Leon103's brew days

[Leon103]

Its been lagering a long time but finally managed to keg my pilsner last night. I left it in my fridge at 3c whilst away, it had been lower. Glad I raised it a little, I didn't notice at first but when I was trying to do my closed transfer nothing was coming out. It had began to freeze, including the outlet pipe. 30 mins blast of warmth and all done. Maybe slightly stronger than planned due to some ice being left behind.

 

[Leon103]

So today I finally got to brew with the Brewdevil. But strangely I can't tell you about the beer I made as it is for the 4 way brew off with @Hoddy @dan125 and @dave_77

Instead I will tell you about my first experience with my new machine. It didn't go well. The end, well not quite, I hope someone reads this, learns and perhaps help me get better.

The recipe was a bit last minute, something I had thought about brewing for some BBQ's but tweaked to match the English Hop rule. Last night resulted in frantic messages to Dan and Hod asking for advice on brewing with an all in one compared to BIAB ( Dan also as a BD). Recipe decided today was brew day.

Using the controls is simple enough and putting it all together was straight forward, key note - make sure you check everywhere for polystyrene, I found some hidden whilst cleaning up.

When doing BIAB I usually stir the mash regularly but this isn't possible with the BD but the re circulation must be doing some good. Luckily I have a decent sparge heater, now do people sparge with the basket still in the low position so the re-circulation still goes, or do you lift it up to pour the sparge water directly on the grain bed? I thought the latter would be best for getting the sugar out but did mostly the former. Any tips?

Another thing on sparge is without the liquid sight installed I couldn't see the markings inside the BD due to the malt pipe being there, may need to install the sight glass.

I also had some issues with the boil, Dan warned me that the temp might be out. I left the grain draining whilst getting up to boil, walked away and came back to a boil over, which is worrying as it was a small batch. I also noticed it was reaching a rolling boil at 98.3c and therefore not kicking in the timer, some adjustments are needed.

All was going ok until I went to test the chiller, luckily out of the BD, one of my connectors was leaking. I sent up my other chiller but it didn't sit in the wort enough so a mad rush to the shops for another one. All was going ok until I was transferring the wort - chilling went fast due to re-circulating the wort over the chiller. My 6 year old was keen to help so whilst i was pumping the wort to the FS2 I helped him move the hose pipe, only for the transfer tube to come out of the FS and spill about 2l all over the garage floor.

So after all that I have 22l in the FS, slightly more than planned. Dan warned me about lower efficiency. When BIAB I would build a recipe for 72% efficiency, Dan sent me the beersmith profile for the BD which was set at 60%. I didn't have enough ingredients to add more, although I did have some alternatives but thought I would get more than 60%. When in fact I hit 60.3% - but did forget to add one ingredient. Luckily I had something in the cupboard to give it a little boost.

At least cleaning seemed straight forward.

I guess next brew will be easier, just need to work out how to improve my efficiency.

 

[dave_77]

So today I finally got to brew with the Brewdevil. But strangely I can't tell you about the beer I made as it is for the 4 way brew off with @Hoddy @dan125 and @dave_77

Instead I will tell you about my first experience with my new machine. It didn't go well. The end, well not quite, I hope someone reads this, learns and perhaps help me get better.

The recipe was a bit last minute, something I had thought about brewing for some BBQ's but tweaked to match the English Hop rule. Last night resulted in frantic messages to Dan and Hod asking for advice on brewing with an all in one compared to BIAB ( Dan also as a BD). Recipe decided today was brew day.

Using the controls is simple enough and putting it all together was straight forward, key note - make sure you check everywhere for polystyrene, I found some hidden whilst cleaning up.

When doing BIAB I usually stir the mash regularly but this isn't possible with the BD but the re circulation must be doing some good. Luckily I have a decent sparge heater, now do people sparge with the basket still in the low position so the re-circulation still goes, or do you lift it up to pour the sparge water directly on the grain bed? I thought the latter would be best for getting the sugar out but did mostly the former. Any tips?

Another thing on sparge is without the liquid sight installed I couldn't see the markings inside the BD due to the malt pipe being there, may need to install the sight glass.

