Brew Day - 06 May 06

[eskimobob]

Up bright and early this morning to get on with this in an effort to beat the rain.

Here is my recipe:
3750g Pale malt
60g Crystal Malt
500g Honey (Acacia)
45g Fuggles (for 90 mins)
45g Goldings (for 90 mins)
5g Irish Moss (for last 15 mins)

I put 25 litres of tap water into my baby burco and got it up to 77C then added half a Campden tablet and left for about 15 mins.

I then run off 10 litres into the boiler (74C) and waited for it to drop to about 72C. Added all the grist (well I forgot the Crystal to begin with) and stired in. Mash was way too thick so I added another 2 litres of liquor from the burco. Temperature was a little high so I added in about a pint of cold water.

I currently mash in my Brupaks boiler therefore I tend to have to keep an eye on the temp throughout. I do use a thryristor controller to maintain a constant low power to the heating element and I also wrapped the boiler in a blanket and put a beanbag in top (photo coming). Thinking about making one of the coolbox mash tuns instead now...

Mashed for 90 mins at about 64C.

Sparged about 12 litres via a watering can rose at 77C. The sparge liquor flows a bit too quickly really so I'd be better with a sparge arm of some kind.

Just up to boil so added all of the hops. The plan is to boil for 90 mins, adding in Honey at 45 mins and then Irish moss for the last 15 mins.

[Andy]

Nice one EB! Keep us posted on progress and those pics would be great B)

[eskimobob]

Here's the mash:


And here's the cosy mash tun (boiler)


The boil is extremely vigorous but no boil over so far...

[eskimobob]

Just finished the boil and now waiting for the trub to settle out. Unfortunately I haven't built a wort cooler yet (immersion or counterflow) therefore I'm planning on running it into the fermenting bin and then dumping that in a bath full of cold water :huh: - Seemed to work ok for the last brew.

[Jim]

Nice one, EB.

Did you mash in a grain bag? If so, that probably explains why your mash was a bit thick to start with.

[eskimobob]

Here's a picture of the trub settling out


And here one of the first runnings - I'm pleased with the colour B)


The runoff is very slow - presumably because of the thick bed of trub. Do I live with this or do you guys have any suggestions?

[eskimobob]

Hi Jim,
Yes I used a grain bag in the boiler for the mash. Why does that explain it? - perhaps I'm being dense :blink:

[Andy]

Wow, those first runnings are very light in colour! And so clear

[eskimobob]

Ah, I see what Jim means - makes sense now, thanks DaaB.

Well I am not using a hop filter so I guess that is where the problem lies - the tap got bunged up. It has taken me so long to run the wort into the fermenting bin that it has dropped to 59C. It is now in the bath so I can get it down as quick as possible and pitch.

My last batch was quite slow to run off but nothing like this one; but then I've used more hops and grist so there is more trub...

What should I be looking at for the hop filter?

[eskimobob]

Just brought the boiler back inside and the rain has just arrived so the early start was not a moment too soon by the looks of it :pink

I spotted a bottle of Bumble Bee in our local Coop last night. It is made by the Freeminer Brewery in the Forest of Dean and seems to be brewed exclusively for Coop using Fair Trade honey from Chile. I bought a bottle so now I can do a three way taste test with the bottle of WaggleDance and my brew.

I seem to have a much smaller final volume than I expected but I am probably going to have to dilute it a bit once I have it cool enough to test with the hydrometer. I assume I have less volume because I used more grist and therefore more has been left in the grain.

[eskimobob]

Sorry DaaB, when I said smaller final volume, I meant less wort rather than lower gravity. It has finally cooled enough so I checked with the hydrometer and the reading was 1084

I've watered down to approx 4 gallons and the reading is now 1046 which is about the OG I was aiming for

Useful pics of the hop filters, thanks. Not sure how I could attach one to the tap on my Brewpaks boiler though - see pic below:



Has anyone fitted a hop filter to a Brewpaks boiler?

[eskimobob]

Internal diameter 6.5mm. I was given this boiler by a friend so I don't know much about Brewpaks. Their website is not useful

[Andy]

Or do as I do, create a cigar shaped filter by rolling up a stainless splatter guard, taper one end and push it into the back of the tap outlet. Crimp the other end and you've got a filter.

[eskimobob]

Cheers Daab.

Just spoke to John at H&G and he makes them up to fit brupaks boilers. Apparently it is a case of removing the nut from the tap and replacing it. He said the Brupaks hop strainers are hopeless so hopefully his are better.

Apparently their website should be back up on Monday...

[eskimobob]

Thanks for your efforts DaaB. I agree with you about pushing anything inside the tap - it's just too small.

The Brupaks strainer looks cheap and cheerful; I wonder why John is against them; perhaps because he makes more money from the ones he makes up himself...

Not sure what I will do but I might have a tap connector in the shed so will go and look for it.

It seems I have some floating debris in the beer probably because of my efforts to clear the tap blockage but it appears to be clumping together so hopefully it will simply sink.