Home Brew Forum

Right - things are about to kick off as I am waiting in for some deliveries today! Not that my fv is actually clean yet from the just kegged a couple of days ago brew! But hey, I have only a little of the Coopers left in a keg and it is now way past it's best... so onwards!

Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.15 kg Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) Grain 84.00 %
0.25 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (236.4 EBC) Grain 6.67 %
0.15 kg Chocolate Malt (886.5 EBC) Grain 4.00 %
0.10 kg Roasted Barley (591.0 EBC) Grain 2.67 %
0.10 kg Wheat, Torrified (3.3 EBC) Grain 2.67 %
20.00 gm Northern Brewer [8.50 %] (60 min) Hops 19.8 IBU
15.00 gm Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] (15 min) Hops 4.7 IBU
1 Pkgs English Ale Yeast (Gervin) [Starter 250 ml] Yeast-Ale


I may add a little syrup to sweeten things slightly, should I add this to the boil, or just to the fv? I have checked the hops and the AA are lower than I was thinking so I will leave the quantities as above, but get less bitterness from them so that all looks good.

Just off now to fill the boiler with 30l of campden treated tap water and get that up to mash temperature (going to try 75deg into the cool box, and see what that falls to once the grain is added - hope for around 68deg)

Righty - onwards!!!!! Pics and report to follow!

I know - it was kind of kegged in a rush as I wanted it out of the fv and into the keg sharpish as it had been sitting around too long (I thought the taste was starting to deteriorate)... so did a rush job before going out for an evening... and then kind of forgot about it all!

The tide mark shifted nice and easy though and the fv is currently sitting on the patio with bleach in it! Will give it a damn good rinse out just after cooling the brew so it will be ready when I am ready to transfer!

This is one of the things I didn't realise last time - leaving it to stand after cooling... which may explain the cloudy beer! Is it 20 minutes that it needs to be left for?

Righty, whilst that lot is doing I am off to research the Bronze Age and Iron Age climatic reality of the Western Isles

You might already have done this OR but HOT water shifts the tide mark really easily along with any trub mark, much easier than with cold water.

Enjoy the brew day

So does a high pressure hose

I pulled back from getting the petrol driven pressure washer on the case, that shifts the paint off cars, and cut the handle off my screwdriver a while back!

Nah - the trub was actually very soft, much moreso than my previous brews. Whether that is the Gervin yeast, the low gravity of the beer or what I am not sure....

Goddammit - there is stunning light outside, under a stormy sky - and I have committed to staying in to wait for deliveries, brew beer and write thesis. Gah

Water is about 10 degrees below my kick off temp now... shouldn't be much longer! The grain is weighed out (may be a wee bit more than intended, but close enough) so things should be kicking off in the next 5 or 10 minutes

Mash is on - been going for about 20 minutes now... garage has just rung to tell me my truck is fixed though so I will have to schedule in driving in with the courtesy car to pick that up in a short while... wonder if I can time that to work with the boil....

Have a good one, any pics?

Just taken the first one - will put em all up once I am done!

Bugger - just cooled it, and realised I forgot to add the Whirlfloc tablet that is sitting on the windowsill waiting to go in!

Will it be okay, or should I bring it back to the boil in the morning, add it and then re-cool?

Got to dive out in 10 minutes to head into town for the night so no time to do anything now

Cheers Daab - will shift it to fv later tonight then!

Got 1.041 at 32 deg C so more efficient than last time, and than I was expecting since I was shooting for 1.038!!! Perhaps a bit stronger than a Mild usually is!!!

Tastes good, looks like gravy

Righty - off t'pub!

Will report back, with piccies, either later tonight or tomorrow!

Early start... I wish I could convince her...

The mash has started! Once the grain was added the temperature fell to the mid 50 degrees, so a couple of kettles of boiling water were added (taken from the boiler to ensure no chlorine got in there as the boiler water was all treated with Campden tablets)

Starting to sparge. The first few liters looked like a thick gravy, but it cleared up nicely to give a rich, dark, wort

My cuning new sparge device! I found the best way to use it was to run the water down a fair bit in the mash tun, then open up the tap from the boiler (water sitting at 78 deg C) so that the rose could get a good spray which gave a really nice even coverage of the grains

The full 3 tier system!

Onto the boil. 30l (ish) looks tiny in the H&G boiler! I am debating getting a second element in there in the future to give a more vigerous boil, but popping the lid loosly over can really get it going! Perhaps insulating the tank may be a good bet.

Since Daab said it would be okay without the Whirlfloc I moved it to the fv late last night... whilst worse for the wear back from the pub! The 3 foot fall aerated it really nicely so I just pitched the yeast straight in from a premade starter and moved it through to my office cupboard.

Today the brew is fermenting away nicely! Can't wait to see how it tastes!

Wound up with more than the anticipated 23l - not sure how much - and a stronger wort as well, around 1.043 once adjusted to 20 deg C... pleased with that as last time I got less wort than intended and it was weaker!

Gr8 pics OR...looks nice

Top pictures of what looks like a great brew day OR

Nice pic's

Now there's a man who doesn't believe in HSA!


(nice pics)