Windy Christmas brew

[craigite]

Ok, I'm cutting it fine to have this ready for Christmas

Something is sure to go wrong today. Didn't get much sleep last night, bit windy up here with wind speeds over 55mph and gusts over 80mph. :shock:
Tried my oatmeal stout last night :drink: that's a keeper, well chuffed :party:

So, I'm aiming for a brown sweet malty ale with only a hint of Christmas cake spices. Not going to be as dark as usual as it will not have much time to mature. Adding spices during boil hoping to get a mellow spice flavour :pray:

So today,
Pale malt 4.3kg 76.5%
Crystal malt 0.3 kg 5.2%
Chocolate malt 0.17kg 3.0%
Wheat malt 0.115kg 2.0%
Caramalt 0.115kg 2.0%
Biscuit malt 0.115kg 2.0%
Black malt 0.015 kg 0.3%

Water here a bit on the soft side so will treat with a little Gypsum at mash; Gypsum, Epson salts and Calcium Chloride at boil.
Hlt on and warming water as I type.
Mash 75mins @ 69degC
After 75mins I'll bring the mash tun upto 76degC.
Sparge with 12.5 litres @ 78degC

Topup boiler with 10.8liters
Boil for 90mins

Challenger 22g 90min 6.7%aa 15ibu
Challenger 25g 20min 6.7%aa 10ibu
Styrian Golding 28g 20min 3.4%aa 5ibu
Mixed spice 5g 20mins
Demerra sugar 260g 20mins
White sugar 260g 20mins
Protafloc 15mins

After boil cool to 76degC then hold there and add;
Challenger 22g
Styrian Golding 22g
Steep for 10 mins.

Cool to 21degC and pitch Safale04.

design 1060 OG, 5.9%alc, 30IBU, 26.6SRM, :pray:

Pics to follow.

 

[craigite]

A basin of grain

The garage setup, just put in some old kitchen units :party:

The brew friends. Sally is recovering from her op to remove spleen, cancer

And only one cat, Dexter. Baxter is AWOL.

So, quite a thick mash this one.

Next post, 75mins?

 

[RobWalker]

That's very late mate, I would've gone for a spice tea because they're gonna need some rounding off, mines been conditioning for 2 months and its still a bit of a lip biter. Good luck with it though mate, recipe looks great!

 

[craigite]

That's very late mate, I would've gone for a spice tea because they're gonna need some rounding off, mines been conditioning for 2 months and its still a bit of a lip biter. Good luck with it though mate, recipe looks great!

Cheers.
Got a how-to for spice tea?

 

[RobWalker]

Not sure about a link, but rather than adding to a boil, you just boil the spice in a manageable amount of water, 300ml or something, then add to your secondary. Ground spices will drop to the bottom so no panic there. It's useful to adjust the level of spice too!

 

[craigite]

mash temp good :thumb:

HERMS system circulating and holding temp at 69

Hops and sugars

Mash over, turn HERMS to 76. 10 mins later

lovely and clear

Sparge on

waste not want not :thumb:

Boil on, first wort hops happy

 

[craigite]

Cold in the garage today, need a bit of lid to keep rolling boil going.

chiller in.

aroma hops and cold break forming.

the dirty pic.

little darker than I expected.

FV plugged into HLT heating circuit and set to 21.

Ended up with 21liters at 1056. A little short but I'll survive.
:thumb:

 

[Dronfieldbrewer]

Looking good

 

[ingypingy2]

Something is sure to go wrong today. Didn't get much sleep last night, bit windy up here with wind speeds over 55mph and gusts over 80mph. :shock:

130mph winds recorded at Hammar Hill at 6 this morning, bit breezier than usual lol!! :)

 

[craigite]

Something is sure to go wrong today. Didn't get much sleep last night, bit windy up here with wind speeds over 55mph and gusts over 80mph. :shock:

130mph winds recorded at Hammar Hill at 6 this morning, bit breezier than usual lol!! :)

Yeh, read that on Radio Orkney facebook page.
Polytunnel survived fine. All roof tiles accounted for.
Hope you got through OK :thumb:

 

[RobWalker]

I hear bungee cords are pretty good at keeping fermenting beer in place.