Steam Beer Saturday (AG#2)

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MickDundee

Landlord.
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It's time for my 2nd all grain (BIAB) brew, a steam beer / California common. It's a combination of 3 or 4 different recipes for what looks best in the Brewers Friend App.

Just went down to feed the cats and realised I'd left my extension cord in the shed so I'll be putting the water on to heat when I go down to breakfast instead of just now.

Recipe:
4.25kg Lager Malt (90.4%)
450g crystal (9.6%)

28g Northern Brewer 60mins
21g Northern Brewer 20mins
26g Northwrn Brewer 0mins

60min mash @ 66C
60min boil

Final volume 23L

OG 1.048
Target FG 1.011
Target ABV 4.9%

IBU 42.37
AAU 13.58

I tried to attach 3 images with my recipe on but only 1 seems to have worked

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I fancy a go at that, something different. Don't think I've ever had a steam beer before or really know what it is, sounds like a sort-of lager?

It is sort of. Darkish Amber in colour, nice and malty, and a sharp bitter finish. It's one of my favourite beers.

M&S sell Anchor Steam (£2.25 for 350ml though), and my local Tesco have started doing it again (at a slightly more affordable £1.65).
 
Yeast is pitched. I left it at 75C for ages as we had visitors before cooling. Bloody Hell leaf hops are a pain in the ****, tap constantly blocking! I'm sticking to pellets from now on!

SG slightly short at 1.046
 
The yeast has gone off like a rocket. Good size krausen already!

Slightly concerned I pitched it too hot because I was measuring the temperature in the boiler while I chilled it but I was filling my FV at the same time (long story involving leaf hops blocking my tap - I've probably also risked numerous infections) so the FV would have been a bit hotter.
 
Sounds great mick hope it turns out good,just had exactly the same problem today my hop filter fell off during the boil so tap clogged immediately I just tipped the whole thing through a sieve,worked for me,beer in yeast pitched,,,,,,should get to the drinking stage about the same time if you fancy a couple of swaps I just brewed a wheat beer finished washing up at 5 30 now relaxing drinking a homebrew,dark beer night!!!!! cheers lagerlad
 
Nice one :thumb:

As luck would have it, daughter needed some ingredients for a cooking practical at school next week so I steered her towards Tesco and picked up one of those Anchor Steams - liking it, so will be doing this. I made something similar a few years ago when I tried to clone Sam Adams - was nothing like SA but a nice brew nonetheless and nicer than SA :) Oh, and Tecso had 30% Highland Park 12 single malt so I grabbed one of those too - thankful for this thread :thumb:
 
Sounds great mick hope it turns out good,just had exactly the same problem today my hop filter fell off during the boil so tap clogged immediately I just tipped the whole thing through a sieve,worked for me,beer in yeast pitched,,,,,,should get to the drinking stage about the same time if you fancy a couple of swaps I just brewed a wheat beer finished washing up at 5 30 now relaxing drinking a homebrew,dark beer night!!!!! cheers lagerlad

Yeah in the end I tipped it through a sieve. I'm either sticking with pellets or getting a hop spider in future. Yeah a swap could be good, I like a good wheat beer!
 
Nice one :thumb:

As luck would have it, daughter needed some ingredients for a cooking practical at school next week so I steered her towards Tesco and picked up one of those Anchor Steams - liking it, so will be doing this. I made something similar a few years ago when I tried to clone Sam Adams - was nothing like SA but a nice brew nonetheless and nicer than SA :) Oh, and Tecso had 30% Highland Park 12 single malt so I grabbed one of those too - thankful for this thread :thumb:
Yeah I have a feeling this will turn out nothing like the Anchor version but if it's anywhere near I'll be quite excited!
 
Mmmmm never said it would be a "good"wheat beer just that I brewed a wheat beer haha
 
Bottling tonight. FG is 1.009 (after about 4 different samples as there's so much trub in my FV), which gives an ABV of 4.86% and an attenuation of a massive 80%!
 
Good going mate. A nice pleasant strength for that style too. Job done :thumb:

Yeah I was aiming for 4.9% so almost spot on. Although pre-Brewday I'd planned 1.048 SG and 1.011 FG but I won't grumble, especially for a second attempt!
 
Done. Bottling took me longer than usual for some reason. 21 glass bottles, 10 plastic and a Minikeg from this batch. Lost about 2 litres to trub

image.jpg
 
You can't tell very well from the photo but the yeast has dropped and the beer is crystal clear after a week! And the bottles are carbonated! I'm amazed!

I'm fully expecting it to still taste young but I've popped one in the fridge to try after the Paulaner Hefeweizen I picked up in Markies at lunchtime.

image.jpg
 
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