20l of unchlorinated water
3kg Dark Malt Extract
900g Dry Dark Malt Extract (DME)
1.3kg Clover Honey
225g Chocolate Malt
225g Crystal Malt (80-L)
225g Black Patent Malt
60g Northern Brewer Hops (Bittering)
30g Cascade Hops (Aroma)
30g Ginger, Grated
3 Oranges, Peeled and Quartered
3 Cinnamon Sticks
2 Whole Nutmegs
6 Whole Cloves
1/4 Teaspoon Irish Moss
1 Vial White Labs Irish Ale Yeast (WLP004)
200g Dry Malt Extract (Priming)
The instructions for making are;
Place the crushed Crystal Malt, Chocolate Malt, and Black Patent Malt in the water and steep at 70°C for 30 minutes. Remove the spent grains then add the Dry Dark malt Extract, Honey and Northern Brewer Hops, and boil for ½ hour. Add the Cascade Hops and Irish Moss during the last 5 minutes of the boil. Turn off heat and add the oranges and spices. Allow to steep for 30 minutes, then strain. Cool the work and pitch the yeast. Allow to prinary ferment for 10 to 14 days and then transfer to secondary fermenter. Ferment for an aditional 7 to 10 days then bottle (use 200g fo Dry Malt Extract for priming). Age in the bottle for at least 10 days before drinking.
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Now for the questions, opinions and missing bits
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The intro calls it a mini mash?
I'm assuming the 3kg is liquid malt extract and gets added to the FV like a kit rather than the boil. Which is how I will treat it.
How strong will this be? I recon there are 160+g per litre plus whatever comes out of the grain, of fermentables that makes it 7+% potential, just about OK but getting close to rocket fuel
I'm assuming the grains are crushed prior to steeping.I have some fuggles hops could I substiture one of the suggested for them or are they too different? Would like to save buying more.
The yeast I'm not sure I can get this easily or if its that important (sorry) my LHBS has safe range muntons and WYeast which does have an Irish Ale variety, does everyone think I should try that or stick with the good old Safeale04?
Boiling up, I have a bit of a limit on that as dont have a 30 ish lt pot to do it in so was planning to steep and boil about 10lt and then let down with water when adding the LME, with cooling by outting the pan in the sink with cold water around. Do you think it will be OK?
Final one is the priming I have only used 80g so far with 23lt, 200g seems an aweful lot I dont want fizzy pop
was planning to meet it half way around 120g (well maths was never my strong point)Finally reason for liking this is its not a kit, but doesnt need a full brew set up which I dont have either, so wih just a pan to boil in seemed like a good way to get on the road to AG
Would love to know your opinions on this one.
Thanks