Brew Day - Munich Helles

(Re)-Brewed up a Munich Helles hoping to redo what I thought to be a great representation of the style, and a lager I really enjoyed last spring.
Recipe:
brewgr.com/reci...

[@JHooverBrewer]

Still thoroughly impressed by your process. I'm also still fascinated by your brew days and editing. It keeps me intrigued the whole way through. Fun brew day buddy. Cheers!

[@TonyYates]

Thanks Josh! At least someone out there is watching. Glad it's you :-) Cheers!

[@yorkshamunki]

In depth peek into your brew day as always, so enjoy the trip you take us on with each brew.... Cheers doowd

[@TonyYates]

Thanks Chris! Good seeing you posting and making appearances again! Cheers!

[@aorakiboydog]

Awesome set up Tony still looking fit ....well done

[@TonyYates]

Thanks, yeah bit of a break but soon time to get back to normal training. Cheers!

[@wiggokarlsen2976]

Hi Tony, greatest news so far this year, a beer competition at Blaker Skanse sounds incredible. I'll definately be there!! Blaker Skanse is a really fantastic and beautiful historic place to visit, we went there several times when the kids was a bit younger (they're in their 20-ies now....) Cheers!!

[@TonyYates]

Cool! I tend to think of it more as a big beer-share than a competition. I’m not very competitive. See you there then! Cheers!

[@TonyYates]

So were you there last night? People don't usually come up and say Hi! I'm such-and-such on youtube, nice to meet you etc, so it's hard to put a face and real name to the KZbin name. CHeers!

[@koplandavid]

Have you checked the refractometer before use? It often happens that the refracto is off

[@SmileyEcoyote]

Hi Tony. Thanks for the great contents! Keep up the good work :-) I was watching one of your older uploads regarding the panel you made and later sold. Would it be possible for you to point me in the direction of some online ressources that could explain how to make a similar panel and would you also be able to advise regarding puchasing parts mm for it.

[@TonyYates]

Hi! Yeah sure, I have referenced www.thelectricbrewery.com website on may occasions as having the complete plans I used to build my panels. I have no affiliation with them (or anyone), and still feel confident with recommending that site for the plans. It has a complete parts listing and links to where to buy all the various items. Hope this helps! Cheers!

[@SmileyEcoyote]

Thanks a lot :-)

[@jens5934]

Would it not been easier to shorten boil to lower gravity instead of adding water, or is there something else I’m missing?

[@jgar538]

Hi Tony, great video. Your process really shines. Did you remember to adjust your hops up a little for the higher volume? I have forgotten more than once. I noted you added your calcium to the mash. I have fairly soft water and have also found adding calcium to the mash really kicks up the mash extraction efficiency. I see you've had several questions about your crush. I've been using a 1.02mm/.040 crush for quite awhile now without any problems and usually have outstanding extraction results with that, but I'm using a bucket-in-bucket mash/lauter tun. Brew on!

[@TonyYates]

Hi J! Thanks for the feedback and questions! I thought about IBUs when adding more water, and with knowing that I wasn't actually targeting/achieving a different volume than expected, I believe I would have still arrived at my intended target calculated IBU. That said, I did punch in the numbers to see what my calculated IBUs would be, in relation to the style, if I added in 10g more. Turns out it put it smack-dab in the middle for the style and I did add it. Haha... Yeah, I left that part out of the video. Not to be malicious or deviant, it was more spur of the moment and didn't think to record or mention it. :-/. Sorry about that. Will try to be better about those details next time. I talk about calcium additions in the mash in the second water video. Grain Mill settings, yeah that's on the finer side and better efficiency would make sense. I adjust down when milling smaller grains like spelt, malted oats, etc. but generally stay around .045". Maybe one day I'll try .040. Cheers!

[@shadowrayz]

As always, Awesome Job, Tony! I have noticed that you need a couple of hoses that need to be a bit longer, LOL! Jonesing for length... Looks like it will be a great Helles! Cheers, Brother! \m/

[@TonyYates]

Haha, it's not how long they are that counts, but how you use them! Hehe. ;-) Cheers!

