This was a fun, if hectic brew day. I should say brew night, as we got it done after work and it took us until about midnight! I had to run all the way back to my house to pick up the grain after I’d already arrived with all the other supplies at Phil’s house.
Phil and I have been brewing together since 2009, sporadically. We launched into it with about $100 of equipment and a kit. We were some combination of too busy and too unmotivated to start brewing with all grain (rather than using pre-made malt extract) until last year. For various reasons, this was the first time we’ve brewed in about 6 months.
Recipe is normal English Bitter adapted from John’s over at Home Brew Manual, using the Brew in a Bag method.
3 Kg (~6 lb 10 oz) pale ale malt
360 g (13 oz) Crystal 60 L malt
360 g (13 oz) flaked maize
The pale ale ale malt we used is Cargill, that I bought in March. I feel terrible using this stuff, because I’m just sure it’s GM or at least laden with pesticides.
Hand crushed in Victorio grain mill, which I will unhappily use until I can afford a Grainmaker. I’m not perfect, okay‽ Sometimes you’ve got to work with what you’ve got. If you don’t have a grain mill, a food processor works too (in about the same amount of time and a lot of batches).
Mashed the grains for 70 min at 69° (155℉) avg in ~17 l (4 1/2 gal) water, because a full 21 doesn’t leave enough room in our brew pot for the grains.
Added ~4l (1 gal) water and wort drained from grain bag
Brought to rolling boil
Added 20g (.7 oz) pelletized Willamette hops, 5.3 alpha
And 10g (.35 oz) pelletized US Goldings, 5.5 alpha
For 60 mins
Added 10g (.35 oz) US Goldings, 5.5 alpha
And 5g (1 heaping T) Irish Moss (for clarity)
For 15 mins
Wort chilled to 32℃ (90℉)
Strained, and into the fermenter
OG is 1.050 @ 28℃ (82℉)
Pitched 1 packet Danstar Nottingham Ale yeast, rehydrated @ 35℃ (95℉) in 200ml (about a cup) of previously boiled water
Fermenter closed, air-locked.
Room temp in fermentation room is 70°F (21℃)
Bottling day should be Sunday 22nd September. FG range 0.9-1.01
We should prime with 70g (7 oz) brown sugar in about 475 ml (2 c) water
I can’t wait to get this in bottles. I have high hopes for this batch. It’s been too long since I’ve had a home-brew.
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