The first running were slow, and I probably left like 2 quarts in there but I just couldnt get it out but I had a decent volume. The sparge took like 45-50 minutes and it rained during, it was brutal.

Yea I actually overshot the gravity by .05 so I guess I dominated in the efficiency game. Im worried at 29 ibus at a 1.080 OG it might be a little bit out of balance but we will see. Im hoping the pumpkin pie spice I added at flame out will help. I used a big 2L stater of Pacman yeast and it kicked off in under 4 hours, fermenting at 67f.

Did you have to pay for those or they just gave them to you? Thats pretty sweet.

they was free!

Breweries go through those things pretty regularly, if there's somewhere around you doing 5k bbls or more per year, stop by and ask if they have any around. We go through one every couple weeks.

Who is we? I didn't know you worked at a brewery? Details!

I work for a regional brewery. Started out homebrewing, then volunteered for a bottling run, have been full time/salary for about 3-4 years.

Its pretty easy to deduce who I work for but I appreciate nobody google-bombing me and linking the name of the brewery with RunDownHouse.

Awesome! Pretty interesting that there's a bunch of people involved in the industry somehow. Starting my Quality Brewing and Beer class tonight so I'm pretty excited. Going to finish up my root canal in 45min so hopefully that doesn't **** me over for the day.

Saturday we're brewing this:

Karmeliet Tripel Clone

A ProMash Brewing Session - Recipe Details Report

Recipe Specifics
----------------

Batch Size (Gal): 11.50 Wort Size (Gal): 11.50
Total Grain (Lbs): 35.50
Anticipated OG: 1.082 Plato: 19.73
Anticipated SRM: 5.9
Anticipated IBU: 20.8
Brewhouse Efficiency: 67 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes


Grain/Extract/Sugar

% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.8 1.00 lbs. Flaked Barley America 1.032 2
2.8 1.00 lbs. Flaked Oats America 1.033 2
2.8 1.00 lbs. Flaked Soft White Wheat America 1.034 2
32.4 11.50 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) Belgium 1.037 3
33.8 12.00 lbs. Pilsener Belgium 1.037 2
5.6 2.00 lbs. Munich Malt Belgium 1.038 8
11.3 4.00 lbs. Wheat Malt Belgium 1.038 2
8.5 3.00 lbs. Cane Sugar Generic 1.046 0

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.


Hops

Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.75 oz. Czech Saaz Whole 3.20 0.7 5 min.
1.00 oz. Czech Saaz Whole 3.20 1.4 15 min.
0.80 oz. Wye Challenger Pellet 7.50 11.1 60 min.
0.90 oz. Styrian Goldings Pellet 4.20 7.0 60 min.
0.50 oz. Styrian Goldings Pellet 4.20 0.6 5 min.


Extras

Amount Name Type Time
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
0.30 Oz Irish Moss Fining 45 Min.(boil)
0.16 Oz Grains of Paradise Spice 0 Days(boil)
1.80 Oz Coriander Seed Spice 8 Min.(boil)
3.14 Oz Sweet Orange Peel Spice 5 Min.(boil)





1214 Belgian Ale Yeast

Sounds pretty good, let us know how it turns out. One question, when are you adding the Grains of Paradise? Was that meant to say at 0 min or at flameout?

Do you plan on making a starter for such a high grav brew?

I'll have to ask my buddy, I'm assuming at flameout, that makes the most sense to me. He sent me the recipe for me to look at, and continue to learn....

We don't usually make starters, we use the Wyeast in the Activator packages? I know we didn't make a starter for the other trippel we brewed.

Question back...We are going to make another chocolate stout Saturday as well, I want to add a hint of vanilla extract at secondary. For 10 gal, would 2 oz be enough, or how much would you recommend.

I dont think I would brew a beer over 1.060 without a starter tbh.

Regarding the vanilla, I always try to dial back anything like that the first time I do it. Theres nothing worse then an overly spiced beer that you cant get down. That being said 2oz for a 10 gallon batch isnt a ton. I would probably do 1oz for a 5 gallon batch so youre probably in the ball park.

Others may disagree.

completely agree.

+1


I actually make a starter for everything except the handful of brews for which I use Safale US-05, in which case I only rehydrate it.

