Ajhutch
Landlord.
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Wait, what?
Dutto's Brew Day
- Thread starter Dutto
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Wait, what?
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We need the autobiography
Headless body lager ... that's a new one on me!
Dutto
Landlord.
In 2004 SWMBO and I were having lunch on our boat and letting it float down the canal between Bruges and Ghent.
As I'd brought the boat to a stop I nudged the bank of the canal and noticed what looked like a shop window mannequin floating about ten metres away. I had my suspicions at the time that it may not be a mannequin but thought "Why ruin a decent lunch by investigating now. It isn't going anywhere."
After lunch the "mannequin" had floated away from the boat but all it needed was to start the engine, nudge the boat into gear, stop the engine and glide a bit closer. It was at this time that we realised that it was the naked body of a woman floating belly up.
We didn't have a mobile phone with us so we asked a group of young lads passing along the tow-path to call the Police. One of the lads asked "How do you know it's a woman?" and got a brief description of a ladies anatomy! He looked a bit green after the explanation and it probably put him off women for life!
Anyhow, by judicious use of boat and boathook, I got the body over to the far side of the canal (away from the tow-path where people were walking) and by the time Police and Fire Brigade arrived in the field alongside it was up against the sloping cobbles that line the canal in that area. During prods with the boat hook I could see that the corpse had been in the water a long time and that the outer layers of the ladies flesh had gone like dimpled soap. (Known as saponification - I've seen a few bodies over the years and yesterday I had one floating in my FV!)
The Fire Brigade lads got out two long handled "rakes" and managed to roll the corpse out of the canal and up the canal bank without even getting their feet wet. It was at this stage we realised that the lady didn't have a head. The canal was a bit murky and the gases in the stomach and chest area had meant that the body had been floating belly up so the shoulders (and where her head should have been) had been out of sight underwater.
The Police took our details and we sailed off into the sunset on the boat.
It could have ended there, but we made two subsequent enquiries with the Ghent Police. One a year later (2005) as we passed through Ghent on the boat and a second in 2007 when we were passing through by car. On both occasions the Police had managed to find out zero information about the lady, but suspected that she was an illegal immigrant to Belgium who had been working or forced into the sex-trade and killed by her employer for some reason.
A sad and sobering reminder that these things occur; but on this of all days at least we remember her and hope that she had a family to grieve for her even if they don't know that she is dead!
Not all days are "Happy Days" eh?
As I'd brought the boat to a stop I nudged the bank of the canal and noticed what looked like a shop window mannequin floating about ten metres away. I had my suspicions at the time that it may not be a mannequin but thought "Why ruin a decent lunch by investigating now. It isn't going anywhere."
After lunch the "mannequin" had floated away from the boat but all it needed was to start the engine, nudge the boat into gear, stop the engine and glide a bit closer. It was at this time that we realised that it was the naked body of a woman floating belly up.
We didn't have a mobile phone with us so we asked a group of young lads passing along the tow-path to call the Police. One of the lads asked "How do you know it's a woman?" and got a brief description of a ladies anatomy! He looked a bit green after the explanation and it probably put him off women for life!
Anyhow, by judicious use of boat and boathook, I got the body over to the far side of the canal (away from the tow-path where people were walking) and by the time Police and Fire Brigade arrived in the field alongside it was up against the sloping cobbles that line the canal in that area. During prods with the boat hook I could see that the corpse had been in the water a long time and that the outer layers of the ladies flesh had gone like dimpled soap. (Known as saponification - I've seen a few bodies over the years and yesterday I had one floating in my FV!)
The Fire Brigade lads got out two long handled "rakes" and managed to roll the corpse out of the canal and up the canal bank without even getting their feet wet. It was at this stage we realised that the lady didn't have a head. The canal was a bit murky and the gases in the stomach and chest area had meant that the body had been floating belly up so the shoulders (and where her head should have been) had been out of sight underwater.
The Police took our details and we sailed off into the sunset on the boat.
It could have ended there, but we made two subsequent enquiries with the Ghent Police. One a year later (2005) as we passed through Ghent on the boat and a second in 2007 when we were passing through by car. On both occasions the Police had managed to find out zero information about the lady, but suspected that she was an illegal immigrant to Belgium who had been working or forced into the sex-trade and killed by her employer for some reason.
