Bluebird AG#1

[Frisp]

Team Im in at the deapend withpout a whirlifloc thingy.
The recipe is

Bluebird Bitter 5 gallon batch OG 1036 ABV 3.6% 22 units of colour.

MARIS OTTER PALE MALT 3290 gms
CRYSTAL MALT 170 gms

HOPS boil time 90 minutes 37 EBU

CHALLENGER 40 gms

Add 20 gms CHALLENGER last 15 minutes
Yeast So4
I have doughed in and its currently mashing under a duvet. Due for ist Sparge around 3PM
Bugger I forgot to take a doughing in Photo. Never mind I will post photos later

 

[Wez]

Nice one Frisp! Have a great brewday :clap:

 

[BrewStew]

:clap:

well done Frisp

looking forward to the pics later

 

[Frisp]

Hmm first step on the learning curve.
I was aiming for 66C for the Mash and ended up at 68 will that make too much of a difference? If Im right it should make it a bit sweet.

 

[BrewStew]

haha that's exactly what i just did 15 mins ago

personally i'm letting the brew gods run with it, but you can add cold water if your not wanting the sweetness

 

[J_P]

*pop* - Did you hear that? Was that the forums first AG cherry being popped? :lol:

68C is fine in my opinion, I mash most of my beers that high. Challenger brews are really tasty, you've picked a cracker for your first brew. Remember just relax you'll be fine.

 

[Wez]

I do believe it is a 'first, first AG' for the forum

Like JP I mash quite high, 68 is fine

 

[BrewStew]

that's so weird... i just noticed your doin a challenger brew... i was thinking of using up my opened packet of challenger for today's random brew

 

[A T]

Have a good one Frisp

 

[Frisp]

Here no one told me my about the smells. My Bag of MO smells good enough to eat and the smell of the mash is lovely.
Not much to see but here are the prist pics I remembered to take
My 60L boiler.

The Grain Bill

All wraped up for 90Mins. there is all sorts under there, its sat on Crdboard, wrapped in camping mats and the lid has cardboard disks, padded envelopes and even ovengloves under that Pillow

More photos later.
Im tempted to have a pint ...
PS no cherry poppin pain yet.

 

[BrewStew]

great stuff

i dont think you'll lose much temperature on that mash! :lol:

 

[Frisp]

****. I should have used the duvet off of the bed, that way it would infuse with mash aroma.. It a bit like waking up to the smell of fresh bread... Imaging waking up to the smell of brewing...... :hmm:

 

[A T]

Here no one told me my about the smells.

That's nothing, wait til you put the hops into the boil :party:

 

[BrewStew]

Here no one told me my about the smells.

That's nothing, wait til you put the hops into the boil :party:

oh yeah, the smell definitely gets better

 

[Frisp]

just weighed out the hops and the smell of challenger is citrus. It counjoured up memories of spain and the costa Blanca. Oranges and really sweet tobacco.... well thas what it smells like to me

 

[J_P]

just weighed out the hops and the smell of challenger is citrus. It counjoured up memories of spain and the costa Blanca. Oranges and really sweet tobacco.... well thas what it smells like to me

They give the brew a real citrus piney aroma too

 

[Frisp]

Peeps
How clear should first runnings be. I had a disaster with the Mash strainer. flipin thing came apart in the tun and stuck. So much swappy poury later I got it cleared and back together. Mash back in and let it settle 15 mins. First 3 litres like mud, then got slightly beter but still very cloudy recirculated until it got n better and started running.
Does this sound about right?

 

[Wez]

Frisp, sorry to hear that you've had that happen, sounds like you've turned it around though.

You don't need the runnings to be crystal (although that is good) as long as it's not got any/many visible grain particles in it I'd say you're ok.

 

[BrewStew]

under normal circumstances you should keep recircing until what comes out of the tap stops being cloudy (i think it looks similar to a cup of tea in a glass cup if you've ever seen that).

really the only effect cloudy runnings will have on your beer is it'll make it couldy/hazy. i shouldn't think it'll affect the flavour much

 

[Frisp]

Bugger
This lot is definatley cloudy. Oh well lets see what comes out the boiler.
Lesson No 2 of the day. Shut the Firkin boler tap!!!!!!
only lost half a ltr