Next update. This Summer Lightning clone does what it says, with some hop presence and a light, refreshing feel to the beer. Ideal for this time of year. A good style that might suit a wide range of hops.
New Year - Slid Brewday
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Next update. This Summer Lightning clone does what it says, with some hop presence and a light, refreshing feel to the beer. Ideal for this time of year. A good style that might suit a wide range of hops.
I am looking forward to the Orkney Dark Island and Fishermans Stout, Both to be sampled soon.
This weekend I am hoping to find time for a Belgian Dubbel. My last effort was quite memorable and one of 3 "Old Ales" I did in quick succession March to May 2017. All long since gone!
The three were Exmoor Beast, Belgian Dubbel and JW Lees' Moonraker. In the end the Dubbel was my favourite, but it did take longer than the other two. All three were great - the two English beers had a cheap 1.7/1,8kg kit to substitute for ~ 2.2kg of pale.
This weekend I am hoping to find time for a Belgian Dubbel. My last effort was quite memorable and one of 3 "Old Ales" I did in quick succession March to May 2017. All long since gone!
The three were Exmoor Beast, Belgian Dubbel and JW Lees' Moonraker. In the end the Dubbel was my favourite, but it did take longer than the other two. All three were great - the two English beers had a cheap 1.7/1,8kg kit to substitute for ~ 2.2kg of pale.
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Measured out the grain for tomorrow - Belgian Dubbel:
Pale Malt 5.2kg
Wheat 336g
Amber malt 212g
Crystal 25 246g
Special B 254g
So, 6.25kg of thereabouts grain. To which I intend adding 500g Dark Muscovado sugar and some homemade dark invert syrup which has 600g of table sugar.
The invert syrup is done with the recipe for Golden Syrup, except that the initial 100g got caramelised I bit more. Link is below. The recipe works jolly well. Done it a few times now.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...876B912438C644616188876B912438C6446&FORM=VIRE
Hops will be whatever to get to 20-25 IBU and I am using the re-used Mangrove Jacks M31 yeast.
Not a hoppy beer, but might chuck in some left-over hops to declutter the freezer.
PS - I never did add the dark invert syrup as the estimated ABV is already 8% . I have in my mind for the syrup a complex brew-day later in the year making a Partigyle 10L or so of Westverleven Quadruppel and a 20L or so Patersbier. This will take some logistical thinking, though.
Pale Malt 5.2kg
Wheat 336g
Amber malt 212g
Crystal 25 246g
Special B 254g
So, 6.25kg of thereabouts grain. To which I intend adding 500g Dark Muscovado sugar and some homemade dark invert syrup which has 600g of table sugar.
The invert syrup is done with the recipe for Golden Syrup, except that the initial 100g got caramelised I bit more. Link is below. The recipe works jolly well. Done it a few times now.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?...876B912438C644616188876B912438C6446&FORM=VIRE
Hops will be whatever to get to 20-25 IBU and I am using the re-used Mangrove Jacks M31 yeast.
Not a hoppy beer, but might chuck in some left-over hops to declutter the freezer.
PS - I never did add the dark invert syrup as the estimated ABV is already 8% . I have in my mind for the syrup a complex brew-day later in the year making a Partigyle 10L or so of Westverleven Quadruppel and a 20L or so Patersbier. This will take some logistical thinking, though.
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Went OK today, but GF cut out during the sparge again at 90C due to build up of gunk on the boiler plate. Filtered through a BIAB bag back into the Peco boiler used for sparge water and then split the boil to save time .
Got 27L for about 78% efficiency, which is very good. Will add the invert syrup later as the FV may be a bit tight!
Very pleased with this, despite the ongoing issues with GF grain crush.
Got 27L for about 78% efficiency, which is very good. Will add the invert syrup later as the FV may be a bit tight!
Very pleased with this, despite the ongoing issues with GF grain crush.
Have been meaning to do a clone of Fullers ESB / London Pride for some time. These beers are the same, except that the London Pride is brewed longer off the same recipe, so comes out a fair bit more "sessionable". That being the optimist's word for a weak beer.
I have now developed a procedure for dealing with the Grainfather (GF) cutting out during the sparge / raising to boil phase - today it went at 86C.
I use a PECO boiler from the HBC BIAB kit to heat the sparge water. Post sparge, the wort from the GF (which has now cut-out due build up of stuff on the boiler plate) gets bailed into the PECO through the BIAB bag. This results in getting about a tennis ball of grain particles in the bag and a temp loss of circa 10C.
The routine continues by starting to heat the full batch in the PECO whilst squeezing the BIAB bag a bit, then transferring half back into the GF.
