Thinking Bitter: 6pm 26/2/09

[fivetide]

Woohoo, first brewday of the year, believe it or not!

Mash went on at 6pm.

The plan is for a pleasantly hoppy session beer that uses up some remnants of grain in an interesting bill, while making the most of some nice homegrown hop reserves I have in the freezer. My yeast options are limited, and this is a very lightweight mash compared, for example, with the recent APA, but it’ll get the Boxshed up and running again, and that’s the main thing, I feel. It’s also very cost-effective, and will hopefully take my mind of the day job for an evening, with less outlay than a trip to the local.

Anyway, here is the recipe as currently formulated. Any comments more than welcome!


Thinking Bitter
Style: English Ale
Batch Size: 25.50 L
Boil Volume: 36 L
Boil Time: 90 min
Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0 %

Ingredients
3.75Kg Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (5.9 EBC) 92.4%
100g Crystal Malt 40L (78.8 EBC) 2.5%
100g Torrified Wheat (3.3 EBC) 2.5%
60g MunichMalt (17.7 EBC) 1.5%
50g Roasted Barley (591 EBC) 1.2%
Protofloc Tablet (15 min)
1 Pkgs S-04

Hop profile
Fuggles, 4.5%AA, 50g at 90 min
WGV, 6%AA, 25g at 15 min
East Kent Goldings, 40g at flame out

Batch Sparge
Mash Grain Weight: 4.06kg Mash PH: 5.4 PH
Grain Temperature: 13.0 C
Mash In Add 10.4L of water at 72.8C (66C) 90 min
Step Add 8.5L of water at 80.2 (72C) 10 min
Step Add 13.67L of water at 81.9C (76C) 10 min

Beer Profile
Estimated Original Gravity: 1.036
Estimated Final Gravity: 1.009
Estimated Color: 14.4 EBC
Bitterness: 35.5 IBU
Alpha Acid Units: 2.0 AAU
Estimated Alcohol by Volume: 3.4%


(more details and ultimately photos, on my blog as and when)

[fivetide]

25L at 1.036.

Rah!

[fivetide]

For the record, I replaced the S-04 in this recipe for 20g Nottingham.

Only just stirring into decent life about now.

[yashicamat]

For the record, I replaced the S-04 in this recipe for 20g Nottingham.

Only just stirring into decent life about now.

20g in a smallish 1036 beer? Should get some attenuation there, especially with it being Nottingham!

[fivetide]

Let's hope so. I find Nottingham pretty sluggish compared with Fermentis or liquid yeasts, but I think overall it has a more gentle effect on overall taste.

Bubbling away nicely enough now, but hardly ballooning away

[yashicamat]

Let's hope so. I find Nottingham pretty sluggish compared with Fermentis or liquid yeasts, but I think overall it has a more gentle effect on overall taste.

Bubbling away nicely enough now, but hardly ballooning away

I find Nottingham slower to get started than fermentis yeasts, but it's quite steady once going, compared to the ballistic S-04 persona or deceptive "slow then mental" approach of S-05.

[coatesg]

Good job - hope it turns out well

[fivetide]

Some photos and a brief report up for this brewday now on my blog.

[fivetide]

Kegged and bottled! Hurrah.