Cedar Rapids Brewing Society

Hey all, well the day has finally come. We have purchased a barrel, picked a style, and decided on a recipe. Now we need our brewing club brothern to sign up to partipipate in brewing enough Beer to to fill this bad boy. We will need 60 gallons of beer to fill this for ageing. We are going to do a 75 Gal sign up, to cover if any gets contaminated and will keg the rest to cover inital draws of the barrel remainder and lost angels share.

For those that have not been to a meeting in a while, this will go into a club own barrel for distribution at club events. You will be able to take some back for personal use, however, the limit on the amount of take back can be no greater then half of the contributed amount and must be scehduled ahead of time so that a batch can be rebrewed, primaried and secondaried to take its place to keep the barrel full to elimate the possiblity of mold contamination.

One more thing, please do not sign up if you are not going to come through on this. We will need all particpants to complete there assigned volumes again to ensure a full barrel and reduce contamination risks. I have included the recipe below for you to look before signup to brew it (Thank you to Mr. Anderson and Mr. Coughlin) for the recipe, most of you have had this beer at 3rd base. We are going to have a barrel filling party at my home to celibrate the accomplishment on Sat April 2nd. Time to be determined later.

So please sign up in this thread if you would like to brew for this. Thank you all in advance for your participation in this. We are a great club and this is sure to be one that crushes the competition at all the annual events that we participate in. If you have any questions feel free to either PM me or post them here.

Short details
Beer: ILoveCoEds Russian Imperial Stout.
Amount: 75 gallon sign up
Ferementation: Must be secondaried to remove yeast and trub
Quality testing: Will be done at barrel fill
Barrel Fill Date: Sat April 9nd 2011

Recipe Specifics
----------------
Batch Size (Gal): 10.00 Wort Size (Gal): 10.00
Total Grain (Lbs): 37.50
Anticipated OG: 1.106 Plato: 24.99
Anticipated SRM: 49.4
Anticipated IBU: 80.5
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75 %
Wort Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Pre-Boil Amounts
----------------
Evaporation Rate: 15.00 Percent Per Hour
Pre-Boil Wort Size: 12.90 Gal
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.082 SG 19.75 Plato
Grain/Extract/Sugar
% Amount Name Origin Potential SRM
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
64.0 24.00 lbs. Pale Malt(2-row) America 1.036 2
4.0 1.50 lbs. Chocolate Malt America 1.029 350
5.3 2.00 lbs. Flaked Oats America 1.033 2
5.3 2.00 lbs. Roasted Barley America 1.028 450
2.7 1.00 lbs. Crystal 120 English 1.034 120
5.3 2.00 lbs. Victory Malt America 1.034 25
2.7 1.00 lbs. Flaked Barley America 1.032 2
10.7 4.00 lbs. Beet Sugar Generic 1.046 0

Potential represented as SG per pound per gallon.
Hops
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.50 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.00 3.9 15 min.
2.00 oz. Goldings - E.K. Pellet 5.00 9.8 30 min.
1.75 oz. Centennial Pellet 8.50 28.7 60 min.
1.50 oz. Chinook Pellet 12.00 38.1 90 min.

Yeast
-----
WYeast 1056 Amercan Ale/Chico
Mash Schedule
-------------
Saccharification Rest Temp : 156 Time: 90
Mash-out Rest Temp : 170 Time: 0
Sparge Temp : 170 Time: 60

Notes
-----
Add 1.5 ozs of brewers licorice, 2lbs lactose and 4lbs of beet or cane sugar to the boil. Crush the brewers licorice.

For Extract
-----
Substitue 24 lbs of Pale Malt (2-Row) with 17.5 lbs of Light or Golden Liquid Malt extract or 14.75 lbs of Light or Golden Dry Malt extract. Add a 1/2 gallon of water to boil volume to account for dry grain steeping.

To Do a 5 Gallon Batch cut numbers in half and follow recipe.

OK, I want to help with the club beer. I have a couple problems, though. I will be unable to brew until March 5 or 6. Does that leave enough time for primary and secondary before April 2? Also I will be unavailable for the filling April 2 but I could drop off my carboy to Jeremy Thursday or Friday night. I can only brew 5 gal but I'm in if you all think it will finish in time before April 2.

I have a couple questions as well, the first directed toward Dave and Brian.

When brewing this in the past, what sort of fermentation vessel did you use? I've never brewed a beer with this high of an OG. I've seen pics and heard stories where 5 gallons had to be split into two fermentation vessels because of the large amount of headspace needed for the krausen. Has this been an issue in brewing this in the past, or has it been a pretty basic fermentation?

Along with johnnyik's question about timelines, what is the deadline for brewing this bad boy to make the barrel filling date of April 2.

Also, is the plan for ingredients a donation type of thing or are they being provided by the club? Maybe a group order should be planned from NB to cut down on shipping? If 10 people were brewing for this, and shipping was only $7.99 thru NB, that's borderline free shipping right there.

johnnyik wrote:OK, I want to help with the club beer. I have a couple problems, though. I will be unable to brew until March 5 or 6. Does that leave enough time for primary and secondary before April 2? Also I will be unavailable for the filling April 2 but I could drop off my carboy to Jeremy Thursday or Friday night. I can only brew 5 gal but I'm in if you all think it will finish in time before April 2.

In my experience, this type of beer takes about 3 weeks to brew. 2 weeks in primary and a week in secondary (normally I would just do 3 weeks in primary, but since its going into a barrel we have to reduce the solids). That is with a health fermentation, for these types of beers you need a large healthy starter to get it to complete clean and within a decent time frame or you can have something that is bubbling for a month. So, I would start building a starter a good portion ahead of time and maybe do a double pitch starter.