[@seandalton44]

Hey Tony. Just wondering what’s the smallest batch size you’ve ever done with your set up? Could you do 3 gallon batches?

[@TonyYates]

The smallest batch size I have done is 5 gallons. The top of the element is very close to the 3 gallon mark and I wouldn't try something that small, but could probably go as low as 4 gallons. Cheers!

[@dghustles1118]

First! Great video Tony, always so pumped when I get the notification you have a new video!

[@TonyYates]

Haha, thanks David, appreciate it, Cheers!

[@DrHansBrewery]

Now that's a scale 😲😍

[@TonyYates]

It does the trick :-) Cheers!

[@ddelin100]

Great video as always. One question though: Why did you stop using your water flow meter ? I thought it was a clever way of avoiding to have to refill the HLT and wait for it to come up to temp.

[@TonyYates]

Hi Daniel! Yeah I liked that technique too, but it doesn’t give the opportunity to acidify the sparge water, unfortunately. So when I make the effort correcting the mash pH, I don’t want to ruin it with sparging with water with a pH higher than 5.5 pH, or more alkalinity. Doing so increases chances of extracting more undesirables from the grains, so I avoid that this way. Hope this answers you question. Cheers!

[@MikeDent]

Nice videos mate. Good explanations. Can you tell me one thing please. What type of fitting are you using for the thermometer on the output from the counter flow cooling coil? I have a digital thermometer from a SS brewbucket and would like to make something similar. Thanks!

[@TonyYates]

Hi and thanks! I use quick disconnect fittings to easily connect and disconnect the thermometer. It also makes it easy to turn for easy reading. Hope this helps! Cheers!

[@MikeDent]

Tony Yates is it a special thermometer or something you made with a special T piece or something?

[@TonyYates]

Hi Mike, No, it's not a special thermometer. The thermometer is threaded into a quick disconnect, which fits into a female quick disconnect that is threaded into a T fitting. Here is a close up image, I hope this helps!: photos.app.goo.gl/uqCyeCpPIt9D8YbF2

[@gop251]

Nice vid Tony. I've noticed your process has changed a bit from earlier vids in regards to adding your strike. I know for a time you pushed the strike just through the coil and used the exchange from the HLT so you didn't have to refill and reheat the HLT. Any reason you went back to your other way of pulling it directly from the HLT? Just curious. Cheers!

[@TonyYates]

Yeah, Daniel asked me the same thing below... Although I liked that technique, it doesn’t give the opportunity to acidify the sparge water, unfortunately. So when I make the effort correcting the mash pH, I don’t want to ruin it with sparging with water with a pH higher than 5.5 pH, or more alkalinity. Doing so increases chances of extracting more undesirables from the grains, so I avoid that this way. Hope this answers you question. Cheers!

[@moosehillnanobrewery4728]

Tony Yates: How about using the BK to heat up "replacement-water" for the HLT (after strike)? In that case you could get to circulation faster after strike.

[@WreckedBrewery]

Nice brew day! Cheers!

[@TonyYates]

Thank, man! Cheers!

[@WreckedBrewery]

Where did you get those grain storage containers from? How long can you store grain fresh in those? Been looking for something better than the buckets I've been using.

[@TonyYates]

I picked them up at a farming / hardware type store. They are air-tight, so grains should last a good long while. So far though, I have to refill them every 6 months, max. Cheers!

[@WreckedBrewery]

Wow I think you brew a lot more than me then. They look like they hold a sack of grain, which is great. I need to find those. I brew once, maybe twice a month so I'm hopeful to get upwards to a year out of grain storage.

[@trentcallil9486]

Hi tony great video , quick question do you use a 2 or 3 roller mill for your grain. What gap do you set it to?

[@TonyYates]

Hi Trent! I have the MONSTER MILL MM2, a three roller mill. I set it to ca. 1.15 mm/.045" for medium grind. Cheers!

