Remembrance Ale 091109 (No Pics)

[adm]

SussexRobin came round yesterday and we brewed up a single hop ale as an introduction to all grain brewing. Not sure what to call it, so as it was Remembrance Sunday, I took the easy way out.

We made 26L of a 1052 Pale Ale - all Nelson Sauvin as I've got loads of them from my last order and needed to use some up. The hops were amazing (as usual from Craftbrewer) - really sticky and smelly.

Grain Bill was:
5.5Kg Maris Otter
400g Medium Crystal
150g Torrefied Wheat

Hops were:
25g Nelson Sauvin NZ 2009 11.4% AA First Wort
45g NS 15 mins
20g NS 0 mins
For a total of about 43-44 IBU

Yeast was about 300mls of very thick WLP001 slurry

Mash and Boil were each 60 mins and we were done in about 3 1/2 hours! (Not including HLT heat up time, but as it's on a timer, that doesn't count!)

It's kicked off overnight and there's a lovely thick head on the FV now.

[WishboneBrewery]

Can't we just have one picture? Pleeease!!!!

I've still to try out my NS hops, have to do something pale, how bitter would you say for a good test of hop character? (1038-1045 wort)

[adm]

Sorry - didn't take any.....

Personally, I'd go for around a 0.75:1 BU:GU balance to evaluate a new hop. It'll make sure you get plenty of character through. So for that, I'd go somewhere around 35 IBU or thereabouts....maybe 40.

[WishboneBrewery]

So Just keep it balanced to the OG then
Cool.

[adm]

First couple of pints of this tonight, and it's come out a cracker.

Reminds me how much I like the old Nelson Sauvins....they taste like nothing else, and really shine through with the WLP001.

Yummy. I don't think this one will be sticking around for Christmas....

[WishboneBrewery]

I'm looking forward to trying my 'Bloody Nelson'.
I've managed not to open a tester bottle yet! Maybe I'll have a sneaky one tonight, though really it will need another two weeks!