Extract#2 - Hail Ale

[guidomax]

Had a free day on Bank Holiday Monday, so thought I'd get a brew on. My first brewday in a long, long while, and an opportunity to try the new boiler kit out.
Decided to do a modified Summer Lightning from the BYOBRA book. I'm currently without an immersion cooler so decided to boil a shorter, stronger brewlength and top up with almost-frozen water. This meant increasing the hop schedule due to reduced utilisation.

3kg LME
56g Challenger full boil
13g EKG 10 mins
10g EKG 0 mins

Boiled 16 litres, end of boil 13 litres, top up with 6 litres frozen water, brew length 19 litres.

New boiler

Inside

Ingredients ready to go in

Boiling


Half way through the boil it decided to start hailing. Top on the boiler, quickly cover up the exposed 240v elements and extension lead.... bloomin' bank holiday weather! Fortunately no electrocution or worse, dilution of beer!

Running off into FV


Aerated in FV, still too hot despite the addition of frozen water, so went into a bath full of cold water for a couple of hours.

Pitched rehydrated S-04 yeast at 26C.

OG 1050
SG after 5 days 1020
Roused and put somewhere warm on 8th May.

[HighHops]

All cheer for the beer! All hail to the Ale! and a glass of white wine for the ladies!

Interesting method. Hope it turns out OK. I love summer lightning. I'm gonna have a go at GW's AG recipe next brew. No Golding late addition though?

[guidomax]

I put 10g of Goldings in at flame-out; the taste is dominated by the Challenger at the moment, so hoping that will mellow. Still tasty (but yeasty due to my rousing it the other day) straight from the FV though.
Tempted to dry hop in the cornie but I think I might save that for my next batch - good to get a 'control' for starters.
AG for me is upcoming; just got to work out how to turn another of these chutney barrels into a mash tun first!

[Halite]

AG for me is upcoming; just got to work out how to turn another of these chutney barrels into a mash tun first!

I converted a 25l youngs fermenter into a mash tun and it works well. Put in a tap, insulate with radflect and then use either a sparging bag, or false bottom. You can see some pics here of what I did http://picasaweb.google.com/halite1977/ ... ufb-fT7rwE#

Should be able to use the same principles with your chutney barrel.

[sargie]

How efficient is your mash tun with regards to heat loss?

[Halite]

only lose about 1-2c over the course of the hour, I place a blanket over the top when mashing.