Brewday: Top Secret Autumn Ale! (clicky to pics and video)

[fivetide]

Blimey, I'm brewing! Wooohoooo! The upgraded Boxshed is go!

Lots of updates later. Unless I really mess up and can't type through the tears...

Mash on!

 

[corby_brewer]

hope everything goes ok. :thumb:

 

[A T]

Enjoy :thumb:

 

[highwayman]

Good one FT .. I am looking forward to seing your upgrades ..Lets see some picts.. :thumb:

 

[fivetide]

Rah! Going very nicely thus far, and the new boiler is the absolute business.

I've taken some pictures, albeit only with the iPhone, and will stick some up at some point, definitely.

I used a three stage batch sparge with equal volumes, nothing stuck in the mash, runnings went smoothly and the malts smelled great. I took around 65 litres into the boiler and the two elements got it up to a raging boil in no time. Hops in. Sugar in (weirdly). And I've now turned off the lower element and am leaving on a rolling boil until 10:30, putting the cooler and Whirlflock in 15 minutes before. No more hops at that stage, but some to steep later.

Fingers crossed, seems to be going okay...

...when can I risk cracking open the Boon Oude Geuze I have chilling?

 

[fivetide]

The upgrades aren't very fancy highway! I'm just using a larger stainless steel bucket and bigger elements, that's all. let's me double brew length though, which is very cool.

 

[fivetide]

All done, no mishaps, 2 x 25L in 2 x FVs @ 1.043 as targeted. Nice!

Pictures and stuff tomorrow. Rah!

 

[A T]

Nice one, well done :thumb: Will look forward to the piccies

 

[Vossy1]

Glad to hear all went well ft :thumb:

 

[fivetide]

Thanks for the kind messages, and many thanks to anyone who offered me advice and equipment over the summer. Cheers.

I've now posted up all the details and photos from this brewday if you'd like to check them out - please excuse all the mess in the Boxshed!

I'm just pleased all the equipment worked and that everything ran smoothly.

 

[fivetide]

For a bit of fun, I've taken a quick video of the initial fermentation with all the break material flying around and uploaded it to the Boxshed website.

It's actually a heckuver lot more lively now, but I was surprised that it took off so quickly this morning after such a lousy, cold night.

This video lark is fun - I'll think up some more interesting subjects next time round.

 

[highwayman]

Thanks for sharing the brewery with us FT. Good clear pictures too :thumb:

 

[fivetide]

Told you it was just a bigger shiny bucket.

Seems to work though!

Once this lot has cleared the fermenters and I've got round to cleaning the kegs (ewwwwwww!) and bottles (aaaarrg!) then I'll brew again - this time a tried and tested recipe - Dark Garden Mild.

 

[A T]

Cool Video

 

[fivetide]

Cheers AT, just working out how to embed one in the blog, really. I'll take some other style of clip for the next brewday, which could be soon...

The krausen from these two fermenters has all but gone now, and readings are down to 1.018 from 1.043. I'll have to keep an eye on things over the weekend so they don't overshoot the 1.012. Also need to deal with that loft full of hops...
(Quick update and couple of pics)

I really must use a better camera next time - I do have one but keep using the phone!

 

[fivetide]

I hate cleaning. But this is now all kegged, bottled, named and stowed away!

And there's plenty more cleaning to be done. ****.

 

[SheyMouse]

Boxshed Brown Corduroys - Love the name. Really says a lot about Autumn.

: Cheers fivetide! :