Hazelwood’s Brewday Part 2

[Hazelwood Brewery]

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

 

[Clint]

Nice one H! I'm out fishing..I do however have 4 x 1 pint tins of Hobgoblin gold to keep the cold out...ahem!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Well I brewed another beer, another best bitter! . I can’t help myself, I expect I’ll get another Pirate Pale on in a week or two.

The cask bitter is about ready to get in the cask and the strong ale will be kegged toward the end of this week.

 

[Appleton Brews]

If only you posted on “How many litres” the total would double.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

If only you posted on “How many litres” the total would double.

That’s why I don’t!

It’s fairly consistent at 1,000 litres a year.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

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.

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.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

While tasting my beers two of the kegs kicked. This means I need to get another brew on sharpish.

Tomorrow I’m brewing that Doppelbock.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

The Doppelbock is brewed and finished with an OG of 1.082 which I think should give me something around 8.5%, strong but still very drinkable. 22 litres of gorgeous clear brown wort is now in the fermenter.

 

[Rwilts]

I just cant get into strong beers ! Would love to , but after about 5.5

 

[Buffers brewery]

I just cant get into strong beers ! Would love to , but after about 5.5

Use smaller glass

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I just cant get into strong beers ! Would love to , but after about 5.5

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

 

[Rwilts]

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

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

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

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!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I kegged the cider this morning. It finished slightly higher than last time at 1.004 so the ABV is a little less threatening at 5.5%. Nice and clear with a nice apple cider flavour and still with a dry finish.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

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.

Tomorrow I’ll brew another batch of Pirate Pale, ready for Christmas.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

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.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

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

 

[Buffers brewery]

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?

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

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.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

I kegged the Doppelbock yesterday. It finished at 1.015 for an ABV of 8.8% so it has a good strength. The colour looks good too although this beer is quite murky out of the fermenter, after sitting for a short while there was quite a bit of sediment in the bottom of this glass. The beer has been in the fermenter for 16 days though so should be finished and the FG suggests it is. The flavour is nice despite the murky appearance, it’s slightly sweet and caramel malt is beautiful and with the smooth warming alcohol this definitely feels like a winter ale.