My Brewdays

Moe · May 7, 2024

The stout has come out really nice, the colour is fine and it’s quite smooth.

I made a bitter last week, that’s just gone into keg:

4kg Minch pale malt
230g crystal 150
170g wheat malt
140g crystal 100
20g roasted barley (I used all the choc malt in my stout)

Mashed at 68C for one hour.

30 minute boil:

30g Bramling Cross (7%) @30
25g EKG (4.1%) @15, and a protofloc
25g each EKG & Bramling cross @5

fermented at 19C with CML Beior.

OG was 1.042
Should be 32IBU, 21EBC

FG was 1.012 making it a sessionabe 3.9%

Its been in the FV for 10 days and came out looking really clear.

I’ve set my regulator to 10PSI, I don’t want this dead fizzy.

Moe · May 23, 2024

Best Bitter v2
Brewed this yesterday.
My last bitter has come out quite nice, so I have brewed it again, but trying Jester & Olicana this time.

Same malt bill as my last one, but with different hops and yeast:

4kg Minch pale malt
230g crystal 150
170g wheat malt
140g crystal 100
20g roasted barley

Mashed for one hour at 68C

The Jester was labelled as 15% AA, which I think is wrong, so I’ve set it as 8% in Brewfather to try and aim for 32 IBU again

30 minute boil:
10g Jester @30
25g Olicana (6.9%) @ 15
20g Jester @15
25g Olicana @5
10g Jester @5

OG was 1.042
IBU:32 ish
EBC: 21

Set to ferment @19C with CML Clipper

Moe · Jun 2, 2024

Had a taste of this, it’s ready to keg, will probably do so tomorrow.

The bitterness is fine so it was the correct choice to question the labelled AA of the Jester

Moe · Jun 2, 2024

Just put in an order for a load of grain which should see me through the summer.

I’ve got a sack of planet malt, a selection of Cara malts and crystal malts, Wheat, chocolate malt and roasted barley, along with 100g EKG

I’ve got a few packs of yeast and a load of hops to work through. I’ll order more from CML as I need them.

Moe · Jul 14, 2024

Managed to get a brew on this afternoon, a pale ale with CML US C Hop mix

Tried for a slightly larger batch of 25L into the FV, to hopefully give me 23l packaged. I have just bought a 5L mini keg in the Brew Keg Tap sale, so hopefully I can fill this and a Corny.

4kg Minch Malt
410g wheat malt
100g Cara red.

Mashed at 65C for an hour,

Hops: all CML US C Hop mix
17g@ 30
30g for a whirlpool addition
55g dry hop

Brewfather predicted a pre boil volume of 30L at 1.038, and an OG of 1.040

I got 30L at 1.031 which is shocking.

I have raided the baking cupboard and added 300g of soft brown sugar, which has added 4 points, and I am letting it boil for an extra half an hour before adding any hops, which should gain me an extra 2 points.

Fingers crossed it will hit 1.038 OG, to give a 3.8-4.0% session beer.

Will ferment with CML five

Moe · Jul 14, 2024

OG was 1.040, so dead on what it should be.

Hopefully the sugar doesn’t ruin it

Moe · Jul 22, 2024

I have just taken a sample of this beer.

It has finished at 1.008, just in range for the style, so the sugar hasn’t done it much harm.

I had a taste and it is delicious.

I have set it to chill, I then plan on transferring 5L into my mini keg to drink using my beer engine, and the rest will go in a keg

.John. · Aug 5, 2024

I’m gearing up for my first brewing session and can’t wait to get started.

Nottsbeer · Aug 5, 2024

Moe said:
I have just taken a sample of this beer.

It has finished at 1.008, just in range for the style, so the sugar hasn’t done it much harm.

I had a taste and it is delicious.

I have set it to chill, I then plan on transferring 5L into my mini keg to drink using my beer engine, and the rest will go in a keg

Hi, I'm looking at minikegs (5l) - just wondering what set up you have? Cheers.

Moe · Aug 7, 2024

Nottsbeer said:
Hi, I'm looking at minikegs (5l) - just wondering what set up you have? Cheers.

