Haven't brewed in over a year. Had a ton leftover grain in still-sealed plastic bags, cleaned up my equipment, and decided to make a brew on Sunday. 10 lbs pale gambrinus malt, 2 lbs. oats, 2 lbs. chocolate malt, 1 lb roasted 2-row. 2 oz hallertauer at start of 1 hr. boil, 2 oz tettinanger at 55 minutes. White Labs 830 (German Lager). 52F for one week, 62F next week (diacetyl rest), then 5 degree daily reductions until 32 degrees, where I'll keep it for another week or so. Obviously 15 lbs. of grain for a 5 gal batch is pretty heavy, but I didn't want this old grain laying around any longer. I have this thing fermenting in a 5 gal plastic carboy, and its already clear that this beer is going to have a lot of trub. I'm guessing the bottom gallon of the carboy will be trub. I also have a gallon of extra wort that I put in a gallon jug and threw in the fridge (without yeast), thinking that it might be nice to have some wort on ice as a refresher (like a Mexican agua de cebada). So, here's my plan: Right before I rack to secondary on Sunday, I'm going to boil the gallon of wort from my fridge (just barely bring it to a boil, like pasteurization), sterilize a container and some ice cubes, put the ice cubes in the sterilized container, and pour the boiling wort into the sterilized container and seal. Then I'll rack to my secondary 5 gal carboy, and fill most of the headspace with the wort. Will this trub-replacement plan work? If it's OK for me to do this, should I have another week at 52F before going to 62F, or is it OK to go straight to the diacetyl rest?
Personally I would not try this. If nothing else, you'll be diluting the bitterness, which is presumably already where you want it. I am assuming the extra wort was never boiled or hopped. But if you do it, that's a significant amount of new wort, so I would not ferment it at diacetyl rest temps. (I assume you are trying to make a lager.) I would also boil the wort for 60 minutes (not just pasteurize it), so that you get a hot break (and cold break when you cool it), and so that you get rid of DMS/precursors. Again, that's how I would do it if I did it, which I wouldn't.
The extra wort was indeed boiled and hopped. One of my concerns is that the re-boiling will screw up the hop profile. Does this make the plan any more palatable? Or do you still feel it's a bad idea?
I'd say more palatable, and you probably only need to pasteurize raher than boil now. But my recommendation on fermentation temps wouldn't change. Have to say though...I still probably wouldn't muck with it. But I tend to not make a lot of fermentable adjustments after pitching the yeast. There are just too many variables for me to think that I have thought through them all.
just freeze this wort for starters if you use liquid yeasts. You can dilute it as needed, as it is above 1.040. 1 gal doesn't go as far as you'd think. It's about a starter and a half for a typical beer and no stir plate.
