I decided that today I would brew a ruby ale with plenty of chocolate malt, flaked barley and porage oats. My own devising, I have done it three or four times before and it is a good pint, full bodied and very smooth.
However, I recently changed my boiler, I have had a Ritchie Brewheat boiler for nearly 30 years but when the lid started to crack and come apart I thought that HSE demands that I should move on. I bought a new boiler and carried out three brews without problems. I should point out that the old boiler had a vent hole in the lid, the new one didn't. Not being a complete wally, I made sure that there was a gap sufficient for the steam to escape, or so I thought. I do the boiling outside (thank God) and ten minutes into the boil I was outside in the garden working out jobs to be done, when I heard a very load pop and turned round just in time to see the boiler lid, two gallons of wort and most of the hops subsiding in a sticky mess over the boiler and the path.
First thought were OSI that's that brew down the pan, but I poured myself a pint, had a think, and then added two oz of emergency Fuggles, 500 g of DMS dissolved in warm water and 25og Demerara sugar. The wort is cooling now and hopefully it will be a reasonable pint, although not quite what was planned.
However, I recently changed my boiler, I have had a Ritchie Brewheat boiler for nearly 30 years but when the lid started to crack and come apart I thought that HSE demands that I should move on. I bought a new boiler and carried out three brews without problems. I should point out that the old boiler had a vent hole in the lid, the new one didn't. Not being a complete wally, I made sure that there was a gap sufficient for the steam to escape, or so I thought. I do the boiling outside (thank God) and ten minutes into the boil I was outside in the garden working out jobs to be done, when I heard a very load pop and turned round just in time to see the boiler lid, two gallons of wort and most of the hops subsiding in a sticky mess over the boiler and the path.
First thought were OSI that's that brew down the pan, but I poured myself a pint, had a think, and then added two oz of emergency Fuggles, 500 g of DMS dissolved in warm water and 25og Demerara sugar. The wort is cooling now and hopefully it will be a reasonable pint, although not quite what was planned.
