Northdown Wonder 1st AG - with pics

[Totem]

I’m now jumping into AG after a handful of good kit attempts. Trying the northdown wonder from Paul at barley bottom, thanks to him and adm for the help. Pics to follow.

Ingredients:

5.5kg Maris Otter
150g Crystal malt
40g Northdown 90 min boil 8.4%
40g Styrian Golding 1 min boil 3.0%
1 Protafloc tablet
12g Safale S-04 yeast

90 min mash and 90 min boil

I’m not 100% sure on what volumes ill get but I’ve batch sparged, with the first being 22.5lt of water (7.5 added to 15 after the mash) and a further 15lt.

I’m just collecting the second run off and waiting to start the boil. Trying to take notes on what I’m doing but its all go at some times! Will keep you posted and post pics later tonight.

[Piscator]

Good luck with it Totem,

It should turn out great - I love Northdown hops.

Cheers
Steve

[adm]

Nice one Totem!

Hope the day goes well - look forward to the pics.

I'm down to the last few pints of my 2nd batch of NW......and I'll be making another batch when that's done as it's a lovely beer.

[Vossy1]

Well done onjumping into AG Totem, you won't regret it ...unless you've taken no pictures

[Totem]

Here come the pics:

First is my twin IC, its not pretty but it works like a beast:



My yeast starter and hops:



Grains:



My almost three tier





recirculating:



First running:



Start of boil:



First hops, was actually 40g northdown:



Chiller going in:



Collecting the cooled wort:



Cold break/hot break trub:



I actually changed FV to a smaller one:



Some questions next, but posting this incase it goes wrong!

[Totem]

If anyone could help with possible % efficiency and a rough idea on IBU etc as I did go off track from the recipe but not sure what information I need to give to work it out.

As said before I batch sparged, using 22.5lt and 15lt (to the best of my ability). I ended up collecting two lots of fluid: 16lt @ 1054 and 15lt @ 1014, this boiled down and collected to 22lt @ 1046-8.

A few things I’ve learnt - if boiling in the kitchen for 90 minutes open lots of windows to stop condensation from the roof dripping into the boiler/FV.

Don’t try and sterilise the lid of the fv by placing it over the boiler (FV and boiler are the same size bucket) it will fall in and you will burn your hand badly

Edit: I forgot to say about my IC its 25m and is a beast. Made using just for copper instead of soldering. Managed to cool from boiling to pitching in about 6 minutes!! I couldn't believe it, must get that on video to show people!

Cheers,
Totem.

[Vossy1]

Good work Totem , sorry to hear about the hand

and a rough idea on IBU

Have you got a Alpha Acid figure for them T ?

[ADDLED]

Edit: I forgot to say about my IC its 25m and is a beast. Made using just for copper instead of soldering. Managed to cool from boiling to pitching in about 6 minutes!! I couldn't believe it, must get that on video to show people!
Cheers,
Totem.

Nice one Totem, hope you had enough beer on hand to anaesthetise the burn?
As soon as i saw your IC i was scrolling down to see if you mentioned how much copper you used. Did you use 8mm tube?

Cheers fella
Owen

[Totem]

I used 10mm microbore, ADDLED. It was hard tracking down the connector to attach a hose to the 10mm copper tube but there was a plumbing centre in Stevenage which was ace. I’m really happy with it and was shocked to see after 6 mins it was done, I was also stirring as I went.

I was going to use the cornie as the shape for it, but thought that it would be a bit skinny and to use 25m of copper would therefore be too tall. I done a few loops on the cornie so I could use the space between the hop strainer and the two elements in my boiler, then I went on to use my older 25lt FV as the shape. The whole thing is just over 30cm tall which can be extended if pulled, but it does a great job in the 10gal boiler I have.

The alpha acid on the hops were 8.4 for the northdown and 3.0 for the goldings.

[pantsmachine]

I made up the same IC last month(1 full roll of 10mm microbore from Travis Perkins) after looking at Gurgehs twin IC thread on the site. Hard to believe the speed with which they pull the temp down till you do it the 1st time. A worthwhile investment that's for sure. I hope you soaked the coil in a soda crystal solution or similar for a while before putting it in the bucket. Amazing how much cleaner what initially looks like clean copper is when it comes out the solution! If you didn't it won't matter coz it will be clean after the boil and can be inspiration for a name, CopperCoolCreekAle? Nice pics.

[Totem]

ooo bugger i didn't but it went thru a pre boil of water and then a boil in the wort ill do that before using it again.

[Totem]

[anomalous_result]

If anyone could help with possible % efficiency

I'll have a go:

5.5kg Maris Otter at 100% = 5.5*300/22 = 75
150g Crystal at 100% = 0.15*240/22 = 1.64

So 100% would be 76.64. You got 46 - 48 which is 60 - 63%, assuming you adjusted your hydrometer reading for the temperature.

I used this page to help me.

[Matt]

Against an OG of 1048, I've run your recipe through BeerAlchemy and I get 66 IBUs.

[Totem]

That seems high? I forgot to say that I ended up using 40g of each hop, instead of 60/50g. What does it come out with on them figures? I've changed my original post now.