A sad and sobering reminder that these things occur; but on this of all days at least we remember her and hope that she had a family to grieve for her even if they don't know that she is dead!
Not all days are "Happy Days" eh?
Dutto
Landlord.
Vienna Lager results:
OG = 1.034
FG = 1.009
ABV = 3.28%
Kcal per litre = 327Kcal
Attenuation = 73%
Now a quick prayer or three that the pellicle is confined to the FV and that after carbonation fermentation will stop!
OG = 1.034
FG = 1.009
ABV = 3.28%
Kcal per litre = 327Kcal
Attenuation = 73%
Now a quick prayer or three that the pellicle is confined to the FV and that after carbonation fermentation will stop!
![BREWING THERMOMETER STICKERS ACCURATELY MONITOR FERMENTING BEER & WINE LIQUID TEMPERATURES 5PCS HOME BREW SPIRITS WINE LCD ADHESIVE [US]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/311DDjo2X3L._SL500_.jpg)
Quote of the year @Dutto "Why ruin a decent lunch by investigating now. It isn't going anywhere."
Genuinely nearly shat myself with laughter.
Dutto
Landlord.
I've been tasting the Vienna Lager (being carbonated with CO2) for the last few days and it's been getting better and better; despite the horrible pellicle!
The "funkiness" has gone and it tastes really nice, Having said that, I chickened out a bit an decided to make a shandy out of it with 1/3rd lemonade! The result is that it looks fine, tastes even better and if I survive the night I will drink it neat!
BTW this is my neat and tidy "Brewing Cave" after doing all kinds of stuff in and around the house! Tomorrow is definitely a "Tidy Up Day" for sure; plus time to clean and sanitise that 10 litre PB that was emptied three days ago!
Tonight I'm too knackered to bother!
The "funkiness" has gone and it tastes really nice, Having said that, I chickened out a bit an decided to make a shandy out of it with 1/3rd lemonade! The result is that it looks fine, tastes even better and if I survive the night I will drink it neat!
BTW this is my neat and tidy "Brewing Cave" after doing all kinds of stuff in and around the house! Tomorrow is definitely a "Tidy Up Day" for sure; plus time to clean and sanitise that 10 litre PB that was emptied three days ago!
Tonight I'm too knackered to bother!
Your shed looks very neat...compared to mine...which has just enough access to the brew fridge,food freezer and fishing stuff...the thing is if I got myself into gear I could easily fit another brew fridge in!
Dutto
Landlord.
Remember this from last November ...
... and this from about six weeks later?
Well here we are, almost a year after bottling the brew so today I tried one and IT STILL TASTES MAINLY OF CLOVES but, ever the optimist I'll hang on to the remaining bottles because it may still come good as a "Winter Warmer"!
... and this from about six weeks later?
Well here we are, almost a year after bottling the brew so today I tried one and IT STILL TASTES MAINLY OF CLOVES but, ever the optimist I'll hang on to the remaining bottles because it may still come good as a "Winter Warmer"!
Dutto
Landlord.
Back in August this year I brewed up two DJ's using the juice from boiled up Rowan Berries instead of hops to give the bitterness required. In September, the brew was bottled, carbonated in the brew-fridge, left on the shelf to clear and condition and yesterday I tried one.
As you can see from the photograph they haven't cleared; and the taste was "different".
Not unpleasant, just "different" and very hard to describe. There's a bit of "fruitiness" but no identifiable fruit flavour and some "bitterness" but again with no identifiable cause.
In other words, the brew is definitely "drinkable" but something that I will only repeat if I ever run out of hops and have access to a plentiful supply of Rowan Berries. (The berries were weighing down the trees back in August but are now not to be seen anywhere in this area! Is this a sign that we are due a hard winter or is this because the town is being badly affected by the "Ash die-back disease"?)
As you can see from the photograph they haven't cleared; and the taste was "different".
Not unpleasant, just "different" and very hard to describe. There's a bit of "fruitiness" but no identifiable fruit flavour and some "bitterness" but again with no identifiable cause.
