Horners' Brewdays

[Horners]

Quite a smooth brew day yesterday albeit numbers were way off with 16L @ 1.082. Was hoping for something a little stronger so I am going to give it a bit more sugar once the yeast have been busy at some of the more complex sugars. The wort itself was nice and clear and looked about the colour I had in mind:

 

[Horners]

Update on the Barley Wine - 5 days in FV and its steady progress but still only at 1.040. Nevertheless have launched in 400g of assorted sugars having boiled with a small amount of water to sanitise.

Sample jar tasted lovely albeit a bit sweet. Not going to touch the FV now until the 2 week mark. Not confident I will get the attenuation particularly as was not sure how viable my starter was. We will see.

 

[Horners]

Finally kegged AG 19 - Barley Wine a couple of days ago. Cold crashed for 3 days after about 14 days in primary. Had a tastes after that and could detect some banana esters which was surposing as most the fermentation took place at 19C. Apparently WLP 007 can be prone to this I wonder if I underpitched leading to yeast stress or maybe it was upping the temperature to 21C for the latter stages of fermentation. Anyway as I had no empty keg it sat there at c12C for another week still throwing off the odd gurgle. Finished at 1.021 and taking into account the extra sugar I fed it after the first phase of fermentation I reckon it has come in at 10% which is what I was looking for. Happily over that extra week the banana taste seemed to have disappeared. Giving it a gentle carbonation for a few days and then its being hidden in the shed for a few months to bulk condition at which point will bottle it and lay down for Christmas.

In other news I got the beer gun out yesterday and made a care package for my house-bound in laws from recent brews (not completely altruistic as I want to free up some keg space). Thinking I might round up a few of the rest of the family and do a virtual festival via the HouseParty app.

 

[cushyno]

That looks like a very caring package of bottles

 

[Horners]

AG20 - Double Gold

Frustratingly despite working from home for over two weeks I hadn't managed to sneak in a random brewday. Anyway Friday evening once the paid work was out of the way I prepared ahead of time for an early start by treating the water and checking everything in stock.

Because I always try and qualify for free postage I seem to have accumulated quite a lot of random grain some of which is already out of date.

Also have 30kg of MO (had the foresight to order 25kg just as all this was kicking off) so as the lock-down inevitably gets extended, plenty of brews to come.

Anyway I have been meaning to try a brew with Golden Promise (as normally only use MO) and also to try out First Gold hops so decided to combine them in the following relatively straightforward best bitter:

Mashed the following at 65C for 1 hour:

4kg Golden Promise
250g Crystal 100 EBC
25g Carafa 3

Then bittered with First Gold (9.2%AA) 40g at 70 mins; 15g at 10 mins; and 15g at flameout

Wyeast West Yorkshire 1469 to ferment at 20C.

Nice smooth brewday with the exception that I stood the grainfather on a workmate which menat with the malt pipe raised I couldn't see what I was doing when sparging. As well as being unsafe, I had previously disturbed the top plate meaning there was some grain above the plate and because I couldnt see I sparged to quickly resulting in the excess water washing the stray grain down the overflow pipe and into the boil. I scooped out as much as possible with a sieve and certainly at the end of the boil didn't detect too much astringency in the wort.

5th brew on the GF and seem to have the numbers dialed in now hitting both OG (1.044) and volume (23L) spot on.

I normally use a chest freezer for fermenting but this has been requisitioned for storing additional food supplies so have just left it fermenting in the summerhouse with a heatbelt attached to an inkbird and an insulating jacket around it. It has held a very steady temperature so happy with that.

Fermentation started quickly and within 18 hours it was chugging away like a steam train. Think this one will finish quite quickly. Hoping for a nice session bitter that comes good sooner rather than later.

Cheers

Horners

 

[Horners]

AG21 - Patersbier

Now into 7th week of working at home and amazingly had still only managed the one brew. After another mind numbingly dull video call with work and the prospect of some mixed weather on the horizon I clocked off early and had a cheeky brew afternoon.

I had originally been planning to have another crack at making a decent lager having done a couple of mediocre ones last year. Anyway as my temperature control options are still tied up refrigerating lock-down food supplies; the warm weather which makes my brewhouse very warm; and the fact that I didn't fancy turning up at Tesco and buying 6 x 5L of Ashbeck given the current shopping environment I decided to postpone the lager for now.

Instead, figuring a slightly higher fermentation temperature would be appropriate for style and yeast I decided on a go at a Patersbier which is a brew I've been itching to try given its sessionable qualities.

