Furst Brew

[crow_flies]

Well Sunday was eventually the day of the first brew in the far east, decided to call it FURST as my stocks are so low....

after surveying the stock of ingredients, decided to go with the following, to make a slightly darker version of my last 'Wherry' style.

3.6kg Maris Otter
.5Kg crystal
.150g wheat
35g Goldings 90mins
40g fuggles 40mins
35g chinook at flame out.

Mash in at 74.5c
Mash 90 mins @ 67.8 (pretty much spot on)



CRS Treated 50l water on Thursday @1.2ml per 10l water (bit of a guess, as I havent had chance to get the actual readout for here - going from memory on a report I read online)

1 Campden tab per 25l crushed

8g DLS in mash 7g in with first hops

As it happens I think I need to drop the CRS level back by 1/3, as the mash was slightly high acidic - nearer 5.0-5.1

I've some photos, but will post later in week as I am about to shoot off to Holland for a couple of days....

Anyhow started off ok, set up the big bertha on a concrete slab on top of my workmate - decided to brew outdoors.

bit of a disaster at this point as my digital scales decided to die on me just when I needed them - quick trip to Tesco (no such thing as a quick trip out here - everywhere is at least a 20min each way drive). So that put me back a bit.

started again - re-heated the liquor to just below boiling, then poured off 13litres to mash. Stirred in mash and left to do its thing.

after 90 mins, beautiful copper colour runnings, had to run off 8litres or so before they ran clear, poured it back in a bit too quick and so had to repeat!

Collected 20litres and poured into the boiler (must get a pumped system!!) and set it off, topped up to about 35litres (who knows, Its enourmous and I dont have a guage - but grain's cheap). got it boiling, difficult to see (see movie if I get to upload) due to all the steam. Added hops at timings stated, ran it through to end and cooled it with heat exchange in about 20 mins (remembered the finings this time)

Ran off liquor, which was clear almost immediately and collected just over the 5 gallons, which made me very happy... usually its at this point that I have to quickly filter, treat and boil enough to top up....

anyhow pitched yeast and left in the new crowflies brewery to work its magic. I measured temp below fermenter today and its around 18.5c, I think that's ok - difficult to manage at this time of year, when the day temps can rise quite high, but nights are still relatively cool. I've left the shed with the door ajar and side window open, so should regulate temps.

all in all a satisfying FURST brew. oh yeah the SG was 1042 or there abouts, which is about what i expected.

Pics to follow - cheers!

/CF

[Vossy1]

Nice one CF

[prolix]

Excellent , I brewed your clone on staurday like it a lot

[SteveD]

Nice one. For a big pot with parallel sides, you can use a tape measure. measure the depth, divide by the capacity, then you have X-cm or mm to a litre. From that you can work out your volume in the pot.

[crow_flies]

Excellent , I brewed your clone on staurday like it a lot

fame at last - cheers Prolix....

which one did you do? - i.e. which finishing hop? - my favourite was the chinook - i love the floral hit, followed by the centennial I think...

/CF

[crow_flies]

Nice one. For a big pot with parallel sides, you can use a tape measure. measure the depth, divide by the capacity, then you have X-cm or mm to a litre. From that you can work out your volume in the pot.

nice one SteveD, will get myself a steel rule and try that. Simpler than my earlier thought, which was to notch a rod with known volumes.... I did that on my plastic paddle to get 13 litres.....then marked it in the mash tun.

/CF

[wooyay]

which one did you do? - i.e. which finishing hop? - my favourite was the chinook - i love the floral hit, followed by the centennial I think...

Tonight I should be (finally) kegging the chinook version I made earlier this month. If I don't keg it soon, the FV will be empty from all the sneaky samples...

[SteveD]

Nice one. For a big pot with parallel sides, you can use a tape measure. measure the depth, divide by the capacity, then you have X-cm or mm to a litre. From that you can work out your volume in the pot.

nice one SteveD, will get myself a steel rule and try that. Simpler than my earlier thought, which was to notch a rod with known volumes.... I did that on my plastic paddle to get 13 litres.....then marked it in the mash tun.

/CF

Thank Seveneer, that's what he does. He doesn't immerse the rule, if that's what you're thinking! He measures from the top of the beer to the top of the vessel and subtracts that from the total depth of the pot. The remainder is the depth of the beer.

[Vossy1]

Don't forget to subtract for cooling volume loss

[SteveD]

Don't forget to subtract for cooling volume loss

shaddup!

[Vossy1]

shaddup!

4% if you believe Beersmith

[SteveD]

shaddup!

4% if you believe Beersmith

But, the gravity will go up, so it's the same, really

[crow_flies]

here are the pics I promised.....

The new Crow_flies brewery



and inside....



Big Bertha on an upturned satellite stand on top of a workmate (my back still aches...)


Mashing...


boiling Bertha!!


here is a movie of Bertha on the boil... see what I mean about steam.
http://img531.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mvi0015nw8.flv

and one more walk around....
http://img532.imageshack.us/my.php?image=mvi0014nq1.flv

Its now thursday - 4 days and the beer in the FV is clear and flocculating beautifully - had a sneak taste and its already quaffable!


cheers guys - hope you like them.

/CF

[Vossy1]

Nice pics CF

I know what you mean about steam...on my last brew the top 8" of our mahogany kitchen cupboard doors turned white

There's no way I'm risking that again

EDIT , what did the new neighbours think

[crow_flies]

No comments yet, but I expect I'll make friends quickly once they find out there is free beer.....

/CF