02/08/08 - House Special Mild - Frought with problems!

[maxashton]

Brewed yesterday, very slow and organised brew. Everything prepared the night before, and started brewing at 11 when my friend came over to see how things are done.

Both my main camera, backup camera, and wife's cameras all failed for one reason or another, resulting in absolutely no pictures taken. Bloody nightmare.

My friend wanted to see how beer is made from grain, and what all the steps in the process are for. To be honest, it was an absolute joy explaining everything, and having someone be actually interested in the steps we take to make beer.

Here's my recipe.

House Special Mild
11-A Mild



Size: 22.35 L
Efficiency: 60.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 114.36 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.035 (1.030 - 1.038)
|=================#==============|
Terminal Gravity: 1.009 (1.008 - 1.013)
|==========#=====================|
Color: 41.3 (12.0 - 25.0)
|===================#============|
Alcohol: 3.39% (2.8% - 4.5%)
|=============#==================|
Bitterness: 17.6 (10.0 - 25.0)
|================#===============|

Ingredients:
3.65 kg English Mild Ale
243.55 g English Wheat Malt
194.84 g English Black Roast
426.22 g British Crystal 55°L
24.36 g Fuggle (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 60 min
18.27 g Fuggle (4.8%) - added during boil, boiled 15 min
1.2 ea Fermentis S-04 Safale S-04

Schedule:
Ambient Air: 21.11 °C
Source Water: 15.56 °C
Elevation: 0.0 m


Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.0.29

I heated strike water at 11, water at 80°C to preheat the mash tun. Mashed in when water was down to 72°C. Glass therm said water was 72°C, digital thermometer said was 110°C. Retired digital therm.
Mash was a little hot, stayed in the high 60's, but i wanted a dextrin rich wort so i didn't worry too much.

Sparged with 20L of water, intending to collect 18L of 1035. Actually collected 15l at 1040. I suppose i could have diluted out to desired OG, but i decided to stick with what i had.

Chilled down to pitching temp with IC, who's arms I had bent up on reccomendation of one of our very own lateral thinkers.

S-04 ordered from hop and grape had been punctured in transit somehow. Replacement had not been delivered yet, so pitched 2 sachets of old (expired last month) Safale S-04. Was worried about it to be honest. I have a smackpack of Wyeast 1098 British Ale i could have used, but that's for my ruddles clone next week.

Within a couple of hours a kreusen had formed, and the airlock was bubbling regularly. Very happy. I expect with the quantity of yeast i pitched it will ferment out quite quickly. No doubt i will lose a lot more volume to the yeast cake!

Throughout the brew, i left three taps open while transfering pre-boil. I left HLT tap open, i left boiler tap open, and i left mash tun tap open at bad times. As a result, i had a fair ammount of mess. Hah!

Hopefully, the beer will turn out OK.

[ECR]

Presumably you remembered to fit the hop strainer?

Sounds like it's going well now, despite difficulties

[maxashton]

For once, i did indeed remember the hop strainer!

[prodigal2]

Spreading the mild word there max

good looking recipe too

[maxashton]

Mild is fantastic stuff. Sainsburys have sadly stopped selling their own brand

[booldawg]

For once, i did indeed remember the hop strainer!

Haha LOL - on a brew day myself with IC running, just reads those immortal words - HOP STRAINER

[Toast]

For once, i did indeed remember the hop strainer!

Haha LOL - on a brew day myself with IC running, just reads those immortal words - HOP STRAINER

For this very reason, when packed away, I store the hop strainer in the boiler! So far so good, not forgotten once.

[booldawg]

First time I've forgetten it. Simply because I took it out and cleaned in a citric acid solution and put it in a cupboard; out of sight out of mind. Theres no reason not to have it installed when heating up mash and sparge water. Lesson learnt!