In the meantime, the GF has been cleaned up generally and the boil plate given a minor scrubbing and polishing.
With both boilers heating half the wort, the temps get back up in a few minutes. At first boil, the PECO contents go in the GF.
Overall the fine crush on the grain seems to lead to good efficiencies, but a longer brew day by 30-60mins due to the faffing.
I used up open bags of hops, hence the hop profile. Recipe:
Minch Pale Malt 4.8kg
Crystal 500g
Challenger 47g @ First Wort
First Gold 30g @ 10m
Bobek 20g @ 5m
S 04.
I have now developed a procedure for dealing with the Grainfather (GF) cutting out during the sparge / raising to boil phase - today it went at 86C.
I use a PECO boiler from the HBC BIAB kit to heat the sparge water. Post sparge, the wort from the GF (which has now cut-out due build up of stuff on the boiler plate) gets bailed into the PECO through the BIAB bag. This results in getting about a tennis ball of grain particles in the bag and a temp loss of circa 10C.
The routine continues by starting to heat the full batch in the PECO whilst squeezing the BIAB bag a bit, then transferring half back into the GF.
In the meantime, the GF has been cleaned up generally and the boil plate given a minor scrubbing and polishing.
With both boilers heating half the wort, the temps get back up in a few minutes. At first boil, the PECO contents go in the GF.
Overall the fine crush on the grain seems to lead to good efficiencies, but a longer brew day by 30-60mins due to the faffing.
I used up open bags of hops, hence the hop profile. Recipe:
Minch Pale Malt 4.8kg
Crystal 500g
Challenger 47g @ First Wort
First Gold 30g @ 10m
Bobek 20g @ 5m
S 04.
Had a couple of the Fishermans Stout now. It suffers from the fact that the previous beer on the shelving it occupies was a Fullers London Porter clone, hence the experience is something of an undeserved let down. The FLP clone is a truly magnificent beer.
So, the Fishermans is a good, honest Dark Ale, not particularly anything other than dark. No flaws, just a very straightforward, drinking beer.
As the commercial Orkney Dark Island spends some months in whisky casks, I am happy to leave mine a while yet.
First real session on this beer today. Very drinkable indeed. Thirst quenching to a degree and very, very more-ish. No trace of bitterings and no sweetness, with the US 05 fermenting out most of the sugars.
I can see why this style was popular, as it just slips down so easily.
This one went down well and so today I reprised it with bought hops - they were really cheap, being 2015 harvest, from the same supplier.
Minch Pale 5.1 kg
Wheat Malt 250g
Crystal 200g.
Hops very similar profile, maybe a few grams more on the flavour hops. US 05.
Had to do the familiar RBS-style bailing of wort between the Grainfather and the Peco boiler, using a BIAB bag to strain out a tennis ball sized amount of malt flour that causes a cut-out on the GF.
This methodology gives impressing efficiencies for pre-milled grain (mid-high 70's), but is a nuisance that adds 30-45 mins on the brewday.
Today was an Abbey style Patersbier. Very simple recipe, this, for 25L. So:
Pale 4.6kg
Wheat 0.2kg
Hops are the ones open so we have 25g of Huell Melon and 25g of Hellertua Blanc.
Half of each hop at 60m and the other half at 10mins.
Yeast is MJ M31. Given that it is still very warm up here in Bolton, I thought it best to go Belgian.
Same game with the GF cutting out at 83C and fiddling around with BIAB stuff, but it is easy enough once in the routine.
Pale 4.6kg
Wheat 0.2kg
Hops are the ones open so we have 25g of Huell Melon and 25g of Hellertua Blanc.
Half of each hop at 60m and the other half at 10mins.
Yeast is MJ M31. Given that it is still very warm up here in Bolton, I thought it best to go Belgian.
Same game with the GF cutting out at 83C and fiddling around with BIAB stuff, but it is easy enough once in the routine.
Zephyr259
Landlord.
That sounds very tasty, I want to do a patersbier myself at some point. Mostly as a sanity check that I can brew a belgian that doesn't have an odd maybe-fusel character to it.
I've seen folks line the grain basket with a BIAB bag to catch the grain that falls through, was considering it myself as it feels like there's a lot of **** floating about after sparging. Haven't done so yet as to get a bag that would fit would be £20 or so from these guys, they do look good though. Haven't detected any issues with some grain in the boil and it's stopped blocking the filter so feels like a solution to a problem I don't really have?
I've seen folks line the grain basket with a BIAB bag to catch the grain that falls through, was considering it myself as it feels like there's a lot of **** floating about after sparging. Haven't done so yet as to get a bag that would fit would be £20 or so from these guys, they do look good though. Haven't detected any issues with some grain in the boil and it's stopped blocking the filter so feels like a solution to a problem I don't really have?
