I'm hoping this brew will be ready in time for the arrival of our first child, due 8th Jan (hence the name). It's a bit late starting but first kids are always late aren't they? Wife very understanding to let me spend all day brewing

So I decided on a brew of Jim's regular bitter but I can't seem to get hold of crystal malt from my supplier (swiss internet shop) so I went for melanoidin malt instead as I read somewhere this should be similar... we'll see!
The day started late with a lie in, I hope it doesn't go too over time or else there'll be a late night in store!
Not a bad day for a first brew though...


My first set-up was in the garage, but the water tap I'd hoped to use for the liquor and the cooling coil was frozen. Change of plan to the brew-cave!

Fermenter boiler for both the liquor and eventually the wort also. This'll mean an intermediate transfer to the true fermenter (white bucket) between mashing and boiling. I've just noticed the lack of a tap on the fermenter so that's the next job!!

Picnic cooler mash tun with a carefully calculated spacing between the pipes to ensure a good and equal drain. Except I'm going to batch sparge. Oh well, future plans and all....

Ingredients
3500g pale ale malt
250g melanoidin malt
Water untreated swiss alp spring from the tap
strike temp 72deg
mash temp 66deg
90 min mash
approx 9.5l liquor for the mash


The grain weighed out. More volume than I expected hence two bowls!

Strike water ready

Grain doughed in and sitting pretty exactly at 66deg as predicted by Machine_Ale's log sheet. It's been invaluable so far - thankyou sir!!

Now time to fix a swiss plug to my second kettle lead for the boiler, fix a tap to the fermenter and wait for the mash to finish.
Oh, and have lunch.