[@samsamanowitz9043]

Tony, I'm a big fan and you've inspired me to move to an all electric HERMS system. I'm starting to get more into water chemistry and I notice in your videos that you treat your mash water before underletting. I was wondering whether you treat your sparge water as well and if you do, how you calculate how much minerals to add after you have subtracted the volume for the mash given that you have to top off above your HERMS coil. Keep up the great work and thanks for all of the great videos!

[@TonyYates]

Hi Sam! I only acidifying the sparge water to 5.5 pH, and only add minerals to mashtun and boil kettle. For larger mineral additions, I.e. for IPAs, I’ll divide the additions between the two, otherwise I add them all to the Mashtun, as seen in this video. Hope this helps! Cheers!

[@erikbrewer4336]

I like to lager for 2-3 months, the result is always much better.

[@TheDeansListHomebrewery]

Looked like a great Helles brew day and as someone who has sampled your Helles, don't think you need to much luck in the competition. I got dinged in NHC a few years ago for DMS in my Helles. I know do the 90 min boil but haven't resubmitted yet for a comp. I will at some point. Hey, since our systems are very similar, wanted to ask how you get out enough sugars to avoid going below 1.010 while sparking? On heavier beers, it's no issue, but when aim doing beers

[@TonyYates]

Haha, thanks for your vote of confidence! While the competition is split into two sides, one by certified judges and the other is a public favorite style of judging, I'm only going for the latter. I don't crave winning and am participating to just enjoy the night and meet other local home brewers. In regards to sparging gravity... With light beers, and BeerSmith set at 83% efficiency, I've gone as low as 1.008, which is safe as long as pH is equal to or less than 5.5 pH. But yeah, it's better (comfortable) to hit pre-boil volume at an expected gravity with a final sparge gravity around 1.010. For that I found lowering efficiency to ca. 80%, which adds a few a few ounces more of total grain to the grain bill, will result in reaching the desired preboil volume with a higher sparge gravity, and at the desired preboil gravity. It's interesting to see the cascading consequences of changing a single variable. Hope the helps! Cheers!

[@pilsplease7561]

I don't like the NHC because the judges are not very skilled at least not the judges I got. One of them later ended up getting banned and they had to rejudge my beer. Got dinged into 2nd place.

[@JonHoule]

Hey Tony! Great video as always! Quick question: from milling grains to pouring the starter in...how long was this particular brew day?

[@TonyYates]

Hi Jon, 6-ish hours... With clean up and everything stored away, then finally enjoying a beer...8 hours. Cheers!

[@tottestad91]

Hi Tony! Nice video ! I really like your setup. what do you do for oxygenation? Chers!

[@TonyYates]

I use pure O2 from tanks like this: m.bryggselv.no/utstyr/103201/oksygenflaske-1-liter-obs-sendes-ikke-i-posten. I show oxygenation is some of my other brewday videos. kzbin.info/www/bejne/faC9dq2PmamGrqc time:23:36. Cheers!

[@krisiglehart3061]

So Tony, when you added water to the boil to bring back your volume, did your water chemistry change or did it stay the same.

[@TonyYates]

Interesting thought! I did not treat the additional gallon of water and therefore diluted the additions by between 6-8%. I did however adjust the pH of the additional water, so as to not raise the wort pH. Cheers!

[@TractorsNStuff]

First off, let me say "YAY!!! BREW DAY!!" Secondly, a quick question: You racked your wort to a bucket fermentor, then I looked back at my screen and saw you standing over a chronical SS Brewtech fermentor in a fermentation chamber. Why not just rack directly into the chronical? I love watching your brew days. I am currently in the process of upgrading my brewery from an outside gas 5 gal with igloo MT into an inside 15 gal electric HERMS. So why I am waiting for more $$ to get it running, I love watching, learning and brewing vicariously though you. Great job and GOOD LUCK!