In other words, the brew is definitely "drinkable" but something that I will only repeat if I ever run out of hops and have access to a plentiful supply of Rowan Berries. (The berries were weighing down the trees back in August but are now not to be seen anywhere in this area! Is this a sign that we are due a hard winter or is this because the town is being badly affected by the "Ash die-back disease"?)
Dutto
Landlord.
I carried on with trying out the experimental stuff and opted for a "Mars Bar Beer" as a "post dinner" drink.
Back in August I modified some old and undrinkable "Barley Wine" by diluting it with water, adding some Caramel Flavouring and re-carbonating it with a tad of sugar. I called it "Mars Bar Beer" because I hoped that the caramel flavouring would start to overshadow the "black chocolate" taste that was making it undrinkable.
At the moment it is at the "50% success" rate! Amazing!
The brew still has a very "dark chocolate" taste but this has been mellowed by the introduction of the caramel flavouring.
The brew is still more "drinkable" than "palatable" so before doing anything else with the remaining Barley Wine I will leave the "Mars Bar Beer" for another few months and then try again; this time with "Salted Caramel Flavouring".
Back in August I modified some old and undrinkable "Barley Wine" by diluting it with water, adding some Caramel Flavouring and re-carbonating it with a tad of sugar. I called it "Mars Bar Beer" because I hoped that the caramel flavouring would start to overshadow the "black chocolate" taste that was making it undrinkable.
At the moment it is at the "50% success" rate! Amazing!
The brew still has a very "dark chocolate" taste but this has been mellowed by the introduction of the caramel flavouring.
The brew is still more "drinkable" than "palatable" so before doing anything else with the remaining Barley Wine I will leave the "Mars Bar Beer" for another few months and then try again; this time with "Salted Caramel Flavouring".
Dutto
Landlord.
Yesterday I started these two brews:
DAY ONE
ENGLISH PALE ALE
INGREDIENTS
3.6kg of Maris Otter. - 0.5kg of Cara Malt (EBC 145) Grain Bill 4.1kg
55g Styrian Goldings (AA 3.9%) - 10g Hallertau (AA3%) – American PA Yeast - Protafloc Tablet - Yeast Nutrient
Mash
Strike Water = 14.0 litres at 72*C.
Mash at 56*C > 58*C for ONE Hour.
Sparge Water at 85*C
Lauter until clear then sparge until Boiler is at 30 litres. Cover Boiler and leave overnight.
CHERRY LAGER (*)
INGREDIENTS
3.3kg of Maris Otter. - 0.5kg of Crystal Malt (EBC 25) Grain Bill 3.8kg 2 x 400ml bottles of Lowicz Cherry Syrup (**)
65g Hallertau (AA3%) – American PA Yeast - Protafloc Tablet - Yeast Nutrient
DAY ONE
Mash
Strike Water = 14.0 litres at 76*C.
Mash at 68*C > 72*C for ONE Hour.
Sparge Water at 85*C
Lauter until clear then sparge until Boiler is at 30 litres. Cover Boiler and leave overnight.
Today I Boiled, Cooled and Pitched the two brews as follows:
DAY TWO
ENGLISH PALE ALE
Preparation
Prepare Hop Bags comprising:
Put out Yeast Nutrient.
Rehydrate Yeast.
Boil
Boil with 35g Styrian Goldings Bittering Hops for 60 minutes.
Add Protafloc tablet and boil for further 10 minutes.
Flameout.
Add 20g Styrian Goldings Leaf + 10g Halleratau Leaf Aroma Hops and steep as cooling. (This was about 30 minutes.)
Cool to 19*C, whirlpool, run off into FV, make up to 23 litres.
Take OG, add Yeast Nutrient and pitch Yeast.
Ferment at 20*C in Brew Fridge 1.
OG = 1.032
At FG of 1.010 = ABV 2.89% (but expect FG to be slightly lower).
CHERRY LAGER (*)
Preparation
Prepare Hop Bags comprising:
Put out Yeast Nutrient.
Rehydrate Yeast.
Boil
Boil with 35g Hallertau Bittering Hops for 60 minutes.
Add Protafloc tablet and boil for further 10 minutes.
Flameout.
Add 30g Hallertau Leaf Aroma Hops and steep as cooling. (This was about 30 minutes.)
Cool to 19*C, whirlpool, run off into FV, add Lowizc Cherry Syrup, make up to 23 litres.
