I am again employing the mash hopping regime to stave off oxidation as this is a hoppy ale and my last batch of Summer Breeze has lasted four months without any visible signs of oxidation.
Hazelwood Brewday
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Sparging now. The final mash gravity before sparging is 1062. Last time it was 1057 so it looks like the water profile changes have delivered the expected improvement in efficiency. The changes in grain bill are not contributory because this and the previous grain bill have the same total extract potential.
Sparge is done and the wort is approaching boiling so time to skim off the hot-break. There are no bittering hops required for this beer so the wort will just boil away for an hour on it’s own. I may have time to squeeze in a pint 
The boil is done and the wort cooled to 194F/90C for the 20 minute hopstand. It’s due to this hopstand that this beer needs no bittering addition. Because the hopstand is at 90C the hops will isomerise (they will also isomerise at lower temps but to a lesser degree). 100g of Galaxy and 50g of Citra at about 13% AA each will together yield 40IBUs.
These hops are used for flavour, the highly volatile oils contributing to aroma are immediately boiled off. Aroma will come from dry-hopping.
Different hopstand temperatures favour different hop flavours. 90C favours fruity flavours, 80C favours floral, 70C and below favours woody and spicy notes.
These hops are used for flavour, the highly volatile oils contributing to aroma are immediately boiled off. Aroma will come from dry-hopping.
Different hopstand temperatures favour different hop flavours. 90C favours fruity flavours, 80C favours floral, 70C and below favours woody and spicy notes.
Hopstand done, chill down started. I have unplugged the boiler (I have forgotten once before and wondered why it was taking longer than usual to cool!).
I’ll take this down to 68F/20C and it will drop another degree or two while it sits resting - to allow the break material to settle.
I’ll take this down to 68F/20C and it will drop another degree or two while it sits resting - to allow the break material to settle.
It’s all chilled down and resting but I appear to have brewed an ale that “looks like radioactive Fanta and catches fire if it gets the merest whiff of oxygen” 
![BREWING THERMOMETER STICKERS ACCURATELY MONITOR FERMENTING BEER & WINE LIQUID TEMPERATURES 5PCS HOME BREW SPIRITS WINE LCD ADHESIVE [US]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/311DDjo2X3L._SL500_.jpg)
To finish this brew-day story, after letting the wort rest for about 90 minutes I prepared what I need to get it in the fermenter. There’s the fermenting bucket and bubble trap, the yeast, the hops that go in the fermenter on day 0, the silicon pipe for the transfer (wrapped in the cloth), a hydrometer, and the long-handled spoon.
First off check the gravity, OG is 1052. Put the hops in the fermenter, fit the transfer pipe to the boiler and let it flow…
You can see the wort is not so soupy now it’s had time to settle. Sprinkle the yeast on the surface, give it a thorough whipping to get some air in (I know this isn’t supposed to be necessary but it’s a habit I’d need a good reason to break), and into the fermentation cabinet with the others.
First off check the gravity, OG is 1052. Put the hops in the fermenter, fit the transfer pipe to the boiler and let it flow…
You can see the wort is not so soupy now it’s had time to settle. Sprinkle the yeast on the surface, give it a thorough whipping to get some air in (I know this isn’t supposed to be necessary but it’s a habit I’d need a good reason to break), and into the fermentation cabinet with the others.
The two beers on the bottom shelf (Mild and Bitter) will be ready to keg on Monday and Tuesday and I’ll immediately get another bitter and mild back in those fermenters.
Now I’d planned a Saison after those but the saison needs a higher temperature and I can’t zone off part of the fermentation cabinet so I’ll have space for four warmer fermenting beers. My plan is therefore to brew the saison along with a Belgian single & tripel, and a raspberry sour. I’ve spoken about brewing a sour for a while and now I have the perfect opportunity.
So, there will be a few more brew-days coming up…
Now I’d planned a Saison after those but the saison needs a higher temperature and I can’t zone off part of the fermentation cabinet so I’ll have space for four warmer fermenting beers. My plan is therefore to brew the saison along with a Belgian single & tripel, and a raspberry sour. I’ve spoken about brewing a sour for a while and now I have the perfect opportunity.
So, there will be a few more brew-days coming up…
Today I kegged my latest batch of Mild. It ended up at exactly the same ABV despite me reducing the grain bill by 10%. The beer was nice and clear out of the fermenter but not as red as it appears in this picture - the sun was shining bright and I pulled down a red blind, the beer is illuminated through that red blind. It’s actually closer to the colour of the syphon tube.
Having released a fermenter I’ve brewed another bitter today. This one is a little different to my regular bitter, it’s lighter in colour, has more bitterness, and I’ve used First Gold hops. Just curious.
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They worked well in my award winning Belgian pale.
They should work in this bitter recipe but sometimes what you think is a good idea fails in practice. I am looking forward to finding out though!
Hi H i have used first gold a few times, it is a really nice hop
Greg Hughes recipe for Yorkshire bitter includes Challenger and First Gold hops. I liked it 
I think first gold are the main hop in Adnams Broadside so I think that’ll go really nicely.
I’m not so keen on Broadside so it would suit me if mine didn’t taste the same! The beer is fermenting now though so I’m already down the rabbit hole
I’m not so keen on Broadside so it would suit me if mine didn’t taste the same! The beer is fermenting now though so I’m already down the rabbit hole
Hmm, you certainly are well down there. Oh well, if it does and you hate it, I’ll have it
As planned, I kegged the second batch of bitter today. All as expected with FG of 1012 and ABV of 4.46%. Nice and clear out of the fermenter and tasting nice already.
Also today, I cleaned all my beer lines and taps, I put the mild that came out of the fermenter yesterday on tap, and I prep’d the grain for tomorrow’s brew which is another batch of mild. This will be the end of my second tranche of brews to restock. The next tranche will be the “warm” fermenting beers - saison, Belgian single & Tripel, and a raspberry sour. I need all the beers in the fermenter out before I can start this last tranche though so that will give me a couple of weeks to get the recipes ready and buy any unusual ingredients (raspberries!).
Also today, I cleaned all my beer lines and taps, I put the mild that came out of the fermenter yesterday on tap, and I prep’d the grain for tomorrow’s brew which is another batch of mild. This will be the end of my second tranche of brews to restock. The next tranche will be the “warm” fermenting beers - saison, Belgian single & Tripel, and a raspberry sour. I need all the beers in the fermenter out before I can start this last tranche though so that will give me a couple of weeks to get the recipes ready and buy any unusual ingredients (raspberries!).
The Mild is done and in the fermenter, everything cleared up and put away. All went to plan and there were no dramas or surprises so not much more to say really. For pictures, see previous posts
Apart from kegging the four beers in the fermentation cabinet (Summer Breeze, Stout, Bitter, Mild) and dry-hopping the Summer Breeze there won’t be too much happening on the brewing front now for a couple of weeks.
Apart from kegging the four beers in the fermentation cabinet (Summer Breeze, Stout, Bitter, Mild) and dry-hopping the Summer Breeze there won’t be too much happening on the brewing front now for a couple of weeks.
Well today I was planning to dry hop Summer Breeze and keg my latest batch of stout but I managed to hurt my back so that will have to wait until at least tomorrow. A hazard of getting older - drying myself after having a shower. WTF!
