BIAB brewday - Summer ale faux lager.

[Eoin]

Batch Size: 14.53 gal   Style: German Pilsner (Pils) (2A)
Boil Size: 14.88 gal   Style Guide: BJCP 2008
Color: 3.4 SRM   Equipment: Pot (18.5 Gal/70 L) - BIAB
Bitterness: 32.1 IBUs   Boil Time: 90 min
Est OG: 1.046 (11.5° P)   Mash Profile: BIAB, Light Body
Est FG: 1.008 SG (2.1° P)   Fermentation: Ale, Two Stage
ABV: 5.0%   Taste Rating: 30.0

11.5KG    Lager Malt (2.0 SRM)    
40g    Magnum [12.7%] - Boil 90 min    
50g    Hallertauer Hersbrucker [2.6%] - Boil 60 min    
30g    Hallertauer Hersbrucker [2.6%] - Boil 20 min    
3 pkgs    Nottingham (Danstar #-)

Copper finings 1.8g of rehydrated protofloc granules.


I treated my water with a little CRS to get the KH down to about 20mg/l which is pilsen territory. I also added a half a campden tablet to counter any chlorine content in the liquor.

I mashed in at 66c which dropped to about 62 which is what I was aiming for to lighten the body as much as possible.
Iodine test showed good conversion after a 60 minute mash.



Squeezing the bag and draining the wort.



As we're coming up to boil, I like to skim whatever I can from the hot break, depending on style of course. As this is attempting to emulate a pils I skimmed about 2l of break material.



Boil on and the first hop addition floating around in the hop bag.




Then my rather crude but effective boil over stopper, which didn't work that one time when making a weizen and drinking a little too much whilst brewing.



I ended up with 52l into the fermenter at 11.2 brix, I was heading for 55l at 11.5, so close enough really, I also had to back-liquor as it was up to 14.5 Brix post boil and was down to 48l or so.

I had a yeast disaster and broke a thermometer in it whilst rehydrating, I ended up pitching three packs of Gervin direct into the wort and this morning it had krausen.

[DEMPSEY]

What temp are you fermenting at.

[Eoin]

What temp are you fermenting at.

Fermenting at 18c

[Eoin]

I just had a taste of this as I'm off to UK for the week tomorrow and wanted to know whether to leave it or crash cool, it's down to 1.008 so I've turned it down to 2c for the week. Taste is very good, I might have a competition worthy beer yet.

[Eoin]

I bottled and barreled this today. Still tastes of acetaldehyde, but flavour otherwise is pretty good and it'll carb up as a nice light summer lager.