First AG tonight 03/04/08 - Kegged 15/04/08

[fivetide]

Bagged!

[fivetide]

After five and a half days fermenting this brew is still bubbling regularly through the airlock, but I simply can't resist checking with a hydro any longer, even though I know it serves no purpose.

So it had an OG of 1.050 and it's currently...

...

...

[fivetide]

... 1.013 ! which already gives around 4.85% ABV?

Wow. Coming straight from kits that's very impressive, especially considering it still seems to be fermenting out and has bubbles rising and a thin head.

Smells allright too, drips tasted fine - hmmm, looking okay. Huh.

[stevezx7r]

Dare I say "we told you so"

I worry about my beers all the time, did I do this, did I do that etc etc. It usually comes out all right in the end (apart from my first AG which got oxidised, but I don't want to talk about that )

[fivetide]

Yeah, you can definitely say that, especially if I get to the stage of drinking it.

But in the early hours of the morning on brewday with random unsanitary crap falling from height into my FV after six hours work it was a different story.

[eyvindur]

Nice beerquarium!

Man, I can't wait to go all-grain...

[fivetide]

Fermentation has slowed so I took a proper reading today, as well as a small sample. Amazingly out of the fermenter and in a shot glass it looks pale gold, pretty clear and tastes remarkably good, really hoppy too. I was rather excited and dead pleased - hopefully be drinking it for real in around five weeks or so.

So, around 1.012 now I think? Still some bubbles rising though, so will probably wait until Sunday evening to take it off the yeast. No dry-hopping this one, I want to get a proper feel for the flavours imparted in the boil and retain any clarity I can.

[fivetide]

By the way, here's yesterday's Vossy1 'feck test'!

[Witchfinder General]

Just wanted to say what an excellent thread this was. I knew it was going to be alright. You know I've probably done about 40 Grain brews in the past 4 years. Never had any problems apart from taps and seals leaking on the pressure barrels. But the brew I did this week, I couldn't find my mashing/sparging bag that I use to suspend in the boiler. So I used a piece of bed linen. Bad move. The wort started to drip over the sides by its capilary action. I had to throw the whole lot in the boiler and leave it to mash with the linen But then I found that grain had got stuck in the tap making it impossible to drain. So I used a clear tube to syphon into a bigger bucket. Got grain stuck in my teeth and spat it back into the bleeding boiler with the remaining wort. Not only that but I realised I'd used that same tube for syphoning petrol out of my Kawasaki ZX6R! Anyway it all looks ok now and smells good. Don't tell the customers!

[Vossy1]

By the way, here's yesterday's Vossy1 'feck test'!

That has to be one of the clearest yet

[fivetide]

After ten days fermenting my first AG stabilised at 1.010 over this weekend. Today I transferred the beer to a new sanitised fermenter and left the remaining crud in the old bucket. It all looks / smells / tastes fine and will stay here for a few days while I get my arse in gear and clean out a keg for it to live in. I am now hoping to fit in a brew night later this week if I can get some sleep in between now and then!

Siphoning clearish fermented beer into new FV


Leaving remaining crud behind. Rest was skimmed or on side of fermenter


Bobbed around a bit but 1.010 dead from 1.050. An ABV of 5.25 apparently


Looking good in its new home, albeit <19L. Popped a bin bag on after this shot

[fivetide]

In the keg! Around 18.5 litres I reckon in the end - just below the gas inlet tube anyhow. Starting to clear already, tastes good; only time will tell!

It's now sitting in the warm under 2lbs of pressure, but will go for cold conditioning in a week's time.

Siphoning into Corni under blanket of C02...


Looking pretty clear

[fivetide]

Thanks DaaB. I only brought it in for the CO2 blanket and to put the 2lbs of pressure on the keg actually, then it went back out to the shed after this picture to top up dispense pressure on the Fixby and get ready for the Crusader.

[delboy]

Thanks DaaB. I only bought it in for the CO2 blanket and to put the 2lbs of pressure on the keg actually, then it went back out to the shed after this picture to top up dispense pressure on the Fixby and get ready for the Crusader.

Is the 2lb pressure enough to seal the cornie? I'd have though you need to give it a bit of a blast at a higher pressure just to seal.

[fivetide]

When I was only a wee boy, many centuries ago, a young DaaB advised me to rack my beer under CO2, purge my brews of pesky oxygen if necessary and stick my brews under a couple of pounds of pressure in their Cornys. So I do. That's the only reason. It's served me well.