Hazelwood’s Brewday Part 2

[Hazelwood Brewery]

After doing a quality check first I presume

Always!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

This morning I put the Imperial stout into the barrel - more on that in the barrel aged stout thread.

I also tested the cider that’s currently in a King Keg to clear before bottling. It’s just softly carbonated at about 6psi to keep oxygen away, I’ll prime it when it goes into bottles to make it effervescent. It is looking pretty clear and tastes good so I will soon bottle it I think. I should have enough for about 48 bottles.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

It’s time for another batch of beers as I had two empty kegs and another couple getting low. I also signed up for the Hoptober competition so I need to get a hoppy ale on sharpish. I’ll come up with something today and brew it tomorrow

 

[Braumeister]

It’s time for another batch of beers as I had two empty kegs and another couple getting low. I also signed up for the Hoptober competition so I need to get a hoppy ale on sharpish. I’ll come up with something today and brew it tomorrow

Isn’t it a little early to brew for hoptober with it being October 10th? Or maybe it’s good to leave it a few weeks to condition. I was planning to leave it late so the hop flavour aroma is still strong, but I’m probably wrong.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Isn’t it a little early to brew for hoptober with it being October 10th? Or maybe it’s good to leave it a few weeks to condition. I was planning to leave it late so the hop flavour aroma is still strong, but I’m probably wrong.

If you know the beer you’re brewing, brew to the timescale so the day of judging coincides with the point your beer reaches it’s peak condition.

For my beer it will be two-weeks fermenting, three-weeks conditioning in the keg, three-weeks carbonating in the bottle and then send it in.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

First brew of the latest batch done this morning, an IdahoPA. 20 litres in the fermentation cupboard.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Now that’s done I’m off to the Curious Brewery for lunch and beers. Cheers!

 

[Broomfleet Brewery]

First brew of the latest batch done this morning, an IdahoPA. 20 litres in the fermentation cupboard.

View attachment 73104

Nice clean looking krausen... .. How do you manage the temperature in your fermentation cupboard during these hot weeks…?

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Nice clean looking krausen... .. How do you manage the temperature in your fermentation cupboard during these hot weeks…?

That’s not krausen yet, I whipped up the wort a little to get some air into it for the yeast just before I put the fermenter in the shed and took that picture.

In the top-centre of the photo you can see something black. That’s a heat exchanger and fan. The insulated pipe you can see is feeding it with glycol at -3C. The pump for the system, and power to the fan, are controlled by an STC-1000 temperature controller.

 

[Broomfleet Brewery]

That’s not krausen yet, I whipped up the wort a little to get some air into it for the yeast just before I put the fermenter in the shed and took that picture.

In the top-centre of the photo you can see something black. That’s a heat exchanger and fan. The insulated pipe you can see is feeding it with glycol at -3C. The pump for the system, and power to the fan, are controlled by an STC-1000 temperature controller.

wizardry... ..

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I’m all prepared for another brew day tomorrow; water collected and treated, grist prepared, timer set for an early start.

Tomorrow’s brew will be another IPA. After that, a bitter and then a Pilsner.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Brew day is done and all cleared away. I think I’ll give it two or three days before my next brew as we have some hot weather on it’s way, I’ll pick up after.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

This morning in the early hours my wife and I were woken in a start by a loud explosion. I looked out of all the windows and checked around the house for any devastation that might explain the bang. I could see nothing out of place and all seemed calm and quiet so slightly confused but satisfied we were not in any immediate danger we went back to sleep.

A short while ago I went to the garage and discovered the answer to our mystery explosion. A 2-litre plastic drinks bottle had exploded!

After the last homebrew club meeting I returned home with a drop of beer in one of the bottles intending to pour it away and throw the bottle out, I obviously put it in the garage and then forgot all about it. Over the last month something has managed to ferment something and gradually built pressure to the point the bottle failed. I understand these bottles fail at around 150psi. This is what 150psi did to the bottle…

 

[Agentgonzo]

Wowzers! I assume you don't literally mean a single 'drop' of beer though. Good job no-one was near it when it went off.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Wowzers! I assume you don't literally mean a single 'drop' of beer though. Good job no-one was near it when it went off.

There was about 2” in the bottom, that’s all it took!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I forgot to note I brewed a bitter on Monday, now tucked up in the fermentation cabinet.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

It’s been quite a busy morning. I dry hopped my Idaho pale, cleaned some bottles, cleaned a keg ready to reuse, cleaned my beer lines, and prepared some bottles of golden ale for posting.

I think it might be time to test the beer flowing from each of the taps, y’know, just to be sure.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

So here is the flight of beers.

I took them indoors for my wife to try and rank. Her favourite (joint) was the Pilsner and the Stout. Third place went to the Weissbier. In fourth place the pale ale (that was keg hopped). The English bitter came fifth followed by the Schwarzbier. The IPA came last because it was too hoppy and too bitter for her.

My preferences (today!) are Bitter, Pale Ale, in joint third place are the Pilsner, Schwarzbier and stout, sixth place is the IPA and coming in last the Weissbier. On another day this order would be different because I love all these beers and my mood/what I fancy will change the ranking.

 

[Broomfleet Brewery]

So here is the flight of beers.
View attachment 73512
I took them indoors for my wife to try and rank. Her favourite (joint) was the Pilsner and the Stout. Third place went to the Weissbier. In fourth place the pale ale (that was keg hopped). The English bitter came fifth followed by the Schwarzbier. The IPA came last because it was too hoppy and too bitter for her.
View attachment 73513
My preferences (today!) are Bitter, Pale Ale, in joint third place are the Pilsner, Schwarzbier and stout, sixth place is the IPA and coming in last the Weissbier. On another day this order would be different because I love all these beers and my mood/what I fancy will change the ranking.

Wow... That's an eye-watering array...

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

This morning I kegged my Idaho Pale. Very hazy at this point but still a nice clean looking beer with a definite tangerine zest flavour to it - like biting into the skin. Also, floating on the top was a beautiful creamy layer of yeast.