Winter Afterburner

[Richard]

Based on a mashup of Jake's attempt, the Picaroon's Brew Journal, and my own hubris.

7lbs Marris Otter
6lbs 2-row
2lbs Demerara Sugar
1lb Wheat Malt
1lb Crystal 240
.5lb Caramunich II
4oz Chocolate Malt.

2oz Fuggles 4.6% @ 60
1oz Hallertau Tradition 7% @ 20
2oz Cascade 5.4% @ 0

S-05

Mash 5gal @ 152, Sparge 4 gallons @ 168.

OG/FG/ABV (estimated): 1.079 / 1.021 / 7.7%
IBUs (estimated): 31

[Richard]

The name seems apt, as this caused a beersplosion some time in the wee hours this morning. My kitchen smells... interesting, now.

[DandyMason]

Okay never happened to me YET.... How do I avoid beersplosions? Was it the S05 that did it?

[Richard]

Seems to me there are three things, any of which can cause a beersplosion:

1. Using S-04.
2. High OG.
3. High mash temp (i.e. thicker body).

Only way around it is one of two things:

1. Use a blow-off tube (I jam 1/2" ID silicone hose on to the top of a 3-piece airlock, removing the lid and the bubbler cap, then shove the other end of the hose in some star-san). This can still get jammed up and cause an even bigger beersplosion if you don't keep half an eye on it.
2. Don't fill the carboy so damn full.

[Kyle]

using a spunding valve keeps down most of the explosion potential. There also is something called fermcap that is a chemical, never used it though. Or you can ferment the high gravity brews in a larger vessel than usual to accomodate alot of foam. Blow-off tube is good too.

[Richard]

Yeah I should lose the "Only way" in what I said.

[DandyMason]

Sounds good... I use both carboys and buckets and I usually go to a blow off tube when im in a carboy and using S05... I will likely have a beersplosion soon, might as well learn the hard way.

[Jake]

I've avoided them by using a blowoff tube on ALL my batches, but I also duct tape the airlock onto the carboy, so she aint goin anywhere

[DandyMason]

Im going to go for a winter warmer clone too... Think theres any chance I could get a beer like this done in a 2-2.5 weeks without a spunding valve?

[Jake]

if you use 04 it'd be no problem at all. 05 would be pushing it, but possible. Dave brought an IPA brewed with SO5 that was 2 weeks old to a meeting, and it was really good. I believe you tried it if I'm not mistaken. First meeting you were at.

[Jake]

If you went 12-13 days in the primary, then keg at 30psi for 48 hours, you could probably pull it off. You'd want to ferment at a bit of a higher temp too to speed up fermentation. I'm doing them at 16-17 degrees with SO5 right now and it's pretty slow where 2 weeks would really be pushing it, but you'd shave off a couple days by fermenting more around 20 degrees if you have the ability to do so.

I did most of my beers over the summer around 20 degrees and they turned out just fine.

[DandyMason]

Yeah I was thinking I could just use SO4... I could probably ferment upstairs wheres its warmer. We will see. Might just try SO4 to be sure

[Richard]

Start cold, end warm = good rule of thumb. As Jake said though, slightly higher temperatures such as 20C are not going to hurt things. In fact, using S-05 in a "winter warmer" type beer, you might almost find that the additional esters and fusels from a warmer fermentation add to the flavour and "warmth", although that's not to say that excess is going to be entirely positive.

On the other hand you might want to consider over-pitching a little to speed things along... I've done it before, but again - it's prioritising speed over quality to some degree. And again: don't overdo it.

And one more thing: if you're using S-04 at anything above 18C, definitely use a blow-off tube. That stuff has redecorated my ceiling a fetching shade of dogshit brown on more than one occasion.

[DandyMason]

Sounds good I think ill go with the SO4/blowoff tube combo.

Funny I was looking at the winter warmer recipes on the picaroons site, and the couple I looked at, had slightly different hops.

Im going to brew tomorrow, hoping its drinkable in a couple weeks

[Richard]

They do like to mix it up - I've said before (perhaps not on here) several times - the winter warmer is their most variable brew, imho.