Notts beers days

[Nottsbeer]

Hickings Lane Best Bitter - AG15

Nice relaxed brewday today in the sun. As we were going to a friend's for pizza at lunch, was up early to get the mash water on. All went well. Left the boiled wort in the boiler when we went out, returned 4.5hrs later to find it had cooled to 40oC. Quick cool with the coil and then in the brew fridge . I'm planning to enter this into the Nottingham brew competition in early June so hoping it comes out well. My recipe was:

13L BIAB method.
1.5kg ex pale malt
0 36kg Munich malt
0.35kg wheat malt
0.196kg biscuit malt
0.05kg brown malt

18g Fuggles @ 60
15g Celeia @ 60
10g EKG @ 10
10 g First gold @ 5
60g first gold @ 0 (80oC)

CML The Firm yeast.
OG 1.042 (should have been 1.043).
FG 1.010 estimated.
Abv 4.3; 18.1 EBC; 36 IBU

This recipe was also using some hop and malt dregs. I also mashed for 90-110 mins to improve my efficiency. This workied in that I hit my target gravity, however I only recovered 11.5l from the boil and not the aimed 13l. All in all a good day (topped by some excellent homemade pizza!!).

 

[Nottsbeer]

Update on the his bitter. After a few issues with the yeast not getting near FG (stalled at 1.020 - I added some other yeast to get it down to 1.008), just bottled this today. Not a great tasting brew at the moment. Hopefully it will improve as it conditions.

I usually enjoy bottling as my fermentation fridge is now empty and I can start a new batch. Am at a bit of a loss however as to what to brew next. I wanted to do a bock, but then thought maybe a summer ale. Can't decide...maybe a Helles? Will have to think hard and get some supplies in fast so I can brew over the weekend.

 

[Nottsbeer]

AG Brew #16 - Exmoor Brewery Exmoor Gold

I've been a bit in the dumps the last week regarding brewing....usually the though of my next brew gets me hitting the books etc looking for a recipe or ideas. However, this week I just couldn't find my mojo for it. I knew today would be the only chance over the next couple of weeks to get a brew on, so I finally flicked through GW Brew your own British Real Ale last night for an easy fix.....stumbled upon the Exmoor Gold recipe and thought YES. A nice easy user-upper for some hops and a light, summer ale. After reviewing the recipe and a quick look online I settled on:

BIAB - 13L
2.3kg Morris Otter
0.16kg Wheat malt
Challenger (6.1%) - 28g @60
Fuggles (4.4%) - 12g @ 60
EKG (6%) - 6g @ 15
Fuggles - 6g @15
EKG - 15g @0 (80oC fro 20 min)
Challenger - 14g @0 (80oC for 20)

Yeast -US05 (only yeast I had available)
Mashed @ 66oC for 60mins
OG - 1.042. Target FG is 1.010.
IBU - 60; EBC 6.1

Since this was a late decision, I was quite relaxed about brewing today. The weather was nice and I had to empty my brew shed to move it (don't ask!!), thus I set up on the decking and pottered away. Hit all the targets for gravity and get 12L wort in the FV. The trial jar tasted fantastic...lovely and bitter. I was a bit concerned it was going to be too pale when I was squeezing my bag, however it looks great. It's sat in the brew fridge in the shed (managed to get moved as welll....whooo), so hopefully it will kick off tomorrow. In the end a nice relaxed brew day , and I think I have my mojo back

 

[moto748]

That Exmoor Gold/Summer Breeeze style beer is something I can't seem to get right! I see great examples on this forum, and people saying they are a foolproof regular beer to brew, but every time I've tried, the results have been distinctly underwhelming, and it's rather out me off persisting further!

Sounds like that's looking good for you, though! I wish I could put my finger on what's going wrong.

 

[Erik The Anglophile]

60 IBU? That's a lot of bittering for that gravity, you sure that's not a typo?

 

[Nottsbeer]

That Exmoor Gold/Summer Breeeze style beer is something I can't seem to get right! I see great examples on this forum, and people saying they are a foolproof regular beer to brew, but every time I've tried, the results have been distinctly underwhelming, and it's rather out me off persisting further!

Sounds like that's looking good for you, though! I wish I could put my finger on what's going wrong.

This is my first attempt at it, will see how it goes. I've probably had this in a pub at some point but can't remember. A light summer ale sounds perfect for the current weather . If it's any good I'll send you a bottle over

 

[Nottsbeer]

60 IBU? That's a lot of bittering for that gravity, you sure that's not a typo?

No, not a typo. Maybe got a bit carried away using up my hops!! I quite like a bitter ale so think it'll be good....tho will dial it back if I've gone too far.

 

[Erik The Anglophile]

Report back with the results, that seems like a Golden Ale with a hell of a bite!

 

[moto748]

There's a whole series of those supermarket beers like Hobgoblin Gold, but I remember trying one, and it was a hell of a lot more bitter than the others, quite took me by surprise. I think it might have been the Badger one.

