![schiehallion[1]](https://i1.wp.com/www.fairwater-brewery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/schiehallion1.gif?resize=168%2C190)
Based on a recipe for Harviestoun’s Schiehallion. Not sure where I found the recipe, but it ended up in BeerSmith when I was looking for a lager-like recipe. A quick look at Harviestoun’s website suggested a slightly different mix of hops to my recipe, so I tweaked the recipe to match both more of the varieties on their website and what I had in the freezer.
Brewday details:
- Length: 24 litres
- OG: 1.040
- FG: 1.008
- ABV: 4.2%
BeerXml File: Sheer Hellion
Sheer Hellion
- Style: German Pilsner
- Length: 21 litres
- Yeast: Saflager Lager (DCL/Fermentis W-34/70)
- OG: 1.047
- FG: 1.011
- ABV: 4.8 %
- Colour: 6.7 EBC
- Bitterness: 34.6 IBUs
Fermentables:| Name | Colour | Amount (kg) | % |
|---|
| Lager Malt | 4 | 3.999 | 95 |
| Wheat Malt, Pale (Weyermann) | 4 | 0.199 | 5 |
| Total | 4.199 | |
Hops:| Name | Alpha | Form | Amount (g) | Time (mins) |
|---|
| Hallertauer Hersbrucker | 1.5 | Leaf | 15 | 90 |
| Perle | 9.6 | Leaf | 12 | 90 |
| Challenger | 6.2 | Leaf | 10 | 60 |
| Hallertauer Hersbrucker | 1.5 | Leaf | 11 | 15 |
| Perle | 9.6 | Leaf | 11 | 15 |
Comments:
Made with RO water from the local aquarium shop, treated to match the lager profile on Jim’s. This gave me 1.7g gypsum, 5g calcium chloride, and 0.7g epsom salts. Slightly cool mash at 62C, but this shouldn’t make much more difference than a maybe slightly drier finish, which I’d say is not bad thing given I’m aiming for a crsisp, dry lager.
Gaaaaaaah! Batch sparging my beer, draining the first runnings from the mash tun (which is where the majority of the suagrs are), I open the tap from the tun to let it drain into the boiler. Wander off to get on with some other stuff while it drains (takes 20 mins to slowly drain). Go back to check that it has finished to find a very wet garage floor, and a boiler with barely any wort inside it. I’d left the tap open on the boiler!
I’ve added the second batch addition of water to the tun, and when that’s finished sparging I’ll see how much wort and at what strength I end up with. I should be able to recover by adding more plain water and dried malt extract before doing the boil, but the final beer won’t be as good as it should have been…
After the second sparge I have 21 litres at 5.6Bx = 1.021. Diluting down to the pre-boil length of 30 litres gave me 4.2Bx = 1.061. After adding all the DME I had to hand (1 kg bag, plus about 70g left in an old bag), I’m up to 1.028, and the target was 1.032, so that’s close enough for today. Could add some simple sugar or something, but I’ve decided against. I topped-up with plain tap water; the RO’s major use was in the mash, after all.
Bonus extra 6g of Hallertauer at 15 minutes to finish the bag.
24 litres at the end of the boil at 1.040 – for some reason that’s 3 fewer litres evaporated than planned, but gives us even lower SG that hoped for. We’ll probably end up with a sub-4% lager, but it’ll still be drinkable…
2016-02-19: Down to a very presentable 1.008, which gives an eminently drinkable 4.2%. Tastes really quite good from the trial jar, and quite clear. Now cold crashing down to 4C, and I’ll drop some gelatine in tomorrow (it’s too cold, wet ‘n’ ‘orrible to go out again this evening!)
2016-03-26: While there is no way I would want to have another brew day like that, this has turned out to be the best lager I’ve made so far… Nice and bright, malt backbone, and a lemony note from the hops.
![schiehallion[1]](https://i1.wp.com/www.fairwater-brewery.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/schiehallion1.gif)
Based on a recipe for Harviestoun’s Schiehallion. Not sure where I found the recipe, but it ended up in BeerSmith when I was looking for a lager-like recipe. A quick look at Harviestoun’s website suggested a slightly different mix of hops to my recipe, so I tweaked the recipe to match both more of the varieties on their website and what I had in the freezer.
