Boil now underway (statred 09:35)
Fledgling Bitter Sun 20/05/07 5th AG Brew
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Wez
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BarryNL
I'm never quite sure when to measure the pH. Does the pH settle almost immediately when you dough in, or does it change over the first half-hour or so (or even constantly) as the grain mashes? And of course, pH 5.2 at 67 degrees is not the same as pH 5.2 at 20 degrees, what temperature are you supposed to measure it at?Wez wrote: With regard to PH, i've not actually measured the mash yet but i get >6 from the tap, I may find that there is no need to adjust once i've doughed in. Tomorrow if its >6 in the MT i'll add 1tsp CRS mix then measure and repeat until I get it <6 but ideally 5.2(ish) - sound okay?
Further, if iodine says all your starch has been converted then does anything else really matter?
Guess I need to find a good book on this...
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Wez
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Wez
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Wez
Just checked this..it's reading 1012, the yeast was pitched at 12:00 on Sunday so it's gone from 1042 to 1012 in 55 hours 
the temp of the sample was a bit on the warm side 24 degrees, might move the next one to the garage to ferment where it's a bit cooler 
I have been letting it ferment out and then just kegging (sometimes this has meant kegging just a week after it was brewed) - everything tastes ok but should I be doing something different?
the temp of the sample was a bit on the warm side 24 degrees, might move the next one to the garage to ferment where it's a bit cooler I have been letting it ferment out and then just kegging (sometimes this has meant kegging just a week after it was brewed) - everything tastes ok but should I be doing something different?
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Chiltern Brewer
Hi Wez, that temp's on the upper end of the scale, if you can't move it try wrapping a wet towel around the fermenter and stand it on a tray or plastic sheet. With evapouration you might get it down a few degrees. Or you could stanitize your immersion chiller and use that for a few minutes?
Racking from the fermenter into the keg at the end of fermentation is OK. If you do it a few degrees early that you can always release the excess CO2 through the safety valve. If you got a good pitching rate then 7 days is not unual for a yeast to ferment out a OG 1040 brew. You can understand now why us AG chaps scratch our heads when other HB'ers have problems with all malt kits - yeast likes fresh hops resins and even some of the trub that occurs with a AG brew.
Personally I've always favoured the dropping method - a second plastic bucket and tap is cheap afterall - as this lowers the yeast count and clears the trub, but it does tend to slow the fermentation down a bit.
Racking from the fermenter into the keg at the end of fermentation is OK. If you do it a few degrees early that you can always release the excess CO2 through the safety valve. If you got a good pitching rate then 7 days is not unual for a yeast to ferment out a OG 1040 brew. You can understand now why us AG chaps scratch our heads when other HB'ers have problems with all malt kits - yeast likes fresh hops resins and even some of the trub that occurs with a AG brew.
Personally I've always favoured the dropping method - a second plastic bucket and tap is cheap afterall - as this lowers the yeast count and clears the trub, but it does tend to slow the fermentation down a bit.-
Wez
I've kegged this tonight, it smells and tastes good and the picture below of the 'shot glass sampler' shows the colour - quite pleased with it after brewing a few pale brews it's nice to have something with a bit of colour, would anyone have gone darker than this? (Sorry about the blurred pic - phone-cam) 
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Chiltern Brewer
Well I will be tomorrow - going for 10% crystal in my bitter with 5% wheat malt - it's a recipe I've used before but I've scaled it up from 23L to 36L (two corny kegs worth). I've often gone for a crystal/dark malt mix in the past - typically Thames Valley beers are darker and more malty than average and I like that.Wez wrote:would anyone have gone darker than this? (Sorry about the blurred pic - phone-cam)