Speckled Hen in new Brupaks boiler.

[Glyder]

Hurrah! Time to move on from small boil batches.

Took delivery of my new Brupaks boiler last Friday :party: , and after bottling the Wherry I had fermenting last night I decided it was time to christen the new bit of kit.

Doing my first recipe from Graham Wheeler BYOBRA. Could not decide between Speckled Hen and Sarah Hughes Dark Ruby, but eventually plumped for the former.

Anyway, I'm using Cedarex LME from Muntons and its going great guns. Boiler is performing admirably. Took about 40 mins to get to a boil from cold. (cant use hot tap....combi boiler is broke!) Just waiting to add the extra sugar at 45mins while I type this.

I'm going to cool overnight in a sealed Fv in a water bath and then ferment at 20c with Gervin Ale yeast i think.

Next purchase may be a wort cooler? :wha: but cant decide if I really need one.?
I know many of you use one but do you think it necessary?

 

[joe1002]

Glad it's going well :thumb:

There has been lots of talk re the types of chillers and chilling methods on here recently. This thread may be of interest to you :thumb:

 

[PD]

some form of chiller is to my mind necessary. It will drastically cut your length of brew day, allowing you to complete the task from switching on your boiler to adding the yeast in the fermenter all in the same day.
What type of chiller you use is your choice, they do need a ready supply of running water, and the coiled copper pipe is probably the simplest and easiest one to choose.
In my mind they are a must for brewing. After the boil your beer can easily fall foul to infection as it cools down, getting it cooled quickly and into the fermenter is advisable.

It allows me to make a brew in one day and not having to set a couple of days aside for the process. With mine I can easily cool a 23 litre brew from boiling to below 30C in 45 mins to an hour.

 

[joe1002]

It allows me to make a brew in one day

I thought you overnight mash :wha: :lol: :lol:

Some people successfully go down the no chill or chill cube route but i'm in PD's camp and want to get my wort cooled and yeast pitched as quickly as possible :thumb:

 

[PD]

I occasionally o/night mash.

and I did say it gave me the option of completing a brew in a day.......

 

[joe1002]

:lol: :lol:

 

[mmaguy41]

I used to just let it cool overight i the fv but i have now got a couple of no chill cubes so ive been using them, cant comment on them yet really though as i havnt tasted any of the beer ive chilled with them yet

 

[Glyder]

Thanks for the feedback guys, The overnight chill went fine...ish. My main concern was that during the cooling the lid of the fv obviously contracted as the wort cooled and some outside air obviously was sucked in. :nono:
I gave it a damn good stirring next morning to introduce some air and pitched the yeast, by the time I arrived home it was going like the clappers! :clap:

I'm going to liquor back a bit as I hit 1.058 at 19 litres.

Going by Alemans formula I think it should be 19*58/50=22.04 so I need to add 3 litres to get 1.050?

 

[joe1002]

I just put it through these calculators kindly made by Calum and it comes out at 3l (well just over) so 3l it is :thumb: