Hazelwood’s Brewday Part 2

[Hazelwood Brewery]

At the risk of repeating myself.

MACHINE

They should all be ready in about 6 weeks if you fancy a tipple

 

[stripeyjoe]

Have you thought about supplying a couple of local pubs?!?

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Have you thought about supplying a couple of local pubs?!?

No. I brew what I like for myself, it’s just a hobby with benefits.

If I brewed for local pubs I’d need to seriously upscale from my 20 litre batches, take on a load of admin with the tax man and a host of others, and take on obligations to deliver a regular supply.

 

[Clint]

You could alternatively start a multinational company and not bother.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Just brewing the Altbier now and messed up the mash. First I overshot the collection of RO water and not wanting to waste it I used all of it and used a bit less tap water - this decreased the alkalinity of course. Because I didn’t test my tap water I didn’t notice the water source had changed from aquifer to surface water - this again decreased the alkalinity. The end result, the mash pH ended up at 4.6 so now I’m brewing a sour! Also the gravity is down by 6 points because the enzymes are struggling a bit at the lower pH.

I can raise the gravity by adding a little DME and I will sparge with pure tap water which should help raise the pH a little. I might just get away with it but if the finished beer is a bit tart I might just blend this beer with a stout I have planned in the next tranche!

 

[stripeyjoe]

Chuck some Yakult in and bring it along to the LAB Sour taste off in Feb!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

The Altbier is done, 22 litres in the fermentation cabinet with an OG of 1048. A little DME did fix the lower gravity, using tap water for the sparge made no difference whatever to the pH. We’ll have to see how this one turns out.

There will be no brewday tomorrow now all four slots in my fermentation cabinet and the one slot in the brewshed are all in use. #DayOff

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Tomorrow I’m brewing the first beer of my second tranche, a German Lager. This will be followed by a best bitter, pale ale, stout, and ordinary bitter.

I’ll also be kegging the Baltic Porter tomorrow and will move the Schwarzbier from the shed (14C) into the fermentation cabinet (18C) to encourage the yeast to clean up any diacetyl.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Busy day today - multitasking! Brewing, bottling, kegging, and prepping for tomorrow’s brewday. Phew!

Here’s a picture of my Baltic Porter (chocolate, coffee, liquorice) and the German Lager I brewed today. Grist and water prepared for tomorrow.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Another epic brewday, bottled and kegged the DIPA (which tasted bloody lovely by the way - packed with fruity aroma and flavour), brewed a batch of Best Bitter, and prepared tomorrows brewday - that will be a batch of my English Pale Ale, Pirate Pale.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Schwarzbier bottled and kegged, Pirate Pale brewed and in the fermentation cabinet. Water prepared for tomorrow’s brew (stout). Off to the pub now and will finish setting up for tomorrow when I get home later.

 

[Tommo 2]

glad your back in the saddle H, you opening a craft beer cafe or are you just thirsty

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

glad your back in the saddle H, you opening a craft beer cafe or are you just thirsty

Thanks Tommo. Just thirsty!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Stout brewed today. I also kegged my Black IPA but forgot to take a picture before I drank the sample I took. Never mind, it looked the same as the Baltic Porter or Schwarzbier!

Last brew in this tranche tomorrow and I’m brewing a lower alcohol bitter - that’s lower alcohol rather than low alcohol, probably around 3%. I’ll also bottle/keg that Altbier tomorrow too.

 

[samale]

I brewed a golden ale and made a mistake along the way. OG 1.033 I was aiming for 1.040, My first low alcohol brew, I had considered adding some sugar to bring the ABV up to 3.8%

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I brewed a golden ale and made a mistake along the way. OG 1.033 I was aiming for 1.040, My first low alcohol brew, I had considered adding some sugar to bring the ABV up to 3.8%

What was the ABV in the end and how did the beer turn out?

 

[samale]

What was the ABV in the end and how did the beer turn out?

It's still fermenting, I might just leave it as it is. See how it turns out

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

That’s it, second tranche completed today. I brewed a lower alcohol bitter today which I’m calling an ordinary bitter though the ABV might be a tad shy at about 3% give or take a couple of points. I also bottled/kegged the Altbier and I’m pleased to say it turned out fine and not a sour as I had feared.

 

[Twostage]

That’s it, second tranche completed today. I brewed a lower alcohol bitter today which I’m calling an ordinary bitter though the ABV might be a tad shy at about 3% give or take a couple of points. I also bottled/kegged the Altbier and I’m pleased to say it turned out fine and not a sour as I had feared.

View attachment 95090
View attachment 95091

I brewed an 80 bob that was only 3.2% and that was nice.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I brewed an 80 bob that was only 3.2% and that was nice.

I mashed at 156F (69C) to give it a bit of body. I’ll let you know how it turns out.