The Plastic Madhouse Brewery AG#1 - Available Ale

[keith1664]

Following on from yesterdays posting, this morning I had my grain all weighed out, I had the water boiling away to reduce the hardness a bit, I was all ready to go. Just waiting for the postman to turn up with my hops. Postman turns up.... no hops! :evil:
Well sod it, I was that psyched up to do it I wasn't going to wait another week.

Plan B, get the mash on then go to LHBS and see what they had in stock.

 

[TheMumbler]

So what did you get and how did it go?

 

[keith1664]

Amarillo... more to come with pics once the kids are out of the way!

 

[keith1664]

The grain. 4.6kg of vienna.

After mashing in, 64 degrees, should've been 66.

Mash on the go, time to go find some hops.

 

[keith1664]

I came home with 100g of amarillo and after a play with brewmate came up with the following additions.

30g at 90min IBU 37.33
20g at 15min IBU 8.7
15g at 0min

Total IBU 46.

Expected OG 1051
Expected FG 1013
ABV 5.01

Mash complete and I've lost 2 degrees, I'd insulated the lid and put foil on top of the mash so suspect it came out of the spout, so to speak.

Recirculating the first runnings

The first runnings.

 

[keith1664]

After cocking up the first sparge by not paying attention to the sparge temp I got the second right and ended up with 25.75l at 1044, instead of the anticipated 26.9l at 1045.

Spent Grain shot.

Hops, hops and more hops, oh, and some boiling.

 

[keith1664]

Then DISASTER STRIKES. The hop filter blocks virtually immediately and the dribble turns to bugger all. New hop filter for AG#2 I think. I used the stainless outer from a tap connector this time. Not again.

The only way to get anything out was to continually scrape the filter with a spoon, I eventually got this much out

.

With this in the bottom

But at 1050

The process wasn't helped by me not mashing in 'til 12.20 and then having to pick kids up from school at 3, they came home, promptly said "ewwww, whats that smell, it's making me feel sick" and vanished to their room. Every reappearance after that was accompanied by dramatic nose holding!

Then supper had to be cooked whilst cooling.

Finally pitched the yeast around 7 and I'm now having a much deserved beer.

 

[Good Ed]

Well done mate, nice pics, enjoy your beer :drink:

 

[highwayman]

Love the name of your Brewery...Sounds very appropriate at yours GE :lol: Excellent Pictures ... Great Effort..Just wait until you have your first pint......It's well worth :clap:

 

[keith1664]

Thanks. I wonder if the name could stop me upgrading. The Shiny Madhouse Brewery doesn't quite have the same ring to it!

 

[unclepumble]

Looks like a good one, I love ammarillo hops, the best beer i have had with ammarillo in allegedly had 500g in 23ltrs. it was a great beer.

The stuff in the bottom of your fermenter (cold break) will settle to bugger all, about 3-4mm thick. some people, transfer off this into a second fermenter after 24hrs, It gives a cleaner beer (and goes by the name of double dropping). But if you do this be very carefull you don't want to oxidise the beer.

The first pint of your first AG is always the cloudiest but the best.

UP

 

[caerleon]

Thats one way of getting the kids to bed! Nice brewday!

 

[Dunfie]

Well done - it looks like a good one. Its all a big learning experience - you'll be gagging to get your second brew now.

 

[robsan77]

I'd love to hear how this turns out. never seen a 100% vienna malt brew

 

[robsan77]

did you mash at 64c or did you bring it up to 66?

 

[keith1664]

I left it at 64.

 

[keith1664]

Well done - it looks like a good one. Its all a big learning experience - you'll be gagging to get your second brew now.

Oh yes, I'll get the hop filter sorted then I'd like to do another next week.

 

[TheMumbler]

Amarillo? I wish my LHBS had that sort of stock, I'd be looking at 2008 harvest Fuggles or Goldings.

I had similar problems with a braid hop filter and switched to a copper pipe based one a couple of brews ago. I knocked up the one in the pic below during the mash. It could probably use a few more holes. I used a hammer and nail to dent the pipe a little to make drilling easier. Pretty straight forward, Looking at your kit I've no doubt you could put one together in short order. I'm an academic so you can imagine what my DIY skills are like

 

[keith1664]

I think the mk 2 hop filter will be along those lines, whatever I use can't be any worse than the braid!

As for the LHBS, well he does have the potential to be really good if he keeps on top of his stock levels and most of his prices are competitive.... except his hops, £7.95 would you believe!