Yesterday I did another Dubbel, very similar to post #43 above. BTW - I never did add the 600g of home-made candi syrup to the previous Dubbel and was glad I didn't. I had a sneaky bottle today and it is likely to be great in about 2 or 3 months. Maybe less. Maybe 6 months.
To return to the brew yesterday, done using Mangrove Jack M31, Belgian Trippel yeast:
Pale Malt 4.6kg
Munich 500g
Wheat Malt 200g
Dark Crystal 500g
Amber 300g
Cane Sugar 600g
The cane sugar was inverted to a dark syrup using lemon juice.
Bittered with 28g First Gold (last of) and then at 15 mins added 15g each of Hallertau Blanc and Huell Melon. All these hops were open and in the freezer and I suspect it makes next to zip difference in a Belgian beer.
After a fairly predictable brewing day (bale outs sponsored by RBS) I ended up with 27.5L that I estimated at 1.063 @ 26.6C.
I guess this will turn out around 8%.
I doughed in at 8:30 am for this brew and finally got out of the shower at 2:30pm with only the last of the packing up to do.
The more I think about another parti-gyle (see post 43 above) , the more I think it would be a major PITA.
To return to the brew yesterday, done using Mangrove Jack M31, Belgian Trippel yeast:
Pale Malt 4.6kg
Munich 500g
Wheat Malt 200g
Dark Crystal 500g
Amber 300g
Cane Sugar 600g
The cane sugar was inverted to a dark syrup using lemon juice.
Bittered with 28g First Gold (last of) and then at 15 mins added 15g each of Hallertau Blanc and Huell Melon. All these hops were open and in the freezer and I suspect it makes next to zip difference in a Belgian beer.
After a fairly predictable brewing day (bale outs sponsored by RBS) I ended up with 27.5L that I estimated at 1.063 @ 26.6C.
I guess this will turn out around 8%.
I doughed in at 8:30 am for this brew and finally got out of the shower at 2:30pm with only the last of the packing up to do.
The more I think about another parti-gyle (see post 43 above) , the more I think it would be a major PITA.
Now drinking this Orkney Dark Island clone as the current "go-to" beer and as is so often the case, it is really good quite warm and after 3 months in the bottle. Temperature is not refrigerated, but a lot cooler than the ambient temperatures have been of late. Maybe 10C to 15C?
Anyone know of the whereabouts of clibit these days? Great recipe builder, he is, with a very real "feel" for the end product.
I've had a few more of these Orkney Dark Islands and it is definitely one of my best.
Moving onwards, my most recent brew was a Belgian Stout. In this case, this just means a beer along the lines of the Greg Hughes Dry Stout, but with Mangrove Jacks M31 yeast.
For 24L:
Pale Malt 4.52kg
Flaked Barley 500g
Roast Barley 500g
Wheat 200g
Chocolate 130g
Single hop addition of 50g of Flyer, which is around 7.5 AAs
Planning a beer using the last of the M31 Belgian yeast. As tomorrow is Rugby League Day (Challenge Cup Final - Warrington vs Catalan Dragons) the brewday will be Sunday, deo volente.
There is a recipe for Westvleveren 12 in the James Morton book, which is very simple. I am initially taken by the observation that brewing it out from 20L to 25L will produce, in essence, a Westvleveren 8.
On further thought, the complexity of these great beers comes from the yeast and its high fermentation temps, which I am unable or unwilling to replicate.
So the plan is to sub-out the complexity from the higher alcohols with some from the grains and some mashing temps.
The plan is to attempt an 8-9% sort of a beer with the hop schedule suggested by JM. Grain and sugar will be something along the lines of the following:
Pale Maris Otter 6kg
Special B 300g
Chocolate 100g to 200g
Homemade Medium Candy Syrup 1.2kg sugar content
Mash at 63C for 30m
Mash at 68C for 30m
There is a recipe for Westvleveren 12 in the James Morton book, which is very simple. I am initially taken by the observation that brewing it out from 20L to 25L will produce, in essence, a Westvleveren 8.
On further thought, the complexity of these great beers comes from the yeast and its high fermentation temps, which I am unable or unwilling to replicate.
So the plan is to sub-out the complexity from the higher alcohols with some from the grains and some mashing temps.
The plan is to attempt an 8-9% sort of a beer with the hop schedule suggested by JM. Grain and sugar will be something along the lines of the following:
Pale Maris Otter 6kg
Special B 300g
Chocolate 100g to 200g
Homemade Medium Candy Syrup 1.2kg sugar content
Mash at 63C for 30m
Mash at 68C for 30m
Dutto
Landlord.
