Posts Tagged ‘gypsum’
AG#26 – Northern Blue
Posted on: May 8, 2010
- In: Brewing
- 3 Comments
I started out with the Coniston Bluebird recipe but I’ve not got enough Challenger in the Freezer, so Northdown will be taking the place of most of the Challenger and there’s going to be some late Fuggles also as I want to finish a bag off.
The Malts are a bit like this too and I’ve moved away a little from the original, I had a bag of Wheat malt that I have a plan for 2kg’s of (Wheat Beer with WB-06) so the remainder of that Wheat is going in this along with a part bag of Crystal Malt which is near as damn it right for a Bluebird clone 
Additions to the above are Crystal Rye & Crystal Wheat.
Malts:
Maris Otter 3450g 84.8%
Wheat Malt 264g 6.5%
Crystal Malt 154g 3.8%
Crystal Rye Malt 100g 2.5%
Crystal Wheat Malt 100g 2.5%
The Malts are weighed out and ready with 1 Tsp of Gypsum for the mash:
Hops are liable to change as I only roughly weighed what hops I’ll be using so anything over these weights will be thrown in at the end of boil.
Hops:
Northdown – 60 mins 25g (FWH)
Northdown – 30 mins 8g
Northdown – 20 mins 15g
Challenger – 0 mins 19g
Fuggle – 0 mins 28g
Mash on @ 7.45am for maybe 60 or 90 mins:
Pretty much hit my choice of Mash temperatures but found I have about a 1.5C variance across my three thermometers, 2 digital and 1 spirit:
Today’s hops all weighed out:
Beer profile:
Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.040
Final Gravity: 1.010
Alcohol Content: 3.8% ABV
Total Liquor: 32.4 Litres
Mash Liquor: 10.2 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 34 EBU
Colour: 21 EBC
I’ll be using some Thick Edinburgh Ale Yeast I skimmed off my fermenter the other day, should be raring to go 
Filling the Tun with the 1st batch sparge:
Top-down view of the FWH+Gypsum in thw Copper, Mash Tun and Underback:
Chiller already been in the copper for 15mins to sanitise, Flame Out hops in for a 20 or 30min steep:
Lovely thick skimmed Edinburgh Ale yeast from my last brew:
OG 1042, 2 points more than needed but near enough:
A good colour and very clear wort, tasted pretty good too:
Updates are on my T.watter page as I remember http://twitter.com/pdtnc
A No Fuss Brewday
Yeast Action Update, it was off like a rocket!
*Bottled 20th May ’10 with 75g Sugar, dropped to FG 1010 / 1012 tastes to have lots of body and a full robust flavour from the hops.
AG#22 – Bramling XB
Posted on: April 18, 2010
The Plan… to make a solid wholesome malty pint with English hops and a fruity Blackcurrant flavour & Aroma from Bramling Cross hops
I’m starting this brew off and getting all my liquor from my hot & cold feeds in the garage today, probably try and tidy up a little while the mash is on too. (Note to self B&Q Pushfits are crap, can’t get the buggers back off, glad I only bought one of them)
Bramling XB – (Bramling Cross Bitter)
Fermentables:
Maris Otter 2700 grams 60.8%
Flaked Barley 500 grams 11.3%
Brown Malt 500 grams 11.3% (Bag end from work which will hopefully balance the Blackcurrant of the Bramlings)
Munich Malt 500 grams 11.3%
Caramalt 200 grams 4.5%
Chocolate Malt 40 grams 0.9% (Just to add a little deeper colour)
Hops:
Challenger 20g @ 60mins (FWH)
Fuggle 30g @ 30mins
Bramling Cross 20g @ 15mins
Bramling Cross 20g @ 0mins for 80c steep
Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.042
Final Gravity: 1.010
Alcohol Content: 4.1% ABV
Total Liquor: 32.7 Litres
Mash Liquor: 11.1 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 33 EBU
Colour: 46 EBC
Mash Temp aimed at 67c to keep some body
Yeast Safale s-04
1 Tsp Gypsum to Mash + 1 to boil
Mash on at 8.50am
Twittered some pics as I went https://twitter.com/pdtnc
The Malt bill:
Mash Start temp, not far off my aim of 67c:
Hops all weighed out:
First batch sparge just sitting before running off, and it ran off beautifully:
First Wort Hops (FWH) just going in on the first spargings:
80c Steep hops left for 30mins before cooling to 23c:
Dropped from a good height caused a heck of a lot of foam:
Aiming for 1042, so this is near enough for me:
Brewday seemed to go really easy, very relaxed, it seems having a dedicated area for brewing is going to smooth things out considerably… and I’m far from organised at the moment!
