to boil for 5 minutes before adding it back to the main mash. temp then up to 69. Perfect.
Some of the things I had read were that the decoction needs to be boiled for 10 minutes. That may be but I've got kids running around so it boils for as long as I have time to stir it. If you don't stir it the grains can scorch on the bottom of the pan.
I let the main mash sit for another 20 mins at 69 degrees before I pulled another decoction. Rather than taking the thick part of the mash like the last two I took a much thinner decoction. The work has been done already and I wanted to decoct to mash out. Straight up to the boil, then I added it back into the main mash to take the temp upto the high 70's (I didn't actually measure this time). I let it sit at mash out for 10 mins before draining off.
The drain off was a beautiful colour, although a little cloudy. A lot of brewers recirculate to clear using the grain bed as a filter. I didn't so its a little cloudy going into the kettle. Two batch sparges and we're away.
I used Pacific Gem as my bittering hop to 24 IBU. I hate it as a flavouring hop. I'll post a review in my hop review blog. East Kent Goldings at 20 Mins to 9 IBU and Styrian Goldings at 5 mins to 3 IBU. The Styrian smelt amazing, unbelievable. Whirlpool and drain from the kettle through the heat exchanger, wonderful light golden colour and amazingly clear...pitched the Wyeast 1469 (West Yorkshire) and brew day complete by 11.20. A good day.
The smell of the Styrian though has convinced me that I need to do a comparative brew between the New Zealand Styrians and the true Styrians.