AG#8 Great Western Ale

[rickthebrew]

Went for a walk along the seafront at dawlish this lunchtime with the missus and our little boy, we watched the trains going by and went in the pub where i had a couple of Bay`s Breaker Ale (brewed in torquay just down the coast) it was a lovely pint so when we got back i checked the Bays website which gave little away about the malts and hops in the brew only that it used pale and some choc malt and english hops :hmm: I get my grain from the same malsters direct so i thought i`d brew an inspired ale, Nice and hoppy - just the way i like it

Great Western Ale 4.8 %

23litres brewlength
4300grams Pale malt-maris otter
300grams Cara malt
100grams Wheat malt
50grams Chocolate malt
200grams white sugar - halfway through boil

40g challenger 90mins
20g e.k.golding 90mins
20g fuggles 10mins
20g e.k.golding 10mins
30g fuggles 30min steep at flame out
30g e.k.golding at flame out

yeast will be S-04

expected OG: 1050
expected FG:1013
IBU: 43.6
SRM: 13.9
ABV: 4.8%

I hope this will turn out as a simular style to the original and may even see if i can beg some yeast from the brewery for a future brew :whistle: Will also be the first brew with my newly constructed boiler so fingers crossed

 

[Muddydisco]

Looks a good un, Fingers crossed for the Boil :thumb:

 

[corby_brewer]

hope eveything goes to plan rick

 

[rickthebrew]

Weighed out my grain ready for the morning - got as much done as possible so hopefully a smooth day tommorrow :? I`m using a little gypsum for water treatment along with the normal campden.

below are a couple pics of a nearly freeezing dawlish warren this morning, the train track runs along the coast a good few miles and is a very scenic route.

Full brewday post tommorrow :thumb:

 

[rickthebrew]

Boiler was on around half eight and up to temp by around 9am :thumb: New boiler is a lot quicker than my old one and should shave some time of the brewday - also large enough to do a 46litre brew (if i can squeeze the grain in the tun :whistle: ) kept it simple today though at 23litres

boiler having its cherry broke!!

mash temps good both ends

loads of hops in this one :whistle:

sparge all good, colour just what I`m looking for -

so ready to test the boiler proper!!
from wort in at around 60 degrees to boiling took around twenty minutes :thumb: my old boiler would take up to forty minutes depending on the outside temp.

1st hops in, turned one element off and the other kept the boil rolling well,

2nd hops in -no leaks or problems bucket holding up fine can`t see any problems with this bucket if it is the thinner one.

boiler off and steep hops,

just need to bend a bit of copper pipe for a tap - really happy with the boiler (cheers MD :thumb: great how to guide)

loads of filth leftover :whistle:

less deadspace then my old boiler so will be lots more efficient - only a few litres evaporation and as i was heavy on the hops they soaked up a lot of wort - just under my brewlength so added a couple litres of water :whistle:

cleaned up the boiler ready for next weekend :drunk:

OG was 1048 (wort was around 33 degrees in pic) really happy with this brew - can`t wait for the next, you can see the protein lumps getting ready to fall out ( i think anyway!!)

brewday done in under 5 hours - will hopefully do a double brewlength next week :drink:

 

[Muddydisco]

Great brew and pic's Glad to help out a newbie like I once was :thumb:

 

[rickthebrew]

: Cheers MD - i`m really enjoying this brewing lark!! Expansion ideas are already running through my mind :rofl:

 

[tubby_shaw]

Great pictures :thumb:

 

[kitoog]

Really good pictures there rickthebrew. I used a workbench like yours with a similar 60L boiler and the wood has warped a bit from the weight/heat . Going to put strong sheet of wood on workbench first next time as really do not trust that mdf stuff

 

[rickthebrew]

funny you should say that i did notice a little warping myself :lol: from one brew :? will whack a piece of wood on top as well i think - remember, saftey first :drink: :rofl: :drink: :drunk: :whistle:

 

[rickthebrew]

yeast off to a good start :clap: dry pitched s-04

:drink:

 

[rickthebrew]

bottled up tonight - 37 i think :drink: :whistle: A touch cloudy but hope the s-04 will sort this out, lovely colour that you can nearly see in the pic

:drink:

 

[Vossy1]

Looking good rtb
Missed this post first time round great pics :thumb:

 

[bones]

Nice one Rick that brew is my......... thang... :

 

[Wez]

Great pics :thumb:

 

[rickthebrew]

very early cheeky taster tonight :lol: almost crystal clear and very promising - needs a bit more conditioning but looking forward to sinking a few of these :party: Maybe a dry hop addition would bring it closer to the original but as an inspired brew I`m loving it :thumb:

 

[Bru4u]

Excellent post Rick from start to finish :thumb:
I enjoyed that

 

[rickthebrew]

around seven weeks old and a really good pint - a little lacking on aroma but great hop flavour and malt taste, I find S-04 fermented brews takes a little longer to come into condition then say US-05 fermented brews :hmm:

well worth the wait - shame i`ve only about 8 left :lol: , tasters from week to week :whistle:

 

[Franklin]

Sounds and looks like a good one :)
Looks a good colour :)

 

[unclepumble]

around seven weeks old and a really good pint - a little lacking on aroma but great hop flavour and malt taste, I find S-04 fermented brews takes a little longer to come into condition then say US-05 fermented brews :hmm:

well worth the wait - shame i`ve only about 8 left :lol: , tasters from week to week :whistle:

U sound like a satisfied customer :party:

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