120 Liter Weekend?

Yeast starters are fermenting, recipes have been planned and barring any major interruptions, I hope to put 120L into the fermenters this weekend...

1. 40L APA - 2-Row, Vienna, C60 & Wheat malt with Columbus, Simcoe & Amarillo hops
2. 40L SMaSH - Vienna malt & Citra hops
3. 40L Mild - MO, C60 & Pale Chocolate malt with Styrian Goldings hops

For the APA, I plan to use White Labs English Dry Yeast - WLP007.  To suppress ester production, this batch will be closely controlled in the fermentation freezer .  The plan is to complete the bulk of fermentation at the strains lowest optimal temperature, 18c/65F.  The yeast was harvested from LowTech Blonde v4 (June 26th) making this the 5th pitch.  Last evening, approximately 250ml of solid slurry was pitched to 1.4L of 1.037 starter.  After a day on the stir plate this should result in an anticipated cell count of 400B, enough for 40L of 1.056 Ale.

For the SMaSH, I plan to pitch Safale S-04 in one fermenter and Danstar BRY-97 in the other.  This batch will not be temperature controlled.  I will be at the mercy of my cold room's ambient temperature.  As of last night, this was 18c/65F.  So depending on how much heat each strain will generate, I may be pushing low 70's at the height of fermentation.  I plan to hydrate each dry yeast using 110ml of 38c/100F bottled spring water.  The dry yeast will be sprinkled evenly over top of the water and left to rest for 15 minutes after which the yeast will be re-suspended and left for 5 minutes.  At this point you attemperate with wort to within 10c of the pitch temperature.  From the reviews I've read on BRY-97, it does benefit from re-hydration.

For the Mild, the plan is to pitch Burton Ale Yeast - WLP023 to one fermenter and British Ale Yeast - WLP005 to another.  Again, no temperature control beyond the ambient of my cold room.  Approximately 150ml of WLP023 was harvested on June 24th will be added (2nd pitch) directly without a starter.  Yeast calc indicates a viability of 80% which results in a cell count of 120B.  The recommendation is 140B for 20L of 1.038 Ale.  Close enough I say.  The WLP005 was certainly getting long in the tooth.  190ml was harvested on March 27th.  Yeast calc pegs the viability at  39%.  After 1.2L of 1.037 starter, the resulting cell count should be in the neighborhood of 120B.  Again, slightly low of the 140B target but close enough I say.  This will be the yeast's 5th pitch.

Update July 19th

Both starters WLP007 & WLP005 appear to have fermented out.  When I woke this morning I found that both were starting to clear.  Both starters were placed into the fridge to crash remaining yeast, perhaps I can decant some of the starter liquid.

First up this evening is the Citra SMaSH.  Paired with 9kg of Vienna Malt for 40 Liters @ 1.050 & 37 IBU.  I treated my water with 1 tsp Gypsum, 2 tsp Calcium Chloride and 1 tsp Epsom for a room temp mash pH of 5.49.  An additional 1 tsp of Gypsum added to the boil.  Whirlfloc with 5 min remaining.  Hops at 60 (9g), 30 (15g), 5 (120g), and will dry hop each keg with an additional 60g.  As noted, will pitch BRY-97 and S-04 to this batch.  Water numbers: Ca 71, Mg 9, Na 18, Cl 61, S04 132.

100% Vienna Malt

Ended with ~19L in each fermenter.  Gravity measured 13.2% Brix = 1.051.  I left behind about 4.5L in the kettle, trying to filter it for a future starter.  Was only able to chill to 24c, so I will leave in the basement cold room until tomorrow morning and then pitch my yeast. 

Update July 20th

Hydrated both yeasts as described and pitched to SMaSH this morning @ 10am. 

