AG#4 Caremalised Kenny

[Frisp]

Peeps
The wife has given me access to my brew area and in light of last nights disater with the los of the last of my Big Kenny. I shal be going for 20L of Kenny but this time im going to caremalise the firts 5 L of runnings.
I have weighed out the Grain as if it were a normal 20Brewlength but I have calculated the water, sparges etc based on a 26L brewlength. The theory being if I boil 5 L of water off of the first 6L of runnings I should have around 20 to 21L going into the fermenter.

Secondly the wife has baned me from nicking the Duvet to insulate my MT so I am going to utilise my nice shiney and as yet unmodified 80L thermobox. I have found that my little Plastic MT fits nicley inside the TB. So I have 30L of warm water from the tap (60C) preheating the box.
I intend to trade this water for Fresh at Doughing in time so that my MT has a 60C water jacket. The Liquor will be 10.5L at 75C. The Grain is at 21C. Once doughed in I will add a little boiled water until the water Jacket temp is 66C abd with any luck the lot should stay at 66C throughout the Mash.
My HLT is coming up to Temp. I shall go tend to it and take some pics. Recipe to follow, But its a std Kenny using Aurora for Aroma and Im aiming for 20L at 1047.

 

[Frisp]

First update.
Got the HLT up to 75C and put the 60C water jacket in place, MEasured out 10.5 L from HLT into MT and took the Temp of the Liqour in the MT 66C Befor dounghing in.
Liqour back in the HLT and I will bring it up to around 85C before measuring it out. I will then aim to get The Liqour evened out somewhere around 73 -75 C before doughing in.

 

[Vossy1]

Sounds like a cunning plan...Baldrick :lol:
Where are the pictures...you promise so much yet deliver so little :lol:

Secondly the wife has baned me from nicking the Duvet to insulate my MT

Time to start looking for a newer model :shock:
Having said that you can't blame her. I bet you advised of the benefits of the thermo box cash layout, and then you leave it un modded.....shame on you :nono: :P

 

[Frisp]

Ok got the HLT up to 85C and poured 10.5L in and it came in at 74C doughed in and ended up with 64 ish. I did a PH strip and it looks like 5.2 to m. So far so good
TYhis is the MT inside the THermobox just after doughing in

This is it with the Lid on

 

[Vossy1]

Those thermo boxes are the dogs danglies

 

[Frisp]

Recipe
3.85KG Marris Otter 92.02%
210G Torrefied Wheat 5.02%
60G Crystal Malt 1.43%
40G Roast Barley 0.96%
20G Chocolate Malt 0.57%

62G Fuggles AA 4.4% 70 Mins Boil 32.1 IBU
15G Aurora AA 5.8 % 15 Mins boil 4.9 IBU
15 G Aurora A 5.8% 15 Minute steep at 80C

Aiming for 20 L 1047 based on 72% Efficiency

Here is the Grainbill - Does it not look like a 2 gallons of Hot Chocolate :)

 

[Frisp]

Those thermo boxes are the dogs danglies

You are not wrong. The Mash was around 64C when I added the boiling water to the water jacket . 100 Minutes later It was 65C. I cannot complain about that
Just added 12 L at 78C for the first spargeand will let it settle before I lift the MT out of the thermobox

 

[Vossy1]

Sounds like it's all going perfectly

 

[Frisp]

Here we go
First runnings - This is my 4Th AG and I think the first where the runnings were nice and clear. I wonder if teh stability in the MT made all the difference.

The 1st 6 Ltrs drawn off into my 2 Gallon soup pot ( shiney)

 

[Frisp]

Jings..... I had bottle conditioned 6 L of the last Kenny which I had been intending to keep for a rainy day... and as half the country is flooded I thought the time was right...
What a difference to the kegged stuff. OMG the first mouthfull was pure fruit.... Badger do an ale which has a peach flavour... these bottles have that as a background.... OMG ... Bollox I only have 6L.... Might bottle this batch of BK :drink: :drink: :drink: :drink: OMG :drink: :drink:

 

[Frisp]

Jazuz
This caramelising lark is doing my nut in. Its taking froever to boil down despote the hottest ring on my cooker going at it full blast. Its going to be at leat another half hour befor I get it boiled doen enough.
I have kept 1.5 L of 2nd runnings back to thin the caramelised wort down so it mixes well in the boiler.

I have however thrown my fubggles in as FWH while the process of caramelisation occurs. It will be interesting to see what happens. Just switched my boiler on

Its going to be tomorrow before I pitch my yeast .... Gawd what I do for Art......

 

[Wez]

:clap: well done for sticking with it Frisp :

Make sure you keep documenting it, otherwise it'll be the best darn beer you ever made and won't know how to make it again :lol:

 

[Vossy1]

There's a massive difference between kegged and bottled of the same batch isn't there F

 

[Wez]

Agreed V1 - I'm thinking of bottling half what I brew now


Any you know how much I HATE bottling :evil:

 

[Frisp]

Flippin eck
I just got the boil going... If this takes any longer Im going to meet Tony, Phil, Mick and the rest of the time team crew enthusing about the size of my fossils.....

It doesnt help that im on the 4th Ltr of BK.. Funny the bottledfstuff seems stronger. could that be because of the secondray ferment in the bottle. :drink: :drunk: :drunk: :drink:

 

[Vossy1]

Flippin eck
I just got the boil going

What you need is 5.5kw of shiny lovleyness gently, but reassuringly, getting your wort to the boil :whistle: :lol: :party:

 

[Frisp]

Ah meant to say. I got the caramelisation bit down to 1/2L it was at that stage that Toffee goes during its boil its like thick sugar froth... It was starting to stick to the pot. Almost a thin treacle colour. It had a galze appearance...
Oh and I got pished ... again

 

[Frisp]

I am still someway off pitching the yeast. I fired up the old IC and missed the 80 C mark (****** and the Fecker did it in less than 5 mins) , caught it at 65 so I threw the last 15g of Aurora in for 20 mIns soak b4 I let the IC loose again.
Its now 01.30 and Im speaking in braile......
The Ic has just reached 27C... tankfek ..... Oh bolox..... I forgot the profolactic tablet at 15 Mins...... Oh Well never mind

 

[Frisp]

well how did we end up.
20 L at 1054, According to BeerSmith thats a Mash efficiency of 82% with a brewhouse efficiency of 72% Im a happy bunny with that.
I diluted the wort with 4L of de chlorinated water which should give me a nice drinkable 4.3%
No leaks or open taps this time but just as I switched the boiler on I saw the Hop strainer hiding in full view beside the boiler, A quick thrash with a couple of buckets a very warm hand and job sorted. Oh and I forgot the Profolactic tablet, but who cares, I didnt have one in my bluebird and it cleared just fine.

Observations.
Caramelising is a pain in the **** , I just hope the flavour imparted is worth it.
FWH - flipping heck did those hops swell up or wot. The hop bed at the end was twice as deep as I was expecting, mind you they did soak for around 30mins before the boiler went on as I was waiting for the caremalisation to finish.

All in all a 10Hr brewday, I could have sped it up here and there but I was faffing a bit with thermometers and things but I doubt if I could have reduced it to much less than 8 hours

Next update in 2 weeks when it goes into the secondary for flash chilling and finnning. Im going to Keg this one , as much as I ilke the flavour of the bottled version, the Kegs are easy to work with

 

[Vossy1]

Blimey F, that was a late one :shock:
I bet it's going to be a belter