Recipe is at the bottom of this post. I had read somewhere that a stepped mash might be the way to go with this style of beer. This in mind I thought I would keep the grist very simple (just Pilsner) so that I could get a feel for whether the stepped mash really contributes anything to the finished product. Bittering was done with a relatively large charge of Saaz on account of the particularly low AA of the batch in my fridge. I then used Hallertau Mittlefruh as a ten minute addition. Water was treated to accord to the "Balanced Profile" on Brewers Friend.

Pretty smooth and enjoyable brewday and only slight glitch was missing OG by a few points (ended up with 1.044 rather than the 1.048 I was aiming for. Had thought I had my efficiency nailed down - maybe the hit on today's was due to the different mash schedule.

Anyway just about to pitch Mangrove Jacks M47 Belgian Abbey which seemed the most appropriate thing in my stores. Going to start it at 22C with heat belt on inkbird to stop it getting cold overnight. No cooling option but I am hoping that with mixed weather the ambient temperature in the brewhouse will be a bit cooler over the coming days.

Wort looks great, looking forward to this being done. Recipe below.

STATS:
Original Gravity: 1.044
Final Gravity (predicted): 1.010
ABV (alternate): 4.46%
IBU (tinseth): 16.77
SRM (ebcmorey): 6.05
Mash pH: 5.52

FERMENTABLES:
4500 g - Pilsner (100%)

HOPS:
65 g - Saaz, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 2, Use: Boil for 60 min, IBU: 15.47
10 g - Hallertau Mittelfruh, Type: Leaf/Whole, AA: 3, Use: Boil for 10 min, IBU: 1.29

MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 53 C, Time: 20 min
2) Infusion, Temp: 63 C, Time: 20 min
3) Infusion, Temp: 67 C, Time: 10 min
4) Infusion, Temp: 77 C, Time: 10 min
Starting Mash Thickness: 3.5 L/kg


YEAST:
Mangrove Jack - Belgian Abbey M47

 

[Horners]

Pitched the yeast at 27C and it dropped to 22C overnight. By lunch it was chugging away and now is fermenting vigorously. Got to say that sitting right next to a bubbling FV trying to work is quite distracting. Its only 2ft from the fancy microphone I use for video calls. Imagine to everyone else it must sound like I'm in a fish tank.

 

[Horners]

Pitched the yeast at 27C and it dropped to 22C overnight. By lunch it was chugging away and now is fermenting vigorously. Got to say that sitting right next to a bubbling FV trying to work is quite distracting. Its only 2ft from the fancy microphone I use for video calls. Imagine to everyone else it must sound like I'm in a fish tank.

Well this has been a very quick ferment - dropped to 1.012 in 72 hours and seems done. Sample tastes great - my other experiences of Saaz have been a bit meh I think mainly because they have been lagers with other off tastes or saison which wasn't that great.

 

[Horners]

One of my brothers-in law-in law has built a lovely looking bar in his garden during isolation. He is a fiend for Guinness so thought I would have a go at making some to take round to christen things once the lockdown is eased. Today was a working day for me (from home) so some of the mash times and boil times and additions went a bit awry but broadly it was thus:

AG 22 - Dry Irish Stout

3.5kg MO
230g Light coloured crystal
400g Flaked Barley
500g Roast Barley
200g acid malt

Mash about 90 mins in end @64 followed by 75 mash out for 30 mins. Hops was Target pellets boiled in the end for 80 minutes ish to bitter to around 47 IBUs.

Yeast was Wyeast Irish ale 1084 (pretty robust starter). Pitched 22C to ferment at 20C - a bit concerned at keeping temperature down once hot weather kicks in later in week. All things considered a smooth brew day albeit came in a bit high at 21L of 1054 but suspect higher efficiency may be down to unintended longer mash time. Sample jar tasted roasty but smooth.

 

[Horners]

Well this has been a very quick ferment - dropped to 1.012 in 72 hours and seems done. Sample tastes great - my other experiences of Saaz have been a bit meh I think mainly because they have been lagers with other off tastes or saison which wasn't that great.

Glad I've started to type up brew thread as I dropped AG 21 Patesbier into the deep freeze earlier to cold crash and forgot about it - imagine its frozen solid so off to rescue it.