Mashed in on the APA/WLP007.  Hit mash temp of 67c/152F.  7kg OiO 2-Row, 2kg Vienna, 500g CaraMunich 1, 500g Wheat Malt for 40L @ 1.056 and 41 IBU.  Treated water with 1 tsp Gypsum, 2 tsp Calcium Chloride, 1 tsp Epsom for a room temp mash pH of 5.6 (forgot Acid Malt).  Additional 1 tsp Gypsum to the boil as well as 1 tab Whirlfloc @ 5min.  Hops @ 60 (18g Columbus), 30 (15g Simcoe, 15g Amarillo), 5 (60g Simcoe, 60g Amarillo).  Each keg with receive a dry hop addition of 30g Simcoe, 30g Amarillo.  As noted, will pitch WLP007 to each fermenter and this batch will be controlled in the freezer @ 18c/65F.  Water numbers: Ca 70, Mg 9, Na 18, Cl 60, S04 129.  Finished with 2x20L @ 1.059 OG.



As of 2:20pm this afternoon, both SMaSH fermenters are showing air-lock activity. That's about 4hrs from pitching!  Cold room sits @ 19c/66F. 

Pitched the WLP007 @ 9pm.  Wort temp was down to 15c.  Controller set to  18c.

APA heading to the Primary

After struggling for the better part of an hour to try and fit both fermenters into the freezer, gave up and moved both to the cold room.  Need to figure a better solution in the future, perhaps 1 carboy and 1 pail?  Also, I noticed there was over a 1c difference in temperature between the two.  Not great.  Anyways, WLP007 now at the mercy of my 18-19c/64-66F cold room. 

Update July 21st

I don't have another 40L brewday in me.  I decided to mash only 20L of the Mild which is obviously much quicker.  When running off to the fermenter,  I intend to reserve 500ml of the wort and pitch to the WLP005 which has been waiting in the fridge, this should wake it up and build the cell count a little more. Will pitch tonight.

Mashed at 67c for 50m before beginning mash-out.   2.7kg of MO, 600g of Muntons 150 (57L), 200g of Wheat malt and 120g of Pale Chocolate malt from TF&S for 1.036 @ 14 IBU.  Styrian Goldings (30g) added @ 30m.  1tsp Calcium Chloride added to the mash for a pH of 5.56.  Additional 1 tsp of Calc Chlor and 1 tsp of Epsom added to the boil, Final water: Ca 66, Mg 15, Na 18, Cl 106, S04 81.

The setup for this weekend

Ended with 23L of Mild @ 10.6% Brix = 1.040.  Not sure why I overshot the gravity by 4 pts?  Volumes were as expected.  This one may end up being a touch under hopped. 

Pitched WLP005 @ 8pm.  WLP007 batch has beginning stages of Krausen in both fermenters.  BRY-97 still pushing the airlock but nothing in the way of Krausen.  S-04 looks like it may be half way done LOL! 

Update July 22nd

5 fermenters rocking this morning.  Krausen on the S-04 Citra SMaSH has fallen.  The BRY-97 is nearing peak.  Both WLP007 APA's are showing full krausen.  The WLP005 I pitched last evening (after a couple more hours on the stir plate with batch fresh wort) is popping the airlock at a steady pace.  It's ALIVE!   

Update July 26th

As of this morning, only the BRY-97 still has krausen.  All other fermenters have fallen.  I only have a single available keg so I for foresee some decent conditioning time for most of the beers.

Update August 3rd

Kegged 1 fermenter of APA @ 1.014 (7.8% brix = 3.55°P), ~5.8% ABV 

Update August 6th

Kegged both Vienna SMaSH and the Mild.  Bone head move on the Mild, started racking the beer to keg before dumping the 1/2 gallon of Starsan, DOH!  Dumped at least 2 gallons of Mild before continuing to rack the remaining beer.  The Vienna SMaSH fermented with S04 was near crystal clear heading into the keg.  The BRY-97 looks quite cloudy, hopefully the cold conditioning will help.  Same with the WLP005 Mild, very cloudy and somewhat yeasty smelling while heading to the keg.  I neglected to take FG on any of these beers.

The remaining 1 fermenter of APA was racked to a secondary to further condition and clear.  I didn't have any additional kegs.

Update Sept 22nd

Final carboy of the APA racked to keg, FG 1.010, no dry-hops.  Didn't like how this one turned out so I didn't want to waste the hops.  This second carboy sampled much nicer than the first.