Home Brew Forum

.....so today was a brew day, I decided on the following grist;

4kg mo
290g crystal
200g wheat malt

55g challenger all boil
15g challenger 15min from end
20g challenger in hopback
plus 200g demerara sugar

S-04 yeast

should be about 1.040 and 34 EBU

I had only done a few brews with my current set up and that was a while ago so I was playing it by ear a bit.
I worked out I needed 39l of water and treated that with 35ml of CRS in the hope of getting in the region of
20-50mg/l residual alkalinity, on testing I got just over 60 so added another 7.5ml and tested at 27mg/l
the only other treatment I did was to add 2.5ml 10% sodium met solution.

Here are a few pics I took;

Getting things together.



I prefer a fairly slack mash 3l/kg.



Temp and pH ok.




Temp ok for topping up for 1st batch.



My tun was initially used with a spinny, but I currently batch sparge and it is a little small



I stir and let the bed settle for 10mins then circulate.




As I use a single HLT/copper the wort is then pumped to a transfer vessel.




The tun is filled with liquor for the the 2nd batch and stirred, while that is settling the wort is
pumped from the transfer vessel to the copper.



After the boil I allow the hops to settle for about 15mins then run the wort through the
hopback and CFC.



I use a collection vessel due to the height of the FV, but the advantage is that the
wort gets two good aerations.



All in all a good day, OG 1.042 so can't be bad and I confirmed losses to evaporation (12% /hr)
hops, dead space etc that I had forgotton since the last brew

Tasty recipe and great pictures Scooby. All that shiney is making me very jealous, apart from the conical which wifey says I can have because it's not very shiney and expensive

That's good news subsub, the conical was a good up grade to my brewery. The latest move
to the stainless HLT/copper is a luxury but it's so seductive. The pump saves my back and
is a safe way of moving hot liquids.

The brew is more or less the big mans English ale but with all challenger hops.

Nice pics scooby.

Now I've seen your setup again, I'll have to go and read up about the relative merits of using a hopback...

There is quite a bit of info on hopbacks SP, I find it works.

Have a go, It satisfies that urge to tinker, fiddle and create This hobby for me is not
just about brewing and drinking but getting your hands dirty

Great pics Scoob!

Cheers Andy.

Just seen a pic of your very impressive brewery on another thread, looks great

An outstanding setup, Scooby, I gotsta get me one of those conicals - where did you get yours?

stevezx7r wrote:An outstanding setup, Scooby, I gotsta get me one of those conicals - where did you get yours?

I got it from Beertech a while ago, not sure he stocks them now.

Wicked setup and it all looks so easy!
Marchmay pump is in my crimbo list

Nice

mixbrewery wrote:Wicked setup and it all looks so easy!
Marchmay pump is in my crimbo list

My motto 'Take it step by step, think and check' Then it is easy

The pump is a Totton GP20 from Norm' He has one up now. PUMP Very good, also used by Andy and Seveneer

Available here for £220 or £265 depending on size.

Very nice, very jealous, but that's 20-odd decent buckets with taps a pop...

fivetide wrote:Available here for £220 or £265 depending on size.

Very nice, very jealous, but that's 20-odd decent buckets with taps a pop...

Gone up a bit then, I only paid 15 odd buckets for mine
Don't regret it though.

Nice set up and east to see a lot of thought and time has went into the making of it. I like the conical fermenters, been thinking of getting one for a wee while. Do you have a sample point on it or is it dump yeast out the valve and then transfer through the one valve? I have been thinking about a 10 gallon biodiesel type one and then messing with it till i am happy. Anyway nice simple recipe hope it turns out well.