Haven’t actually used it yet, I didn’t end up putting my last beer in there. I fermented in the pressure fermenter and just drank the beer straight out of that

But I brought these in the Brewkegtap sale, for £40 + P&P:

https://brewkegtap.co.uk/products/low-profile-minikeg-ball-lock-lid

https://brewkegtap.co.uk/products/5l-kegland-minikeg-growler

Should work the same as a corny keg. The idea is that it willl save me bottling, and I am hoping to hook it up to my beer engine. I can drink 5L over a weekend, and won’t have to worry about it spoiling

Moe · Aug 7, 2024

Moe said:
Managed to get a brew on this afternoon, a pale ale with CML US C Hop mix

Tried for a slightly larger batch of 25L into the FV, to hopefully give me 23l packaged. I have just bought a 5L mini keg in the Brew Keg Tap sale, so hopefully I can fill this and a Corny.

4kg Minch Malt
410g wheat malt
100g Cara red.

Mashed at 65C for an hour,

Hops: all CML US C Hop mix
17g@ 30
30g for a whirlpool addition
55g dry hop

Brewfather predicted a pre boil volume of 30L at 1.038, and an OG of 1.040

I got 30L at 1.031 which is shocking.

I have raided the baking cupboard and added 300g of soft brown sugar, which has added 4 points, and I am letting it boil for an extra half an hour before adding any hops, which should gain me an extra 2 points.

Fingers crossed it will hit 1.038 OG, to give a 3.8-4.0% session beer.

Will ferment with CML five

As an update:

As mentioned earlier, I ended up putting the FV into the kegerator and using it as a keg, so the beer should have had zero oxygen exposure since I sealed the FV.

I have made this beer quite a few times now, keeping the malt bill the same and playing with hops and yeast.

This beer was definitely different, but I am not sure how much of this is down to actual differences in the beer, and how much is due to my perceptions being influenced by knowledge of the process, but:

The hops definitely popped more in this beer than similar ones I’ve brewed in the past. Zero oxygen exposure, or placebo effect?

To me it tasted a bit thin, it finished at 1.008, and I have had beers without the sugar addition finish at this FG before, but it tasted thin all the same. Placebo or sugar?

All in all though, a light easy drinking hoppy pale was just the medicine whilst I was digging out the garden in the heatwave of last week.

I’d make it again, but without the sugar.

Moe · Oct 24, 2024

Best Bitter v3
I have not brewed since July, don’t know where the time has gone!

Just got a bitter on the mash. This is similar to my last one, I have tweaked the ingredients slightly to match what I have in.

For 23L into FV:

20L mash water & 9L sparge.

4kg hook head pale malt
330g Crystal 113
170g wheat malt
40g Crystal 145
20g chocolate malt

Added campden, gypsum & CRS

Mash for 60m at 67C

30m boil:
10.5g Jester @30
25g Olicana @15
20g Jester @ 15
1/2 Protofloc @10
25g Olicana @ 5
10g Jester @5

Will ferment at 19C with CML Pia.

Brewfather predictions @70%BHE:

ABV: 4.1%
OG: 1.043
FG: 1.012
EBC: 19
IBU: 32
BU/GU: 0.74

Edit:
Mash, boil & chill went fine.
Got 20L of wort into the fermenter @1.040.

3 gravity points and 3 litres short.
I will have to adjust my Brewfather settings

Appleton Brews · Oct 24, 2024

Moe said:
Best Bitter v3
I have not brewed since April, don’t know where the time has gone!

Just got a bitter on the mash. This is similar to my last one, I have tweaked the ingredients slightly to match what I have in.

For 23L into FV:

20L mash water & 9L sparge.

4kg hook head pale malt
330g Crystal 113
170g wheat malt
40g Crystal 145
20g chocolate malt

Added campden, gypsum & CRS

Mash for 60m at 67C

30m boil:
10.5g Jester @30
25g Olicana @15
20g Jester @ 15
1/2 Protofloc @10
25g Olicana @ 5
10g Jester @5

Will ferment at 19C with CML Pia.