I also had some issues with the boil, Dan warned me that the temp might be out. I left the grain draining whilst getting up to boil, walked away and came back to a boil over, which is worrying as it was a small batch. I also noticed it was reaching a rolling boil at 98.3c and therefore not kicking in the timer, some adjustments are needed.

All was going ok until I went to test the chiller, luckily out of the BD, one of my connectors was leaking. I sent up my other chiller but it didn't sit in the wort enough so a mad rush to the shops for another one. All was going ok until I was transferring the wort - chilling went fast due to re-circulating the wort over the chiller. My 6 year old was keen to help so whilst i was pumping the wort to the FS2 I helped him move the hose pipe, only for the transfer tube to come out of the FS and spill about 2l all over the garage floor.

So after all that I have 22l in the FS, slightly more than planned. Dan warned me about lower efficiency. When BIAB I would build a recipe for 72% efficiency, Dan sent me the beersmith profile for the BD which was set at 60%. I didn't have enough ingredients to add more, although I did have some alternatives but thought I would get more than 60%. When in fact I hit 60.3% - but did forget to add one ingredient. Luckily I had something in the cupboard to give it a little boost.

At least cleaning seemed straight forward.

I guess next brew will be easier, just need to work out how to improve my efficiency.

Blimey that sounded like an eventful brewday. I seem to remember my first brewday wasn't as straight forward as I hoped with my brewzilla.

 

[dan125]

So today I finally got to brew with the Brewdevil. But strangely I can't tell you about the beer I made as it is for the 4 way brew off with @Hoddy @dan125 and @dave_77

Instead I will tell you about my first experience with my new machine. It didn't go well. The end, well not quite, I hope someone reads this, learns and perhaps help me get better.

The recipe was a bit last minute, something I had thought about brewing for some BBQ's but tweaked to match the English Hop rule. Last night resulted in frantic messages to Dan and Hod asking for advice on brewing with an all in one compared to BIAB ( Dan also as a BD). Recipe decided today was brew day.

Using the controls is simple enough and putting it all together was straight forward, key note - make sure you check everywhere for polystyrene, I found some hidden whilst cleaning up.

When doing BIAB I usually stir the mash regularly but this isn't possible with the BD but the re circulation must be doing some good. Luckily I have a decent sparge heater, now do people sparge with the basket still in the low position so the re-circulation still goes, or do you lift it up to pour the sparge water directly on the grain bed? I thought the latter would be best for getting the sugar out but did mostly the former. Any tips?

Another thing on sparge is without the liquid sight installed I couldn't see the markings inside the BD due to the malt pipe being there, may need to install the sight glass.

I also had some issues with the boil, Dan warned me that the temp might be out. I left the grain draining whilst getting up to boil, walked away and came back to a boil over, which is worrying as it was a small batch. I also noticed it was reaching a rolling boil at 98.3c and therefore not kicking in the timer, some adjustments are needed.

All was going ok until I went to test the chiller, luckily out of the BD, one of my connectors was leaking. I sent up my other chiller but it didn't sit in the wort enough so a mad rush to the shops for another one. All was going ok until I was transferring the wort - chilling went fast due to re-circulating the wort over the chiller. My 6 year old was keen to help so whilst i was pumping the wort to the FS2 I helped him move the hose pipe, only for the transfer tube to come out of the FS and spill about 2l all over the garage floor.

So after all that I have 22l in the FS, slightly more than planned. Dan warned me about lower efficiency. When BIAB I would build a recipe for 72% efficiency, Dan sent me the beersmith profile for the BD which was set at 60%. I didn't have enough ingredients to add more, although I did have some alternatives but thought I would get more than 60%. When in fact I hit 60.3% - but did forget to add one ingredient. Luckily I had something in the cupboard to give it a little boost.

At least cleaning seemed straight forward.

I guess next brew will be easier, just need to work out how to improve my efficiency.

You can stir the mash.... I stir regularly until about 20 mins to go

 

[Leon103]

You can stir the mash.... I stir regularly until about 20 mins to go

So I guess you don't have the lid on.

What do you do whilst sparging?

 

[dan125]

So I guess you don't have the lid on.

What do you do whilst sparging?

Yeah - lid off.
I put the top mesh on the malt pipe with about twenty mins to go and then for the sparge I get it on highest set of feet and just pour in carefully over the top

 

[Leon103]

Yeah - lid off.
I put the top mesh on the malt pipe with about twenty mins to go and then for the sparge I get it on highest set of feet and just pour in carefully over the top

Ok. Will try that next time.

