AG #11 Dark Ruby Mild

[jeg3]

Started this first thing this morning:

5kg pale malt
850g dark crystal malt

25g EKG 90 mins
27g Fuggles 90 mins
21g Fuggles 10 mins
1 tsp Irish Moss 10 mins

15l mash @ 67℃
18l sparge @ 75℃

Expected OG 1.057. IBU 31. EBC 39

This was my second attempt with the new grain mill and crushed this a lot finer. Initial pre boil gravity seemed low (1.039) which was a bit disheartening, but the did three readings and got three different measurements. Thought sod it and carried on.

Actual OG was 1.052, which is reasonably close and gives an efficiency of 66% which I'm happy with.

I've got another brew in primary and cropped the yeast from that (home cultured Wye Valley yeast) and pitched immediately directly into the fresh wort.

Fermentation started pretty much straight away. I cropped approx 500ml of yeast and foam, and it looked to be double that which comes in a wyeast smack pack. I can see now how breweries get such a throughput as there was zero lag.

 

[clibit]

Sounds good. That's a grain bill I would like to try.

 

[jeg3]

I love Sarah Hughes dark ruby mild, so it had to be done at some point

 

[jeg3]

Got up this morning and fermentation has really taken off. The krausen has taken up the 7 inch headspace in the FV and gone overboard.

More top quality yeast to crop for the next brew, which will be a First Gold Bitter

 

[clibit]

Looks like a Starbucks sloppy coffee.

 

[jeg3]

A Starbucks coffee never dumped a couple of pints of froth on the floor though!

 

[clibit]

A Starbucks coffee never dumped a couple of pints of froth on the floor though!

Wanna bet? :lol:

 

[jeg3]

Took a day 4 reading this evening as with all my beers to check on progress and make sure it's not bad.

Down to 1.012 and tasting good. The dark crystal malt gives an exaggerated malt flavour but there is a real sweet undertone. But it will taste completely different again in 10 days time when it will be racked to a keg.

I find dark beers always develop a higher krausen and high gravity beers naturally produce more yeast, so it's literally developed 8 inches of yeast, there must be a gallon...

 

[jeg3]

Down to 1.011 which is a point below estimated FG. Decided to rack to the keg and allow a week's secondary in the keg.

Because of the dark colour and the high OG it produced a lot of trub and wanted to get it off the yeast cake. It's been fermenting for 10 days.

Some sediment went in the keg so hopefully it will finish off. Will move to a cool room to condition next weekend and will leave for at least a month