The wort was tasting pretty nice, though there were lots of roasted and biscuit aromas while the boil was on, will be interested how this one turns out, its a nice deep tawny copper/brown by the looks of it too :)
Bottled 25th Apr ’10 with 60g Sugar priming
AG#19 – Munich 5000 IPA
Posted on: January 24, 2010
- In: Brewing
- 2 Comments
This is an excuse to use 5kg of Munich, and the hops are an excuse to make the freezer drawer shut properly! :) If I was being sensible I’d be making my planned 12 litre brew of St Austell’s Admirals Ale, but I’m not being sensible and only put this together this morning with a late start with the Mash start @ 12.45pm which will be for 90mins @ about 64C to try for the maximum fermentable sugars.
Yeast is going to be some Whitelabs Burton Ale yeast (3 yeast splits going to go in without a starter as they could do with using up) I know this yeast is going to eat up hope flavour and aroma so there’s going to be a good bit of dry hopping following initial fermentation.
I’ve added a good helping of Gypsum added to the mash so bring out the hops and make the yeast happy.
I’m hoping for a Hoppy and Bitter IPA with a balancing maltiness (but not too balancing as I want a fairly big hit!)
Munich 5000 IPA
Fermentables:
Munich Malt 20 EBC 5000g
Wheat Malt 3.5 EBC 500g
Caramalt 20 EBC 200g
Hops:
Aurora @60 mins 45g
Beeta @30 mins 50g
Beeta @15 mins 40g
Aurora @15 mins 35g
Celeia 35 grams (Might do either flame out or 80C steep for 30mins)
Beeta 10g (Dry Hop in FV)
Aurora 10g (Dry Hop in FV)
Celeia 20g (Dry Hop in FV)
Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.055
Final Gravity: 1.013
Alcohol Content: 5.4% ABV
Total Liquor: 34 Litres
Mash Liquor: 14.3 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 72 EBU
Colour: 34 EBC
Munich malt, caramalt, wheat malt, Gypsum and grain temp:
Filling and pre-heating the mash tun:
Doughing in:
Start of mash Temp:
pH right on the money:
The hops:
Recycling batch sparge runnings, sparge was pretty horrible:
15min hops:
Flame out steep hops:
Hydrometer with temp correction is about 1052, 3 points low:
Late start, late finish, things went to plan just a few points adrift on the OG and sparge was annoying.
The wort was very tasty, just a nice tingly bitterness and nice and fresh tasting, should ferment out to some bitter-goodness
I’ve got a little less than I anticipated left for dry hopping, but that still means that I’ll be sinking a hop bag with 35g in it, I need to find a suitable weight
This is the most hops I’ve put in anything, 205g to the copper with 35g for Dry hopping as mentioned
*Bottled 10th Feb 2010 with 120g DSM
AG#18 – Builders Lager
Posted on: January 10, 2010
- In: Brewing
- 4 Comments
Builders Lager – a lager based on HH’s Lager recipe, but 1000g of Munich and replacing the Saaz with Perle & Hersbrucker hops and no sugar. I’m trying to stick with something simple!
Fermentables:
Lager Malt 3000g
Munich Malt 1000g
Caramalt 400g
Flaked Maize 400g
Hops:
Perle Whole @ 60 mins 20g (FWH)
Hallertauer Hersbrucker @ 15 mins 20g
Hallertauer Hersbrucker @ 0 mins 20g (20-30-ish minute steep)
Final Volume: 23 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.046
Final Gravity: 1.011
Alcohol Content: 4.6% ABV
Total Liquor: 33.1 Litres
Mash Liquor: 12 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 20 EBU
Colour: 12 EBC
Mash will be at least 90mins at 65c.
Diamond Lager Yeast to be well over pitched as its out of date.
The Grain bill, Lager malt, Caramalt, Crushed flaked Maize and 1 tsp Gypsum (Photo missing the Munich Malt):
The Munich malt:
Strike heat:
Mash Temp, I was aiming for 65c:
The hops, Perle and hersbrucker:
I through half the bittering hops in as FWH and half when the boil started:
Just coming to a good boil:
the 15minute addition:
The Hydro reading, 1046 ish:
A full pudding basin full of rehydrated Diamond lager yeast:
Running off into FV:
Went pretty good, mash stuck a little, hit my predicted OG, day took longer to finish up as we had to go and meet with our electrician and plumber in the middle of it all, so the final soak hops got a very long soak!