 

[Nottsbeer]

Bottled my Exmoor Gold today. FG was 1.009, so 3.94%...nice. although it has 60IBUs, this tastes great from the FV. Not very bitter. It's a lovely straw colour, this has the makings of being a lovely pint. Now to think about my next brew

 

[Nottsbeer]

AG #17 - Landlord crossover

Put on my brew for the Summer Brew and Swap - Golden Ale. I decided to go for an easy recipe, initially inspired by the TT Landlord recipe I did a while back, which quickly deviated away from Landlord, so it won't be anything like it!! I recently made a Golden Ale using Fuggles and EKG, thus decided to try something different.

For a 13.5L batch:
2.3kg M.O. (5.9EBC)
0.125kg Carapils (9EBC)
0.075kg Biscuit (50EBC)

Bramling cross (6.5%) - 31g @ 60
Bramling cross - 5g @15
Styrian goldings (4.1%) - 36g at 0 mins (80oC for 20 mins)

IBU - 44
EBC - 9.3

I missed all of my numbers today. My preboil gravity was 1.031 (aiming for 1.034) and OG can out at 1.036 (aiming for 1.041). As I was quite low I added c.140g sugar, so my OG was 1.040/39. My final volume was also around 12L, so quite a way down from the 13L I was aiming for. My efficiency for this brew was terrible!! It may be due to forgetting to stir the mash as often as I do. I think I definitely need to think about getting a pump set-up.

I'm hoping Bramling cross and the Goldings complement each other in the brew. The taste from the trial jar was promising. I like a bitter drink so I went for the top of the guideline range for this one.

As I had to stop cooling over lunch, then add sugar to the wort before pitching the yeast, I won't be surprised if I have a contaminated brew. Hopefully this will be good enough to swap with others. Luckily I have my previous brew as a back-up.

 

[thunderfingers]

Quick update on the CML Maori Mingle...this has fermented out nicely. My tilt started to record large swings once it got down to 1.025, I'm guessing it's affected by gunk and maybe the hop bag in the fv. Haven't opened the bucket, but when I've opened the fv fridge the bouquet is fantastic. Can't wait to try this one. Have to resist touching it for a few more days, aiming for bottling on Thursday before heading away for Easter

Hi, how did this Maori mingle turn out mate ? I was just wondering as i have one ready to go in the next couple of days

 

[Nottsbeer]

Hi, how did this Maori mingle turn out mate ? I was just wondering as i have one ready to go in the next couple of days

This was a great brew. I loved the aroma of this one, would definitely make it again. I slightly over carbed it so had a couple of very lively bottles. I swear my brew fridge still has a residual smell from the massive amount of hops added during dry hopping. Enjoy!!

 

[thunderfingers]

This was a great brew. I loved the aroma of this one, would definitely make it again. I slightly over carbed it so had a couple of very lively bottles. I swear my brew fridge still has a residual smell from the massive amount of hops added during dry hopping. Enjoy!!

Ha ha , I can't wait to get started now, cheers

 

[Nottsbeer]

I've been a bit slack recently, so a bit of catch-up needed:

AG#18 - Munich Dunkel (21/8/22)

BIAB 13L

3.5kg Munich Malt - 13.1ebc
0.21kg Brown malt - 525 ebc
0.15kg Special B - 300ebc
0.25kg Biscuit malt - 50 ebc
0.25kg Carapils - 9ebc

18g Fuggles @ 60 (4.4%)
15g Goldings @ 60 (5.5%)
20g Hersbrucher @ 5min (3%)
10g Hersbrucher @ 0 (80oC for 20 min)

Yeast - CML Hell.

OG - 1060; FG 1.023; 4.86%abv; 28 IBU; 47.5ebc

I had planned to do a 2 or 3 part decoction mash for this, but I quickly realised that I didn't have a pot big enough to so this on the stove...doh! Changed to a mash schedule of: 50oC for 30 min, then 64oC for 40 min, then 70oC for 30 min.

My target OG was 1.067 but I failed to hit that target. The wort had a lovely taste. Quite bitter with a nice sweetness and maltiness. I pitch 3/4 pk of Hell at 18oC and left it to ferment at 15oC. After 2 weeks a FG of 1.023 was achieved. This was higher than anticipated to I primed the bottles with less sugar than normal to ensure I didn't end up with bottle bombs (40g into 12L beer). On bottling the beer had a nice malty taste, possibly "bready". After a coup,e of weeks in the bottle this is a nice drink.

My previous attenpt at a Dunkel (AG#12) was a bit thin. I think I was in contact with someone on here about that brew being thin and they suggested changing the mash schedule...looking back now I made a slight change (AG#12 was 50min @ 64oC and 10 min @ 77oC). I had forgotten about that issue, so I think i was lucky in the mash schedule I chose.

