this weeks brew..again - #33 - Pictures added

[PD]

A friend is unable to brew at the moment and has a lot of grain in stock thats reaching its sell by date.....So

I'm doing a brew for him to test and check his grain.....Yes I am so helpfull... :P :P

To keep it simple and to be able to see how the grain still performs I'm going to brew me...er sorry him... Exmoor Gold, as it only has the Pale malt and hops.
A lightweight beer of around 4.3% and a nice light straw color.

Overnight mash tonight ready for the boil tomorrow.
and I get the chance to try out my new refractometer that arrived yesterday ( 3 days postage...very good ) :thumb:
I've calibrated it with RO water from a local aquarium shop and have my links ready for the calculations page...Brix to Gravity... I'll probably be taking both sets of readings for this brew and the next few brews to see how it fares......

wife said I look like a GEEK using it :shock: :shock:

 

[hairybiker]

Hmm I brewed that on Sat, overnight mash on Friday. But my version was 5% not 4.3%. Different books?
I used 5.4Kg of PA, to give 5.5Gal @1050 by my refractometer in the FV, still sitting in the brew fridge bubbling away.

:drink:

 

[PD]

The afore mentioned friend send me 4Kg of Pale Malt to try out, so I've brewed the beer to use that only.
Its the recipe from G Wheelers book which he gives as 4.6% ....

 

[PD]

yay...me timer worked ! HLT on at 0730 and warming up nicely......Bring on the Brew.

 

[PD]

Mash completed
Using my new bit of kit pre boil reading was Brix 9 at 35 litres which equates to 1.037 pre boil.
a temp corrected hydrometer reading gives 1.036
brewmate suggested pre boil gravity of 1.037....

Looking good
and so easy to take readings with the refractometer not having to wait for trial jar of wort to cool down... :clap:

 

[Good Ed]

all looks good :thumb:

could you please let me know where you got your refractometer from as I need to get one, thanks

 

[PD]

got mine from Amazon......

http://www.amazon.co.uk/RSG-100ATC-Blac ... ractometer

 

[PD]

well boil finished and the aroma hops added after wort cooled below 80c. Now just wait while it cools to around draining off time.
NBS ale yeast being hydrated in a little water.

 

[Buster]

ah ..... Robs West Coast Ale yeast.... interesting. :

 

[PD]

no this isn't the West Coast style ( used that last time ..very good )
This is the NBS Ale yeast.

Very neutral English style ale yeast that lets both the hops and malts shine through with very little fruity ester production especially at lower temperatures. Quick fermentation and very floculent, ideal for bottle conditioning. Each pack is vac sealed in foil for freshness.

Temperature range 15'-20'c. Will ferment higher but with more ester production.

 

[Buster]

That,ll teach me to make assumptions. I thought they were one an the same yeast. .

 

[PD]

Target......19 litres at 1042

Final figures .....22 litres at 1043......

Looks like your grains are ok Buster.....

No problems with the brew day and pictures to follow later when I can find the darned computer cable...

 

[Buster]

Target......19 litres at 1042

Final figures .....22 litres at 1043......

Looks like your grains are ok Buster.....

No problems with the brew day and pictures to follow later when I can find the darned computer cable...

Crackin job then :clap: ..... panic over, just goes to show that if you store your grain properly its fine over time :party: . I hope you enjoy the result PD as much as I have. All the best Brian

 

[PD]

Pictures as promised
Underletting in its simplest form...



My temperature controller...heading up to mash temps



Ingredients for the brew...3 little hop additions half a protofloc, the important yeast and my new toy



First runnings....nice and clear



First wort hopping and approaching the boil



Draining the wort.



Wort part chilled to just below 80c and the aroma hops ( Bobek ) added



Lets get physical...yeah.



and the final product of brew day....insipid looking stuff...ha

 

[Baldbrewer]

Hi Brian,
What elements so you use in your HLT& kettle?
Cheers,

Simon

 

[PD]

my original purchase...

http://www.thehomebrewcompany.co.uk/spa ... -1096.html

My problem is I've only one in the HLT, so heating say 60 litres of water takes its time.....but with a £7 timer set to come on early...I manage

No problems at all with 2 in the boiler.

 

[PD]

Pleased with how the refractometer worked. I checked the calibration before and after the brewday with RO water...spot on.
Throught the eye piece you can see 2 sets of scales...one Brix and one SP Gravity. Doing checks with hydrometer against the refractometer the results were very close, convertion calculations from Brix to SG didn't need to be done..... what you saw is what you got within reason.
If the next brew is the same I think I could manage to do without the hydrometer readings....certainly before fermentation.

 

[Buster]

That SG should be almost bang on 4.3abv if it gets down to 1010.........nice one PD.

 

[Baldbrewer]

There are pretty good, I like the fact I'm only using 3 drops of wort etc :thumb: :

 

[PD]

and besides......you can look Geeky and impress the neighbours....... :lol: