Inaugural AG brew! What too brew?

[dandan]

Was thinking of brewing somthing like a Pendle Witches Brew Clone from GW's Book as my first AG, Is this one a good one to start with?

19L
Ingredients:
3130 g Pale Malt
310 g Crystal Malt
270.0 g White Sugar
195 g Torrified Wheat
46 g Fuggle - boiled 90 min
3.0 g Irish Moss - boiled 10.0 min last
9.0 g Fuggle - steeped after boil
2 Safale S-04

Has anyone done this brew? or have any recommendations for my first brew?

:thumb:

 

[Moley]

Sounds good to me, I'd looked at that recipe myself.

Very best of luck, when's this planned for?

BTW, why 2 S-04 ? :wha:
That's too bleedin' expensive to use 2 in a 19L brew.

 

[Wez]

I'd be interested to know what the anticipated OG of that is. I use 2x s04 when the OG is >1.050 to be on the safe side of not stressing the yeast. The extra £1.05 is worth it IMO :)

 

[dandan]

The two S-04's are better to be safe than sorry! :)
I'll be doing making it within the next two weeks! :thumb:
The Book Says OG 1.048 Abv 5.2%

 

[Moley]

I use 2x s04 when the OG is >1.050 ...(snip).... The extra £1.05 is worth it IMO

It's now £1.89 in my LHBS !!! :hmm:
I bought their last 3 sachets, pre-price rise @ £1.32 (use by 04/10, which I have).
I've just checked prices from forum sponsors and I'm a bit cross with my LHBS !!!
Use 'em or lose 'em? Phukem! :evil:


PS: well off-topic, sorry dandan.

 

[Parva]

I made Pendle Witch yesterday as it happens, it's glugging away in the FV as I speak. :) I think he's a tad optimistic with the amount of grain he recommends to get an OG of 1.048 so I upped mine by a couple of hundred grammes (I did the 23l version which called for 3790 M.O. which I upped to 4Kg). I'm glad I did as I hit the OG bang on when I'd finished though I did have a couple of litres more than I'd planned for so maybe it was about right afterall.

 

[dandan]

I made Pendle Witch yesterday as it happens, it's glugging away in the FV as I speak. :) I think he's a tad optimistic with the amount of grain he recommends to get an OG of 1.048 so I upped mine by a couple of hundred grammes (I did the 23l version which called for 3790 M.O. which I upped to 4Kg). I'm glad I did as I hit the OG bang on when I'd finished though I did have a couple of litres more than I'd planned for so maybe it was about right afterall.

Be intrested in knowing how it goes! :thumb:

 

[Parva]

This is the first brew I've done where I've actually adjusted the hop quantities according to alpha acid content, I usually just chuck in what the book says and don't adjust. My fuggles are 4%AA whereas his calculations are based on Fuggles at 4.7%AA so maybe I'll start getting a bit closer to what is intended this time as I upped them to compensate. :)

 

[Wez]

Parva it's also worth considering the loss in AA due to hop age and storage - there is a calculator in Beersmith (and I assume others) that lets you enter the labelled AA and how they have been stored and for how long, it then gives you an adjusted AA for age, they do drop over time, even frozen some varieties of hop more than others.

 

[dandan]

OK! I've decided! Pendle Witches it is,

Water levels are fine (my water source is the same as Moorhouse's) so will just campden tablet treat it!

I'll be putting my order in next week for my grains!

Whats best Irish Moss/those protafloc thingys! (im going to be using the slower cooling method i.e. no chiller!)

I should be doing this brew next week!

Im allready planning AG 2!!! a Wheat beer! (I have plenty of time on my hands)

 

[tubby_shaw]

OK! I've decided! Pendle Witches it is,

Water levels are fine (my water source is the same as Moorhouse's) so will just campden tablet treat it!
Lucky bu66er :grin:

I'll be putting my order in next week for my grains!

Whats best Irish Moss/those protafloc thingys! (im going to be using the slower cooling method i.e. no chiller!)
Protofloc :thumb: in fact you need less than 1/4 of a tablet for a 23L brew

I should be doing this brew next week!
Looking forward to the pics

Im allready planning AG 2!!! a Wheat beer! (I have plenty of time on my hands)
Ah the joys of a stuck mash :lol:

Enjoy it :

 

[Parva]

Parva it's also worth considering the loss in AA due to hop age and storage - there is a calculator in Beersmith (and I assume others) that lets you enter the labelled AA and how they have been stored and for how long, it then gives you an adjusted AA for age, they do drop over time, even frozen some varieties of hop more than others.

Yeah, I realise I should do this and I do indeed use Beersmith too. Fortunately, I managed to get me a vacuum sealer off Ebay at a reasonable price and this coupled with the freezer / fridge storage (when freezer is full) should help me to retain most of the goodness I hope. :)

My biggest problem now is that my 7Kg CO2 bottle is just about out of gas and depending on the landlady at the club it could be a fortnight before I get it replaced. I've got the Pendle Witch in the FV and was hoping to get another AG on the go tomorrow but with a lack of bottles / equipment to bottle and empty cornie kegs I'm a bit dubious about doing another AG now. Still, two weeks in an FV wouldn't be a disaster so I may just brew on regardless. The gas itself has lasted well over 12 months so I can't complain.

dandan, DEFINITELY use Whirlfloc or Protofloc. Without exception, everyone that's used either has reported that Whirlfloc and Protofloc perfomed miles better than plain Irish Moss. I've used both Protofloc and Whirlfloc and both have been equally good.

Incidentally, people say that you can use 1/4 or 1/2 a tablet of Protofloc / Whirlfloc (as above), I just chuck a whole one in for each 23l brew (and would do the same for a 19l too). Upto you but I've not had any negative results doing it this way. For what they cost I don't see the point of complicating things.

 

[jamesb]

Incidentally, people say that you can use 1/4 or 1/2 a tablet of Protofloc / Whirlfloc (as above), I just chuck a whole one in for each 23l brew (and would do the same for a 19l too). Upto you but I've not had any negative results doing it this way. For what they cost I don't see the point of complicating things.

I should just point out that there are two sizes of protofloc. Small ones about the size of a throat lozenge and large ones about the size of a washing powder tablet. Don't use a whole large one unless you want the beer to turn into jelly.

 

[ano]

Don't use a whole large one unless you want the beer to turn into jelly.

That would beat the pants off those vodka jelly shots.

 

[jamesb]

Don't use a whole large one unless you want the beer to turn into jelly.

That would beat the pants off those vodka jelly shots.

[pedant]I should have said wort. It won't bloody ferment if it's like jelly.[/pedant]

 

[ano]

Aww.