02/03/08 Largs Thistle 80/-

Horden Hillbilly · Post by **Horden Hillbilly** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 8:57 pm

Hope it's going ok for you Wez, have a good one!

Vossy1 · Post by **Vossy1** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:02 pm

Have a gooden Wez

Wez · Post by **Wez** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 9:48 pm

Quite pleased with how it went today, cut my brewday down to exactly 5hrs in total from boiler switch on for the mash liquor to pitching the yeast

Didn't have any efficiency issues from having a 1hr mash I ended up with 25L at 1.052 which beersmith calculates to 76.7% brewhouse efficiency (I average 75%) so thats good!

I collected 30L from the mash, I kicked the boil off with 25L fought the hot-break, added the hops then when I'd normally turn one element off I left it on and added the other 5L using it's flow to control the boil and maintain a rolling boil, then once all 5L had gone in and it had got up to a vigorous boil again I turned one of the elements off.

It's come out a nice colour, the only true way that I'll know if cutting corners time-wise has worked is when I sup it for the first time - the proof of the pudding and all that!

Anyway, here are some pic's - I'm off for a pint

ECR · Post by **ECR** » Sun Mar 02, 2008 10:00 pm

Great pictures

Vossy1 · Post by **Vossy1** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:15 am

Looks like that hot break needed a bit of taming

subsub · Post by **subsub** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:59 am

Certainly looks the right colour for a Scottish Heavy

Buzz · Post by **Buzz** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 1:01 pm

Well done with the efficiency Wez - out of interest, do you do any water treatment to balance the Ph?

Wez · Post by **Wez** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:20 pm

Buzz wrote:Well done with the efficiency Wez - out of interest, do you do any water treatment to balance the Ph?

I find adding about 1tsp CRS drops the PH to ~5.2 I also add 1/2 crushed campden tablet to the mash and sparge water.

Calum · Post by **Calum** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:31 pm

Like the pictures Wez.

What is the connection with Largs (was it BK)? Whenever I think of Largs I think of Nardini's ice cream

Wez · Post by **Wez** » Mon Mar 03, 2008 11:36 pm

Calum wrote:Like the pictures Wez.

What is the connection with Largs? Whenever I think of Largs I think of Nardini's ice cream

Legend has it in 1263 at the battle of Largs the Thistle became the Scottish emblem, Norsemen trying to sneak up on the Scottish clansmen removed their footwear to try to be quieter, one of them stepped on a thistle and yelled in pain alerting the Clansmen who ended up defeating them.

Obviously i'm not sure if there is any truth to that whatsoever but it's a great story

and I wanted to get the 'Thistle' in the name somewhere.

Calum · Post by **Calum** » Tue Mar 04, 2008 12:04 am

Wez wrote:
Calum wrote:Like the pictures Wez.

What is the connection with Largs? Whenever I think of Largs I think of Nardini's ice cream
Legend has it in 1263 at the battle of Largs the Thistle became the Scottish emblem, Norsemen trying to sneak up on the Scottish clansmen removed their footwear to try to be quieter, one of them stepped on a thistle and yelled in pain alerting the Clansmen who ended up defeating them.

Obviously i'm not sure if there is any truth to that whatsoever but it's a great story and I wanted to get the 'Thistle' in the name somewhere.

I do indeed know that story. I got taught that at primary school. It was a great era in Scottish history - Alexander III was King at the time but he died when he fell off a cliff at Kinghorn (in Fife) while on horseback rushing to be by his new French wife (and also to get his "Nat King Cole"). This was the significant event that kicked off the Scottish Wars of Independence. The irony is that he was racing back as he knew how important it was to sire a male heir to the throne - its amazing how these things (or lack of them) seal the fate of nations !

I was completely forgetting your fondness of this land. I was thinking you knew someone who played for the local footbal team

Wez · Post by **Wez** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:15 pm

Finished pint picture time

Served through a beer engine

I really like this one, really complex malts and the bitterness seems about right.

Looking forward to seeing what Calum thinks of his bottle

Edit - no sparklers were involved in the production of this pint

mysterio · Post by **mysterio** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:38 pm

Looking good Wez

I'm gearing up for a batch of Big Kenny which will be my next brew. Â£6 for 100g of Styrians

Wez · Post by **Wez** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 8:40 pm

mysterio wrote:Looking good Wez

I'm gearing up for a batch of Big Kenny which will be my next brew. Â£6 for 100g of Styrians

Â£6.00 for 100g

I hope you like it

AT seems to be enjoying his batch

kinnockthecat · Post by **kinnockthecat** » Thu Apr 17, 2008 9:22 pm

Wez wrote:Finished pint picture time

Looks a good pint Wez

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02/03/08 Largs Thistle 80/-