Anyway, this one is a big time, experimental, hybrid brew. A super hoppy (I'm talking near on AIPA levels...) braggot, but with an almost Saison grain bill fermented with Belle Saison yeast.... Bonkers...
Targets:-
OG: 1.060. FG: Beersmith 2 told me 0.998
which is apparently normal for Belle Saison.Colour: 10.7 EBC. IBUs: 42.6 Tinseth. Based on 82% Efficiency.
As detailed elsewhere, this was my first brew using my recirculation set-up. I ran the pump at 1/3 flow (on the mini tap) the entire mash, and again for 15 minutes before flame out, and whilst cooling the wort. Once wort was cooled I let it sit with the pump off for 30 minutes to settle.
The Mash
90 minutes @ 64 degrees C (23 litres strike water @ 67 degrees C). Mash out at 75 degrees C, rising over 7 minutes, resting for 10. Drained and sparged with 6 litres of water @75 degrees C using recirculation.
Grain bill:-
1800g 6 EBC Maris Otter
500g 17.7 EBC Munich Malt
200g 3.3 EBC Torrefied Wheat
60g 150 EBC Crystal Malt
The Boil
90 minute boil. Rolling boil @ 1600 watts until volume low enough, then upped to 2500 watts for the majority of the boil (volcanic boil). Whole hops used throughout.
Hops & Misc:-
@ 90 minutes:-
2270g (5 jars) Asda own brand honey (posh honey the flavour would just boil off, or blow out of the airlock).
4g Summit 16.2% AA
4g Pilgrim 9.3% AA
@ 20 minutes:-
7g Belma 12% AA
7g Citra 13.5% AA
@ 15 minutes:-
9g Belma 12% AA
9g Citra 13.5% AA
1/2 Protafloc
@10 minutes:-
10g Belma 12% AA
10g Citra 13.5% AA
@0 minutes (flameout):-
25g Belma 12% AA
26g Citra 13.5% AA
The smell was truly wonderful whilst boiling! Fruity beyond belief!!
Now, the plan was to cool to 18 degrees C... But whilst posting about how it was going on here, in the equipment section, I overshot and cooled to 15 degrees C, it was THAT darned fast (boiling to 15 degrees C took approximately 25 minutes). So I warmed it back up to 17 degrees C. Hit an SG of 1.068.
Transferred to the FV, diluted from 20 litres to 22.5 litres, for an OG of 1.060.Pitched 2 packets (@ 17 degrees C) of already re-hydrated Lallemand Belle Saison yeast (re-hydrated with 200mls (2 x 100mls as instructions say 100mls per packet) of boiled then cooled water @ 30 degrees C), slapped it on my fermenting shelf and chucked a blow off tube on. In 3-4 days I'll wrap the FV in a blanket to let it get even warmer.
Went to bed and woke up in the night with a cluster migraine that felt like a star had gone super nova in my head, a temperature that felt like hell had arrived on earth, and lost my evening meal... Just as a side story.
Fixed (mostly) by putting a fan on full blast and taking some paracetamol. I overdid things a bit to be honest, as actually did most of my clean up the same day. I usually do it the next day as otherwise that happens....Today it's just starting to bubble away nicely. Not quite as vigorous as MJ M29 was at this point, but getting there.
I realised after brewing this that one of the main person I would have liked to try it can't have it.... She's gluten intolerant, and I used what and NO clarity ferm.... So naturally at some point I am going to have to have a go at brewing one with a lower ABV, barley only, British hops and Clarity Ferm.