Another Briar's Best

[Hogarth]

I'm doing a Briar's Best, adapted from SilHoltye's recipe of a few days ago.

4.95kg MO
400g Crystal
43g Challenger 5.6% -- 90mins -- 26IBU
18g Challenger 5.6% -- 15mins -- 4.8IBU
30g Challenger 5.6% -- 80°C steep.
WLP002
Target OG: 1048 at 70% efficiency.

Mashed 67°C - 65.3°C for 90mins.

Collected 30.5l by batch sparging, the boiler's nearly overflowing...

How lucky that I've got my new 'Boilover-B-Gone' guard!


If it works I'm gonna sell the concept to Blickmann.


Approaching the moment of truth:






Result: not bad at all. A couple of leaks where I hadn't crimped the tinfoil properly to the top of the boiler. But there was a huge amount of foam and it kept most of it in. I might make a more permanent version out of something or other. Or buy a bigger boiler.

The boil is on and a lovely Crystal smell floating through my house.

[Hogarth]

... boil lasted an hour and three quarters because I was being dozy. Then I had to substitute Goldings for Challenger for the later additions because something weird had happened to the Challenger whilst in the freezer. It had become waterlogged or something. I didn't like the look of it at all.

Another new device which I'm sure Blickman will kill to get their hands on ... the Wort-O-Meter.




I was considering buying one of their Thrumometers for £19 when it struck me I had a perfectly good PT100 hanging around doing nothing. Far more accurate then an LCD strip, too:


Amazing amount of foam on the wort, and this is before aeration:


OG was 1050, higher than estimated. Perhaps my efficiency is creeping up at last.

I'm looking forward to this one. Mind you as a reward at the end of the brewday I broached my all-Fuggles beer and it's cracking. Cheers!

[oxford brewer]

Looks like you had a good day!
Seems you may be onto something with that anti boil device .
As for aeration,judging from the piture, there isnt enough space in the FV for any

[Hogarth]

Thanks OB. Yeah, aeration was a bit messy!

Just worked out my efficiency: a whopping 72.5%

[oxford brewer]

Good going!!
What was your finished volume in the FV?

[Hogarth]

It was 22.5 litres. Should have been 23 but I boiled for too long.

Just took a gravity reading and it was 1045, down from 1050 after 24hrs. Doesn't seem very good. I wonder if I should be rousing it?

It looks like stuff is happening, at least:

[oxford brewer]

Looks like the yeast is working ok!If you want to you could skim the brown gunk from the top(with a sanitized utensil of course ).
What temp is the FV at?

[Hogarth]

Thanks OB. Actually I did give it a stir last night, and now it's down to 1032, so it's perked up. (I should have made a flying starter really.) The wort's at 19°C, which is in the middle of White Lab's recommended range. I'll probably rouse it again tonight.