Because I don't get the chance to brew much and I might be moving sometime so wasn't sure when I'd be brewing again Barley Bottom's AG kits are a boon! No half bags of malt/hops hanging around. They're not really cheap, but p+p is included and they're comparable with 2 can kits but the beer's bound to be better, so I thihnk they represent good value. I chose the Woolly Jumper recipe and am aiming for 23 litres although Paul uses 80% efficiency when formulating the recipes and with it being me I probably won't hit it but we'll see.
As I write I'm about to get the water heated for the first top up but will update this post with pics when I have them and more info on the kit. Speak again soon.
Woolly Jumper
4kg Maris Otter
200g Crystal Malt 120L
150g Torrified Wheat
10g Roast Barley
42g Goldings, East Kent 5.8%AA 90 min Boil
12g Goldings, East Kent 5.8%AA 15 min Boil
25g Bobek 5.2%AA 1min boil
1 Protafloc Tablet 15 mins boil
1 pack of S-04 yeast.
Brewlength: 23 litres
OG: 1045
IBUs 33.9
ABV 4.5%
The kit comes with the grist already mixed so you can't check quantities of that other than total weight, but given that either every set of scales I have access to reads 10% over or BB supplies generous quantities I was more than happy to take it as a given. The hops are individually bagged for each addition as is the protafloc and yeast.
Next I got my other favourite brew on while I used the batch sparge calculator to work out just what I was doing. Who needs sight glasses when you can have barely legible scrawl on the side of your hlt. I have two marks for 20.5 litres. I've forgotten why but I think it was useful for batch sparging for a different brew length I did, but then realised I'd added too much... anyway that's that:
Here's my mash tun preheating
The crush seemed a little floury, although I wouldn't call myself experienced in such things, and my efficiency ended up fine so I'm not complaining. Now I haven't been drinking this brew day and am absolutely sure this temperature was at the start of the mash (65C) but when I got back after 90 minutes it was 66, which is nice. Think I need a digital thermometer.
Anyway with the mash on I went and picked a pound of sloes and put them in the freezer to meet some gin when I can be bothered.
The three tier setup in all its glory. Sort of, in that the bottom one is my FV when it would ideally be a kettle but never mind.
Running off...
I'll take that!
Copper up
Bittering hops added, note green fleck in bottom left hand corner...
Leaf!
Then my camera's battery died. Anyway... by taking a completely more chillaxed approach to my brewday and letting the batches settle properly before running off, running off slowly, and having great karma I got my 5 gallons at 1044 which is fine by me.
Comments on the kit: S'great. It comes with BB's phone number offering help if you get stuck and may even be a good way for the beginner to get one AG under their belt without having to buy sack after sack of malt they might not need. For the casual brewer like myself I like not having ingredients hanging around and assume he gets the throughput such that these kits aren't made up a million years before they're sold.
As I write I'm about to get the water heated for the first top up but will update this post with pics when I have them and more info on the kit. Speak again soon.
Woolly Jumper
4kg Maris Otter
200g Crystal Malt 120L
150g Torrified Wheat
10g Roast Barley
42g Goldings, East Kent 5.8%AA 90 min Boil
12g Goldings, East Kent 5.8%AA 15 min Boil
25g Bobek 5.2%AA 1min boil
1 Protafloc Tablet 15 mins boil
1 pack of S-04 yeast.
Brewlength: 23 litres
OG: 1045
IBUs 33.9
ABV 4.5%
The kit comes with the grist already mixed so you can't check quantities of that other than total weight, but given that either every set of scales I have access to reads 10% over or BB supplies generous quantities I was more than happy to take it as a given. The hops are individually bagged for each addition as is the protafloc and yeast.
Next I got my other favourite brew on while I used the batch sparge calculator to work out just what I was doing. Who needs sight glasses when you can have barely legible scrawl on the side of your hlt. I have two marks for 20.5 litres. I've forgotten why but I think it was useful for batch sparging for a different brew length I did, but then realised I'd added too much... anyway that's that:
Here's my mash tun preheating
The crush seemed a little floury, although I wouldn't call myself experienced in such things, and my efficiency ended up fine so I'm not complaining. Now I haven't been drinking this brew day and am absolutely sure this temperature was at the start of the mash (65C) but when I got back after 90 minutes it was 66, which is nice. Think I need a digital thermometer.
Anyway with the mash on I went and picked a pound of sloes and put them in the freezer to meet some gin when I can be bothered.
The three tier setup in all its glory. Sort of, in that the bottom one is my FV when it would ideally be a kettle but never mind.
Running off...
I'll take that!
Copper up
Bittering hops added, note green fleck in bottom left hand corner...
Leaf!
Then my camera's battery died. Anyway... by taking a completely more chillaxed approach to my brewday and letting the batches settle properly before running off, running off slowly, and having great karma I got my 5 gallons at 1044 which is fine by me.
Comments on the kit: S'great. It comes with BB's phone number offering help if you get stuck and may even be a good way for the beginner to get one AG under their belt without having to buy sack after sack of malt they might not need. For the casual brewer like myself I like not having ingredients hanging around and assume he gets the throughput such that these kits aren't made up a million years before they're sold.
