First Brew Day

[Istanbilly]

I had my first brew day on Friday. I am using the Grainfather G30, a Grainfather sparge water heater and a Fermzilla fermenter without the pressurisation kit. The photos show my kit and my first brew day.

I am brewing an all grain British style best bitter to my own recipe:

4 kg Maris Otter
500 g Crystal medium

Mash 1 hour @ 65 + 10 min mash out while temp raises to 75

16 g Columbus @ 60
15 g EKG @ 15
1 g protofloc @ 15
15 g EKG @ 0

10 g Mangrove Jack’s M36 Liberty Bell yeast

Ferment 7 to 12 days @ 22 C depending on how long the yeast takes to settle

Bottle condition with 80 g caster sugar dissolved in 120 ml water, 5 g per bottle

May be ready for an early try on New Year’s Eve

Have one more photo - the fermenter 17 hours in developing a nice Krausen but it hasn’t come through to my iPad from my phone yet for some reason. Fermentation seems to be going very well.

OG, as you can see is 1.050, slightly higher than expected, was expecting 1.045 so maybe I will end up with an ESB rather than a best bitter, we shall see.

Tasted the wort when I checked the OG and was pleasantly surprised, less sweet than I had imagined it would be, it actually had quite a bitter taste, I really liked it, hope that carries through to the finished product and I look forward to posting a photo of my first pint.

Cheers folks

Billy

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

All I can say is well done!

You have done a good job there

 

[Istanbilly]

Thank you Boondoggle

 

[Istanbilly]

No sooner do I finish posting but my fermentation picture decides to put in an appearance, this was taken 17 hours after the transfer to the fermenter

 

[Istanbilly]

Tried my first bottle on 26 December - yes, I know that it is a short time since brew day on 11 December but it was my first brew and I was keen to find out what I had got. I have to say that I am well pleased with the result - if I asked for a best bitter in a British pub and got something that tasted like mine, I would be happy. Good taste, good colour, good body. Head development and retention could do with some work and the beer could be carbonated a little better - the second on will be addressed over the next few weeks as I am only putting bottles in the fridge as I plan to drink them so carbonation should continue. The first I will address in my next brew as I will be adding 360 grams of torrified wheat and taking out 180 grams each of Maris otter and crystal medium. The final ABV was 4.6% which is right in the middle of my aim for a best bitter.