AG#25 - Bobek Ale (with pics)

[floydmeddler]

Have been interested in Bobek hops for a while now and decided to give them centre stage in their own one hop brew... Hope they're tasty!

Wanted something quite malty too so went for Munich. Plan was to mash at 70c to add even more maltiness.

Recipe:

Bobek Ale
8-C Extra Special/Strong Bitter (English Pale Ale)

Size: 25 L
Ingredients:
4.5 kg Maris Otter Pale Ale Malt
500.0 g Munich Malt
50.0 g Chocolate Malt
60.0 g Bobek (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 90 min
40.0 g Bobek (4.5%) - added during boil, boiled 10 min

Grains and hops





HLT doing its thing



My mash tun with new false bottom. First time using it today so sweat was running slightly...



Transferring hot liquor to mash tun. Added at 85c then insulated for 15 mins before stirring until 77c was reached:



Mashing in. Mashed for 90 mins as per usual. Temp was 68c-69c so slightly off target



Turned the tap and no grain bits came through whatsoever. Connected my 20/12 Totton pump and recirculated for 20 mins





Inside my latest Thunderbird Boiler



Collecting the sweet wort and first wort hopping



Fly sparging with the pump. Thunderbird switched on and heating up





Hot break starting



Nearing the boil



Thunderbirds are go!



Place was like a sauna due to the temperatures outside!





Chiller in and flavouring hops at the ready



Crash cooling in the shower



Recirculating wort before adding to fermenter - 30 mins



Collected goodness with yeast added



The hop / trub bed



Ended at 1050 with 24.5 litres. Efficiency was around 81-82%. Lower than last time but I reckon it's because I got a little impatient when collecting the last of the runnings and opened the tap full pelt! Ah well, still really good efficiency.

More importantly, my false bottom did me proud!

[WishboneBrewery]

Looking good and excellent brewday

[kevthebootboy]

Nice work there our kid, i like the look of that recipe mate, let us know how it comes out, i might give it ago.

cheers, kev

[simple one]

Really nice looking homemade kit. Nice thread too/

[floydmeddler]

Cheers all. Bubbling away nicely here. Would love to do it all again today!

[garwatts]

Nice pics Floyd. Looks like you had a good day. That boiler certainly moves around a lot though
Like the sight tube - do you have to remove it for cleaning?

[Garth]

That boiler certainly moves around a lot though

No it doesn't, he has 6 of them, all identical, the lucky bloke........

Looks like a good brewday Floyd. Great piccies.

[floydmeddler]

That boiler certainly moves around a lot though

No it doesn't, he has 6 of them, all identical, the lucky bloke........

Looks like a good brewday Floyd. Great piccies.

Yes, I really noticed that yesterday actually. Pretty heavy and also dangerous. Plus I'm on a first floor flat. I have no choice but to boil beside the window but perhaps I can come up with a solution where I can crash cool the wort using the kitchen tap? Any solutions would be appreciated.

[floydmeddler]

Nice pics Floyd. Looks like you had a good day. That boiler certainly moves around a lot though
Like the sight tube - do you have to remove it for cleaning?

Cheers. I bought it from Tubthumper. I only used half of what he sent me so can make another identical. To be honest, I don't know how to remove it! It is push fit type and when it's pushed in it doesn't seem to want to come out again. Maybe tubthumper can help. Basically, I simply shoot water down it from the shower hose at full blast. Does the trick.

[coatesg]

perhaps I can come up with a solution where I can crash cool the wort using the kitchen tap?

Using an IC, you can often get connectors for hosepipes to connect to taps - maybe try a suitable connector <-> hosepipe <-> suitable_connector <-> IC ?

Bobek makes good brews - I've used it a few times and had great results. Thinking about doing a Styrian Stunner type brew in the next couple of months with some Bobek I have in the freezer - your brew is pushing me more that way

[floydmeddler]

perhaps I can come up with a solution where I can crash cool the wort using the kitchen tap?

Using an IC, you can often get connectors for hosepipes to connect to taps - maybe try a suitable connector <-> hosepipe <-> suitable_connector <-> IC ?

Bobek makes good brews - I've used it a few times and had great results. Thinking about doing a Styrian Stunner type brew in the next couple of months with some Bobek I have in the freezer - your brew is pushing me more that way

Cheers. can't imagine anything connecting to my tap. Nothing screws off in order for something to screw on. Thinking about under the sink. Reckon my washing machine hose outlet can be 'bastardised'.

Aye, my Bobek ale is smelling good. Glad I went for it.

[coatesg]

If it's a mixer type tap, then there are quite a few types that will fit, though if it's a funny shaped thing then maybe adding a self tapping connection with tap onto a pipe under the sink might work. I used a connection like this for our outside tap - it leaves something very much like a washing machine thread from memory.

[floydmeddler]

Cheers. Will look into it.

[Garth]

Floyd, if it's a mixer tap you've got, I used one of these when I used to brew in the kitchen, they work fine with no leaks if you get them on correctly.

Mixer tap adaptor

[floydmeddler]

Looks pretty good. I have loads of pvc hose pipe left so maybe I can simply extend the hose to reach from the shower to the kitchen. Very small flat so that could work. Means I won't have to spend anything which is always a plus!