First attempt at a Golden Champion?...well, maybe

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CaptainBuckfast

First attempt at a Golden Champion?...well, maybe

Post by CaptainBuckfast » Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:34 am

So here it is, my first attempt at both a 'logged' brew day, and at some form of Golden Champion.

The theory is, for 25 litres...
Marris Otter – 5kg
Crystal Malt – 250g

First Gold – 40g (90mins)
First Gold – 10g (15mins)
Elderflower – 50g (15mins) – fresh flowers
Irish Moss – 1tsp(15mins)

Whitelabs 002 – English Ale Yeast.

As I say, that's the theory, what actually happens is anyone's guess! I also tried a first for me by filtering my water through a cheap 'brita' style water filter, as the water round here is really hard. After reading through some of the posts on here I found a make (called Aqua Optima, from Robert Dyas) that claims not to replace anything with any salts...hopefully!

After a tiny bit of simple woodwork I made a simple rig which let me get on with some important beer drinking while it did the filtering itself, yey! It did 30 litres in about 75 minutes, not bad I thought.

Right then, on with some cleaning...
ImageImage[/img]

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edit1now
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Post by edit1now » Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:40 am

Have a good one!

russt1969

Post by russt1969 » Sun Jun 01, 2008 8:41 am

Should be interesting with the Elderflowers.
Keep me informed :)

CaptainBuckfast

Post by CaptainBuckfast » Sun Jun 01, 2008 10:53 am

DaaB wrote:Filtering through a brita or simlar filter wont remove any minerals or hardness but it will remove chlorine and chloramines which you don't want in your beer. :)
Ah, ok. Well, at least It won't have a chlorine tang. I like to think I'm fairly intelligent but brewing!!! OH MY GOD, it's sooo complicated if you go into all the science of it...Maybe I should just stick to drinking it? Naaaa, wouldn't be half as much fun.

Anyway, I popped out this morning to get some more elderflowers as mine smelt of cat wee (from other posts it look slike I may have got some rowan in there). I think this lot smells better...hopefully.

The mash is now on at 68 degress, and with the help of a tsp of gypsum at 5.2 ph.
Image

Notice my homemade mashtun with a copy of Dave Line's Big Book of Brewing as added ballast!

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Jim
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Post by Jim » Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:25 am

Looking good so far, CB! 8)
NURSE!! He's out of bed again!

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CaptainBuckfast

Post by CaptainBuckfast » Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:27 am

Just a quick one, here are my 54g of fresh elderflowers picked this morning...yummy! Mash going well, only dropped 0.5 of a degree in an hour.
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Garth
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Post by Garth » Sun Jun 01, 2008 11:30 am

great pics there CBF,

CaptainBuckfast

Post by CaptainBuckfast » Sun Jun 01, 2008 12:09 pm

And I'm sparging!!!

Woo hoo, look at me sparge.

Sparge, sparge, sparge, sparge, sparge...sparge.
ImageImage
I'm surprised Phil's arm doesn't get tired with all that sparging.

Buzz

Post by Buzz » Sun Jun 01, 2008 12:12 pm

cracking brewday by the looks of things 8)

CaptainBuckfast

Post by CaptainBuckfast » Sun Jun 01, 2008 12:55 pm

So, sparging was fine. Needed to return about 5 litres, but after that it was fairly clear. Kept it going until it dropped below 1.008...BUT, remembered a little too late that I could have gone on for a bit longer because I didn't correct the reading for the temperature!!! Bum!

Never mind, I got 21 litres from that, and I'll probably still be able to top it up after the boil.

Just wondering what is going to go wrong – a little too smooth at the moment. That probably means that it won't want to drain through the hop bed...better get the sieve sanitised!
Image

CaptainBuckfast

Post by CaptainBuckfast » Sun Jun 01, 2008 12:58 pm

Well, that'll teach me.

Just as I was clicking send on my last post, the whole thing boiled over!!!

ARGHHHHHHH!!!

I guess that means my hot break it ruined???!
Oh well, better get the mop out.

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Garth
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Post by Garth » Sun Jun 01, 2008 1:13 pm

yep, you'll have that lovely kitchen ruined within 10 brews..

what with spills, boilovers, steam and condensation...etc

AT

Post by AT » Sun Jun 01, 2008 1:29 pm

Garth wrote:yep, you'll have that lovely kitchen ruined within 10 brews..

what with spills, boilovers, steam and condensation...etc
:lol: :lol:

Funny cause it's true :lol:

CaptainBuckfast

Post by CaptainBuckfast » Sun Jun 01, 2008 1:46 pm

Bubbly, bubbly, bubbly...

Notice the rather grim remains of my hot break down the side of the boiler!
ps: I built the kitchen, so I can do what I like with it!... although don't tell the wife i said that!!! lol
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CaptainBuckfast

Post by CaptainBuckfast » Sun Jun 01, 2008 2:40 pm

So the boils done, and I gave the Irish moss a bit of extra time (30mins total) to hopefully compensate for the boil-over. You never know, it might work.

Chucked in the elderflower – absolutely NO aroma from it what-so-ever... may need to rethink that next time.

Just off to get the wort cooler ready...

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