Breaking My AG Duck (Now with pictures - see page 2)

J_P · Post by **J_P** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:08 am

Wez wrote:are you doing it today?

I am indeed (if I ever pick a bloody recipe )

. The Gazebo is up in the back garden I have all my ingredients all I need to do now is have another cup of tea and walk the dog then I'll be "ready for the off" as they say!

J_P · Post by **J_P** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 8:49 am

I worked this out using Daabs patented "Slow Mash" program (pen and paper) with help from Wez's Grain bill and Jim's house bitter hopping levels and his recipe formulation pages.

How does this sound

Grain Bill
4.85Kg Maris Otter
0.15kg Crystal Malt (120 EBC)

This gives me a maximum theoretical extract of 64.7 which at 75% mash efficiency gives me 23l of 1048 wort, not too much higher than what I've been getting with kits.

Hop Schedule
23g Fuggles (5%) 10 IBUs (60 mins)
30g EKG's (4.1%) 10 IBU's (60 mins)
5g EKG's (4.1%) (10 mins)

I've opted for Jim's hopping levels as it seems as good a place as any to start but I substituted the Challenger for EKG's as I love the flavour. In future brews I can see me upping the hops when I know what I'm doing as I'm a bit of a hop head!

Does that sound "middle of the road" enough? Hmmm, middle of the road, that sounds like a name to me

Edit: I forgot to say that I'll be using Safale S04 as I'm probably going to be bottling my brew, according to the Mr Malty calculator one packet should be enough. I'll be rehydrating it too as always, I wonder what kind of wacky head I'll get on it this time?

Wez · Post by **Wez** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:06 am

Looks like a good one to my Fledgling Brewers eye. If you get 75% brewhouse eff you'll end up with 1044 which will be a nice 4.3% abv beer I think. Good luck, i'll check back later to see your progress!

roger the dog · Post by **roger the dog** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 9:08 am

Have a great brew day J_P, you never forget your first time

prodigal2 · Post by **prodigal2** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:14 am

JP have a great day

Your recipe looks fine to my newbee eyes. Its also great to see yet another AG brewer join the fold after doing kits for a short period(like myself). This forum seems to entice you to the dark side. So JP "Use the wort luke, use the wort"

Oh and I believe you will enjoy the fruits of your labours as you won't get that kit sweet twang on the nose.

J_P · Post by **J_P** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:24 am

It has a name - Barefoot bitter. Due to my love of wandering around with nothing on my feet. I did consider calling it Big Top bitter due to the massive gazebo I'm brewing up in.

Dog is walked, lawn is cut oh well here goes nothing!

Horden Hillbilly · Post by **Horden Hillbilly** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 10:25 am

Good luck J_P

Garth · Post by **Garth** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:24 am

Have a good one and enjoy it JP

J_P · Post by **J_P** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 11:25 am

This is the brew-tent it looks like the circus is in town!

And here's the clown! I'm trying to work out what the hell I wrote down as the recipe.

Here is the brewers assistant looking after the mash tun Strike temp 72c, mash temp 65C average. I may lift it up off the floor but no need to wrap it up in this heat

Now to sit back and work out my sparge volumes.

J_P · Post by **J_P** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 1:17 pm

Collecting the first runnings of sweet wort to recirculate, with a 10gallon lauter tun the depth of grain is giving beautiful clear run off although it didn't stop me recirculating the first 8 litres!

J_P · Post by **J_P** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 2:53 pm

Loads of Wort from 30l of water I make it roughly 26.5l at about 1049 when corrected to 20C. I think I may have overcooked it a little with the grain. Perhaps I need to scale the grain bill back a bit next time.

These are the last runnings of wort out of the lauter tun reading 1010 at 48C which makes them around the 1020 mark which isn't bad for a first go. I went with an 18l sparge volume to add to my 12l in the mash tun so that means I lost around 3.5 litres to the grain, minor spillage and the dog - Lucky likes the malty dregs in the bottom of the lauter tun

Hops all weighed out ready for when the boil starts EKG's on the left and Fuggles on the right.

roger the dog · Post by **roger the dog** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 3:03 pm

Looking good J_P

, enjoy the boil !

iowalad · Post by **iowalad** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 3:37 pm

Outdoor brewing is where it is at.

J_P · Post by **J_P** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 3:38 pm

The boil and hot break.

Stirring the crud back in

Cleaning up with Timmy T - is there anything he can't do?

I fear I may have set a presidence with this outdoor brewing lark Mrs J_P will expect me to be brewing out here in all weathers

prodigal2 · Post by **prodigal2** » Sat Jun 09, 2007 4:31 pm

Looking good there JP.

Perhaps you could have a mini beer and electronica festival in your tent (or should that be arena)

Now your on the dark side there is no turning back, and its not that painful is it!

And now the pain of waiting for AG brew 1

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Breaking My AG Duck (Now with pictures - see page 2)