Rich and Dave's Old Speckled Hen Challenge

[rich27500]

I brew in a bag and use the 'no chill' approach, Dave1970 is a three vessel brewer who chills with a copper coil chiller. We're both going to make this beer:

Old Speckled Hen Clone

4.6kg pale malt
560g dark crystal
454g golden syrup

40g northern brewer 60 mins
20g east kent goldings 15 mins
protafloc
15g east kent goldings 5 mins

yeast SO4

I got the recipe from here: http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=820

I'm going to do mine today (ubiquitous pictures to follow.) I made this beer last year and I think it's a close clone and pretty much the best beer I've made. As Hashie says in his post, if he only made one beer for the rest of his life it would be this one.

When Dave's bottles are at 8 weeks maturity we're going to have a taste off.

 

[Reburner]

Looks good. I am just planning my first BIAB and have a no chill cube ready. Look forward to the pics as this may be a good recipe for me to do for my first brew.

Quick question. From the link what explains the 4litre difference between end of boil volume and amount in to fermenter?

 

[rich27500]

Trub in the bottom of your boiler I would guess

 

[rich27500]

Brew day went swimmingly right up to the point of emptying the boiler a very slow trickle stopped after about 2 litres. Emptying by jug revealed the hop filter had fallen off and hops had blocked the tap!!! I have 23litres of 1.053 as planned, whether it's wrecked or not remains to be seen.

 

[Reburner]

Sounds good. Re the trub, do you leave an amount at the bottom of your boiler then. From a test boil on my buffalo if I drain using the tap only it will naturally leave a couple of litres in the bottom.

I'm not sure I quite understand what the trub is and how you leave it behind if you are draining from the bottom of the wort.

 

[rich27500]

brew day pics

electrim warming up

the grain and additional sugar

high tech insulation

hop shot!

the bag!

not the hot break apparently!!!

hops in

there's a krausen so there's hope!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

After a brew day feeling full of confidence, targets being hit etc the bit at the end was a real pain, but it's fermenting so the likeliness is another good beer if not will just have to brew again quick!

 

[rich27500]

Yep that couple of litres at the bottom is the trub and all that mucky stuff (proteins etc,) gets left behind, that's the loss. The biab lads calculate from total ammount of water into boiler to start and count all losses against their efficiency eg. if your boiler is big enough true biab would be about 36litres in boiler from start, losses on the way are water left in the grain (minimal), evaporation, kettle trub, no chill cube trub and sludge in the bottom of the fv

 

[Reburner]

cheers. Good pics. :thumb:

 

[Dave1970]

I'm hoping to get mine done next saturday...if my TC has finished fermenting by then and freed up the fermenting fridge

 

[rich27500]

See Dave that's another thing, my stuff ferments at room temp. This really will be an interesting experiment

 

[Swift Pint]

Hey Rich, nice experiment!
What do you use for your no chill cube? got any pics?
How long does it take to cool down to pitching temp?

 

[rich27500]

I don't even cube. Just transfer to fv and let it cool down overnight, never had chill haze, never had off flavours. If I was going to cube I'd get a 25 litre plastic jerry can off ebay, they're about 3 quid.

 

[Dave1970]

Finally I found the time to do my half of the challenge

Grain Shot

Doughed in

90 minute mash @67 C. Lost 1 degree over the 90 mins

Hops

Sparging, sparged to 30 litres as I always lose quite a lot on the boil

Boil is on...hot break forming

3 hop additions at 60, 15 and 5 mins

and the golden syrup

cooling

ended up with 24 litres at an OG of 1057

and finally the crud at the bottom of the boiler shot!

All went very smoothly, didn't even have to mop the kitchen floor after myself, no stickiness (think that's a first!)

 

[tazuk]

mmm looking good love the pics :thumb:

 

[Dave1970]

Cheers, I think this is going to be a good one....the wort in the sample jar tastes great!
BUT who's will be best, mine or Rich's?

 

[seamus]

Reminds me of Amsterdam!! :whistle:

 

[rich27500]

I'm going to be gutted if anyone can tell the difference. The point for me is that there are many ways to skin a cat!

 

[rich27500]

A bit soon but here's an early pint, looks right doesn't it!

 

[Dave1970]

I'd be surprised if there's no difference, there's too many variables. It's not just the differing brewdays, there's the different fermentation temps. Wouldn't put any money on one being 'better', but I reckon there will be a difference.

Mine is going to be Old Speckled Zen...just working on a label

Good head by the way!

 

[rich27500]

Very good name Dave, my label lacks imagination and of course no hidden birds!