Home Brew Forum

Well, the ball is in

The first ever mash is in the tun as I type.
Decided not to take any pic's as I've enough to be thinking about, I reckon.

Making a Dark Side Stout

Fermentable Colour lb: oz Grams Ratio
Pale Malt 5 EBC 11 lbs. 0.4 oz 5000 grams 83.3%
Roasted Barley 1350 EBC 1 lbs. 1.6 oz 500 grams 8.3%
Flaked Barley 0 EBC 1 lbs. 1.6 oz 500 grams 8.3%

Hop Variety Type Alpha Time lb: oz grams Ratio
Target Whole 12.97 % 60 mins 0 lbs. 0.7 oz 20 grams 50%
Target Whole 12.97 % 15 mins 0 lbs. 0.7 oz 20 grams 50%

Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.057
Final Gravity: 1.017
Alcohol Content: 5.3% ABV
Total Liquor: 34.3 Litres
Mash Liquor: 15 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 36.520481869342 EBU
Colour: 228 EBC


Wish me luck

Yes, I wish you luck and wonder how it's going. You've set yourself quite a task aiming for a relatively high OG for your first go, but who knows? It could just as easily turn out an absolute delight.
Have you any hydrometer readings yet?
If you aren't already there, don't take your eyes off the kettle as it comes up to the boil.

Thanks for the interest Eric.
The day went better than I could have hoped for.
First off all my equipment worked flawlessly, all homemade, so very chuffed all together.

I couldnt believe how smooth everything went, but I'm after reading more brew days this last while, it was like I was doing everything for the 5th time.

I ended up with 22 L of wort in the FV instead of 23 and that prolly explains why I got an OG of 1.059.

Started at 6.30 this morning and got everything packed away by 12.45.
All round feeling very smug in myself, this is surley the time I'll pick up an infection in the FV.

Things I'll change.
Buy a digital thermometer, using the wife's kitchen one and wasnt happy at all with it.
Took to long to take a reading, just for the hell of it I tried it in the boiling wort and it gave a reading of 95 deg.
I hope this dosnt mean my mash temps were out by 5 deg.
It also only read as low as 50 deg as a result of this when I ran the wort into the FV it was 30deg, so I had to put the chiller back in.

Waiting for the S04 to take off now, first time I rehydrated yeast, hope it helps to start it quickly.
Now to offer up a sacriface to the brewing gods for a good one

Well done.
You need a good thermometer, type doesn't matter. Mine is consistent but reads 2 degrees low at mash temperature so I correct. Stick the one you used in your mouth, it should read about 37C and you might be able to interpolate between that and your boiling test to give a rough correction.
Regardless, from what you say, you'll get some beer OK. The SO4 will probably take off tonight and give you a nice greeting in the morning.
The best is yet to come. Cheers.

She after starting to bubble

Good work My brewday wasn't that smooth, bottling two other batches around the same time sort of slows the job up

Another virginity gone now the nail bitting wait for your first taste but sure you will find it worth it. Bet your already thinking of no.2.

AG #1 Good work Spud.

One more of us, an one less of them. Cheers Normski

Cheers lads, she's going like a bomb there now!

Quick update, bottled this today after 14 days in Primery.
Pretty pleased with myself.

Estimated
OG 1.057
FG 1.017

Actual
OG 1.059
FG 1.018

I make that 5.5% which I'm very happy about.
Took a little sample from the trail jar and tasted very "Stout like".
I'm sure when she's carbed up and conditioned for a while it'll be a very nice pint.

Now if only I could think of some way of rewarding myself

Nice one

Ok, I couldn't stick it any longer

7 days in the bottle, 21 days from mash, I am so pleased with myself right now.

It's actully way better than I expected, I thought maybe a bit better than my kit's but dont expect to much.
This is a really good plain simple stout (which I like)

Going to try finish off the rest of my kit beer now before I get back to this.
Never thought it would be hard to face into beer
Cant wait for 3 weeks time

Good looking recipe, well made. Congratulations, I wish my first AG went this well!
Bear in mind you had a pretty high OG, so your beer will really start tasting a lot better in a few weeks when all the flavours will meld together a lot better and the beer will taste a lot more polished.

Thats the plan bosium, leave it as long as I can.
I've about 50 bottles of kit brews to get rid of, I know if I dont drink these first they will get poured.

The stout is actully quiet like O'Hara's , an Irish micro brewery.
Very simple, but a big roast barley flavour which I love!