 

[Horners]

By way of update, I removed the AG21 Patersbier from the deep freeze. Took it out and after a few days of warming up to ambient it seemed to get going again. Retook the gravity at room temperature and it was 1.016 (nowhere near finished). Double checked hydrometer in distilled water - all fine so ramped up the temperature and it started up again. An interesting and I imagine a fermentation profile that will be difficult to replicate (assuming it doesnt taste like poo).

AG22 which was a guinness clone seems to have attenuated as expected. Dropped the temperature over night by sticking in the chest freezer (which has food in it currently so cant temp control properly) and added some Wilco finings I had lying around. Kegged tonight and I have instigated measures to reduce our coronavirus frozen food stockpile so that hopefully I can reclaim some conditioning space. The stout tastes good. Have a pre-lockdown tank of 30:70 and a stout tap so looking forward to posting pictures of nicely settling 'Guinness' to the neersayers in the family.

 

[Horners]

A belated and brief write up of Sunday's brewday AG 23 Hampden Pale my attempt to replicate Camden Pale.

Recipe (as edited for final version):

Grist	Hops
3kg Belgian Pilsner	60 Mins: Perle (7.2%) - 15g
400g Munich	15 Mins: Perle - 10g 15 Mins: Citra (13.6%) - 8g 15 Mins Simcoe: (12.7%) - 8g
250g Caramalt (28 EBC)	Whirlpoo:l Citra -15g, Simcoe 15g
100g wheat malt	Dry Hop : Citra 50g, Simcoe 50g
Mash: 1hr at 65C; 10 mins at 75C	IBU: 42

I treated water to adjust to "Pale Hoppy" using the HBF calculator. Ended up with 20L in FV at 1.039 and pitched US05 at 22C with fermentation temperature set initially to 18C to aim for a nice clean ferment.

I laid everything out on the Saturday morning and realised that once again have failed to keep inventory up to date and dd not have the requisite light crystal in stock so subbed in the caramalt I think this is a decent alternative.

Skies immediately turned dark and being an al fresco brewer I postponed until Sunday rather than try and contend with inclement weather. This was a mistake as I had earmarked Sunday for a second run out of the new Smoker and 10hrs plus of beef short ribs; babyback pork ribs and hot smoked salmon.

Anyway once I have the charcoal going at 7am (bemusement from next door who thought I was having a BBQ for brekkers) get cracking with the brew - lovely weather so feeling vindicated with the postponement and life is feeling good.

Spoke too soon as gradually the skies darkened and then just as was reaching the boil the heavens opened necessitating a tactical withdrawal of a Grainfather full of 90C plus wort back into the brewcave and a hastily rigged up fan to blow the steam out the doors. In the meantime the Smoker has dropped about 10 degrees in temperature due to the cooling affect of the deluge and it is all getting out of hand - the smoker cannot really go indoors. Anyway lesson learned don't do both things on the same day again.

As a result of all this multi-tasking, got distracted and forgot the kettle salt additions but otherwise a pretty smooth brewday. Also found time to have a first taste of AG 22 - Genius my Guinness attempt. Tastes a bit like Guinness original but roastier pretty decent beer and hopefully some of the harsher flavours will mellow over the next few weeks.

Just checked in on the FV and still no sign of airlock activity which I know is not definitive but the SS brewbucket is normally pretty airtight - maybe it has finished already!

 

[Horners]

Well stone me this is in to 1.009 already - blinked and I missed it. Going to raise temperature and see if we an eke out another couple of points to get to expected FG and in the meantime better boil up a muslin and get the dry hops in.

 

[Horners]

Seems seal wasn't on lid properly. Now chugging away - extra couple of degrees temp may have helped too. Dry hop not gone in yet.

 

[Horners]

AG24 - Dad's Best Bitter

Managed to use Father's day to sneak a brew in. Realised my pipeline is desperately short of any session bitters so have a flick through BYOBRA and decide that something along the lines of Everard's tiger might fit the bill.

Begin assembling ingredients and once again discover that inventory is woefully out of kilter with actual supplies and I have neither Challenger nor torrified wheat. Aim for a generic best bitter with what I do have (for a 20L) batch:

Fermentables​	Hops​
3500g Maris Otter	30g WGV (7%) for 60 mins
350g Crustal (138 EBC)	15g Fuggles (3.8% for 10mins
100g Munich (was lying around)	[15h EKG dry hop (still TBD)]
100g Flaked Barley (in lieu of the wheat)	IBUS 28
10g Black Patent (For a bit extra colour)	Water​
225g Golden Syrup (Late boil addition)	Adjusted mash and sparge waters per the forum calculator for a bitter
Madh 1hour at 66c

Decided on this instance to try MJ Liberty Bell yeast as I have seen it is one prolific forum member's go to yeast for bitters.

