Brewday on Normski's BM

[Jim]

Just had a very enjoyable collaborative brew with Normski today. I now have Braumeister envy.

Norm is going to post up the recipe and some photos, meanwhile here are a few of my photos. Incidentally, Norm is the most frugal brewer I've ever encountered - no wort gets wasted; his favourite phrase is 'if it's wet, it's wort'.

[Normski]

Brewing with Jim is an absolute pleasure.
We spent the day chatting, drinking tea and brewing.

Jim’s partial to a session ale, so we decide on a light bitter recipe.
We used 6Kg of Pale Malt, 460g CaraMalt, 200g Torry.
Bittered with Progress 50g @ 60 mins
EKG, Fuggles, Bobek 20g each @20 mins
Half Tab Protofloc
EKG, Fuggles, Bobek 20g each @ 0 mins

Mash schedule
38c mash in
52c 10 mins
67c 40 mins
72c 20 mins
78c 10 mins
Boil 60 min, hops at 60, 20, 0.

Collected 34L @ 1055

Had the BM 7 Weeks and 9 Brews.

Frugal, I guess I am.
As brewers we make Wort, I just don’t throw Wort away, I keep as much as possible.
I squeeze out the hops, I keep the dregs from the boiler. I freeze this in small 400ml bottles.
I then used them to make starters and to prime kegs etc.
I defrost, then adjust the gravity if making a starter, then boil the wort for 10 mins, cool and use.
Norm

Vorsprung Durch Technik Jim

In go all them lovely hops.

[woblylegs]

i told you jim that you would want one hehehe

[Jim]

i told you jim that you would want one hehehe

That doesn't mean I'm allowed to get one though.

[woblylegs]

arr we can all have dreams jim lol
great bit of kit.

[Jim]

Aye, it is amazing.

My half's going like the clappers now Norm.

[Normski]

Thats good Jim.
My half is too.

Can someone check our efficiency. My numbers look mental.
34L @ 1055
6Kg Pale malt, 460g Cara, 200g Torry.
Norm

[Jim]

I make that 95% efficiency Norm.

Mind the way you wrung the last drops of extract out of that grain I'm not surprised.

[Normski]

Yeah thats what i got, not bad that eh.

No sence chucking all that lovely brew away.
Wring it oot an freeze it. Way better than dried malt extract.
An free. I like free, now all me moneys spent on the BM.

[chris.laws.54943]

Hey guys! Nice post. Could you explain your mash temp schedule please? I have a BM myself (all the gear; no idea)
I usually do 20 min@40, 60 min@67 10 min@78 (I mostly brew IPA type beers). I'd love to know what I might gain by tweaking towards what you did?

[Matt12398]

Why are you spending 20 mins at 40? Are you doing a beta glucanase rest? I just add everything at 38, mix well to prevent balling and then straight to the first mash rest but so far if I've step mashed they've all been above 60.

[Normski]

I’m with Matt on that. I can’t see any point in sitting at 40c.
Mash in around 38-40c. Then ramp straight up to your 1st rest what ever that is going to be.
Me, I quite like something like 52c for 10 mins, then on to 66 or 67c for 40 mins, then the rest of the mash at a slightly higher temp, 72c works well for me. 20 mins or what ever length mash.
Then mash out at 78c for 10 mins.
You don’t have to use any steps with your mash, But as doing this with a BM is so simple. Why not.
Norm

[chris.laws.54943]

All fair enough points thanks guys. The 20 min rest at 40 was something I'd read about, I believe it's called a liquification rest. I think intended to get the warm water into the grains in order to up the yield of sugars (I was struggling a little with the high efficiency others had noted in the BM)
However I am no expert brewer or chemist so was looking for any help I can get to extract as much finished beer from a brew as possible.

[Jim]

It's turned out a cracking pint!

[Andy]

When's the order going in Jim ?