 

[Hoddy]

No stirring on a BM as it’s all covered in mesh screens.

 

[Leon103]

Attached is the Belgian Pale ale recipe. As mentioned it was my first attempt with my brewdevil and the issues I had are well documented. The recipe was originally designed and bought based on my previous setup, hence the sugar additions. For my first attempt at a Belgian Pale I am happy with how it turned out.

 

[Leon103]

Brew number two on the Brewdevil was a Dunkelweizen. A couple of years ago I had a few of these i Hamburg and decided it would be a simple small batch beer to brew. Went back to basics to keep it simple and lack of time, no water additions or measuring. It was an easy brew day and hopefully the beer will turn out ok.

Slowly getting used to the BD, I improved my efficiency but need to nail down my volumes, overshot on this one so it will be a bit weaker than planned.

@LesTom recipe as asked.

 

[LesTom]

Brew number two on the Brewdevil was a Dunkelweizen. A couple of years ago I had a few of these i Hamburg and decided it would be a simple small batch beer to brew. Went back to basics to keep it simple and lack of time, no water additions or measuring. It was an easy brew day and hopefully the beer will turn out ok.

Slowly getting used to the BD, I improved my efficiency but need to nail down my volumes, overshot on this one so it will be a bit weaker than planned.

@LesTom recipe as asked.

Thanks @Leon103

 

[Leon103]

Results from a BJCP judge for my Belgian Pale. Happy with that score. First Belgian pale ale and first brew on my brew devil

 

[Leon103]

As usual I have been useless at keeping this up to date.

I have brewed twice since.

The first a Export Indian Porter for the black friday brew off. It turned our really well, although I wasn't too sure on it straight away. Came 2nd with a 37 from our resident BJCP judge. On the night of tasting the fellow contestants thought it was top place. I suppose giving a Polish man a smoked beer was sort of cheating... @Hoddy ?????

 

[Leon103]

The other beer was a hazy pale, kegged the weekend just gone.

I am still struggling in getting a consistent efficiency with the brewdevil but I think I am nearly there on the volumes, brewed too long with this one so if i bring it down two litres then I should be more around the 65-70% efficiency, will look to improve from there.

First signs is this is a promising beer.

 

[Leon103]

I have my grains for my next 3 brews and hopefully I can get the 1st on over the Xmas period.

1 - Pilsner
2 - The next version of my pyramid pale ale series
3 - V2 of my Coffee Stout.

 

[dave_77]

The other beer was a hazy pale, kegged the weekend just gone.

I am still struggling in getting a consistent efficiency with the brewdevil but I think I am nearly there on the volumes, brewed too long with this one so if i bring it down two litres then I should be more around the 65-70% efficiency, will look to improve from there.

First signs is this is a promising beer.

Yes please

 

[Leon103]

Yes please

In the post pal.

 

[Leon103]

So about 5 weeks ago I brewed another pilsner. Not surprises, I forgot to post about it. Brew day went ok, still battling with efficiency but this one saw an improvement but struggled with water quantity, going slightly over the planned amount, never mind.

I have gone back to the Blanc hops which seemed to be everyone's favourite. Fermented for 3 weeks and it dropped to a nice 1.006 which should crisp it up. I brewed this at 10c which is slightly lower than previous versions (12c) Been two weeks at 1c, I may look to keg this next week because I have a tap spare. Will lager a full cornie for longer and put the smaller amount on tap.

PS - Just remembered, things didn't go exactly to plan, my pump blocked which was annoying.

 

[Leon103]

Kegged my pilsner last night so wanted to check she was ok.

Should have checked the gas level before pouring. Needs more time to lager, this first keg will be drank young whilst the 2nd keg will be kept for spring and possibly the LAB comp.

 

[Leon103]

I was planning a brew day for tomorrow evening- a pale ale again. Thought I would give my equipment a thorough clean. I began with stripping the fermentasaurus. I only went and broke the bottom nut that hold the collect bottle.

Can't get spares anywhere and nobody seems to stock them in the UK. Had to go with a fermzilla. Got express 24 hour delivery, not sure if I made the cut off for tomorrow.