Cask Ale Blowout

It was warm in central Pennsylvania on the weekend after Christmas. Highs in the 50s. Warm enough that I was able to get in a brew session. I decided to brew a batch of CJ’s House of the Rising Sun JPA using the extract recipe on Homebrew Adventures.

It was the first time I used the Wyeast 1026 PC British Cask Ale. I bought two packs as soon as they became available. Manufactured 14-oct-08.

I smacked and the pack did almost nothing. It filled some, but did not swell. There was some yeast in there, but not terribly active.

I made a starter — 7 oz Light DME in 2 quarts of water with a pinch of Wyeast Nutrient — and the starter did almost nothing. Some effervescence but not very active bubbling. Some yeast, but not terribly active.

When I brewed I added a ½-teaspoon of Wyeast Nutrient 10 minutes before the end of the boil. After cooling, I rocked the carboy back and forth for a good five minutes to aerate before pitching. I pitched that afternoon and the next morning I had to switch from a 3-piece airlock to a blow off tube and the bubbling sounded like a damned minigun.

I guess the next time I use the Cask Ale yeast I will keep in mind that it may be a little slow to start.

How many beer bottles do I need?

128 ounces per gallon × 5 gallons = 640 ounces

640 ounces ÷ X ounces per bottle = Y bottles

Here are some numbers for bottle sizes you can order online.

  • 6 oz = 106
  • 187 mL = 101
  • 12 oz = 53
  • 375 mL = 50
  • 16 oz = 40
  • 500 mL = 37
  • 22 oz = 29
  • 750 mL = 25
  • 32 oz = 20
  • 1 L = 18
  • 1.5 L = 12
  • 64 oz = 10
  • 2 L = 9

Shorter "Top 10 Steps to Better Beer"

From Chris Colby’s September 2005 article Top 10 Steps to Better Beer, annotated with my own notes:

  1. Cleaning (PBW)
  2. Sanitation (Star San)
  3. Quality Ingredients (Vacuum-packed hop pellets stored in the freezer, DME)
  4. Pitch Enough Healthy Yeast (Liquid yeast with starters)
  5. Proper and Stable Fermentation Temperature (Son of fermentation chiller, fermwrap, stopper thermowell, and a digital thermostat)
  6. Wort Aeration (Rock for 5 minutes)
  7. Avoid Excess Tannins (steep in 1–3 quarts per pound, rinse with the same volume or less, stay under 170°F)
  8. Keep Oxygen Away (move beer gently)
  9. Vigorous, Full-Wort Boil (A 10-gallon Blichmann BoilerMaker™ Brew Pot on a Camp Chef Explorer. Woo hoo!)
  10. Proper pH (Hmmm…)

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p>What about proper wort chilling? What would another be? Maybe pitching at your fermentation temperature, though that might be part of proper wort chilling.