Take OG, add Yeast Nutrient and Yeast.
Ferment at 19*C in Brew Fridge 2.
OG = 1.050
At FG of 1.010 = ABV 2.89% (but FG may be slightly higher).
(*) Not a Lager as accepted by the purists; but I bet it tastes a damn sight better than many commercial Lagers. (BTW I haven't checked the recipe for the EPA against anything either; but it is very close to previous brews!)
(**) Discovered these bottles of syrup went out of date in August, so as they tasted okay I added them to what was originally intended as a low ABV Lager!
DAY ONE
ENGLISH PALE ALE
INGREDIENTS
3.6kg of Maris Otter. - 0.5kg of Cara Malt (EBC 145) Grain Bill 4.1kg
55g Styrian Goldings (AA 3.9%) - 10g Hallertau (AA3%) – American PA Yeast - Protafloc Tablet - Yeast Nutrient
Mash
Strike Water = 14.0 litres at 72*C.
Mash at 56*C > 58*C for ONE Hour.
Sparge Water at 85*C
Lauter until clear then sparge until Boiler is at 30 litres. Cover Boiler and leave overnight.
CHERRY LAGER (*)
INGREDIENTS
3.3kg of Maris Otter. - 0.5kg of Crystal Malt (EBC 25) Grain Bill 3.8kg 2 x 400ml bottles of Lowicz Cherry Syrup (**)
65g Hallertau (AA3%) – American PA Yeast - Protafloc Tablet - Yeast Nutrient
DAY ONE
Mash
Strike Water = 14.0 litres at 76*C.
Mash at 68*C > 72*C for ONE Hour.
Sparge Water at 85*C
Lauter until clear then sparge until Boiler is at 30 litres. Cover Boiler and leave overnight.
Today I Boiled, Cooled and Pitched the two brews as follows:
DAY TWO
ENGLISH PALE ALE
Preparation
Prepare Hop Bags comprising:
- 1 x 35g Styrian Goldings Leaf
- 1 x 20g Styrian Goldings Leaf + 10g Hallertau Leaf
Put out Yeast Nutrient.
Rehydrate Yeast.
Boil
Boil with 35g Styrian Goldings Bittering Hops for 60 minutes.
Add Protafloc tablet and boil for further 10 minutes.
Flameout.
Add 20g Styrian Goldings Leaf + 10g Halleratau Leaf Aroma Hops and steep as cooling. (This was about 30 minutes.)
Cool to 19*C, whirlpool, run off into FV, make up to 23 litres.
Take OG, add Yeast Nutrient and pitch Yeast.
Ferment at 20*C in Brew Fridge 1.
OG = 1.032
At FG of 1.010 = ABV 2.89% (but expect FG to be slightly lower).
CHERRY LAGER (*)
Preparation
Prepare Hop Bags comprising:
- 1 x 35g Hallertau Leaf
- 1 x 30g Hallertau Leaf
Put out Yeast Nutrient.
Rehydrate Yeast.
Boil
Boil with 35g Hallertau Bittering Hops for 60 minutes.
Add Protafloc tablet and boil for further 10 minutes.
Flameout.
Add 30g Hallertau Leaf Aroma Hops and steep as cooling. (This was about 30 minutes.)
Cool to 19*C, whirlpool, run off into FV, add Lowizc Cherry Syrup, make up to 23 litres.
Take OG, add Yeast Nutrient and Yeast.
Ferment at 19*C in Brew Fridge 2.
OG = 1.050
At FG of 1.010 = ABV 2.89% (but FG may be slightly higher).
(*) Not a Lager as accepted by the purists; but I bet it tastes a damn sight better than many commercial Lagers. (BTW I haven't checked the recipe for the EPA against anything either; but it is very close to previous brews!)
(**) Discovered these bottles of syrup went out of date in August, so as they tasted okay I added them to what was originally intended as a low ABV Lager!
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Don't forget to calculate the sugar in the syrup. If memory serves me it's about 80g per 100ml
Dutto
Landlord.
Thanks, but I did it and then forgot to calculate it. It's 26g per 100ml which puts the potential ABV up to 5.25% which is a bit high for me.
