Home Brew Forum

Hi all,
A day off after working the weekend so I wanted to get a brew in. I wanted something that would be good drinking for Christmas.

Mid way through brewing a Belgian Pale Ale.

Mash went on at 7am, I took the lad to Nursery (nice and quiet now) then sparged when I got back.

Mash no problems, no taps open etc.

Boil completed without drama - I even remembered the copper finings and yeast vit (this time).

Cooling as we speak (some impressive looking break already)...

Recipe is here after some assistance on another post:

Pale/lager Malt 57.8%
Vienna 22.2%
Munich 11.1%
Caramunch 8%

Hops: Saaz at 90 15 and zero minutes for a toal of 26IBU(calculated)

WLP515 (800ml starter, fermenting vigourously) will be pitched at 20C

This is the first brew I've done using Beer Alchemy - on SWMBO's iPad, I've found it pretty usefull...

Updates and some photos to follow.

Cheers!

Guy

Hi
Update as promised...

Hit my targets with a corrected OG of 1049.


The smell is amazing and the colour is what I wanted ( I hope fermentation doesnt affect it too much...

Despite a lot of loss to the hops I still managed to get 23 litres into the FV

The yeast is doing its thing at 20C

All cleaned up in plenty of time too, I even had time to plane a bit of the back door ( something I've been meaning to do for ages..)
Happy days!

that sounds like its going to be rather nice.

Hi!

Yeah it does look promising so far...
The smell coming form the FV is great - which if I had to pu tinto a singlw word that word would be

Belgian!



I'll leave it be for 5 days and then have a look through the FV's clear lid and see if I can see the Hydro I dropped in there after pitching the yeast...

I plan to transfer to secondary or bott;e straight from the FV - depedning on how clear it is after about 10 days - I've heard 515 flocs pretty well...(?)


Guy

nice work guy! Gonna have a merry christmas then!

Cheers LB!

Yeah should be good, I'm hoping to get another coupl eof brews in before the festive period...
An AG kolsch and a TTL clone...

BTW was that your Brooklyn Double Choc stout I tried at the NCB meet? Shane was passing some round and I dont recall if it was some you had brought or what he had with him...
Anyway it was really good and I'm thinking of brewing some in Jan so its ready for October 2012!


Guy

Nice one Guy. I love a god kolsch! Whats your recipe? I did one with Tettnang and it was really good. I think tett is my fav noble hop!

Yeah the BBC RIS was mine. Brewed on 02-01-09. Gona do another this NYD.

Link is HERE

leedsbrew wrote:Nice one Guy. I love a god kolsch! Whats your recipe? I did one with Tettnang and it was really good. I think tett is my fav noble hop!

Yeah the BBC RIS was mine. Brewed on 02-01-09. Gona do another this NYD.

Link is HERE

My recipe is Lager/Pilsner malt 90% Wheat Malt 7.9% Acid Malt 2.1%

With Tett at FWH to 25 IBU and 20g at 10mins

I will most deff brew that BBC RIS!

I'll order the stuff I need in my next order & brew it in the New year...

When would you say it'll be ready? I'd hope it would be good drinking by Xmas 2012
lol

Guy

definitely xmas 2012 although stash some somewhere for 2013 and you wont regret it! It's one recipe I'm not going to mess with, just re-brew again as is, apart from alter my predicted efficiency to hit the OG this time.

We could bottle swap next year!

Nice one!
A bottle swap sounds like a plan!
I will reduce my efficiency on such a big beer, as the biggest all malt beer I've done so far is 1.059
Any way I think this has done fermenting quick sample taken and using my refractometer I got a SG of 1.010!
Of course I had a little taste, it was very yeasty but malty (in a Viennese style) and there is a surprising spicy noble hop note...

This beer promises to be er, interesting!
i'm sure it will mellow somewhat once bottling...


More updates to follow...

Guy

Hi
Looks like this has done fermenting SG 1.012 so I will let the temp drop to allow the yeast to settle out,as it's still very cloudy with yeast in suspension.

I need to bottle this up by Sunday at the lates tdue to other commitments.


Guy

Hi
Ok after four weeks in the bottle its time for a sample...

Lovely bright deep Copper colour with a nice medium carbonation, good dense head of foam lovely maltysmell with slight spice form the hops...



Tastes very 'Belgian' with rich malt and a strong dry finish and hint of hops...

The photo doesnt really shollw the colour too well and it is clear but the beer was cool (~8C) in a warm kitchen so there is a lot of 'dew' on the glass...

Overall pretty pleased with this


Guy