marshbrewers brewdays

[moto748]

I do really hate that hydrometer, though, the coloured bands don't all seem to correspond with values and confuse things; I really must get a better one.

Agreed! They are the most common types, but the coloured bands are a PITA and add only confusion. I found a plain black and white one I've been using, but unfortunately I dropped it yesterday, so I'm back to the multi-coloured swap shop!

 

[Oneflewover]

Attempted my first Saison! today. Thing is, I don't really know what I'm doing so I used a recipe I'd had success with brewing a Belgian golden ale, but swapped out the yeast, and swapped the hops out for Hallertau Blanc.

I thought it would be an ideal 5.5%, but have forgot to account for the increased attenuation of CML Wallonia yeast, which I suspect is Belle Saison so if it ferments out to the predicted gravity, it will be about 7%! It won't really drop to .994 will it?!?

No idea what this will be like.

Vitals
Original Gravity: 1.047

Final Gravity: 0.994

IBU (Tinseth): 20

BU/GU: 0.42

Colour: 11.2 EBC


Mash
Strike Temp — 76.2 °C
Infusion — 66 °C — 60 min


Malts (4 kg)
4 kg (87%) — Crisp No19 Floor Malted Maris Otter Malt — Grain — 6.2 EBC
Other (600 g)
600 g (13%) — Lyle's Golden Syrup — Sugar — 25 EBC — Boil
Hops (25 g)
10 g (13 IBU) — Hallertau Blanc 10.5% — Boil — 60 min

15 g (7 IBU) — Hallertau Blanc 10.5% — Boil — 10 min

Looks good. I very much doubt it'll go below 1.000

 

[marshbrewer]

Looks good. I very much doubt it'll go below 1.000

Phew! Don't want a keg full of loopy juice

1.000 would give me 5.6%. which would be great. 1.002 would be an even better 5.4%, hopefully with a nice dry finish.

It's fermenting away nicely now; I was very naughty and lifted the lid and there was a lovely lemony smell. The krasuan (aaarrrrggh, I just cannot spell that word) was fluffy and pillowy rather than like a British ale yeast.

 

[marshbrewer]

Kegged the summit bitter today. Smells very promising.

The Saison has dropped to 1.012 in 5 days and is still fermenting away nicely. The sample tastes great already.. Really looking forward to this one.

 

[marshbrewer]

Saison now at 1.004ish (1.002 measured, temp corrected to 1.004)

Spicy, strong, pleasant lemon citrus tang, perhaps a tiny bit of a funky taste, quite dry and tangy(?) - this all at 25°C, don't know how much of that will stick around when served around 12°. But so far I'm very impressed.

Assuming it's finished here, how long do you guys leave Saison belle to clean up after itself before cold crashing?

 

[marshbrewer]

Looks like it's finished at a temp corrected 1.000, giving a healthy 5.6%. it's also clearing down, so I e set it to cold crash and I'll keg it early next week.

Sample tastes amazing. Very impressed with how easily this has gone.

 

[marshbrewer]

Brewing a Strong Bitter today. HLT on at 8:00. School run, them I'll mash in before my first work meeting at 9.

 

[marshbrewer]

Underlett mash started at 8:49, mashed in at 8:59. Just made it!

Mash length will probably be determined by my work schedule. All very scientific

 

[marshbrewer]

Think I got my water volumes wrong, as there was too much wort and I hit an OG of 1.044 rather than 1.048. Will have to pay more attention next time.

Now in the chamber at 20°c.

 

[marshbrewer]

No brewing yesterday but I did fit a sight glass to my HLT. The photo looks like it's on the p*ss but I've had a spirit level against it and I don't think it is; it looks straight enough to the eye. This will simplify measuring out my strike and sparge water no end; I've just got to calibrate it now but I need to get my hands on a fine tipped permanent marker for that.

 

[marshbrewer]

Strong ale down to 1.015°, but the sample looked really lively so I don't think it's finished. Was trying to squeeze this in for the CAMRA comp, but there is no chance of that now so I'll just leave it for another week before cold crashing. Might go bananas and dry hop it now as I don't need to keep to style.

 

[Dutto]

No brewing yesterday but I did fit a sight glass to my HLT. The photo looks like it's on the p*ss but I've had a spirit level against it and I don't think it is; it looks straight enough to the eye. This will simplify measuring out my strike and sparge water no end; I've just got to calibrate it now but I need to get my hands on a fine tipped permanent marker for that.

View attachment 71473

Great idea, but is the sight-glass really glass?

I know I’m clumsy, but I would bet good money that I would break the overhang off within three brews!

If it’s plastic (polycarbonate) then I suggest that the overhang is cut off before you have to mop the floor.
:hat:

 

[marshbrewer]

Don't worry @Dutto , it's extra thick polycarbonate, and will be shortened as soon as the cutting disks I have ordered for my Dremel arrive.

 

[marshbrewer]

Hopefully this should put @Dutto 's mind at rest; I hate to think of him fretting about me snapping my sight glass, especially in this weather

To be serious for a moment, once I get a good grade hose to feed this, it is going to make my brew days so much simpler. No climbing on a builders step with jugs to fill it up 2L at a time!

 

[marshbrewer]

Been away for a couple of weeks. Now I'm back, I thought I'd see if the strong ale had got past the 1015 it seemed to be stuck at. Good news is that it has, and has finally hit the target 1008. Tastes promising, but is cloudy as hell. Going to geletine fine it tomorrow.

Too hot to do a proper brew, but I had a Wilko Cerveza kit knocking about that someone gave me last Christmas as a present. I also had some DME and other bits and bobs. So I created a sort of Belgian Double;

1.5kg Wilko Cerveza kit
500g Light spray malt
1kg amber spray malt
500g unrefined demorerah sugar
454g Black Treacle
100g Hallertau Blanc pellets steeped at 70°c for 15 mins
CML Belgian Ale yeast

OG 1.063, set to ferment at 26°c

 

[marshbrewer]

Did a 1922 Boddington IP recipe yesterday. Won't publish the recipe as I can't remember where it came from (possibly one of Ron Pattinsons books) so may be subject to copyright.

Decided to give no chill a spin. Used Plumage Archer as the base malt. Not sold on no chill at the moment, not as clear as usual. Also, didn't get anywhere near target, No idea why - base malt was a bit old maybe. 1040 when target was 1047. Really blonde for a bitter!

 

[Rodcx500z]

Looks like Boddingtons

 

[marshbrewer]

Thanks, I'm hoping the HøG-NORSK yeast attenuates it down to give that legendary Boddington dryness.

 

[marshbrewer]

This HøG-NORSK yeast has gone absolutely bananas - spewing krausen out through the airlock. Never had that with this yeast before, and don't hardly ever see it with blonde ales to be fair.

I'm now wondering if I got my water volumes right, as there are no graduations on my FV's, but it did seem fuller than usual which could cause the yeast escape attempt, and that would perhaps explain me missing my gravity? I won't know until packaging time.

 

[marshbrewer]

Day five, down to about 1.020, which is not as low as I was expecting at this stage but I'll leave it alone for another week.

Sample tasted sublime.