I blame my current ailment for putting the wrong ABV into Post #293! SWMBO has a cold but I have Manflu; which is a lot worse as every man knows!
prog99
Landlord.
I'll admit I've never had a cherry lager so your creation may be fairly unique. Let us know how you get on, sounds interesting.
Dutto
Landlord.
I thought I had better Post something to reassure people that I am:
Personally, I will be relieved when the "festive season" is over and I can get back to a normal existence that doesn't involve laying floors, installing new toilets, changing carpets and (that consumer of most time ever) all the "visitors" bugger off back home and stop looking after us old folk!
To anyone who says "You will die a lonely old man?" all I can say is "Oh please let that happen!"; preferably just after my 100th birthday!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! when it arrives!
PS
I will NOT be joining the latest "stop drinking for a month" campaign.
The January offering seems to claim that not drinking for a month will cure all ills ...
... except boredom!
- Still alive.
- Still brewing.
- Still Drinking.
- Barely coping with the "holiday season"!
Personally, I will be relieved when the "festive season" is over and I can get back to a normal existence that doesn't involve laying floors, installing new toilets, changing carpets and (that consumer of most time ever) all the "visitors" bugger off back home and stop looking after us old folk!
To anyone who says "You will die a lonely old man?" all I can say is "Oh please let that happen!"; preferably just after my 100th birthday!
HAPPY NEW YEAR! when it arrives!
PS
I will NOT be joining the latest "stop drinking for a month" campaign.
The January offering seems to claim that not drinking for a month will cure all ills ...
... except boredom!
Dutto
Landlord.
EPA
Yesterday I took the FG of the EPA at 1.008 which gives an ABV of 3.15%.
The brew tasted okay so I made up a Hop Tea out of some spare B&M Ale pellets and added it to the half of the brew that is being carbonated with sugar. (The other half is being carbonated with CO2 in a growler.)
The B&M Ale kits have always been a bit too bitter for my taste so it will be good to see how the different batches turn out.
CHERRY LAGER
WOW! Today I tasted the Cherry Lager and first indications are "superb". With an FG of 1.010 it will have an ABV of 5.25%. With + 0.5% for carbonation, I decided that the brew should easily keep until the summer so I added 80g of Brewing Sugar and a Hop Tea made from 30g of Hallertau Leaf and stacked them in Fridge No.1 to carbonate. Plan "A" is to drop the temperature in the fridge to ambient (at the moment the garage is maintaining +7*C to +8*C) and let it condition in the dark until it is time to move it to the shelves.
All-in-all a good couple of day's work. Everything tidied up, nothing broken and no-one injured; can't be bad!
Next brew will be a "Grapefruit Pale Ale" to try and emulate the Batemans Gold on sale at local breweries using Maris Otter, Chinook and Cascade. Here's hoping!
Yesterday I took the FG of the EPA at 1.008 which gives an ABV of 3.15%.
The brew tasted okay so I made up a Hop Tea out of some spare B&M Ale pellets and added it to the half of the brew that is being carbonated with sugar. (The other half is being carbonated with CO2 in a growler.)
The B&M Ale kits have always been a bit too bitter for my taste so it will be good to see how the different batches turn out.
CHERRY LAGER
WOW! Today I tasted the Cherry Lager and first indications are "superb". With an FG of 1.010 it will have an ABV of 5.25%. With + 0.5% for carbonation, I decided that the brew should easily keep until the summer so I added 80g of Brewing Sugar and a Hop Tea made from 30g of Hallertau Leaf and stacked them in Fridge No.1 to carbonate. Plan "A" is to drop the temperature in the fridge to ambient (at the moment the garage is maintaining +7*C to +8*C) and let it condition in the dark until it is time to move it to the shelves.
All-in-all a good couple of day's work. Everything tidied up, nothing broken and no-one injured; can't be bad!
Next brew will be a "Grapefruit Pale Ale" to try and emulate the Batemans Gold on sale at local breweries using Maris Otter, Chinook and Cascade. Here's hoping!
pvt_ak
Budding Brewer !
Love the sound of the Cherry Lager Dutto. Is the recipe in this thread ?
Yella Belly Gold is brewed using lager malt, so it might be with getting some of that in if you want to get really close to the original, although I did think it would be great with MO.
