The missus was on her hen do so it was a perfect time for me to attempt my second brew with the whole house to myself.
I had a go at a Hophead clone for the first brew which went pretty well. Yet to clear but tasting great after only a week in the barrel. Not sure how much longer it will last though!
So having thoroughly enjoyed it when I was in the States last year I thought Id have a go at Sierra Nevada Pale Ale. I took the recipe and ingredients from the Malt Millers site. I decided to use some liquid yeast this time round and also added 150g of Pale Wheat Malt for good head.
Ingredients
Grain
5.45 kg Lager Malt or Lower Colour Maris Otter
450g Light Caramel/Crystal Malt
Hops
30g Northern Brewer (60 min) Hops 38.7 IBU
30g Cascade (10 min) Hops 5.0 IBU
70g Cascade (1 min) Hops 9.7 IBU
Yeast
California Ale Yeast WLP001
Beer Profile
Measured Original Gravity: 1.053 SG
Measured Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Actual Alcohol by Vol: 5.60 %
Bitterness: 53.4 IBU
Est Color: 6.2 SRM
The grains I was using. (this is what I had left over, not what I was using)
And all ready in the bucket
The hops line-up:
So at midday a full boiler went on:
An hour later it was up to strike temp:
Filled the mash tun with 15 litres of water (based on 2.5:1 ratio) Mixed thoroughly and measuring a little below temp (was aiming for 68c, though the recipe doesn’t stipulate this)
90 mins later the temperature hadn’t dropped at all.
First runnings:
Clear after about 4 litres so time to sparge:
Once I had got the required amount it went in to the boiler. Roughly about 30 litres plus 4 litres in a jug to top up. None of the run off dropped below 1.000.
Put on full heat and off I went to grab a beer. Took longer than I expected and oh no! Escaping beer:
Had a sip to stay calm. (This is the Hophead I brewed 3 weeks ago. Only had a week in the barrell and yet to clear. Tastes damn good though)
Lid came off quick. 60 minute boil started and in went the Northern Brewer hops.
Irish Moss went in at 15 mins, 25g of Cascade at 10 mins and then 70g at 1 min. Then the chilling started:
Then two things happened. First I realised my hop strainer for the boiler was sat on the kitchen work top.
I then managed to dunk my digital thermometer. Double Meaning it no longer worked. I quickly threw the hop strainer in the still steaming brew to sanitise it. With no back up thermometerI had to chill as much I could and did the temp test by touch. I then dunked my whole arm in some VWP and rinsed thoroughly. I then dived in and attached the hop strainer.I gingerly started to pour off the liquid and got a few bits of hop so threw that out and rinsed the barrel again. I then went for it:
Oxygenated enough?!
With the yeast added it went in its home next to the Hophead. The time was just after 6pm, so a good 6 hour day.
The reading at roughly 25c. So not far off the 1.053 target
After all that I was starving and as she was away the only answer was a Full House Dominoes! Yum.
Summary
Enjoyed this brewday much more than the first. Had problems with my boiler last time so ended up starting and of course finishing very late. This was much more relaxed and enjoyable.
I hope I haven’t caused any problems by forgetting the hop strainer. My hope is that by disinfecting I wont cause any problems. Buts it's a risk I had to take. (though thinking about it now maybe pouring through a sieve would have been more sensible!
)Not knowing exactly what the temp was when adding the yeast is also a worry. Concerned I may have damaged the yeast but it seems to be coming along ok at the moment.
I hope any hop sediment will drop out and stay in the fermenter. May put through a sieve in to the barrrel to ensure nothing gets in.
With some Hophead still in the other barrel I hope to be able to give this the time it needs to really condition properly. Fingers crossed it comes out as expected. Its all part of the learning curve!
