My first of 2014

[PD]

Getting ready for my first brew day of 2014 !
Due to illness over Christmas and lots of beer in stock, theres not been much point in brewing anymore.
However I've worked hard for the last month and my son and I have managed to reduce the build up of beer... :party: So no excuses now...

A straight forward bitter, nothing fancy

Bitter
Special/Best/Premium Bitter

Recipe Specs
----------------
Batch Size (L): 20.0
Total Grain (kg): 4.600
Total Hops (g): 69.00
Original Gravity (OG): 1.046 (°P): 11.4
Final Gravity (FG): 1.011 (°P): 2.8
Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.64 %
Colour (SRM): 9.0 (EBC): 17.8
Bitterness (IBU): 30.0 (Average)
Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 65
Boil Time (Minutes): 90

Grain Bill
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3.600 kg Pale Malt (78.26%)
0.400 kg Vienna (8.7%)
0.400 kg Wheat Malt (8.7%)
0.200 kg Crystal 120 (4.35%)

Hop Bill
----------------
24.0 g Cascade Leaf (7.7% Alpha) @ 90 Minutes (Boil) (1.2 g/L)
15.0 g Cascade Leaf (7.7% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Boil) (0.7 g/L)
30.0 g East Kent Golding Leaf (6.5% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Aroma) (1.5 g/L)

Misc Bill
----------------

Single step Infusion at 66°C for 90 Minutes.
Fermented at 18°C with NBS Ale yeast


Recipe Generated with BrewMate

everything ready and weighed out ready for the timer to start to heat the HLT at 7.0pm for an overnight mash, and boil tomorrow.

I feel as excited as a virgin on her first date......

 

[PD]

Mash done and all tucked up till tomorrow, hit strike temp of 66 on the nose...

aah the smell of those Malts.... :grin:

 

[PD]

All done by 1130, no problems apart from an element going down mid boil....
I have a spare and will replace it later.
Ended up with 1043 which is spot on my target, unfortunately I got 28 litres instead of 21...... :party: :party:

Nice light colour and should give me a beer of around 4.5%.

 

[Buster]

Seeing as its your first brew of 2014.......... " Happy Brew Year " ..........

 

[PD]

Supposedly the final racking of this beer today, FG ended up at an astonishing 1.004, making the " plain Bitter " 5.07%.
tasting quite nice although its still a little cloudy with suspended yeast, I might put some gelatine in it tonight and leave for a day or two, am undecided whether to bottle or keg.....keg I think.

 

[pittsy]

1004 and mashed at 66c , what yeast is it and do you often get it low . Although different beer 1012 is the lowest i get mine . ( and wouldn't want it lower to be honest ) Are you entering any bitters in TST comp ?

 

[PD]

Its the second time I've used Malt Millers NBS ale yeast, the first time it went to 1006 now this at 1004.... Nothing special done to it, rehydrated before use and fermented in a temp controlled cabinet. It doesn't c;ear fully like sa 4 etc but there was nothing wrong with my last brew.