Springhead Bitter - 2nd May

[Wez]

This evening I’ll be brewing a recipe from Marc Ollossons book, Springhead Bitter, as an experiment I’ve calculated the grain bill based on 65% efficiency instead of 75% efficiency and I have upped my mash liquor from 2.5L p/KG to 3L p/KG I’m hoping that this will mean that I get a ‘better quality’ wort from the mash, this remains to be seen, I'll also be stopping sparging earlier than usual, I may just end up with a stronger beer! We'll see!

I have no idea what the OG will be only that I expect it to be between 1.041 (65%) and 1.048 (75%) I also have no idea how much i'll get in to FV, hopefully the results from this brew will help me calculate more acurately for next time.

25L Brew Length (hopefully)
Target IBU ~29
Target OG 1.041 – 1.047

60 Min Mash @ 67 degrees 3.0L per KG
60 Min Boil
Yeast s-04

5200g Pale Malt (98%)
85g Crystal Malt (2%)

44g Northdown (7.0%) 60 mins (~29 IBU)
15g Northdown (7.0%) 15 mins
15g Northdown (7.0%) 0 mins (steeped from 80 degrees)

1 Whirlfloc Tablet 10 mins

I'd be interested to know if anyone has used Northdown as an aroma hop and what they thought of it, as the brew goes on this may change to Cascade

Mash started 18:30

[fivetide]

It does look an interesting recipe doesn't it?

What other commercial beers use Northdown as an aroma hop I wonder?

All the best - nice evening for it (well, it is here)

[Horden Hillbilly]

Enjoy your brewing evening Wez.

[mysterio]

Have a good one Wez, i've used Northdown as an aroma hop, I found it a very mild tasting hop.

[Wez]

Think i might go with fuggles ?

[roger the dog]

Ahhh, that's what you're brewing

Have a good one, can't say I've used Northdown for aroma before I'm afraid but if I was experimenting with wort quality I don't think I'd experiment with hops at the same time

[Wez]

Ahhh, that's what you're brewing

Have a good one, can't say I've used Northdown for aroma before I'm afraid but if I was experimenting with wort quality I don't think I'd experiment with hops at the same time

Agreed, gone with Northdown to bitter and Fuggle for aroma

[AT]

I remember when you used to fill 2 pages before you turned the kettle on Wez, are we in recession Nice looking recipe

[Wez]

Black Balled I think

[AT]

Oh i see, lost some friends did we? doesn't take a genius to figure out who

[iowalad]

Nice simple recipe!

Have faith in Marc go with the Northdown.

Best of luck with the reduced efficiency experiment.

[Wez]

Nice simple recipe!

Have faith in Marc go with the Northdown.

Best of luck with the reduced efficiency experiment.

went with fuggles 25g at 15 and 25g at 80 degrees

Got 1.044 at 25L , more info to post tomorrow got some good figures to work from now. The refractometer came into it's own tonight, just would have been a nightmare with a hydrometer - and I got some wort to ferment that I'm happy with

[Vossy1]

Well done Wez

[Wez]

I stopped sparging at 1.020 last night which gave me 21.5L at 1.050 topped up to 27L with unused sparge water to give a preboil gravity of 1.040.

I got 25L of 1.044 in the end, which is a 70% efficiency, so if I am happy with the results from this method i'll just base future brews on 70% efficiency and stop spargng at 1.020 again.

I do fancy trying Alemans suggestion as an experiment and doing a no sparge brew based just on collecting the runnings from the tun and diluting down.

Anyway, this one has come to life and is bubbling away.

[prodigal2]

Looks like you had a great night there Wez.

Looking forward to the reduced sparge results