My 10th Anniversary Brew

[Jim]

Mash is on for this one.

10th Anniversary Ale
Date:
Gyle Number:
Fermentable Colour lb: oz Grams Ratio
Pale Malt 5 EBC 9 lbs. 14.6 oz 4500 grams 88.2%
Torrefied Wheat 4 EBC 0 lbs. 7.0 oz 200 grams 3.9%
Caramalt 30 EBC 0 lbs. 7.0 oz 200 grams 3.9%
Crystal Malt, Pale 60 EBC 0 lbs. 7.0 oz 200 grams 3.9%


Hop Variety Type Alpha Time lb: oz grams Ratio
Progress Whole 6.7 % 80 mins 0 lbs. 2.5 oz 70 grams 46.7%
Golding Whole 4.5 % 10 mins 0 lbs. 1.4 oz 40 grams 26.7%
Golding Whole 4.5 % 0 mins 0 lbs. 1.4 oz 40 grams 26.7%


Final Volume: 27 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.045
Final Gravity: 1.010
Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
Total Liquor: 37.8 Litres
Mash Liquor: 15.3 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 80 %
Bitterness: 50 EBU
Colour: 12 EBC

Yeast: Gervin (Nottingham)

Pics show prepared liquor in boiler and fermenter, mash tun and grains.

[ArmChair]

Congratulations and all the best with the brew day

[Jim]

Thanks Simon.

Brew has been boiling for about 20 mins now. Some more pics: -

First Runnings from the mash


Sparge Proper


Weighing the first hops - 70g of Progress


And the boil under way

[Dave S]

A brew fit for kings I'm sure. Keep us posted through the day please, Jim.

P.S. love those scales, must get a set of those.

[Jim]

All finished and safely in the fermenting fridge.

Flame out hops - 40g of EKGs


Starting the chill


Rehydrating the Gervin (Nottingham) yeast


Although you can't see it for the foam in that pic, the gravity came out spot on at 45


And in the fermenting fridge


Starting at 21C

[Clibit]

Nice job. You have the same scales as me.

[DeadFall]

I can almost smell that!! Gorgeous.

[Jim]

Oh dear. A bit of a cock up has happened.

I glanced at the temperature reading this morning and was puzzled to see it reading 14.7 C. Suspecting the heater might have failed, I opened the fridge to be greeted by a waft of warm air. The temperature probe was lying on the floor outside the fridge.

It's clear what has happened; last night when I opened the fridge to check all was well, the probe must have come unstuck from the top of the fermenter and fallen on the floor without me noticing. As a result the temperature controller has switched on the heater, and of course had no feedback re the true temperature so has left it on all night. The true temperature when I put the probe back in its proper place? Nearly 27C.

Well, the initial mad phase of fermentation will have been over, so it might be OK.

[Andy]

Oh dear

[Dave S]

Well 27C, although tropical conditions for the yeast shouldn't have written it of, especially as you say the main ferment had passed. We keep our fingers crossed that the 10th anniversary auspices aren't bad.

[Jim]

Judging by the speed it got back to 21C, I doubt if the bulk of the beer got anywhere near 27C anyway, the probe was on the lid of the fermenter and exposed to the air inside the fridge rather than the beer. It's only a 40W heater, and there's nearly 6 gallons of liquid to heat up (I could probably calculate the maximum average temperature but I can't be arsed).

So probably not as bad as I initially feared (it was a very nasty moment though!).

EDIT: I had to do the calculation didn't I? With no losses, a 40w heater can raise the temperature of 26l of water by 18.5C. Bugger.

[ArmChair]

Hope this turns out ok for you Jim, would be a shame if it doesn't with beer the 10th Anniversary brew!

[Dave S]

EDIT: I had to do the calculation didn't I? With no losses, a 40w heater can raise the temperature of 26l of water by 18.5C. Bugger.

But over how long?

[Jim]

EDIT: I had to do the calculation didn't I? With no losses, a 40w heater can raise the temperature of 26l of water by 18.5C. Bugger.

But over how long?

It was on for about 14 hrs.

[Dave S]

EDIT: I had to do the calculation didn't I? With no losses, a 40w heater can raise the temperature of 26l of water by 18.5C. Bugger.

But over how long?

It was on for about 14 hrs.

Hmm, I think it's a case of holding your breath and keeping your fingers crossed, Jim. Did you measure the temp of the actual beer, or just the fridge @ 27C? I can't think that the beer could be hotter than its surroundings at any rate.