Probably Due To Network Congestion

Otter Dark Stout MKII – This is basically my first Extract own recipe which I’m now going to do as an All Grain It tasted bloody fantastic as an extract brewed with Safale s-04, but this time I’m thinking of using Whitelabs Irish Ale yeast WLP004 http://www.whitelabs.com/beer/strains_wlp004.html
This is mkII because I’m rationalising my hops a bit instead of using a combination of EKG’s / Fuggles as my bittering additions I’m going to use Admiral and save a few grams on the Flavour/Aroma additions.
For Water Treatment I’m thinking I’ll follow the Stout profile in the GW Calc, though will add a Tsp of Gypsum anyway.
I wonder if a stout mash be naturally more or less acidic??? (90min mash)

Fermentables:
Maris Otter 3800g
Roasted Barley 355g
Chocolate Malt, Pale 355g (Thanks to Paul @ http://www.barleybottom.com for the excellent service, You’ll be getting some of this when its ready)
Crystal Malt 355g
Crystal Wheat Malt 190g

Hops:
Admiral 20g (FWH) 60mins
Fuggle 20g @ 15mins
East Kent Golding 20g @ 15mins

Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.016
Alcohol Content: 4.1% ABV
Total Liquor: 33.4 Litres
Mash Liquor: 12.6 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 36 EBU
Colour: 232 EBC

Here’s the pictures so far…..
The Grain bill, Maris otter, roasted barley, pale chocolate malt, crystal wheat malt, crystal malt:

Mash Temp, near as damn it 66 C, finished at 64 C Hmm!:

Mash pH, think this looks about right:

First run off, tastes pretty damn good:

Mash Tun and first batch sparge, it proceeded to stick after a good start, had to re-suspend and blow up the pipe, I wonder if it is the Crystal Wheat malt thats causing this? My last 23L batch in this tun worked perfectly with no sticking:

I managed to not prepare quite enough water this time too, nice! So I’m generally arsing about boiling kettles full of bottled water to top up my second batch sparge, I’m not far short but enough to be annoying
The Mash is doing a slow trickle! How can it work perfectly one time and then be a b’stard the next?! *Bigger saw cuts maybe, they are all Junior Hacksaw cuts at present*
More to follow… S L O W L Y !
Admiral FWH going in with first batch spargings to warm up, the second batch sparge is running off better than the first, thankfully!!!:

Cooler in and 15 minute hops (Fuggles and EKGs):

I had 10g of Fuggles scraps left in the bag so these have gone in as a Zero minutes 10 min steep:

Cold Break and (Floaters) Hop seeds:

Hit my Target OG of 1048, happy happy joy joy:

I’ve decided I’m going to split this batch and use the Whitelabs Irish & s-04 yeasts.
Hop seed catcher and aeration:

Much needed refreshment, ‘Fuggles Bitter’:

Pitched Vial @ 22 C Whitelabs Irish Ale yeast WLP004 in FV1:

Dry Sprinkled @ 22 C Safale s-04 in FV3:

All done, Just a bit of tiding up to do Net curtain material, to act as a Mashing bag, ordered on ebay! And I’ll be making my Mash Tun Manifold’s slots wider with a regular Hacksaw rather than their present Junior hacksaw cuts.

As of about now 18.00 20/09/09, we have fermentation with both batches
Whitelabs WLP004 Irish Ale:

Safale s-04:

**Bottled 28/09/09 with 48g white sugar, both yeast batches tasting about the same.