AG#3 Summer Ale (50l Braumeister)

[brewtim]

I intended this brew to be based on Wye Valley Bitter 3.7%, a nice session ale with low hops and a well balanced malt character, it has straightforward ingredients of MO, Crystal, Target and Goldings, I've no idea what yeast they use.

For various reasons I ended up not getting organised quickly enough and had to use bitsa grain for the grist (grain I had in stock), so used carapils and amber malt instead of crystal and chocolate instead of black malt. I was organised with my yeast though and used Wyeast British Ale II (1335) in a 1.5l starter (also put some in the freezer for future use).

First time using the Braumeister. I mashed with full volume 35.2 litres for 22 litres into the fermenter, the BM is able to take the full volume for this brew with the shortened mash pipe. I hit pre-boil target and was 1 point under OG with an extra litre into the fermenter, so an adjustment down of a litre (or 10 mins longer boil) is needed for the mash volume. I used a BM50 beersmith profile obtained from a US brewing forum. I think the colour has come out a touch too light (maybe) so could have used more chocolate or even some black malt.

I really enjoyed the day with the BM from start to finish was 6.5 hours including clean-up and tidy away (prepared water and grains the night before). I can see many a happy brew being made on this system.

Mash efficiency worked out at 80% with no need to sparge. BM raises temp by 1 C per min.

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 32.46 l
Post Boil Volume: 24.96 l
Batch Size (fermenter): 22.00 l
Bottling Volume: 19.00 l
Estimated OG: 1.038 SG
Estimated Color: 17.1 EBC
Estimated IBU: 28.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 73.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 79.6 %
Boil Time: 90 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type
2.90 kg Pale Malt, Maris Otter (5.9 EBC) 79.7 %
0.30 kg Amber Malt (43.3 EBC) 8.2 %
0.20 kg Cara-Pils/Dextrine (3.9 EBC) 5.5 %
0.20 kg Wheat Malt, Ger (3.9 EBC) 5.5 %
0.04 kg Chocolate Malt (1060.0 EBC) 1.1 %
17.00 g Target [11.12 %] - Boil 90.0 min 23.6 IBUs
12.80 g Whitbread Golding Variety (WGV) [5.80 %] 4.7 IBUs
1.0 pkg British Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1335)


Mash Schedule: BIAB, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 3.64 kg
----------------------------
Name Description
Step 1 Mash in 40 C with 35.2 litres raise to strike at 67 C
Step 2 Saccharification 67 C 90 min
Step 3 Mash Out 76 C 10 min
Step 4 Boil 102 C 90 min

Irish Moss/chiller @ 15 mins

Pitching temp was 24.5 C (I had already roused the yeast with a small quantity of cooled wort from halfway through the boil) and I set the fridge for 17.5 C, the fermenter cools @ 1 C per hour.

Obligatory grainshot

Shiny Porn tamed with an ex-army roll mat

The BM is fitted with a 16A commando socket, so I used a 13A one I had lying around, it got reasonably warm but coped OK, one upgrade that needs sorting

Hoist rigged up for lifting malt pipe & chiller, the hoist was originally purchased to hoist cycles for storage, brewing useage much more appropriate

Heating to strike @ 40 C

Steel plate filter in first followed by fine mesh filter

Dough-in

Top fine mesh filter next

Followed by steel plate filter and held in place with crossbar and wing nut (long spacer also supplied with short malt pipe)

Press start to the next step @ 67 C for 90 mins mash

Beginning of mash

Midway through, used paper towel to wipe scum line occasionally

Getting ready to lift malt pipe

Malt pipe lifted and draining, I left the pipe there for about 10 mins and started the next step boil @ 102 C for 90 mins

Pre-boil spot on at 1.028

Occasionally use strainer to pickout bits and scum, there were hardly any malt bits or scum in there.

Getting last drops of wort out

Spent grains

Onto the boil, a 70 litre pot lid from my 3v system fits perfectly

90 mins Target hops ready & in. I used leaf hops and decided to put them in some muslin to keep the boil as clean as poss but I found they floated in the hop sock, so I scrabbled around to find stainless cafetiere that I tied the sock to and that weighed them below the surface, an issue I need to find an answer to.

Rubber gloves are a godsend, these one's are Blichmann branded :)

Preparing immersion chiller on the hoist, chiller went in @ 15 mins and the boil dropped to 97 C, the BM stopped the boil counter until it reached 99 C before restarting to finish the boil

15 mins Goldings in with Irish Moss

Chilling, the chiller does not submerge completely because of its construction and the heating elements being in the way, so cooling took twice as long as on my 3v system (25 mins, to get to 23 C), upgrade to plate chiller in the pipeline.

Wastage

Post boil one point under

I run the wort in two batches into a cube then shake for a minute or two to aerate before it goes into the fermenter]

Into the fermenter and fridge at 24.5 C along with the yeast, temp controlled to 17.5 C

Gratuitous fridge porn

 

[pittsy]

All looking very good there and some nice pictures , thanks for sharing : bit like a posh biab

 

[brewtim]

bit like a posh biab

So I've heard

I reckon a hybrid BIAB & RIMS with automated computer control.......however.....still lots to do on brew day, like cook bacon & eggs and getting roped into domestic chores :shock: damn why did I buy computer control :hmm:

EDIT: Just had a thought is this the shiny darkside?

 

[PD]

great brew day.thanks for the comprehensive pictures

 

[dennisking]

So, is it worth the money.

 

[calumscott]

Just had a thought is this the shiny darkside?

No, this is the darkside of the shiny darkside!!! :lol:

 

[Good Ed]

why don't you just add the hops loose?

 

[brewtim]

So, is it worth the money.

Now there's a question.

Feck yeah

:grin:

 

[brewtim]

why don't you just add the hops loose?

Well the advanced thinking was that the leaf hops wouldn't clog the pumps, but then discovered that the pumps don't recirculate beyond 85 C anyway

It does need a dip tube though.

Clean up was easy with no hop litter, got to keep shiny shiny even if it is dark :drink:

 

[godfrey]

I guess the block and tackle helps a lot with loading and unloading,

is that included in the kit or did you add that yourself ?

 

[bobsbeer]

Looks a neat and tidy set up. :thumb:

 

[BrewBilly]

Very nice, thanks for the brewday pics

 

[brewtim]

I guess the block and tackle helps a lot with loading and unloading,

is that included in the kit or did you add that yourself ?

I bought the hoist a few years ago with the intention of lifting bicycles up with it for storage, I got it from Lidl I think for about £2.50 when it was on offer I never got around to using it for cycles though. I'm not sure of the specs but I'm assuming it will be good for at least 20Kg. I screwed it to a plank of decking that sits across the garage roof members and it's easily adjusted to position over the BM.

It acts like an extra pair of hands when handling the malt pipe, I guess the weight of the malt in the short malt pipe was around 7-8Kg with less than 4Kg grist, so it would have been relatively easy to do it by hand, although I suffer with lower back probs occasionally and I've no doubt it would cause me issues without the hoist with the angles of lean etc. I had no problems carrying the malt around once out of the BM though, plus the malt had 10 mins draining before lifting fully clear of the BM.

The weight with the 50L pipe could be around 20Kg so much more weight to raise and this is where a hoist will be the most beneficial. :whistle:

 

[godfrey]

nice !

brewmiester should have a dedicated hoist included in the kit

certainly nice to leave hanging and strain every last drop :thumb:

 

[Jeff Brewjubbly]

I so want one of these :)