Altbier (partial mash)

[akueck]

I threatened I'd make one of these, time to follow through.

Bay Area Altbier
2.5 gallons (after 1 gallon kettle loss )
OG 1.045

3.25 lb German Pils
.25 lb US Munich
.125 lb Roasted Barley
.125 lb Special Roast
.125 lb US Chocolate
1 lb Liquid Pils extract

1.5 oz Crystal hops @ 5.6% AA 60 mins

WLP800 SF lager yeast

Water treatment (for 3 gallons):
Used the 1/2 gallon of salty water from my salt mead brew, 2.5 gallons tap water, and added 1/2 g Espom and 1 g each CaCl2, NaHCO3, and CaCO3. Target water profile (ppm) 94 Ca, 11 Mg, 39 Na, 66 SO4, 73 Cl, 129 HCO3.

1.25 gallons strike water @ 166 F for mash-in at 151 F.
Added 0.6 ml 88% lactic to sparge water.
0.5 gallons @ 212 F mash-out + 1.25 gallons @ 170 F sparge.

Collected 2.8 gallons @ 1.0435. Added 0.95 gallons tap water with 1 lb of extract. Final volume 3.5 gallons @ 1.045. Lost 1 gallon to hop mass, 2.5 gallons in the fermenter. [I need a hopback!!]

Chilled to < 100 F with immersion chiller. Now hanging out on the porch to cool overnight, hoping to hit 58 F or so by morning. Going to try to ferment around 60 F.

 

[YogiBearMead726]

Are you using whole cone hops? I have heard that they retain a lot of liquid, but I didn't realize that much.

Sounds like a tasty brew! I'll be following this closely, since I have wanted to make a german lager with the SF lager, but I'm hesitant since temps down here are right around it's upper range...I probably missed my chance to "naturally" lager too.

 

[Fisher kel Tath]

[I need a hopback!!]

Then build one

 

[akueck]

Yes, whole hops. Those things suck up a lot of liquid.

And believe me, once I have more dedicated brewing space I'll build/acquire a hopback and other assorted goodies.

 

[akueck]

Finally got this one cold enough to pitch. Got a little overzealous with the ice bath though, it's sitting at 52 F right now. Rather pitch cold than warm though. ;D

Here's hoping I can keep it cold for the next few days.

 

[koko0011]

Which yeast are you using - did you mean WLP 810? If so you might have gotten a little low but not really. I would try to hang out around 55 ambient with that yeast. 60 with a ferment temp around 66 is pushing the upper end of that yeast - you may lose some of the crisp lager character.
Don't think you did but if you meant WLP 800 that is way too hot!

Normally whole hops only soak up about 6 oz of wort per oz are you sure you just didn't lose that to trub/cooling?

Best of luck - alts are fun!

 

[akueck]

Yes that should be WLP810, my bad.

It is at 58 now, I threw an ice pack in for overnight. I'll probably add more ice in the morning. [The temp I am reading is the fermometer on the beer itself.]

I'm just pouring the wort from the kettle. You lose a lot in the interstices of the hops doing it that way. There was probably half a gallon of clear wort I just couldn't get without dumping in a ton of hops with it, and another quart or so of cloudy wort/trub stuff. If I really cared I'd figure out a way to get that extra wort out, but I'm pretty happy just getting beer out of the deal.

 

[akueck]

So far the temp seems to be staying in the 58-60 range, so I am happy. Forecast is for a few days of cooler weather; should hold through the end of active fermentation. With any luck I'll be able to rack this weekend and start the cream ale.

 

[akueck]

Let this one warm up to 65 F for a day, then racked today into glass with 2 Hungarian med toast oak cubes. (2 the number, lol.) Going to see about chilling it down to the 40s with an ice bath, or maybe I'll be lazy and just let it be.

 

[akueck]

I wound up being lazy. We had a cold snap in there so it got to sit around 50 F for a week or so, then some warm days where it was back in the mid 60s just this past week.

Bottled today. 21 12oz bottles plus some for tasting. FG 1.011. Tastes pretty good, I'm excited to see it carbonated.