First AG Ale is boiling...

[PaulCa]

Woohoo!

Devil's Red Ale.

BIAB 20 litre batch.
4Kg Maris Otter, 500g 60L Crystal, 15g Target (90min), 25g Motueka (20min). Nottingham Ale yeast.

Mash started a bit hot (70C) I had no room to add ice or water, so I left the lid off and let it cool to 65C which is did in about 20 minutes, then lid on for 1:20 mash.

Boiler voltage regulator is working fine, even though the volt meter exploded this morning and burnt my carpet. Nice rolling boil with the lid partly on.

Fingers crossed.

Note, it got it's name because the mash temp sat at 66.6C for long enough for me to take a photo of it and then the electric monitor told me I was using 66.6p per hour to boil it! No ****!

 

[PaulCa]

Update: Everything went too well right up until the last moment and the boiler tap clogged with 6 litres to go. Ended up having to tip the contents into the fermenter. Trub and all

The cause was not leaving it enough to allow the cold break to settle and moving the wort chiller about and disturbing the trub.

Solution: Let it set with the wort chiller for a good hour and leave it alone!

SG/OG 1046, 20 litres, no liquor backing or adding water at any stage from mash to FV. Right on the mark. Not bad for a first attempt at a full AG.

Proof will be in the tasting of course.

 

[Jeltz]

sounds like a good job, :thumb:

 

[pittsy]

well done on popping your cherry Do you already have plans for number 2 yet .

 

[PaulCa]

well done on popping your cherry Do you already have plans for number 2 yet .

Sorting out a local supply of Maris Otter first. The local "nature foods" place has started doing grain, but she ordered whole, intending on crushing it herself, now she realises how much work that is and is going to order it crushed. She didn't like the sounds of milling a 25Kg bag for me. :) This brew was done with 4Kg she milled for me, said it took her hours.

I said she should get an electric mill.

 

[PaulCa]

Woohoo, it's in the keg! 15 days in FV. Tasted the sample and it only made me impatient as to how it will turn out in a few weeks of conditioning in the keg. Tastes like red ale as it should and barely a suggestion of any off flavours.

Came out a little high on the FG, at 1015, but that may be the early hot mash temp and within the expected range. I like my beer sweet and malty anyway.

Fingers crossed for the first sample a few weeks :)

 

[boab42stout]

Sounds really good i like the low hop profile might try something like this myself.

 

[PaulCa]

Sounds really good i like the low hop profile might try something like this myself.

Be warned, Target is potent! The first time I used it I put 20g in. It made everyone who tried it "make a face". It grows on you though, so they also finished the beer. I made the same mistake recently having forgot how strong it is and the effect was the same. Initial shock followed by, "actually... thats not bad"

I got bored triple hopping recently and went back to bittering and finishing. I'm not exactly a hop expert and I probably couldn't tell the difference between hops in taste so it doesn't really take much away with only 2 hop adds.

 

[TRXnMe]

Congratlations.

I still get the same thrill every time I keg / bottle my AG brews, and the 'boost' when I drink a pint of my own AG is still something special :) Admittedly, not as big a boost as I get when my friends like my AG, but damn good anyway

Welcome to the dark side, beware the shiny, it is addictive!

 

[PaulCa]

Well, the keg is now in the fridge and I have had my first few pints of the brew.

Wow! Lovely! It has a taste that is new to my brews, I can't decide if it's just "organic" and expected or an off flavour. It's kind of a "toastie", "cereally", "bread" like taste. It's certainly not a problem for the beer and it will go down well. Thought I'd mention it to see if anyone can reassure me it's normal or if not what might have caused it.

 

[Strongarm]

Could it be the biscuity taste of Marris Otter?

 

[Strongarm]

Actually, bready comes up pretty often in Maris Otter flavour descriptions too.

 

[PaulCa]

Biscuity and bready, sounds about right. Thanks.