Hazelwood Brewday

[Hazelwood Brewery]

All seems to be going quite well at the moment. My Summer Breeze ale is bubbling contentedly in the fermentation cabinet and I have another brew planned for tomorrow - my Best Bitter. The grain is weighed out and milled, the water is nearly ready (RO), and I’ve dug out an old timer socket so the mash water will be heated by the time I get up in the morning.

I’ve also ordered the “secret sauce” for my cooling system - monopropylene glycol. This will allow me to turn down the temperature of the coolant to -20C.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

The mash is already on for today’s brew, Hazelwood Best Bitter. I used an old timer socket to heat the water before I got up.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

The recipe for today’s brew. Last time I made this I used 2.5Kg MO and 2Kg Pilsner malt but only because I was short on MO.

Hazelwood Best Bitter
4.5Kg Maris Otter
200g Flaked barley
150g Crystal 225
100g Torrified wheat
30g Roasted barley
75 min mash at 150F

18g Magnum leaf AA=15.3% for 60 mins

1/2 Protofloc tablet at 15 mins
30g Fuggle leaf AA=4.5% at 15 mins

24 litres in FV, OG=1042
1 pack S-04

Keg on day 12, FG=1008

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Mash done, sparge done, wort coming up to the boil now.

One small change to my recipe, I don’t have SO4. I just remembered that last time I brewed this beer I decided I was going to try using Nottingham ale yeast next time so that’s what will be going in today.

Time to weigh out some hops...

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

All went to plan today. OG=1042, volume is 24 litres, colour and clarity where they should be. Now in the fermentation cabinet keeping the Summer Breeze company.

 

[Clint]

All went to plan today. OG=1042, volume is 24 litres, colour and clarity where they should be. Now in the fermentation cabinet keeping the Summer Breeze company.

View attachment 35460

There's nothing wrong with that!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

For my next beer I’m planning another bitter, this time inspired by a commercial beer - Sharps Sea Fury.

I did a taste comparison of Sea Fury and my Best Bitter and made some simple observations:

Sea Fury is a little darker so I plan to increase the roast barley from 30g to 50g

Sea Fury is a little sweeter and has a little more malt so for this I plan to add a little more crystal malt, mash a little higher, and add a little more calcium chloride to the water.

Sea Fury had a little less bitterness so I’ll reduce the bittering addition from 18g to 10g.

Sea Fury was also more fruity/woody so I need to change the hops. I’m thinking of Simcoe perhaps?

 

[Pennine]

For my next beer I’m planning another bitter, this time inspired by a commercial beer - Sharps Sea Fury.

I did a taste comparison of Sea Fury and my Best Bitter and made some simple observations:

Sea Fury is a little darker so I plan to increase the roast barley from 30g to 50g

Sea Fury is a little sweeter and has a little more malt so for this I plan to add a little more crystal malt, mash a little higher, and add a little more calcium chloride to the water.

Sea Fury had a little less bitterness so I’ll reduce the bittering addition from 18g to 10g.

Sea Fury was also more fruity/woody so I need to change the hops. I’m thinking of Simcoe perhaps?

10g seems really low for bitterness if you are doing 20-24l, I'll try to find some and give it a try and give you my non-expert opinion. Chinook might also be a good option for fruity/woody.

Also is your magnum really 15%? That's great if so, the last few packs have been 10-12 for me.

 

[Cheshire Cat]

For my next beer I’m planning another bitter, this time inspired by a commercial beer - Sharps Sea Fury.

I did a taste comparison of Sea Fury and my Best Bitter and made some simple observations:

Sea Fury is a little darker so I plan to increase the roast barley from 30g to 50g

Sea Fury is a little sweeter and has a little more malt so for this I plan to add a little more crystal malt, mash a little higher, and add a little more calcium chloride to the water.

Sea Fury had a little less bitterness so I’ll reduce the bittering addition from 18g to 10g.

Sea Fury was also more fruity/woody so I need to change the hops. I’m thinking of Simcoe perhaps?

