Hopping Gale 4.1%

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CaptAwol
Tippler
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 3:29 pm
Location: Wirral

Hopping Gale 4.1%

Post by CaptAwol » Tue Dec 12, 2017 12:41 am

I've been a member on here for quite some time and I did reintroduce myself earlier this year when trying to decide which way to go with the all in one all grain systems. I cant find my previous post on this but anyway I went down the Grainfather route with a hoprocket and fastferment conical

I actually purchased the equipment early this year but at the time we had a mini heat wave and decided to build a fermentation chamber before any brewing. This was unplanned and decided to utilise materials I already had, probably a wrong decision in the long run. Trying to do the finishing touches to the chamber was causing delays for my first Grainfather brewday, so I slapped myself and decided to just go for it

My past all grain brews were mainly dark ales stouts and porters my taste buds preference at that time, now my buds go for light hoppy beers and obviously this itself is a challenge to achieve a good body light ale

So basic intended recipe;
3kg Maris otter pale malt
0.5kg Torrified wheat
30g Galena hops - boil
80g Cascade hops - hopback

So on the brewday I decided to follow the Grainfather connect with my recipe installed, what could possibly go wrong

RTFM is my first comment on my new brewer, I'd you-tubed all the instructions on use and cleaning but what didn't show on all these videos was the need for micro pipework on batch sizes below 4.5kg !

Anyway I had to accept that the mash probably wouldn't be to the greatest efficiency, from my old system I know its something not to cry about
It does seem to be bliss leaving the mash and not worrying about the temperature

The sparge and then the boil are so easy with this system and this for me is where the process of all grain is made easier

After the boil transferred to the fastferment with the cooler coil and hopback inline, I did do a trial run with water which was probably a waste of time. The cooling water into the coil needs to be an adjustable flow whereas I'd been under the impression I'd only have to adjust the valve on the recirculation pump, the other problem is dumping the excess cooling water

Into the fermenter I used rehydrated W44 yeast SG1035 and initial ferment 10 days @ 18c actual was 12 days, the collection ball was dropped and not much happening on bubbles SG1017 so increased to 19.5c. after 10 days SG1004 ball dropped then crash cool and add gelatin.
After 3 days transfer to Polypin another 5 days and opted to transfer 10l into mini kegs, I intend to try some as a craft ale to assess the difference

I am now drinking this from the polypin via beer engine, I'm quite happy with it but at same time slightly disappointed, I worried myself over the Galena hops and reduced to use just 20g, the cascade come through well and it is more like a cascade beer

I have a few things to sort, my next adjustment will be the height of the grainfather, with it standing on the floor I found myself(short at 5'7") bending over to long whilst stirring in the grain and I am a bit of a slow stirrer.
The cooling water needs to have a tap close to the chamber, presently I have a hose running some 30ft from outside of house to back of garage

If someone can give advice on how to post pics I will as cant find how to
cheers everybody

MTW
Drunk as a Skunk
Posts: 905
Joined: Thu Feb 13, 2014 9:04 pm
Location: Just outside Scarbados

Re: Hopping Gale 4.1%

Post by MTW » Tue Dec 12, 2017 1:58 pm

How to post images: viewtopic.php?f=23&t=65597
I think you may need to reach a minimum post count to be allowed (10?)

To find your old post, just click on 'Your Posts' under the Quick Links at the top and search.

Hope you enjoy your brewing again! A few pics would be nice, yes. On a complete aside, I would say you have already produced 'craft ale' regardless of whether it goes in a pin, cask, keg, bottle or whatever... but I know some folk associate the term purely with kegged/force-carbed beer, perhaps increasingly so.
Busy in the Summer House Brewery

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