AG4 - Malcolm's Tower Ale 20/4/2010 with photos (and video!)

[andymacintyre]

I will be brewing this tonight - a slightly modified version of Dunfie's "Malcolm's Tower Ale". Slightly modified in that I have upped the aroma hops a bit to use use up what I have left.
Tin of golden syrup for the invert sugar - this will be my first go at adding sugars to an AG brew.
I will be splitting the brewday to help out with the kids bath and bedtime so the schedule is approx:

HLT on 3.45
Dough-in / Mash on 4.30pm
6pm mashout
6.45 finished sparge - wort in boiler
Kids bath and bedtime 6.45-8pm
Boil start c8.30pm.
Flame out 9.30pm
Chilled wort in fermeneter - 10.00pm
Pitch yeast 10.15pm.

I might try taking some photos for a change and post them later.

 

[corby_brewer]

Looks a good recipe mate, hope all goes well. :thumb:

 

[unclepumble]

Looks Good to me plenty of Photos please.

UP

 

[andymacintyre]

Here are a few photos of preparation for the brew:

Scotts rolled oats for toasting in the oven - 150c for an hour.

The brewery!

Temperature-controlled freezer for fermenting in. Small heat pad and a fan controlled by an ATC 800.

Some I made earlier.

HLT made from a Burco boiler insulated with a camping mat. Heats up nice and fast. Holds around 40l to the brim.

Hops all weighed out and Tate and Lyle syrup ready to go.

Liquor tank - not treated the liquor this time - adding 1/2tsp gypsum to the mash and 1/2tsp gypsum and calcium chloride to the boil with first hops.

Mash tun and grain bill waiting for the oats which I can smell in the oven.. Best rescue them before they burn!

HLT getting up to temperature.

Mash liquor into the tun.

Doughing in the grains.

Doughed in. 67.6c - close enough.

All tucked up in a space blanket for 90mins.

Lost a bit over a degree over 90mins..

First runnings.

Jugging first runnings back in.

Batch sparge.

30l in the boiler. Now, tucked up for an hour or so while I help with the kids bedtime. Boil on by about 8.30, I hope....!

Coming up to the boil.

Rolling boil.

Copper hops - 50g Challenger.

Rolling boil.

Styrian Goldings at flame-out.

Hops steeping.

Runoff.

Runoff.

Hops left in boiler.

Cooling the wort.

Cooling the wort.

Plenty aeration going on.

22l in the fermenter. Lost a litre or so as left fermenter tap open and was too busy taking photos!

Cold break material forming in the fermenter.

 

[andymacintyre]

Well that's stage 1 of the brew complete and photos posted. Kids are now kicking off so all hands required on deck - hope I will get the boil on for 8.30...!
:thumb:

 

[andymacintyre]

Yeast pitched, and tucked away for fermentation. Got 22l at 1046.
A good evenings brewing!
:thumb:

 

[micmacmoc]

Hows it going Mac? Love the darts, I have a similar brew room. I find the darts occupy me heid, prevent me from dubious "good ideas" when brewing.

 

[andymacintyre]

The darts were a great idea! I didn't manage to throw too many arrows tonight though as I normally do a 90min boil and did 60min tonight so not quite so much "hanging around" time.
I do that find a pint of homebrew and throwing a few darts quite a good way to relax. :grin:

 

[Dunfie]

Good set of photos Andy. It will be interesting to see how the roasted oats will work in it. :thumb:

 

[andymacintyre]

Yeah I wasn't sure whether to toast them or not so thought it give them a bit of a toast in the oven. Fermentation is well underway this morning. Pitched rehydrated Gervin English Ale yeast into it. It has got to work very quickly. :-)

 

[andymacintyre]

That's fermentation well underway in under 12 hours..
I have dropped the temperature from 23c to 18c for the remainder of the fermentation.

 

[Cussword]

: Looking great Andy :drink:

 

[andymacintyre]

Quick video of the fermentation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pCss6pWijQ

Andy

 

[rickthebrew]

that`s a great looking set up andy :clap: I wish I had a garage

looks like a lovely brew

 

[Dunfie]

Great vid Andy. It is quite amazing seeing the yeast in action. :thumb:

 

[Screwy]

That's fermentation well underway in under 12 hours..
I have dropped the temperature from 23c to 18c for the remainder of the fermentation.

Nice Krausen Andy, what yeast ??

Cheers,

Screwy

 

[andymacintyre]

That is Gervin English Ale yeast.
Cheers
Andy

 

[andymacintyre]

Day 5 and down to 1012. Will rack to secondary tomorrow.
Plan to corny keg this one.

 

[mysterio]

This beer was fabulous I have to say, I kept going back to it at Calum's brew day. Great biscuity background from the toasted oats.

Nice set up in the garage, I would love to have a dedicated brewing chest freezer.

Geoff