Another interesting brew day. Started with the trippel. Valve wasn't working, thought we had a stuck mash. Very frustrating. Turns out that our hose assembly on the interior had somehow come out of the nut that held it. Had to pull our entire mash out and move it to our boil pot, fix the mash tun, and boil in it (one is 14 gal, the other is 17 gal, and are pretty much interchangeable)--this photo is what we usually mash in. Finally got settled in and here's a pic of the boil. I should have taken more pics but just didn't think of it:



We didn't start until 2:30 as I had a doubleheader to coach first. We had a 90 min mash and a 90 min boil. This isn't too far before flameout (PS grains of paradise were definitely at flameout.)

Got started on the chocolate stout very late, then, obviously. Actually boiled, pulled off, and pitched yeast by back porch light. We had racks of ribs during the stout boil. Tasted both worts, the trippel will be good but I think the stout will be fantastic! All in all, a long, but very good, day.

Sounds like a good time.


New territory for me here, Ive had a stout in 2ndary for about 6 months now. Mostly because Ive been lazy and I wouldnt be drinking the stout all summer anyway, so didnt want to keg it as I had alot of other stuff to keg. Well heres what it looks like today...




Beginning of a Lacto infection? Im not sure what to do here. I guess I should just siphon from under the film and bottle asap, but I kind of want to leave it be for a while and see what happens.

That is pretty scary looking. I'd bottle it quickly as well.....

Im actually thinking about getting some Brett and pitching and seeing what I end up with...I know nothing about wild ales besides I like alot of them.

A sour Stout? Never had one but its worth the try.

I've had a sour porter that was pretty good.

I was just going to post what I was pondering brewing this weekend and a sour porter was one of the options.

Thinking of doing a 100% Brett L. Porter -> I had Ithica's Dark Humour and it was pretty awesome.

Other option is a sour cherry dubbel. Although I can't find locally the wine yeast I want to use to add the cherry flavor.

My wife is taking the kids up camping with her mom for the weekend, so I am planning on brewing two beers this weekend.

1. A sour saison with Sterling Hops and Roselare blend. Will probably then use the yeast cake for a flemish red.

2. Either the 100% Brett Porter or A sour Dubbel of some sorts. If I go the Dubbel route may just buy some Jolly Pumpkin and use the dregs of that for the sourness.

So 2+2 -> 100% Brett Porter or Sour Dubbel? I want something sour and dark for the winter.

Just order some hops online so next beers after this weekend will be an ordinary bitter with EKG and then a Marris Otter EKG SMASH.

Wasn't a sour stout, but I had a blueberry stout (didn't write down the name of the brewery) at the Beer Sellar here in town. It was good--for about half a glass. There was an underlying sweetness that I felt in the back of my mouth (where you should normally feel bitterness), and something I just couldn't put my finger on. I couldn't have drank another glass but 8-10 oz was really good. I like sweet, so that wasn't the problem--and I like blueberry wheats, so the blueberry wasn't the issue. Maybe the fact that the fruitiness, in my mind and in my mouth, didn't go with the thickness of a stout.

That being said, I'm not sure what I'd think of a sour stout. It'll be interesting to see how yours would turn out.

Lactic--I've not tried to make a saison yet. Do you find them finicky and challenging?

Here's the chocolate stout we made. I tweaked our original malt bill so the percentages here are not accurate and would need refigured. We also added 12 oz of semi sweet chocolate chips with 20 min left in the boil, and will add 1 oz vanilla extract to each 5 gal pail, when we add the cocoa nibs at secondary. We may back off of the 1 lb per each 5 gal just a bit, to 12 oz.

A ProMash Recipe Report


Recipe Specifics
----------------


Batch Size (Gal): 10.00 Wort Size (Gal): 10.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 22.25
Anticipated OG: 1.054 Plato: 13.45
Anticipated SRM: 30.5
Anticipated IBU: 30.7
Brewhouse Efficiency: 68 %
Wort Boil Time: 60 Minutes


Formulas Used
-------------


Brewhouse Efficiency and Predicted Gravity based on Method #1, Potential Used.
Final Gravity Calculation Based on Points.
Hard Value of Sucrose applied. Value for recipe: 46.2100 ppppg
% Yield Type used in Gravity Prediction: Fine Grind Dry Basis.