**Racked to Cornie + 5 Large Swingtop bottles 31st Jan ’10
AG#16 – Once were Warriors
Posted on: December 12, 2009
- In: Brewing
- 3 Comments
Pale and Hoppy could be an NPA (New-Zealand Pale Ale)… and a nice NZ film reference for the name 
After tasting my other recent Nelson Sauvin hopped beer I see there is a good rounded mouth filling full hoppiness to the hops so I’m more than doubling the amount that I put in my last brew and going for a 80c steep for the lates.
Next weekend I may do a mad mix of Nelson+Cascade+Centennial with an almost identical grain bill.
Once Were Warriors
Fermentables:
Golden Promise 2240g - 86%
Wheat Malt 260g - 10%
Crystal Malt 100g - 4%
Hops:
Pacific Gem @ 60 mins - 8g (FWH)
Nelson Sauvin @ 15 mins - 26g
Nelson Sauvin @ 0 mins - 26g (Going to let it cool a bit then do a 20 minute steep)
*maybe Dry hop, but probably not, will see…*
Final Volume: 12 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.049
Final Gravity: 1.012
Alcohol Content: 4.8% ABV
Total Liquor: 18.8 Litres
Mash Liquor: 6.5 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 51 EBU
Colour: 15 EBC
Maybe a bit of Burtonisation to the liquor, if I can be arsed, if not just a good helping of Gypsum to the Mash & Boil
The Pics…
The grain bill, Golden Promise pale malt, Standard Crystal malt, Wheat malt, 10g of Gypsum 5g of Epsom salt added to my liquor:
Doughing in:
Aiming for 67c so not far off:
pH looks spot on:
Nelson Sauvin and Pacific Gem hops weighed out with half a Protafloc tab crushed to the right, if this was a full 23L brew it would have taken a full packet of hops but as I am just doing a 12L I managed to just have enough Nelsons in a part bag from the other week :
End of 90 minute Mash:
Sparge water running into Tun for first batch:
Collected wort 1022/24 ish @ 55.5c and 17.5 litres collected in boiler makes for up-to 82% Mash efficiency:
Just coming to the boil:
Nottingham yeast to rehydrate:
Big ugly cold break!!:
Hit the OG right on the nail:
Aeration:
Did a 20 min steep @ 80c for those last hops, lovely clear wort running off the boiler which tasted pretty good though not as bitter as hoped.
Pitched rehydrated Notts yeast at about 23c, I’ll expect activity before long
***Update*** Bottled 22nd Dec ’09 with 50g DSM, the bitterness has come through now should be good
AG#15 – Stout of my head
Posted on: December 4, 2009
Stout of my Head
Fermentables:
Golden Promise 1800g
Flaked Barley 500g
Roasted Hemp Seed 250g
Wheat Malt 100g
Crystal Malt, Dark 100g
Roasted Barley 90g
Chocolate Malt 80g
(I also added a tiny bit of Maize which might just act like Corn Flour and Set my Mash!)
Hops:
Northdown 60 mins 25g (FWH)
Final Volume: 12 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.013
Alcohol Content: 4.5% ABV
Total Liquor: 19.1 Litres
Mash Liquor: 7.3 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 40 EBU
Colour: 172 EBC
Grain weighed out, Golden Promise Malt, Flaked Barley, Dark Crystal Malt,Roasted Barley, Chocolate Malt, Roasted Hemp Seed,Gypsum, Coffee ground Corn I picked while out walking:
Grain Temp:
Treated water going into the Boiler, Just heating up enough for a little over the Mash Volume:
Mashing, I got the other half to take this shot:
After a bit of messing about, mash on at 9am @ 67.6C for 90mins:
pH right on the money, I’m going to give up using these test strips as every mash I’ve done so far has been close enough not to bother:
Grain bed at end of mash:
Mash temp at 90mins:
Northdown FWH:
Hops in the wort, its really dark I think I got more colour than I bargained for! Mash efficiency says 80.5% which could be more than planned due to some extract from the Roasted Hemp:
The Recycling Crew:
Just come to a nice rolling boil:
Trub at the bottom of the boiler:
OG: 1044 @ 22c so near enough to predicted 1048:
A pretty easy brewday, sparge ran off lovely and clear with no sign of anything sticking. Did a quick mix and ran off without letting it settle, both batches were good, could it be this technique or the fact that I had Flaked barley in there that kept the grain bed structure more open??
