Martin's Brewday

[MartinHaworth]

Dunk sparged @75C at 8am. Now got 4 pans on the hob heating towards the boil!

 

[MartinHaworth]

Got it cooled to 30C by 10.30 and had to go out, so tipped it all in the FV and pitched on my return.

21L at 1051 giving around 70% efficiency - happy with that.

Smells rich and good!

Cheers

Martin

 

[Slid]

Ruby Mild is a little bit different and takes quite a while to be at its best. Should be fine for the Festive Season!

I have done one and intend to do a second - I don't brew many beers more than once now!

 

[MartinHaworth]

Thanks Slid,

It's always a balance. Like you I tend to do things I haven't done before - but a chap I know locally tends to the same one recipe.

The local homebrew club will be announcing the new 'beer of the quarter' challenge on MOnday, and I'm really looking forward to a new challenge.

Cheers

Martin

 

[MartinHaworth]

2weeks in primary, 1048 down to 1007, so with priming that approaches 6%. 37 bottles.

Tastes really nice already! Very clear (apart from last bottle!)

In a change to my normal method of fermenting in the kitchen (temp variation), I fermenters in a spare unheated room. We will see..

Cheers Martin

 

[Honk]

Just read this through from the beginning and I love your homebrew clubs challenges with everyone trying to produce the same beer but with slightly different approaches.
I also like your use of a drilled fermenter rather than a grain bag, how's that working out for you? And did you go for 3mm holes or a mesh?
Lastly in the photo above is that your ruby mild? I'm also drinking a ruby mild from Gh book but it's much darker than that, (different crystal maybe if you used same recipe) like you I liked quite young but I've set aside a mini keg for Christmas.

 

[MartinHaworth]

Just read this through from the beginning and I love your homebrew clubs challenges with everyone trying to produce the same beer but with slightly different approaches.
I also like your use of a drilled fermenter rather than a grain bag, how's that working out for you? And did you go for 3mm holes or a mesh?
Lastly in the photo above is that your ruby mild? I'm also drinking a ruby mild from Gh book but it's much darker than that, (different crystal maybe if you used same recipe) like you I liked quite young but I've set aside a mini keg for Christmas.

Thanks Honk - this is to the GH recipe, but I used a lighter Crystal (GH does not specify).

The drilled fermenter as a grain basket was a failed experiment, as the sparge tended to stick and efficiency went right down. I'm back with a bag, with quick dunk sparges and easy 79% efficiency!

I really enjoy our quarterly challenges - I came exactly half way up the field with my smoked stout - a chocolate stout won.

The next challenge - and my next brew - is a Worthington White Shield clone. I've been drinking a few bottles as preparation, and it is not really recognisable as a modern IPA - the yeast speaks strongly and the malt is quite forward. It will be interesting to use Northdown and Challenger.

Cheers

Martin

 

[MartinHaworth]

OK, brew evening tonight...White Shield CLone...this is the Norwich Brew Club Beer of the Quarter and the recipe is given as:

Worthington White Shield 19 Litres
Pale Malt 3.3kg
White Sugar 395g
Crystal Malt 275g
Start of Boil
Challenger 23g
Northdown 16g
Last 10 mins of Boil
Northdown 13g
Irish Moss 3g
OG 1050
Mash 66C
FG 1008
ABV 5.60%
IBU 40
Colour EBC 21

 

[MartinHaworth]

Using ashbeck water from Tesco, as I am not up to water. chemistry yet.

You've all seen biab before, but here is my boil...

 

[MartinHaworth]

18lt at 1056 post boil, liquor t back to 20l to give correct target of of 1050.

Around 70% brew house efficiency is about normal for me.

Pitching cml real ale directly, as I'm tired and ready for bed!

Cheers Martin

 

[MartinHaworth]

I've had a coopers cerveza and some BE1 lying around for a few months, so what with having a clean FV that I used yesterday for a sterilising pot...I stuck it on using more Ashbeck water.

Plan to dry hop after 1 week. What hops should I order from CML? 20g of Citra?

Cheers

Martin

 

[MartinHaworth]

Went for citra, and have just dry hopped the Cooper's cerveza +Be1 with 20g.

We will see...

 

[MartinHaworth]

Bottled 30 bottles of white shield. Final gravity 1007- one point too low.

Trial jar seemed good.

Let's see.

Martin

 

[MartinHaworth]

Also bottled the Cooper's cerveza + BE+ citra dry hop.

33 bottles, lovely aroma!

Haven't got many empties left...better get busy!

Cheers Martin

 

[MartinHaworth]

An evening of drinking beer...
The Ruby Mild - fermented with 04 - took ages to carbonate up; to the extent that I tabled it for advice after 3 weeks at our brew club. Now, having bottled for 5 weeks it is coming good. I reckon it will find it's legs by Christmas (which is what @Slid said in the first place).

I had an early bottle of the coopers cerveza +BE1+ dry hop Citra..and it is lovely! Great aroma and taste of passion fruit.

Now I'm going to try my first early bottle of White Shield clone - 2 weeks in the bottle.

Cheers

Martin

 

[MartinHaworth]

Hmmm..white shield still a bit young...

 

[MartinHaworth]

OK, brew day tomorrow, planning a California Common based on a recipe from Beer and Brewing:

ALL-GRAIN
Batch size: 5 gallons (19 liters)
Brewhouse efficiency: 90% - will have to up the grains a bit as I am usually around 80%
OG: 1.052
FG: 1.010
IBUs: 36
ABV: 5.5%
MALT/GRAIN BILL
7.5 lb (3.4 kg) MO
1.5 lb (680 g) light crystal malt (40L)
1 lb (454 g) Abbey or Biscuit malt
HOPS SCHEDULE
1 oz (28 g) Northern Brewer [7.3% AA] at 60 minutes
0.5 oz (14 g) Northern Brewer [7.3% AA] at 20 minutes
1 oz (28 g) Northern Brewer [7.3% AA] at flame-out

YEAST
CML California Common.
DIRECTIONS
Mash saccharification rest at 151°F (66°C) for 60 minutes. Boil for 60 minutes.


Everything clean, weighed and sterilising ready to go first thing tomorrow.

Cheers

Martin

 

[Robin54]

Ive just made (and drunk!) this brew and used the GHughes recipe. it came out well .
I would say you need some chocolate malt for colour, and your crystal is a tad high, for my tastes anyway. I'm sure some expert will be along shortly to give you more expert advice, cos Im not good at that sort of thing!!
he uses 41gms at 70 mins
14 gms at 1O minutes
41 gms at F/O
all Northern brewer
I still think you are using too much crystal which will give a very sweet/cloying beer.
Lets see what others think about this, Im no expert.

 

[Oneflewover]

Ive just made (and drunk!) this brew and used the GHughes recipe. it came out well .
I would say you need some chocolate malt for colour, and your crystal is a tad high, for my tastes anyway. I'm sure some expert will be along shortly to give you more expert advice, cos Im not good at that sort of thing!!
he uses 41gms at 70 mins
14 gms at 1O minutes
41 gms at F/O
all Northern brewer
I still think you are using too much crystal which will give a very sweet/cloying beer.
Lets see what others think about this, Im no expert.

I'm REALLY no expert, but I recently made a cali common. I used the G Hughes hop schedule with 4.2kg maris otter and 0.7kg crystal; I make that just under 15% of the grain bill. Tis a fine drop, but I wouldn't want any more crystal in it. I used the CML yeast too.

 

[MartinHaworth]

Thank you both for that, I may cut down the crystal.

He much chocolate ( I have some somewhere I think...)

Cheers Martin