February 7, 2008

Maybe no infection

Category: Bitter 5 — Josh @ 10:26 pm

The last few Bottles of this brew that I have had do not taste like they are infected. I may have interpreted the extreme hop flavor with something else like an infection. They have mellowed some with age, and are not half bad now.

November 9, 2007

Lacto contamination

Category: Bitter 5 — Josh @ 11:45 pm

This beer picked up a lacto infection. Maybe it was how I cleaned the bottles, or sanitized. The few that I have had are drinkable, but do not taste the best.

September 28, 2007

Bottled this one tonight

Category: Bitter 5 — Josh @ 9:43 pm

I bottled this beer tonight. I primed with 5.5 ounces of Sucrose (actually a combination of leftover brown sugar and raw sugar). The beer came out a little more bitter than I would have liked. I am hoping that the bitterness will fade with a few weeks aging. The FG was 1.012 @ 70 F (1.013 corrected). ABV calculates out to 3.7%

September 16, 2007

Beer brewed

Category: Bitter 5 — Josh @ 11:45 pm

3 lbs. Maris Otter Pale Malt
.5 lbs. 40°L Crystal Malt
.25 lbs Cara-Pils
3.3 lbs. Briess Pilsen light liquid malt extract
1 lb Crosby and Baker Muntons light Dried Malt Extract 8 EBC/Lovibond 3.5
2 oz Cascade 60 min
1 oz Kent Goldings 30 min
1/2oz Kent Goldings 15 min
Irish moss 15 min
Yeast nutrient 15 min
3/4 oz Cascade 10 min
1/2 oz Kent 5 min
1/2 Fuggle 0 min – steep 5 min

Finished brewing this evening. Mash in with 4.875 quarts @ 175 F. Mash was too hot @ 163 once stabilized. I added water to cool down to 156 F. 20 mins Later the mash was too cold @ 146 F. I added about 1 quart of boiling water to get it up to 156 F. Batch Sparged with 7 quarts. Total boil 2.5 gallons. Total mash time 1 hour.

I used 3 quarts of filtered tap water and 8 quarts of distilled water for mashing since the local water is so high in carbonates. I used 1 tsp of gypsum in the mash water and 1 tsp in the sparge water to get the ph down.

I wrapped the Mash tun in two towels. Temperature drop was 5 deg F over one hour. This mash was different because I cracked all the grains a little extra with a rolling pin.

SG of the mash was 1.032 @ 90F (1.036 corrected) with 10 Quarts collected. This translates out to an efficiency of 68%

1.036 maris 36 pts x 3.0lbs = 108
1.033 crystal 33 pts x .5lbs = 16.5
1.033 cara pils 33 pts x .25lbs = 8.25
132.75pts / 2.5 gallons = 53pts/gal (1.053 sg max yeild)
actual mash sg 1.036
36pts/53pts = 67.9 % efficiency

The boil was normal a 60 min boil with hop / nutrient / irish moss additions at the intervals listed above. the wort was cooled in an ice bath and sparged into the carboy. I then topped up the carboy to the 5 gallon mark, pitch the yeast, aerated with an airstone for 35 mins then finished topping up to the 6 gallon mark with spring water. I attached a blow off tube and placed it in the freezer to ferment at 65 F.

SG in carboy 1.039 @ 78 (1.041) Corrected

September 14, 2007

Starter made

Category: Bitter 5 — Josh @ 9:01 pm

I made the starter for an ESB tonight. I have about 1.75L After boiling for 15 mins with a few cascade hops flowers. I added a teaspoon of Yeast nutrient with this starter. As usual, I am using my air pump with the 2 micron airstone and the Hepa filter as I did with Bitter V.

I will have to remember to shake up the yeast pack better next time. After pouring into my 2L starter bottle there was some yeast clumps left stuck at the bottom of the yeast pack.

September 13, 2007

New ESB

Category: Bitter 5 — Josh @ 8:01 pm

I decided to start a new ESB. I activated a Wyeast Propagator pack of 1968 London ESB ale yeast. Lot # is 0817172. Manufactured on July 10th 2007. I haven’t made up my mind on the recipe yet, but I will pick it out tomorrow before I brew.