Looks like you’re well set for this evening!
Hazelwood Brewday
- Thread starter Hazelwood Brewery
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Looks like you’re well set for this evening!
There's some strong ones in that lot...too much for me!
Christmas decorations are down now so time to get a brew on. Water is up to temperature and I’ve just started the mash for another batch of Summer Breeze. 
Well I have a double sad face 
The first is because my Summer Breeze on tap has spluttered to an end.
The second because something isn’t right with my brew. I became suspicious as soon as the mash started because the colour looked odd. After sparging I know the colour is different - brown toffee coloured rather than golden caramel coloured. What’s more I’m 5 points down pre-boil and my numbers for this beer are consistently on the nose. The swollen spent grains also look bigger than usual. Very odd.
I normally buy sacks of Vienna grain but they seem to be unavailable at the moment so I had to buy some repackaged 5Kg bags. It was from the same supplier (THBC) and advertised as the same brand (BestMaltz) but I have to wonder. I wouldn’t suspect THBC to try and sell me something else as BestMaltz Vienna but maybe the grain has been mislabelled or maybe because of scarcity the manufacturer is pushing out grain that might otherwise have been rejected. All I can say is it’s not my normal grain.
There’s not much I can do except pour it down the drain but who knows, maybe this will be really good although how will I ever reproduce it
The first is because my Summer Breeze on tap has spluttered to an end.
The second because something isn’t right with my brew. I became suspicious as soon as the mash started because the colour looked odd. After sparging I know the colour is different - brown toffee coloured rather than golden caramel coloured. What’s more I’m 5 points down pre-boil and my numbers for this beer are consistently on the nose. The swollen spent grains also look bigger than usual. Very odd.
I normally buy sacks of Vienna grain but they seem to be unavailable at the moment so I had to buy some repackaged 5Kg bags. It was from the same supplier (THBC) and advertised as the same brand (BestMaltz) but I have to wonder. I wouldn’t suspect THBC to try and sell me something else as BestMaltz Vienna but maybe the grain has been mislabelled or maybe because of scarcity the manufacturer is pushing out grain that might otherwise have been rejected. All I can say is it’s not my normal grain.
There’s not much I can do except pour it down the drain but who knows, maybe this will be really good although how will I ever reproduce it
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Must be worth a shot, not like you are limited for space.
It’s in the fermentation cabinet and I’ll see what happens, it might be nice. In fact I hope it is, I have several bags of that grain!
I entered my first attempt at a Sea Fury clone in the December ’20 competition under the name “Bramble Bitter”. The beer came in joint second place with the scores:
Aroma 10/12
Appearance 2/3
Mouthfeel 4/5
Flavour 17/20
Overall 8/10
Total 41/50
The recipe was in my brewday post #492 but is reproduced here for convenience.
Total water volume 30 litres
Aroma 10/12
Appearance 2/3
Mouthfeel 4/5
Flavour 17/20
Overall 8/10
Total 41/50
The recipe was in my brewday post #492 but is reproduced here for convenience.
Total water volume 30 litres
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I’m planning to get another batch of Summer Breeze on tomorrow. This is partly as a contingency against last weeks batch not being right. Even if last weeks batch is good and I end up with two good batches I doubt I will struggle to get through them before they go bad 
Collecting RO water for tomorrow’s brew now.
Collecting RO water for tomorrow’s brew now.
Argh! I’ve just remembered I don’t have enough hops to brew a Summer Breeze tomorrow unless my order of hops arrives today. Fingers crossed 
I turned my attention to bottling a couple of beers to send out and that turned out to be great fun
If I’m just bottling a couple of beers I fill a PET bottle, fit a cap with a Schrader valve so I can force carb it, put the beer in the freezer to chill down, and then replace the cap with a regular one. During this last step any excess pressure escapes as I remove the Schrader cap. On this occasion I left the bottles in the freezer a little too long which resulted in a small ice plug sealing the bottle that subsequently “let go” in the 2 or 3 seconds before the regular cap was fitted. The explosive decompression (no other expression would suit) resulted in me, and most of the kitchen not shielded by my body, being sprayed in stout 
. Right, take two...
I turned my attention to bottling a couple of beers to send out and that turned out to be great fun
If I’m just bottling a couple of beers I fill a PET bottle, fit a cap with a Schrader valve so I can force carb it, put the beer in the freezer to chill down, and then replace the cap with a regular one. During this last step any excess pressure escapes as I remove the Schrader cap. On this occasion I left the bottles in the freezer a little too long which resulted in a small ice plug sealing the bottle that subsequently “let go” in the 2 or 3 seconds before the regular cap was fitted. The explosive decompression (no other expression would suit) resulted in me, and most of the kitchen not shielded by my body, being sprayed in stout . Right, take two...
Right, that’s it. I was prepared to go along with Brexit but my hops, yeast, candi sugar have been sitting in customs now for 6 days. I gave Brexit a fair crack and now I want them to switch it off!
OK, plan B. I can’t make another batch of Summer Breeze until my Citra hops arrive and I can’t brew another Tripel without the yeast. I can make another Czech Pilsner but will have to adjust the recipe because I don’t have enough Saaz. So, Czech Pilsner it is but substituting some of the bittering hops, probably with Tetnang. Onward...
OK, plan B. I can’t make another batch of Summer Breeze until my Citra hops arrive and I can’t brew another Tripel without the yeast. I can make another Czech Pilsner but will have to adjust the recipe because I don’t have enough Saaz. So, Czech Pilsner it is but substituting some of the bittering hops, probably with Tetnang. Onward...
Right, that’s it. I was prepared to go along with Brexit but my hops, yeast, candi sugar have been sitting in customs now for 6 days. I gave Brexit a fair crack and now I want them to switch it off!
OK, plan B. I can’t make another batch of Summer Breeze until my Citra hops arrive and I can’t brew another Tripel without the yeast. I can make another Czech Pilsner but will have to adjust the recipe because I don’t have enough Saaz. So, Czech Pilsner it is but substituting some of the bittering hops, probably with Tetnang. Onward...
That’s the drawback with being retired. I only have these problems at weekends
That’s the drawback with being retired. I only have these problems at weekends
On balance I think I prefer retirement!
I just checked on my pilsner...it's blipping away nicely at 11.5 degrees...however the brew fridge stinks like rancid bottom burps! Loads of sulphur going on which I've read is normal...Right, that’s it. I was prepared to go along with Brexit but my hops, yeast, candi sugar have been sitting in customs now for 6 days. I gave Brexit a fair crack and now I want them to switch it off!
OK, plan B. I can’t make another batch of Summer Breeze until my Citra hops arrive and I can’t brew another Tripel without the yeast. I can make another Czech Pilsner but will have to adjust the recipe because I don’t have enough Saaz. So, Czech Pilsner it is but substituting some of the bittering hops, probably with Tetnang. Onward...
hughjamton
Well-Known Member
I think I've got 100g of citra unopened in the freezer if you want them? I'm in Rainham.
That’s very generous but no thank you. I’m not in any real danger of running out of beer and the goods will come through at some point. Thanks again though for your kind offer.
H...I'm just crunching the numbers for a Summer Breeze Brewday tomorrow...
My notes say 160f for the mash...that's 71 c....is that right?
My notes say 160f for the mash...that's 71 c....is that right?
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Cheers H! Thought it sounded high!
That's me sorted then...it's now beer o'clock.
That's me sorted then...it's now beer o'clock.
