AG#33 - H.O.P.P.Y (Now with Pics)

[WishboneBrewery]

H.O.P.P.Y

Fermentables:
Wheat Malt - 1730g - 50%
Lager Malt - 1380g - 40%
Munich Malt - 170g - 5%
Crystal Malt, Extra Dark - 87g - 2.5%
Crystal Malt - 87g - 2.5%

Hops:
Columbus (Tomahawk) @ 60 mins 10g
Columbus (Tomahawk) @ 15 mins 20g
Simcoe @ 15 mins 20g
Ahtanum @ 0 mins 26g (80c Steep for 25mins)
Ahtanum @ 0 mins 13g (Dry Hop)

Final Volume: 15 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.052
Final Gravity: 1.012
Alcohol Content: 5.2% ABV
Total Liquor: 23 Litres
Mash Liquor: 8.7 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 68 EBU
Colour: 29 EBC

Yeast is Safale US-05
I've not used any of these hops before, fingers crossed

The malts & Water treatment:

A first for me, Re-circulating the Sparge which resulted in some really clear wort in the copper and I hit a Mash efficiency of 89%, mashed for about 75mins:

Hops Columbus & Simcoe, smelling quite pine-like:

Hops Columbus & Simcoe going in @ 15mins:

Cold Break:

Should have been 1052, I got 1048 for some reason my Mash was a bit thin I think I gained a litre or so extra somewhere:

The wort colour:

[Capper20]

Not heard of Ahtanum, any good?

[WishboneBrewery]

Not heard of Ahtanum, any good?

I have no idea, read they are used in a few commercial bitter hoppy beers as late and dry hops.

89% mash efficiency.

[smdjoachim]

Capper20 wrote:Not heard of Ahtanum, any good?


I have no idea, read they are used in a few commercial bitter hoppy beers as late and dry hops.

Brew Dog Punk IPA use them.

[WishboneBrewery]

Fermenting away happily this morning

[Birdman]

Sounds awesome

A brew I did a about 3 brews ago was very similar (large amount of lager malt in the bill with some pale crystal, but using amarillo and centennial). Tasted it at the end of primary and it tasted a bit bland (and definitely of the lager malt). Dry Hopped, bottled and left it a couple of weeks and its gorgeous now. Really hoppy, very easy drinking. My first sub 5% beer and I'm well pleased with it. Might have a tinker with the recipe and make it my house pale.

Hope yours turns out just as good, and looking at the recipe I'm sure it will...

[Birdman]

Also, you b@stard. 89% mash effiency!

I'm lucky with 75%

[WishboneBrewery]

I've only really been checking my pre-boil gravity since I got a Refractometer as it makes life so much easier than having to worry about hot wort & hydrometer.
I'm pretty sure that the the good Efficiency is due to the water treatment, I had a 94% the other week which amazed me! It must have liked the Stout water profile.
I Just used a 'general purpose' profile from the GW Water Treatment Calc for yesterdays brew.

[Birdman]

Water treatment is something I have definitely been neglecting. Confuses me somewhat, and one of those things I have been meaning to sort out once I've sorted all the other niggly bits about my brewery that annoy me...

I just add half a campden and hope for the best. I have just started measuring pH though so I'm sure I'll get there

[WishboneBrewery]

I've given up with the Mash pH test, whatever I do to the water it is always near enough when I test it.
Knowing your water is the important bit, I was lucky enough to get a report from Paul @ Barley Bottom as we are both local then just plum in the figures to http://www.jimsbeerkit.co.uk/water/water.html with your Total Liquor usage and it spews out the figures

[Birdman]

Thanks for the tip

I have a mate who lives within a mile who has report so Im guessing we should have the same water. Will give that a go

[WishboneBrewery]

Hydro Sample is at 1020 today, proper full on tasty fruity tropical goodness Mmmm

[WishboneBrewery]

Just having an early taster bottle
Good body, nice carbonation, just a tiny bit of floral on the nose, kind of a fruity piney minty thing going on with the taste.
Not as bitter as I'd hoped, this is 68 EBU my arse! (I seem to be saying this quite often lately!)

[WishboneBrewery]

4 days later... hmmm
The bitterness is coming through now and its smooth and crisp followed by a piney numb feeling.
Rather nice

[bellebouche]

You are brewing up a storm of late and an inspiration.

Bravo on the efficiency climbing and double bravo on the Ahtanum.

Not used them myself but I always have Brewdogs Punk on hand where that astringency punches through.

Keep up the good work.