So I guess the answer to your question is that it depends on the ferementation character of the brewing process. Maybe BA would chime in here on his experience with this particular recipe?

hoboscratch wrote:I have a couple questions as well, the first directed toward Dave and Brian.

When brewing this in the past, what sort of fermentation vessel did you use? I've never brewed a beer with this high of an OG. I've seen pics and heard stories where 5 gallons had to be split into two fermentation vessels because of the large amount of headspace needed for the krausen. Has this been an issue in brewing this in the past, or has it been a pretty basic fermentation?

Along with johnnyik's question about timelines, what is the deadline for brewing this bad boy to make the barrel filling date of April 2.

Also, is the plan for ingredients a donation type of thing or are they being provided by the club? Maybe a group order should be planned from NB to cut down on shipping? If 10 people were brewing for this, and shipping was only $7.99 thru NB, that's borderline free shipping right there.

Ok, as for ferementation vessel, I always use a 2 - 5 gallon pales for 10 gallons, so a 5 gallon pale for each 5 gallons. I always use a blow off tube these days too be on the safe side. I find that agressive ferementation is not a product of strong ales but rather a dependant variable on the type of yeast. A 001 or 1056 is a good linear fermentating strain not like the Enlish ale strain that try's to do it all in 2 days and blows the lids off the fermenters that hit the ceiling (yes, that is experience speaking). So for my usual RIS (which is a higher grav then BA's, I have not experienced this problem).

I would say the deadline for brewing this would probably be March 12, that is a full 3 weeks from April 2nd. See above post.

Ingrediants, this is a donation type thing meaning that we are purchasing our own supplies for this brew. However, as club members we are able to take some back for personal use. If people would like I could coordinate a group club from NB to reduce shipping. People could start doing their inventories and see what they have on hand and get a list of needed ingrediants together.

Hope that answers all questions.

I can do 5 or 10 gallons depending on how much we need. I am willing to give which ever amount we need. All I need is the specialty grains less the flaked barley, so would like to go in on a NB order to reduce shipping. Also, I may have enough flaked barley to cover most everyones need. It is really cheap since it was acquired though a Millstream order. Anyone else going to have what we need for specialty grains from some of their bulk orders?

With as much speciallty grain as we need, I would give Midwest a look. I ordered from them the last time I brewed because pretty much all their prices are significantly lower than NB even after shipping. Their grain is way cheaper as they offer reduced prices on 5 and 10 lbs. quantities. My order through Midwest was $65 versus over $80 through NB. Got my order in two days.

I agree with CJ. I use English yeasts fermented at low temps quite often and they are typically very agressive and I have the spatter marks on the brewery wall to prove it. I ferment in 6.5 gallon carboys and find they have plenty of headspace for 5 gallons of wort with the 1056. This beer would require a huge starter. I highly recommend brewing a lower gravity beer around 5% ABV with the 1056 yeast you need for the stout. Basically let the low gravity beer be your starter for the stout. Rack that first beer from primary the same day you brew the stout and drain your imperial stout wort right on top of the yeast cake left in the primary.

When it comes to filling day, let me know if you would like to borrow a keg to transport your wort. They are easier to haul around than a carboy and won't leak or spill if they fall over. I may have some empty ones available.

I'm willing to donate 5 gallons. I'll need to order the specialty grains and yeast. I've got a pound of each of the hops needed (chinook, centennial, & ek goldings) that I could sell or trade some for the specialty grains. I'll need Flaked Oats and Barley, Victory Malt, & Cara 120L. I'll go in with someone on a group order, or help organize it if needed.

What is a good source for lactose?

We really need to organize this so everyone has their primary fermentation completed about the same time. I think we should fill the keg in April and it think it should sit in primary at least 3-4 weeks. If that is the case, the RIS should be brewed in the next couple of weeks.

Lets start a list for this thread to keep track on brewers and totals. Here is a start from the string above. Looking for 75 gallons. I only added an amount if you stated you will donate X amount. I assume most of you posting so far plan to brew for the barrel but I did not want to speak for you. Go ahead and update the list as you post.

BrewHound - ?
johnnyik - 5 gallons
hoboscratch - ?
Matt F - 5 to 10 gallons
Jim F - 5 gallons
bkanderson - ?

Running total: 15 to 20 gallons

Yep, you got me Matt. I would be in on a supplies order from NB or Midwest as well. I need everything as I don't keep supplies at home. I would need all specialty grains and about 4 lbs of 2-row, 6lb LME, 3lb DME, and brewers licorice. I have lactose and table sugar is easy enough. I would take WLP001 or 1056 but would need that soon to make a 2-3L starter.

I'd be in for at least 5 gallons. I'd go in for the specialty malts order as well. I'll make as close to 10 gallons as I can, so I might contribute more. I have to hold a little back for myself.

BrewHound - ?
johnnyik - 5 gallons
hoboscratch - ?
Matt F - 5 to 10 gallons
Jim F - 5 gallons
bkanderson - ?
Tom B- 7-8 gallons

Running total: 22 to 28 gallons

If someone is able / willing to convert the recipe to extract, I'd be in for 5 gal.

T. Powersox

semanticdm wrote:If someone is able / willing to convert the recipe to extract, I'd be in for 5 gal.

T. Powersox

I would also be interested in helping, provided an extract version of the recipe was available. However, I totally understand if and extract version is not an option. Otherwise, if someone who is planning on brewing the all grain version would mind opening up their home to me, I would love to help!

If needed I could brew up 5 gallons or possibly more, I don't have any of the required ingredients and would have to order them. I don't care if anyone wants to help me brew, the more the merrier. Let me know.