Home Brew Forum

Rather bizarrely Mrs Danny stated she was taking both ankle biters out today and I could have the whole day brewing .. !
After I picked myself up off the floor I legged it out to the brewhouse in case she changed her mind and decided on this ..
Gote Lane
Ingredient Colour Weight Ratio
Pale Malt 5 EBC 3700 grams 88.6%
Crystal Malt 130 EBC 250 grams 6%
Torrefied Wheat 4 EBC 150 grams 3.6%
Amber Malt 60 EBC 75 grams 1.8%
Hop Variety Type Alpha Time Weight Ratio
Northdown Whole 8.4 % 90 mins 60 grams 80%
Northdown Whole 8.4 % 15 mins 15 grams 20%
Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.04584803913043
Final Gravity: 1.011
Alcohol Content: 4.4% ABV
Total Liquor: 32.5 Litres
Mash Liquor: 10.4 Litres
Bitterness: 50 EBU
Colour: 21 EBC

Put together using Graham's Beer Engine hence the OG figure!
75g of Amber came from what was left in the bag and single hop because I haven't used Northdown before and I've enjoyed experimenting with single hop beers so I can really get to know their characteristics ..
Anway, HLT is on ... pics and updates to follow during the day ..

Gratuitous Brewery shot ..

Grain Bill .. being mixed in a Nordic stock pot that will later be turned into a shiny FV when I get round to it ..

Nice compact set up, 6 handpulls?

Good look in hitting the og!

Six indeed ... two working, these are the other four which are on a block being stripped down .. ebay coup at 99p! The intention is to rebuild a new bar around them over the next few months .. this is a better look ... nearly as good a look as Mrs Danny's face when she saw me lumbering up the drive with 'em!

On with the show then ..
First runnings returned ..

Sparging ..


Boil .. hot break crap removed before copper hops in ..

and onto the joyous task of sterilising ..

Looking good Danny, what a great looking set up you have!

Yeast Starter making good progress ..

Immersion chiller doing it's thing ..

Out to the FV .. Hydrometer reading 1046 .. bang on ...

And so to bed ... see you in a week ..


Good day overall .. one thing I don't do is treat my water ... I keep meaning to get my head round it and I'm sure it will help but it's just something I haven't tackled yet ... Really impressed with Graham's Beer Engine, very helpful ... Also I think I'm going to go back to Ritchie's Cleaner/Steriliser .. I can't help thinking that I'm a bit hit and miss with Iodophor .. probably wrong but I always felt more confident with Ritchies ..

What size brew house????????? great set up, is there a lock on the door to keep unwanted helpers out??????

Wow, what a cracking setup, clean and tidy and well finished, brilliant.

Nice recipe - and great brewery!

Top shiny stuff! hope all went well

Very nice set up indeed Danny!

You'll have to give us a photo blow by blow report of your new bar too!

Thanks chaps .. the new bar is going to be a great project which will see the complete refit of the brewhouse too, concrete floor and stuff ..
Brew update ... yeast going a bit slow, warm cupboard not so warm even with an immersion heater ... may have to bring it in .. Baz the brewhouse is my garage but the whole lot takes up less than 10' in length which with a bit of reorganisation next year is going to make it top man space .. !