Pitched s-04 just Dry sprinkled at 22C and put to bed
*Bottled 15th Dec ’09
Its a two Batch day, I’m doing 12 litres a piece and actually taking my time over it. I decided to Mash then Sparge and collect, then Mash then Sparge and collect followed by 2 boils.
AG#13 – Bloody Nelson
Fermentables:
Golden Promise 2090g
Wheat Malt 260g
German Cara Red 260g
Hops:
Nelson Sauvin 60 mins 0 lbs. 0.4 oz 10g (FWH)
Nelson Sauvin 15 mins 0 lbs. 0.4 oz 10g
Nelson Sauvin 0 mins 0 lbs. 0.4 oz 20g (I’ve doubled this from 10g as the hops were smelling good)
Final Volume: 12 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.048
Final Gravity: 1.012
Alcohol Content: 4.7% ABV
Total Liquor: 18.8 Litres
Mash Liquor: 6.5 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 34 EBU
Colour: 15 EBC
The Grains, golden promise pale malt, wheat malt, carared malt, 1 tsp gypsum:
New toy with little Brewing calculator on it, mashed in @ 67.7c:
FWH & 1 Tsp Gypsum:
Floaters:
12g of Nottingham Yeast:
20min steep of flame Out hops:
Rehydrated Notts yeast within 1 degree of my wort temp:
All put to bed now, lots of yeast for the 12L length, should get going pretty quick.
I’m not too sure if the CaraRed Malt has done its stuff, looked a bit straw-like in the boiler, will see better at bottling.
Near as damn it hit my OG just a point or two out.
AG#14 – Black Promise
Fermentables:
Golden Promise 1880g
Wheat Malt 260g
Black Malt 100g
Crystal Malt 100g
Hops:
Northdown 60 mins 5g (FWH)
Whitbread Golding 60 mins 5g (FWH)
Fuggle 60 mins 5g (FWH)
Whitbread Golding 20 mins 20g
Home Grown Fuggle 10 mins 21g
Final Volume: 12 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.044
Final Gravity: 1.012
Alcohol Content: 4.1% ABV
Total Liquor: 18.5 Litres
Mash Liquor: 5.9 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 36 EBU
Colour: 86 EBC
Grain weighed out, golden promise pale malt, black malt, crystal malt, wheat malt, 1 tsp gypsum, 1/2 tsp Calcium Chloride:
New toy with little Brewing calculator on it, mashed in @ 66c:
Good deep colour, though tastes a bit mild I was hoping for more of the Black malt flavours:
FWH:
WGV going in!:
Home grown Fuggles going in:
Near enough for me:
All done, I just hope the Black malt comes through with the flavour as well as the colour.
**Bottled Bloody Nelson 27th Nov ’09 with 50g of DSM
**Black Promise *Bottled 3rd Dec ’09 with 55g of DSM
AG#11 – Pale, Wheat and Rye
Posted on: October 24, 2009
Fermentables:
Maris Otter 1040g
Wheat Malt 520g
Rye Malt 520g
Crystal Malt, Pale 205g
Hops:
Target @ 60 mins 16g (FWH)
First Gold @ 15 mins 10g
First Gold @ 0 mins 10g (I ended up doubling this to 20g)
Protafloc @ 20 mins
Final Volume: 12 Litres
Original Gravity: 1.042
Final Gravity: 1.010
Alcohol Content: 4.1% ABV
Total Liquor: 18.5 Litres
Mash Liquor: 5.7 Litres
Mash Efficiency: 75 %
Bitterness: 46 EBU
Colour: 14 EBC
1tsp Gypsum to each Mash & Boil, 90 minute Mash which stretched to 105 minute.
Yeast Safale s-04
The grains an 1 tsp gypsum for the mash:
Grist temp:
Mashed in spot on (I forgot to take an end of mash temp):
pH looks good:
The colour of the first batch sparge (with the second batch added its going to be a nice straw colour):
Running off, had a bit of sticking but the wort was going to be a bit cloudy anyway with the wheat:
Hops all sorted, I decided to double up the 10g 0 mins to 20g:
Just started boiling:
10min steep of 20g First Gold @ flame outs:
Cold break:
Hit about the right OG:
Splish splash:
Dry Sprinkled Safale s-04, left to sink for 15mins then thrashed with a paddle:
Left overs:
Front left is todays brew, back left is Yorkshire Trappist red with experiments on top, front right is the JBK Anniversary brew, back right is Amber Otter:
Fermentation less than 24 hours later:
I’m hoping the Target hops will have kept some flavour to add some extra zing to the First Gold.
*Bottled 3rd Nov ’09
