Hazelwood’s Brewday Part 2

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It’s done. I’ll be off now for a pub lunch, see you later 🍻

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Today I kegged a couple of beers.

First was the cask version of my best bitter. The last beer I put into cask was a batch of pirate pale but it started to go bad before I’d finished it. After a bit of soul-searching I believe it was because the batch was 20 litres and it left too big a head space resulting in the beer gradually oxidising. This time, after cleaning and sanitising the keg I filled it with CO2 in an attempt to displace some of the air before filling it with 25 litres of beer. I’m hoping the greater volume and partial displacement of air will ensure I don’t have a repeat. This is the bitter (I tried a little less dark crystal so it’s a bit lighter coloured, maybe I should put some back!) and the keg showing a good fill.

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The other was my strong ale. I miscalculated the grain bill so ended up with a beer at 6.3% where I was looking for something around 7.5%. Never mind, it tastes very nice out of the fermenter and is still a good strength.

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Do you not like the flavour or just fall asleep after a few sips?
Both !!

I may just have to follow @Buffers brewery not so silly advice ..

Would like to try DIPA and Imperials but generally (when I do drink) it's always pints and I can taste the alcohol in strong beers and my head doesn't thanks me either
 
Both !!

I may just have to follow @Buffers brewery not so silly advice ..

Would like to try DIPA and Imperials but generally (when I do drink) it's always pints and I can taste the alcohol in strong beers and my head doesn't thanks me either

😉
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When we have a few beer-loving friends round we use 1/3 pint glasses (not shown) because everyone drinks everything, sometimes more than once!
 
I kegged another bitter today. Just for a change I introduced some slight variations to the regular recipe. I reduced the crystal and used carapils in place of torrified wheat. Out of the fermenter I think it’s a touch too pale but the flavour seemed good.

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Tomorrow I’ll brew another batch of Pirate Pale, ready for Christmas.
 
I’ve brewed that Pirate Pale I mentioned yesterday, 21 litres in the fermentation cabinet. I only have this beer and the fermenting Doppelbock in the fermentation cabinet now although I do plan another batch of Pirate Pale to go in cask. It didn’t work so well last time because the volume wasn’t sufficient to fill the cask and the beer oxidised before I finished it, I won’t make that mistake again.

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I also started an experiment I mentioned in another thread, this post refers…

I’m hoping a few trials will inform some of this and reduce the faffing for others.

I’ll start with three blends of water; zero alkalinity, a low alkalinity and a moderate level of alkalinity. To each I’ll add a measured amount of calcium carbonate and use a consistent CO2 pressure (in the same volume), and the same temperature. I’ll then take readings each day for a few days and depending on those results continue daily or switch to weekly.

Using learning from the first set of trials I might then repeat the trials , and again with different additions of calcium carbonate and different CO2 pressures. I’m not sure I’ll bother with temperature because cellar temperature or room temperature is where people will keep it…alright I might do a test at cellar temperature and room temperature!

I think I will start a new thread for this because it’s quite focused on one thing and might, if successful, be a useful thread for anyone struggling with low alkalinity water. Meanwhile, some pictures as a teaser 😉

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It didn’t work so well last time because the volume wasn’t sufficient to fill the cask and the beer oxidised before I finished it, I won’t make that mistake again.
What’s the plan? I recall you used to give your king kegs a blast of CO2 after transfer. Do you still do that? Do you let air into the barrel as you pour and lose any pressure you had after carbonation?
 
What’s the plan? I recall you used to give your king kegs a blast of CO2 after transfer. Do you still do that? Do you let air into the barrel as you pour and lose any pressure you had after carbonation?
The plan is primarily to brew a few more litres. I will, as usual, puff a few litres of CO2 into the keg before I transfer the beer into it so as to reduce the amount of oxygen in the keg. The main difference though is the reduced head space - last time I put 20 litres of beer in the keg which left a lot of space, this time it will be at least 25 litres.

No, I never allow air to glug into the barrel. If necessary I inject some bottled CO2 rather than allow air to glug in.
 
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