[@TonyYates]

Thanks! Yeah, well I ferment in the fridge for best temperature control and the 10+gallons in the chronical is very hard to move around. So, I fill a sanitized bucket a couple times and dump it into the pre-positioned fermenter. I suppose I could just pump it over, but like verifying the amount by seeing the volume on the side of the bucket-as there tends to be quite a lot of foaming during aeration. Cheers!

[@TractorsNStuff]

Makes total sense! Thank you!!

[@royventullo7319]

Often wondered why that sparge arm (I have one) did not have 1/2 inch barb?

[@TonyYates]

Right!?! Cheers!

[@limited40]

Hey Tony, how did you like using that manifold?

[@TonyYates]

I like it. It's works well and I will continue to use it instead of the hose like before (not that there was anything wrong with that either). Cheers!

[@vikramjitsingh4538]

Hi Tony, pls make some videos.......its been a while.........hope ure well........cheers

[@TonyYates]

Done 😊 Hiking, not brewing- sorry.

[@steffenbrygg7907]

How did the helles turn out?

[@TonyYates]

I really really enjoy this beer! I've made two batches so far and looking forward to brewing it again in the very near future. Cheers!

[@mikedelsolvti]

How fine do you crush your grains Tony? 1.2-1.3mm? Cheers from Sweden :)

[@TonyYates]

Hi Mikael, I've set the gap at medium grind, ca. 1.15mm. Cheers!

[@mapzta]

Going to Romeriksmesterskapet? See you there! :D

[@TonyYates]

Nice! Bringing beers? Cheers!

[@mapzta]

Tony Yates bringing a kveik-porter! :D

[@TonyYates]

Ah, cool!

[@ridekernow]

Nice brew day Tony, i bet its going to be a good one! I did just wonder why, when your boil was 120 mins, you boiled some water off and then added some back in to “hit your numbers”, i didn’t get that bit - if you’re boiling only water off and then adding it back in, why not just cut out the maths and make the boil a bit shorter? Look forward to seeing how you do in the competition though! I did a pilsner last weekend (I hardly ever do lagers!) and then a witbier yesterday, i guess that’s what we should be doing with summer on the horizon! Good work and nice vid!

[@TonyYates]

Hi and thanks! In regards to your question.... while some people believe that longer boils are unnecessary with today's 'modified' malts, I'm not convinced. "I'm not convinced" is actually an incorrect way to put it. I'm more than convinced by reading the science/chemistry behind the reasons why one should boil 90 minutes with a similar malt bill, and therefore adhere to processes that reliably eliminate the precursors to DMS and other off-flavors. I don't like taking changes when investing so much time brewing. I respect other peoples 'experiments' or process, and I hope that stance is mutual. So, giving that I wouldn't boil less than 90 minutes, adding water at the 60 minutes mark to get my gravity to a place that would ensure I ended up near where I wanted, and provided the desired IBU's I wanted for the post-boil volume, I decided to execute that step as such. I hope this doesn't come off as too eccentric, haha, but 'oh-well' if it does. This is the thought process I had for this brew day. So, other than changing the circumstances (too high efficiency), I don't think I will change any decision if it happens again. That said, I know I'm not infallible, and open to suggestions and further discussions about my chosen process. Cheers!

[@ridekernow]

Hi Tony, and thank you for such a comprehensive answer, that makes a lot of sense and definitely not eccentric - thinking about it the beers I’ve brewed that had a longer boil time do seem to be the ones that turned out somehow “cleaner” - i may well adopt your policy of a 90 minute brew! Yes, it would be a shame to go to all that effort for it all to be ruined for half an hour of impatience! Cheers.

[@cadencebrew]

Wort clarity goals

[@TonyYates]

Haha, there could be worse goals, I suppose. :-) Cheers!

[@SCOZ_YNWA]

Tony Yates in the zone. Good luck in the competition.

[@TonyYates]

Thanks Scott! It's more of a fun event where the public will select a winner, so.... just for fun :-) Cheers!

[@moosehillnanobrewery4728]

Nice video! Maybe I'll see you at Blaker skanse👍 "Neighbour"

[@TonyYates]

Sounds good! Cheers!