AG#3 - Hoppy Gold

[Mike8578]

Not posted on here in aaaaaages! Fired up the brew equipment today for AG #3. And it didn't go as smoothly as the first 2

Still, we were due a bad 'un I suppose. Here's the recipe. Was starting out trying to achieve a Hooky Gold sort of beer, but got carried away and wanted it hoppier and more bitter:

Brew length - 23L
Total Liquor - 32.4L
Mash liquor - 10.3L

Maris Otter - 3440g
Crystal Malt - 165g
Torefied Wheat - 520g

Been getting 85% efficiency off the first two according to calcs so:

OG: 1.045
FG: 1.011
ABV: 4.4%
EBC: 15
IBU: 42
Hop schedule:

90mins
Challenger (6%) - 40g

15mins
Irish Moss
Cascade (6%) - 40g
Willamette (4.5%) - 10g

Flame out
Willamette (4.5%) - 15g

Yeast - S-04

We got a stuck mash, which we tried allsorts to correct but struggled. Blowing up the tap cleared it enough to get 20L off following batch sparging. Irritating when we had our best temp loss in the mash of just 0.2deg over 90 minutes. I checked the gravity though and we were at 1054+ so we jugged in some hot water to take it up to 25L as we just could not get anymore out of the tun. (cleanup operation revealed some of the mash had got under the plate in the bottom and into the tap, so presumably we were blowing it out of the tap to clear it, only for it to flow back in again)

So 25L boiled for 90minutes left us with just under 18L post-boil. Again though, a check of the gravity and we were able to up it with boiling water to 20L. Only, as we don't have a sight glass, and so were measuring using a 15L bucket, we had the wort cooled to pitching temp before we added the boiled water. Cue temp rising and then it only dropping 2deg in 45 minutes in the insulated FV.

In the end we pitched at 28deg, so I'm just hoping it doesn't taste too sharp like AG#1 which was pitched at a high temp. We used US-05 in AG#1, and the slurry from that in AG#2, so will be interesting to see how the S-04 performs.

I just hope it turns out alright after the palaver!

[Mike8578]

Minor update: I strongly suspect that after jugging in additional boiled water to up the volume, we actually lowered the OG by more than we should have. I just can't remember whether we took a reading after doing so. A lesson in better planning and noting down what one has done I think!

So on that basis, I'm not sure we're going to know the ABV. I have a hazy memory that we lowered the OG way too much and so the resulting beverage is going to be very mild indeed. I measured on Saturday and it's now down to what would've been the target 1.011. However I roused the yeast in a bid to keep it going a bit.

So a couple of questions:

1: A colleague has suggested borrowing his vinometer although with the attached health warning that for beer it may not be all that accurate. What's the verdict on using one to get a handle on the ABV?

2: Colleague also suggested throwing some beer enzymes in there to convert any remaining sugars. Again, what's the verdict on these?

On an up note, I tasted it on Saturday and it's absolutely lovely. Very much like the Hooky Gold I was aiming for but, much stronger in the hop department. Bitterness is spot on but more than anything there's a real raspberry/blackcurrant-ish afternote which I'm guessing is the Willamette.

So I suppose, even if it's extremely mild, as long as it tastes good that's the main thing. Can just drink more of it!

[boingy]

I think you may have answered your own questions!
Forget the vinometer.
You don't need to know the ABV to enjoy it, so, um, enjoy it!

[WishboneBrewery]

I find a good bit of poking with a spoon handle frees up stuck mashes (I batch sparge)

[Mike8578]

I find a good bit of poking with a spoon handle frees up stuck mashes (I batch sparge)

The grain was in the actual tap, so we just couldn't get the remaining wort out.

[WishboneBrewery]

ahh!! oops!

[boingy]

Mike, obviously the best thing would be to improve your grain manifold but you might also want to look at changing the tap. Something like a lever ball valve is a "full bore" tap so it is harder to block and relatively easy to unblock and rinse through.

[Mike8578]

Boingy, that's certainly what we've got on the boiler, but we opted for a washing machine tap on the mash tun.

I think it was a balls up when we put the kit together and we didn't make sure the plate was sat flat to the bottom of the tun. To get round this happening in future I might try fitting a piece of gauze at the tank connector end of the false bottom.

[Mike8578]

It has definitely stopped at 1.011. Will rack off this w/e for a stint of conditioning.