Do you have the recipe for Sea Fury, I had a pint in Brixham and enjoyed it. Thanks.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

10g seems really low for bitterness if you are doing 20-24l, I'll try to find some and give it a try and give you my non-expert opinion. Chinook might also be a good option for fruity/woody.

Also is your magnum really 15%? That's great if so, the last few packs have been 10-12 for me.

Good call on the bitterness, I’ll make it 15g. Yes, 15.3% from the Homebrew Company.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Do you have the recipe for Sea Fury, I had a pint in Brixham and enjoyed it. Thanks.

No I don’t have the recipe I’m afraid but I’m hoping I can make something that’s like it. It may take more than one attempt!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

The mash for my third brew has started. This one, I’m hoping, will be similar to Sharps Sea Fury although I’m not expecting too much for a first attempt. As long as I get something nice and I see no reason why that shouldn’t be the case. I haven’t named it yet so I’ll give it a working title of “Sea Fury #1”. The recipe follows but I should just note the melanoidin has been added because I fell a little short on MO (more on the way) - probably too malty now, D’oh!

Sea Fury #1
4.3Kg Maris Otter
250g Melanoidin
250g Crystal 225
200g Flaked barley
150g Torrified wheat
50g Roasted barley
75 min mash at 155F

15g Magnum leaf AA=15.3% for 60 mins

1/2 Protofloc tablet at 10 mins
30g Simcoe leaf AA=13% at 10 mins

Cultured yeast from Sea Fury

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

The beer is done and 24 litres is now sitting on a shelf in the brew-shed (immersion heater fitted). It came out at 1046 and is looking good so now it’s down to the yeast.

The water profile I went for in the end was SO4 = 84, Cl = 121, Ca = 103.

 

[samale]

Have you always adjusted your water profile

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

While I was waiting for the beer I fitted a Schrader valve to one of my kegs and connected up the Schrader Chuck to one of my secondary regulators at 10psi. It was easy to do and simple to use.

I’ll just run with one for a few days and if it remains trouble free I’ll adapt each keg as I re-use it.

I’ll show you a picture of a pint of my New Season Saison! in a while - it was this keg I converted.

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Have you always adjusted your water profile

No. I started with no adjustment at all and everyone commented that I should treat my water. I did start using Camden a while ago but full-on adjustment is new for me.

 

[samale]

No. I started with no adjustment at all and everyone commented that I should treat my water. I did start using Camden a while ago but full-on adjustment is new for me.

Have noticed any improvement in your beer

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

Have noticed any improvement in your beer

Not yet, I only started today!

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

The Summer Breeze has been bubbling away nicely for the last couple of days.

My Best Bitter went in the fermentation cabinet yesterday and is going ballistic, I’ve already had to clean up once!

The Sea Fury ale I put in the fermentation cabinet 2 hours ago is already bubbling away .

 

[Clint]

Mash is well under way with 45 minutes remaining. Today’s brew is my Summer Breeze ale. The recipe has been published two or three times but I’ve listed it again here because this is the ale I’m brewing today. I’m making two minor changes - reducing the bittering addition from 20g to 15g, reducing the hopstand from 30 to 20 mins.

I’m also using pellet hops because leaf has become more challenging to source at the moment - certainly for Galaxy.

Summer Breeze
4.5Kg Vienna malt
500g malted flaked oats
250g Torrified wheat
75 min mash at 150F

15g Magnum Leaf AA=15.3% 60 min

1/2 Protofloc tablet at 10 mins
50g Citra leaf AA=13.6% at 10 mins
50g Galaxy leaf AA=12.6% at 10 mins

Cool to 165F for the hopstand
50g Citra Leaf AA=13.6%
50g Galaxy leaf AA=12.6%
Hopstand for 20 mins then cool to 70F

22 litres in the FV, OG =1048
1pk US West Coast yeast
50g Citra leaf on day 7

Barrel on day 12, FG=1008

Have you changed this recipe? I got one written down...just flaked oats,not malted, hop stand for citra and galaxy,then a dry hop,no 10 minute addition,Liberty Bell yeast....