Color Formula Used: Morey
Hop IBU Formula Used: Rager




Grain/Extract/Sugar


% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
71.9 16.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
4.5 1.00 lbs. Munich Malt Great Britain 1.037 6
4.5 1.00 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350
0.75 lbs flaked oats
2.2 0.50 lbs. Crystal 120L Great Britain 1.033 120
.75 lbs Crystal 60L
2.2 0.50 lbs. Cara-Pils Dextrine Malt 1.033 2
1.1 0.25 lbs. Black Patent Malt America 1.028 525
2.2 1.0 lbs. Roasted Barley America 1.028 450
9.0 2.00 lbs. Milk Sugar Generic 1.030 0


Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.




Hops


Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2.00 oz. Hallertau Whole 14.00 30.7 60 min.
1.00 oz Fuggles 60 min




Yeast
-----
Wyeast London Ale III





Mash Schedule
-------------


Mash Name: Well modded Mash


Total Grain Lbs: 20.25
Total Water Qts: 22.27 - Before Additional Infusions
Total Water Gal: 5.57 - Before Additional Infusions


Tun Thermal Mass: 0.00
Grain Temp: 68.00 F




Step Rest Start Stop Heat Infuse Infuse Infuse
Step Name Time Time Temp Temp Type Temp Amount Ratio
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Scant Rest 5 50 154 154 Infuse 169 22.27 1.10
heat 5 30 154 152 Direct --- ------- ----
Mash out 5 15 160 160 Direct --- ------- ----
sparge 5 30 170 170 Infuse 210 6.58 1.42




Total Water Qts: 28.86 - After Additional Infusions
Total Water Gal: 7.21 - After Additional Infusions
Total Mash Volume Gal: 8.83 - After Additional Infusions


All temperature measurements are degrees Fahrenheit.
All infusion amounts are in Quarts.
All infusion ratios are Quarts/Lbs.




Notes
-----
2 lbs coca nibs per 10 gal

The sour Dubbel sounds pretty amazing IMO.

You seem well versed in this sour world, what do you recommend I do with this Stout?

1. Let it sit and see how it turns out in like 2-3 more months?
2. Bottle it tonight and hope for the best.
3. Embrace it even more and run to the LHBS and get some Brett to pitch?

I just like them and have been reading about them. Took one class on Sour beers at the local home brew shop as well. I just tried a sample of a the first funky saison, I made this summer and it is going to be pretty good. The brett gave off a bit a acetic acid for just a little sour. And the nelson sauvin hops give a bit of a white wine taste that I think in my head makes it a bit more sour. Should be finished with the kegerator next week, so looking forward to drinking it. I made a stronger saision with the same dupont/brett blend and it still has some more time to get a bit funky. All the way down to 1.004 from 1.076/.078. The American Farmhouse blend is not finicky at all. Both beers I've made with it never stalled like Dupont can.

One thing is I would taste it. If it is something like acetobacter, the stout it might never taste good. Might always have a nail polish like taste. If it tast sour but maybe buttery, then maybe it is pedio and the brett should help.

I say taste it. Then decide. Also maybe get a hydro reading, just to see how dry it is.

You're in the philly area. Not sure what LHBS is the closest to you, but Keystone has a guy Aaron at it who teaches a class on sour brewing and may be able to help.

EDIT: I should be harvesting some WLP670 this weekend. So that would be the dupont strain and some brett. Depending on where you live in philly and if are interested I could save some.

I think I may do the Dubbel. Darker without the roast should be good with some sour. I didn't order the wine yeast, as I like to buy my grains at the LHBS and where I bought a ton of hops from did not have the wine yeast either. Trying to decide on the yeast. Jolly Pumpkin uses WLP550, but something like WLP530 would be better for a dubbel.

Still chance I flip a coin Friday afternoon.

Ill taste and hyrdo it tonight, I'll probably toss the turkey baster and hydrometer I use after, or set it aside and mark it sour?

This is a new world for me but tbh Ive been wanting to get into it for sure. I didnt know Keystone has a sour class, I am certainly going to take it thanks for the tip. I live in CC but my parents house if 1 mile away from Keystone so I stop in whenever Im in the area, just an incredible place I always spend an hour talking to one of the guys there.

I may actually take you up on the yeast, how do you propose we make the transfer? I can offer you some Cherry Wood Smoked Rye I have, I gave some to Markus the other month I have more then enough.

If your hyrometer is glass you don't need to set aside - just make sure you clean it and sanitize it well.

Most people do suggest keeping a seperate set of any plastics for use with sours so the baster should probably be set aside.