Brewfather predictions @70%BHE:

ABV: 4.1%
OG: 1.043
FG: 1.012
EBC: 19
IBU: 32
BU/GU: 0.74

I’ve never used Pia for anything but a New Zealand beer. I would be interested how it turns out.

Moe · Oct 24, 2024

Appleton Brews said:
I’ve never used Pia for anything but a New Zealand beer. I would be interested how it turns out.

I’ve used it in pale ales a few times and it’s always come out well.

Wouldn’t be my first choice for a bitter, but i realised too late that all I had in the fridge was Pia or Voss, so here we are

Moe · Nov 6, 2024

Kegged the best bitter today and filled 5x500ml bottles, so my vol into fermenter calc must have been a bit short.

Looks really clear and tastes nice- really smooth.

Moe · Nov 6, 2024

Honey Golden Ale
A busy evening, as well as kegging my best bitter, I have brewed a honey golden ale. It is currently chilling.

For 23L:

4.3kg pale malt
300g carapils
200g carared
500g honey (added for last 10 of boil)

Mashed at 67 for 60min, and then I did a mash out at 75 for the first time.

30m boil:

53g EKG 6% AA @ 30
20g @ 15
19g (rest of the bag) @ FO

OG:1.055
IBU: 41
EBC: 9.3

Will pitch 1/3pint of Pia yeast slurry from the best bitter.

Brewfather reckons it will drop to 1.009, giving an ABV of 6.0%

The OG was a little higher than planned, so it will be stronger then the recipe suggests, but the parameters (other than ABV)are all still within style guidelines, so hopefully will come out nice.

Moe · Nov 14, 2024

The honey golden ale seems to have finished off at 1.014, I’ve bumped the temp up a bit to see if it drops any lower.

Had a taste- there’s no strong honey flavour to it, but a really subtle hint of it on the aftertaste

Moe · Nov 15, 2024

First pint of the best bitter.

Not 100% clear yet, but only been in the keg 9 days.

Its a really smooth pint, very moreish

Moe · Wednesday at 7:18 PM

Coffee Stout
I have this currently mashing, the mash is really thick and not recirculating well. I have turned off the pump, and will remove the top plate and give it a good stir once the level has dropped.

For 23L:

5kg pale malt (1.5kg Planet, 3.5kg Minch)
400g chocolate malt
250g roast barley
200g caramunich
200g crystal 130

Set to mash at 68C for 1 hour

60 minute boil:

50g Bram X @60m for 35 IBU
25g of a bag labeled “Dry hop” that was in my freezer @5m for somewhere around 5-10IBU

Will ferment with CML Pia @19C as I have a good amount left from my best bitter.

Will add 500ml of coffee into the FV.
Any tips here will be much appreciated.

Brewfather predicts:

OG: 1.057
FG: 1.015
EBC: 88
IBU: 40ish
ABV: 5.7%

I’ll be amazed if I hit my OG though. I’ll check the pre boil gravity and maybe sparge for a smaller volume.

Plan is to use the no chill cube for this, so hops will be in a hop bag.

The BU:GU ratio is a touch low on this, but I reckon my OG will be lower than predicted. If it’s not and the beer needs more bitterness I have some isomerised hop extract in the fridge I’ve been waiting for an excuse to use.

Moe · Wednesday at 9:35 PM

The mash was really thick, I had to stir it multiple times.

The sparge took ages, I was worried that I would be miles off the pre boil gravity so I took a few litres off the sparge.

Checked the pre boil gravity and it was 1.061.

I could have added more water/runnings but I thought “why not an imperial coffee stout?”
So I’ve gone with it, and added a few more hops (25g Māori mingle @30) to iccrease the IBU.

Ended up with 20L post boil at 1.069, which should end up around 7.1%

I’ve been reading about the different ways to add coffee, there’s loads of ways and no real consensus, so I think I am going to steep some beans (amount TBC- any advice welcome) in some Jack Daniels and add to the FV for the last few days before kegging.

Ended up with about 19l in the FV @1.069. I let it chill in the BZ until it was at 70 then added to the FV.

It’s in the garden at the moment, I will bring it inside overnight and pitch the yeast in the morning.

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