Brewday - 30th March

BarrowBoy · Post by **BarrowBoy** » Tue Mar 27, 2007 10:05 am

I know it's still a couple of days away but while I've been on this forum I've just taken delivery of the stuff for this Friday's brew.

Mrs BB will be at her mother's for a long weekend and the office think I'll be 'working from home' so Friday it is - which then leaves Saturday to get to the football. This really is shaping up rather well.

I've brewed 4 AG recipes out of Dave Line's book but all of these have been done blind so I'd no idea whether I was right or wrong.

This Friday is going to be Jim's standard brew which, combined with the massive amount of info I've gleaned from you folks, I'll then use, I hope, as some kind of benchmark.

I can't wait............

BarrowBoy · Post by **BarrowBoy** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 9:56 am

And it's away...........

Recipe is this:
http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/recipe.htm

Mash got underway at 9.17 a.m. at 67 degrees

Hops - Fuggles (4.5%), Challenger (6.5%). At the rate of hopping suggested in the recipe provides IBU at 21.2. Jim says he likes a "bit of residual sweetness" although I prefer slightly more hop/bitterness. Should I push it up to 25 and, if so, with which hop? Or a proportionate balance of the 2?

I'll try to get some pics but I'm a bit of a Luddite (no camera phone. In fact, make that no mobile) but there is a cheapo digital around here somewhere.

Calum · Post by **Calum** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:17 am

Have a good day. There is nothing better than an empty house to get a brew on the go.

BarrowBoy · Post by **BarrowBoy** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 11:55 am

Very pleased with the mash (100 mins because my liquor wasn't hot enough for sparging at 90 mins - memo to myself etc.) - hardly lost a degree.

Collected about 23 litres of wort before OG dropped too low so topped to 30 litres with liquor. Just about coming to the boil now.

BarrowBoy · Post by **BarrowBoy** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 6:20 pm

Some (not very good ) pics:

Under here (a sleeping bag, 2 hot water bottles and 2 towels) a mash is taking place:

Sparging arm in one hand - camera in the other:

Adding late hops and Irish Moss:

Starter yeast just before pitching:

Reckon I finished with about 24 litres at 1039 at 17degrees (bit cooler than I wanted) which, by my calculation gives about 85% efficiency although I find it hard to believe. If it's true then there really is such a thing as beginner's luck....

Until I see a frothy yeast cap I won't believe anything.

Post by **Andy** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 6:41 pm

Nice one BB and cheers for the pics

Post by **Jim** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 6:43 pm

Glad to see someone trying out the trusty old recipe.

You'll like it, trust me.

BarrowBoy · Post by **BarrowBoy** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 7:23 pm

I just tweaked the recipe by increasing the Challenger to 26g giving an IBU of 23.5

Scooby · Post by **Scooby** » Fri Mar 30, 2007 10:19 pm

BarrowBoy wrote:Some (not very good ) pics:

Don't you believe it

Great pics and well done with the brew

Garth · Post by **Garth** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 12:27 am

enjoyed the pics BB, good luck with the brew

SteveD · Post by **SteveD** » Sat Mar 31, 2007 12:31 am

Well done. I'm sure it will turn out great. Good brand placement as well

You should get a commission from H&G

BarrowBoy · Post by **BarrowBoy** » Mon Apr 02, 2007 8:58 am

SteveD wrote:Well done. I'm sure it will turn out great. Good brand placement as well You should get a commission from H&G

I've just put in an order for this weekend's brew so we'll see whether there's a healthy discount.....

BarrowBoy · Post by **BarrowBoy** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 10:22 am

Almost 6 days since pitching and the SG is down to 1012 at 15C.

How does that sound? Am I being too impatient to think it should be lower than that? The yeast cap has disappeared apart from bits of froth on the surface.

I really don't want to lose this brew so I guess I'm just looking for reassurance (and I want to get on with brewing the Styrian Stunner this weekend)

BlightyBrewer · Post by **BlightyBrewer** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 12:56 pm

Well done there BB.

BB

This could get confusing...

notassuch · Post by **notassuch** » Thu Apr 05, 2007 5:34 pm

Hi BarrowBoy! Loved your action shots.

You are at the stage where I was least comfortable with my first brew and I'd love it if someone could give some
further advice.

My EB Stout reached it's TG in about 6/7 days and, like you said, the yeast head had almost completely
subsided. (which I had intended to skim... ah well) but I really was very unsure about how to treat the
beer at this stage.

Many people talk about racking to secondary, which I honestly don't quite understand yet. Is the purpose of
this simply to get the beer off the trub at this stage or does it have a further purpose?

What I ended up doing with mine is adding some priming sugars and racking it to a pressure barrel.
Tasted it one week afterwards and although it tasted promising, it's still far off resembling a good pub pint.

Could anyone spare the time to explain how to treat beer post-fermentation?

Thanks!

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Brewday - 30th March

Brewday - 30th March