Home Brew Forum

2nd Extract brew - Bramling Cross IPA
The original idea: viewtopic.php?f=3&t=22434

Though I altered it a little this morning:
Malt Extract Syrup Pale 5.5 EBC 3 lbs. 4.9 oz 1500 grams 74.6%
Dried Malt Extract Pale 10 EBC 0 lbs. 13.7 oz 390 grams 19.4%
Wheat Malt Extract 8 EBC 0 lbs. 1.8 oz 50 grams 2.5%
Crystal Wheat Malt 125 EBC 0 lbs. 1.8 oz 50 grams 2.5%
Roasted Barley 1350 EBC 0 lbs. 0.7 oz 20 grams 1%

Bramling Cross Whole 6.3 % 60 mins 0 lbs. 1.3 oz 38 grams 51.4%
Bramling Cross Whole 6.3 % 15 mins 0 lbs. 0.9 oz 26 grams 35.1%
Bramling Cross Whole 6.3 % 0 mins 0 lbs. 0.4 oz 10 grams 13.5% (added to steep at 80 Deg C)

Final Volume: 12 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.051
Final Gravity: 1.012
Alcohol Content: 5.1% ABV
Bitterness: 61.085866651216 EBU
Colour: 31 EBC

The Ingredients:

Bramling Cross Hops:

First batch of hops gone in, grain bags bobbing around:

Run-off from boiler into FV3, which was cooled in the bath:


Yeast Starter, the Safale us-05 was mad-for-it with loads of fine bubbles:

Hydro @ 35 degrees, apparently its really about 1044 (6 or 7 points below where it should have been):

15 Litre FV tucked up to bed:


Things I'd change:
The way the boiler drains off through the hop stopper could be improved, I'm thinking a short curved copper pipe.
The Linen bags for the grain are a little watertight, though they did their job, I shall have to search for muslin bags
Immersion cooler wouldn't go a miss!!
I maybe wouldn't rinse the hops with as much liquor next time so as to keep the right gravity, I should have checked the hydro in the FV and adjusted after

Cracking pics! You said, 'I shall have to search for muslin bags '

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=21366

These should do a good job with grain too. Highly recommended.

yeah, I just haven't been to ASDA lately...

Looks a good brewday. I'd not thought of floating the hydrometer in the FV, knowing me it'd somehow drop into the bottom and i'd lose it

Once fermentation dies down I sanitise my hydro ,lob it in the fv and leave it in there. So much better than drawing off samples and I've never been much of a fan of supping 3 day fermented beer samples.

yeah... taking a sample from the tap or out of the top, I might risk adding nasties to the brew.
Its much easier having the hydro just sat in the wort after its settled Easy to keep taking a peek at it from day to day.

I take a sample the morning after pitching the yeast and just leave the hydrometer in the sample jar. I know it might not ferment at exactly the same speed as the stuff in the bucket but until now it's always been close enough.

It'll be interesting to hear how this one turns out. Bramling Cross has quite a pronounced aroma which it wouldn't have occurred to me to use in IPA.

Invalid Stout wrote: It'll be interesting to hear how this one turns out. Bramling Cross has quite a pronounced aroma which it wouldn't have occurred to me to use in IPA.

My intention is to find out what a single hop variety is like, I'll probably try a few varieties eventually so I get a feel for what works and what doesn't... I'm only starting out so I want to learn.