Monthly Archives: June 2014

Brewing Log, Recipes

May the Schwarz-bier with you

I am a fan of schwarzbier.  A dark lager that is both rich and refreshing.  This will be by first attempt at a schwarzbier and my second lagger.

Using 90% efficiency – OG 1.046 / FG 1.011 / IBU 26 / SRM 26.4 / ABV 4.6%

8# (48.5%) German Munich Malt
6.5# (39.4%) German Pilsner Malt
.8# (4.8%) Carafa III
.4# (2.4%) Crystal 40°
.4# (2.4%) Chocolate Malt
.4# (2.4%) Roasted Barley
60 minute hops  – 2oz Mount Hood / .66oz Vanguard
20 minute  hops – .66oz Vanguard
0 minute hops – .66oz Vanguard
White Labs German Lager yeast WLP830 (Two step starter 1.5L & 3L)

Batch size – 12 Gallons
Water profile – Ca=80, Mg=10, Na=26, Cl=33, S04=16, HCO=165
Mash – 1.25qt/lb – 75 minutes @ 151
Boil time – 90 minutes

This is a scaled version of BarleyWater’s recipe. Link

I will attempt to pitch at 40°-45° let it warm up and hold it at 50°.  After the gravity hits 1.020 I will do a diacetyl rest around 65° until I hit FG then start slowly cooling and lager for a few weeks.

Brewing Log

Results

First brew day is a wrap.  There were a few bumps in the road but I now have ten gallons of soon to be beer in my fermenter.  The biggest lesson is pumps do not like whole hops.  This caused issues with chilling, transferring, and cleaning.  I am using a whirlpool with immersion chiller.  I figured I did not need a screen on the kettle pickup.  From now on I will try to stick to pellets only and use a hop bag if I need to use whole leaf hops.  The rest of the system worked great.

Efficiency came in at 90%.  It should be higher if I manage the sparge  water better.  I also think I will heat my strike water higher to hit my mash temperature faster.  I may try half way between my mash temperature and the temperature I would use when batch sparging in a cooler.  I also will fill the mash tun with enough water to cover the dead space under my false bottom and fill the pumps and coil.

Water profile.  I got relatively close using straight tap water and salts.

Target – Ca=110, Mg=18, Na=16, Cl=50, S04=275, HCO=70
Actual – Ca=109.8, Mg=19.4, Na=11, Cl=49.5, S04=215, HCO=101.3

Mash pH looked fine but I was using test strips and not a meter.  I did not acidify my sparge water.  I will be getting a meter and some latic acid to address this on the next brew day.