 

[Nottsbeer]

AG#19 - Exmoor Gold Style

BIAB - 13.5L

0.5kg Pale Malt
0.208kg Caragold - 15ebc
1.4kg Maris Otter - 3.9ebc

15g Challenger @ 60 (6.1%)
13g Fuggles @ 60 (4.4%)
6g EKG @ 15 (6%)
6g Fuggles @ 15
10g EKG; 15g challenger; 3g Fuggles @ 0 (80oC for 20 min)

Yeast - Five CML

OG 1.038; FG 1.009; 41IBU; 6.9ebc; 3.81% abv

I really enjoyed the golden ale swap recently and though I made a couple of nice golden ales a few months ago. As I had promised to make a brew for my Dutch relatives, I decided to go with a golden ale (something light and a looking a little bit like larger!). My previous Exmoor style brew (AG#16) had 60IBUs. As this would have been quite bitter for their taste buds, I dialled this back to 41.

Fermentation went off like a rocket, escaping through the airlock!! Having forgotten to clean up the mess, bottling day was a bit of a shock when I found the state of the barrel. Thankfully it tasted good so I'm fairly confident it hasn't been infected. It tasted good, though a bit bland with the low IBU's. Will see how this tastes in a few weeks.

 

[Nottsbeer]

Report back with the results, that seems like a Golden Ale with a hell of a bite!

Hi, I sent this brew to a couple of people in the recent Golden Ale swap...they did note that it was slightly bitter , but not too bad. Personally I really like this brew and would happily make it this bitter again. Saying that, however, I made a scaled back version a couple of weeks ago for some relatives as they will find it very bitter!

 

[Nottsbeer]

Ag#20 - Tropical Stout

I saw the thread a few weeks ago about making a tropical stout for swapping. My first reaction was "god, that sounds awful"!! Having been a bit curious however, I had a bit of a read around and was struck by how this could be quite interesting. As I had most of the ingredients I'd need, I decided to give this a go. After looking at a few different recipes, I took the interesting bits and came up with this:

BIAB 13L
4kg Maris Otter (3.9ebc)
0.28 kg Bisciut malt (50ebc)
0.17kg Special B (300ebc)
0.14kg Brown malt (525ebc)
0.14kg Choc malt (800ebc)
0.11kg Cara malt (60ebc)
0.11 Crystal 150
0.11 Rye malt (20ebc)
40g Candi syrup (90ebc - last 10 mins of the boil)

Hops:
15 g Citra (13%) @60
15g Citra @10
15g Citra @ 0 (80oC for 20 min)

Yeast - CML Midland

Og - 1.072 (target 1.075); 44IBU, 63.5ebc

For the mash I did 30min @ 64oC (all grain less than 300 ebc); 20 min @ 70oC (added other grains); 30 min @ 77oC.

After the mash I had 17.5L wort at 1.061 (target 1.062). As I boiled with the lid mostly on (still with a good gap for steam to escape), my boil-off rate was less than normal, thus I had 14L wort at the end @1.072 rather than 1.075. I pitched the yeast and will keep the temp at 19oC.

A teste from the trial jar is good, however I'll wait to see if I've added too many different flavours with my grain bill. Hopefully not. I'm looking forward to how this tastes, especially with the Citra hops. My first time using this and it smelt amazing. Definitely going to do a very hoppy beer soon with this, something on the lines of a Mori Mingle but with just Citra.

 

[Donegal john]

Ag#20 - Tropical Stout

I saw the thread a few weeks ago about making a tropical stout for swapping. My first reaction was "god, that sounds awful"!! Having been a bit curious however, I had a bit of a read around and was struck by how this could be quite interesting. As I had most of the ingredients I'd need, I decided to give this a go. After looking at a few different recipes, I took the interesting bits and came up with this:

BIAB 13L
4kg Maris Otter (3.9ebc)
0.28 kg Bisciut malt (50ebc)
0.17kg Special B (300ebc)
0.14kg Brown malt (525ebc)
0.14kg Choc malt (800ebc)
0.11kg Cara malt (60ebc)
0.11 Crystal 150
0.11 Rye malt (20ebc)
40g Candi syrup (90ebc - last 10 mins of the boil)

Hops:
15 g Citra (13%) @60
15g Citra @10
15g Citra @ 0 (80oC for 20 min)

Yeast - CML Midland

Og - 1.072 (target 1.075); 44IBU, 63.5ebc

For the mash I did 30min @ 64oC (all grain less than 300 ebc); 20 min @ 70oC (added other grains); 30 min @ 77oC.

After the mash I had 17.5L wort at 1.061 (target 1.062). As I boiled with the lid mostly on (still with a good gap for steam to escape), my boil-off rate was less than normal, thus I had 14L wort at the end @1.072 rather than 1.075. I pitched the yeast and will keep the temp at 19oC.

A teste from the trial jar is good, however I'll wait to see if I've added too many different flavours with my grain bill. Hopefully not. I'm looking forward to how this tastes, especially with the Citra hops. My first time using this and it smelt amazing. Definitely going to do a very hoppy beer soon with this, something on the lines of a Mori Mingle but with just Citra.

That’s some grain Bill in that one.
Will be interesting to see how it comes out.
What yeast did you go for ?

 

[Nottsbeer]

That’s some grain Bill in that one.
Will be interesting to see how it comes out.
What yeast did you go for ?

I went for CML Midland. I've used that one in a Trappist style brew in the past and it's done a good job. It's a nice pint....got a bit carried away .