AG Pale Rider (first brew of the year - the shame!)

[adm]

Hi All,

I've not been on the forum much this year (if at all) due to lots of work travel etc... I haven't been brewing either for much the same reason. In fact - I've probably only drunk 10 pints or so of beer all year. The shame!!!!

Anyway, managed to get a brew on today at last. A simple Citra based pale/lager hybrid that will be ready for my lager drinking brother in law by the time his family come to stay over Easter.

I had a couple of cock ups - first my digital thermometer crapped out, second my March pump also kind of died - looks like a fixable problem with the head of the pump.

So - I made this:

Pale Rider (so called because it came out really pale....)

Grain Bill:
2.5Kg Lager Malt
2.5Kg Maris Otter
150g Wheat Malt
250g Caramalt

Hop Schedule (all Citra 2010 Whole Flowers, 13.8% AA)
First Wort: 12g
15 mins:15g
10 mins: 20g
5 mins: 22g
80C Steep: 29g (finished up the bag)

Yeast: 1 pack US-05

Here's some piccies:


Bucket 'o Grain


Lovely Citra flowers. These smelled great.


FWH plus a bit of gypsum ready for the wort


Here it comes! A lot paler than I thought it would be.


Bullfinch going full chat. I was also busy cooking Ox Cheeks braised in red wine while this boiled and I didn't really keep my eye on it so I ended up with less than I wanted. 21L at about 1.056 instead of 23L at 1.052. Oh well. I added 1.5L of boiled water to bring it down in strength a bit.


Nice cold break. I used the immersion chiller today as the pump was cream crackered and I didn't want to try gravity feed on the plate chiller.


And the money shot. This looks like about 1.060 - but it's due to the angle and the wort being about 9C.

Anyway......that's now all aerated, pitched and tucked up in the fermenting chamber at 20C.

Yippee!

[WishboneBrewery]

You obviously didn't take of picture of the Little Blue Chair, if you had you wouldn't have had those hiccups!
I've not brewed at home for over a month now!

[leedsbrew]

nice work man! And all for a LAGER drinker!

[leedsbrew]

I've not brewed at home for over a month now!

thought you'd been a bit quiet ade!

[trucker5774]

................and I thought I was the only sinner

I did my first for 4 months today due to moving house. Not as strong as yours but my first ever using all Centennial hops.
Looking forward to the citrus hit

Well done on the pics............maybe one day!

[WishboneBrewery]

I've not brewed at home for over a month now!

thought you'd been a bit quiet ade!

Brewed at work at least once a week, just not at home... lots of brewing ideas, will get one on either this weekend or next I think.

[crookedeyeboy]

Seems to be a spate of it, I brewed a week ago for the first time since last June! I moved house in August and everything got shoved in the cellar till last week....must be something in the water

[adm]

In my defence, I still have lots of beer in cornies and bottles in the garage. I might try and get a sneaky brew on this weekend as well. Hmm......maybe a stout...