BeerBorg

My test recipe to see if this will be what goes into the barrel for aging, did 3 g batch adjusted the water toward but not quite Dublin water profile. Also first time paying attention to mash Ph, which was 5.38 @ room temp and about 20 mins into the mash.

4 lbs Maris Otter
10 oz Roasted Barley
10 oz Flaked Barley
2 oz Black Patent
5 oz Pale Chocolate
5/8 oz East Kent Goldings @ 60
3/8 oz East Kent Goldings @ 30
1/4 oz East Kent Goldings @ 20
1 WLP004 Irish Ale Yeast
Estimated
OG 1.046
IBU 32
SRM 34
FG 1.012
Hit preboil numbers 1.034 and 5 gallons, didn't get as much boil off as expected, so measured OG was 1.044 and 3.25 gallons. I'll take it.
The aroma coming off the boil was nice and roasty.

Sounds delicious Steve, I can't wait to hear more about the barrel aging process you plan to use. Of all the styles of beer to brew, to me none beat a Stout for filling the brewroom with the aroma of rich fresh brewed coffee.

Looks and sounds good. What temp did you mash at?

Mashed @ 155 for 60 minutes. Want to be sure this is a solid recipe before spending time aging.

Looks good to me. I'm thinking of faux-barrel (i.e., bourbon barrel soaked oak cubes) for what I'm brewing right now (a wee heavy that will be secondaried with coconut and cacao nibs). Anxious to hear if you have a barrel or if you are cubing/chipping as well.

I planned on using some oak cubes a year or so ago and now wonder if they are still good. I've heard they can get stale pretty fast while others say that's not true.
If you try it, let me know what you think.

I have a 5 gallon whiskey barrel from homebrewing.com that was emptied at the end of October. I will do a full batch if this recipe stands out on it own. Have oak chips don't know might soak in bourbon and hang a hop sack in the keg when this test batch is kegged. Either way I will be bringing some to Asheville for feedback.

This was brewed last Saturday, last nite I pulled a small sample and the gravity is at the est. FG 1.012. Used WLP 004, is it possible that because of watching and adjusting the mash Ph (5.38) has accelerated the fermentation time? I will let the yeast clean up after itself for another week but that was quick to get to the est FG. This tasted really nice too, just roasty enough, and nice smooth hop bitterness on the finish.

I believe the proper mash Ph can surely make it seem like the fermentation has been accelerated. The correct mash Ph helps to bring everything else into balance. It creates a healthy environment for the yeast to do their thing. I've noticed the same thing since I've been adjusting my water profile, which includes having the correct pH. The fermentation seems to start quicker and not take as long to get to the FG.

You used a starter right? If so, I don't think it's weird at all that a 1.046 beer gets done in a week. With a good pitch rate and temps that make the yeast happy it might have been done in 3-4 days. Sometimes my low gravity stuff is done that fast, I just don't bother bottling it until I'm ready / leave it sit for a week to clean up.

No starter on this one as it was 3.25 gallons, and a fresh Pure-Pitch 004.

Kegged this yesterday and a one liter bottle w/carbonator cap for QC taste, might try it tonite but the 6 oz sample that I siphoned off from what was left (couldn't get another full liter) was pretty dadgum good!! I am going to pick up something that isn't a Guinness Draught, some other commercial example to compare this to but I think this nail was driven home!!!! For the water treatment I took the Dublin Profile in Brewers Friend adjusted it, and shot for 100 CA, 4 MG, 12 NA, 19 CL, 53 SO and 200 HCO3
It was this : 101 " ", 9 " ", 20 " ", 22 " ",51 " ", and 203 " ".

Beer-lord wrote:I planned on using some oak cubes a year or so ago and now wonder if they are still good. I've heard they can get stale pretty fast while others say that's not true.
If you try it, let me know what you think.

I just used my oak chips for the 3rd year in a row. They seemed fine to me.