I like the sound of that, but the 200g of "Chocolate 100g to 200g" seems a bit too high for my taste ...
... especially as the flavour and aroma from 40g of Chocolate predominated in my Mild Ale when I transferred it to the PB today!
... especially as the flavour and aroma from 40g of Chocolate predominated in my Mild Ale when I transferred it to the PB today!
Zephyr259
Landlord.
I'd agree with Dutto, from my brews 100g seems to be about right for a brown ale or mild where hitting 200g gets more into the realm of porter, especially with the darker crystal being used. Would still be very tasty but depends on what you're wanting.
Otherwise I really like the recipe and mash schedule. What are you thinking for hops?
Otherwise I really like the recipe and mash schedule. What are you thinking for hops?
Interesting comments on the Chocolate malt, which I shall take on board, guys!
The hop schedule is widely publicised and will be something like:
60m Northern Brewer 26g
30m Savinjski Goldings 20g
15m Hallertauer Mittelfrueh 20g
Roll on tomorrow
OK, so today was brew day. An excellent choice of a day to waste in the kitchen, given that it has rained lightly but persistently all day here in Bolton.
The actual numbers are a bit weird in places, due to basic incompetence on my part.
Pale Maris Otter 6.42kg
Special B 307g
Chocolate 124g
I bunged in the last of the bag on the Choc, as intended, but I really did appreciate your insistence that that would be more than sufficient. Honest!
Hops @ 60m
17g Flyer, 12g Fuggles and 15g Savinjski Goldings (Why tf I put the 1.1% SG's in, I cannot rationalise)
Hops @ 30m Hallertauer Northern Brewer 20g (The Mittelfrueh are only 2.4% Alpha)
Hops @ 15m 19g Savinjski Goldings and 23g Hallertauer Mittelfrueh.
The Sav G's were in a 35g bag, and I mis-used them terribly. I can only hope they forgive me.
I've chucked in both jars of invert syrup. It's dead easy to make. You just need granulated sugar (600g) and some lemon or lime juice (very cheap in the baking section at Asda).
100g sugar and 2 tablespoons of sugar in the pan to start off. Add the citric acid from the juice now.
Heat and stir until it first all dissolves and then until it turns to the colour desired - golden for a pale beer, dark red / black for a dark beer.
Then add 300ml (that is 300g) of near boiling water very slowly and then another 500g granulated sugar.
Stir it under a low heat until all is dissolved (add more acid if it crystallises) then simmer for 45mins.
The actual numbers are a bit weird in places, due to basic incompetence on my part.
Pale Maris Otter 6.42kg
Special B 307g
Chocolate 124g
I bunged in the last of the bag on the Choc, as intended, but I really did appreciate your insistence that that would be more than sufficient. Honest!
Hops @ 60m
17g Flyer, 12g Fuggles and 15g Savinjski Goldings (Why tf I put the 1.1% SG's in, I cannot rationalise)
Hops @ 30m Hallertauer Northern Brewer 20g (The Mittelfrueh are only 2.4% Alpha)
Hops @ 15m 19g Savinjski Goldings and 23g Hallertauer Mittelfrueh.
The Sav G's were in a 35g bag, and I mis-used them terribly. I can only hope they forgive me.
I've chucked in both jars of invert syrup. It's dead easy to make. You just need granulated sugar (600g) and some lemon or lime juice (very cheap in the baking section at Asda).
100g sugar and 2 tablespoons of sugar in the pan to start off. Add the citric acid from the juice now.
Heat and stir until it first all dissolves and then until it turns to the colour desired - golden for a pale beer, dark red / black for a dark beer.
Then add 300ml (that is 300g) of near boiling water very slowly and then another 500g granulated sugar.
Stir it under a low heat until all is dissolved (add more acid if it crystallises) then simmer for 45mins.
Dutto
Landlord.
Er .... and it tastes like? aunsure.... 
aunsure....
aunsure....
I did have a quick taste right at the end and it was not bitter, but sweet. No gravity readings today as I "know" it will come out just a tad shy of 9% - slightly more than the two Belgian Dubbels from earlier this summer.
Also, I was adding the sugar syrup after cooling and generally messing around to get the fag end of it dissolved and in the FV, such that there was never a good, convenient chance to get an more informative metric than "just kind of knowing" that it is likely to come out around 9%.
Science is, after all, empirical first and foremost.
Also, I was adding the sugar syrup after cooling and generally messing around to get the fag end of it dissolved and in the FV, such that there was never a good, convenient chance to get an more informative metric than "just kind of knowing" that it is likely to come out around 9%.
Science is, after all, empirical first and foremost.