Got 20 litres of 1.048 wort and pitched the yeast at 20C and set brewfridge for that same temperature. As I sit here 36 hours or so since pitching there is a slightly worrying lack of activity but patience etc etc etc.

Also on brewday removed the large citra/ simcoe dry hop from the AG 25 Camden Pale clone and was quite pleased that one of the kids who was still in the vicinity proclaimed, completely unsolicited, wow that really smells of mangoes which seems promising. That is now in a eg being carbed with a carbonation stone as I reckon it will be one to try fairly fresh. Also took real care with finings and cold crash on this one so hoping for some clarity improvements.

Finally whilst the boil was on did a full stock take and started yet another HBS shopping list.

 

[Horners]

AG25 - Kviek Tin Miners

Further to the postings on the Kviek thread I was keen to exploit the blummin high temperatures in the home office/ brewcave by deploying the MJ Voss that I included on a recent order.

Work diary was terrible with back to back video calls / meetings for much of the day but managed to come up with a schedule whereby my doughing, lauter, sparge, boil, hop additions etc would fit seamlessly into the dull corporate schedule...naive to say the least as the wheels came off the minute I spent an hour trying to get the GF app to work (and Ill be asking for advice on that). Switch to manual and all my timings for the day are now out. Home schooling and catering for the offspring also becoming intrusive factors. At least the relentlessly hot South london sun may be in my favour later , I think.

Anyway pretty much go for greg Hughes' tin miners recipe but Im on the back foot early doors as I get distracted by the online meeting Im particpating in and lose track of how many 500g bowls of MO have gone in from the silo. Anyway 60 minute mash, mash out and sparge and then admit temporary defeat and leave the wort to boil later.

Quickly realise that the breeze is chucking all sorts of ***** in off the trees so drag the 28L or so pre-boil to safety and then leave a few hours.

For anyone reading recipe was for 22 L:

4KG MO; 300g Caramunich; 140g Crystal (138 ECB); 200g Biscuit mashed at 65c. Biscuit was well out of date and didn't smell great (bit plasticky?) but tasted OK. Balance of the bag has gone in the bin.

Water adjustment as per forum calculator for a bitter.

Bittered with First Gold (not sure about these from one previous brew) then late additions of Bramling Cross 15g at 10 mins and 15g turn off. First time I have used Bramling and wasn't completely enamoured with the smell of them.

End up hitting the numbers with 22L of 1.049 so reasonably happy. Then the pump gets clogged up and I have to disassemble various bits in the springy ball valve thing before eventually moving wort to my 'best' SS brewbucket. I am guessing on the water flow on the cooling but long story short its ended up in the FV at about 43c.

I then ping in the 10g of MJ Kviek and hope for the best - immediately wish Id taken it lower as it seems to kick off immediately. Ambient in the brewcave at this point is 35c.

I then remember I've not stuck any nutrient in so do that and even though its only 15 minutes since pitching it smells like baking bread when I take lid off and seems to be going already.

Happily it is now 5 hours since pitching and its dropped to 40C (apparently the top end) - its going along like a steam train so I will finish my drinks and put a jacket round it. Ambient still feels ******* hot mind.

Early conclusion is that I'm sure any yeast will go off strong at 40c but whether it makes a good English beer quickly remains to be seen.

 

[cushyno]

That sounds manic. I only tried to mix work and brewing once and that ended in a bloody awful plasticy ESB. That was just listening to some training material while trying to brew. Can't believe you attempted it while home schooling too!
I hope it works out.

 

[Horners]

That sounds manic. I only tried to mix work and brewing once and that ended in a bloody awful plasticy ESB. That was just listening to some training material while trying to brew. Can't believe you attempted it while home schooling too!
I hope it works out.

In fairness Cushy it did involve some online/ video training and I found the constant training person banging on a bit distracting so turned video off and muted her. Its the modern day world of skiving. Im happy because I'm no less thicker and now have 22L of what is probably beer trying to climb out of the FV.

 

[Horners]

It's about 2am so less than 6 hours since pitching- happily ambient has dropped to 24c and thermowell is at 37ish so have put its coat on for the night so we will see

 

[Baz Chaz]

Thanks for the info on your irst brew with Kviek, I have a delivery today and like you have my first Kviek yeast in amongst everything else! Good luck hope all turns out well for your brew.