First ever brew (and it was all-grain!)

[Camberwell Canary]

Thanks for everyone's help. After 6 weeks conditioning it tastes great, but is far too strong.

I reckon it would make a great IPA at about 6.5% ABV and a bit more malt.

To get this ^^^^^, take the Burton Bridge Bitter recipe from Graham Wheeler's book. Replace the Styrian Goldings with Celeia. Increase the amount of hops by 50% and use BeerSmith to adjust the sugar/mash temp to get 6.5% ABV.

Yummers. I will try this before the year is out.

 

[Camberwell Canary]

PS

I discovered on my second brew a whopping great leak on my mashtun, which I probably didn't notice the first time around because I was having difficulty fly sparging. This probably explains the terrible efficiency.

For my second brew I fixed the leak and achieved 75% brewhouse efficiency (I forget what mash efficiency). So all sorted.

 

[godfrey]

looks like a lovely bit of unused trellis in the picture

I can see a hop plant enjoying that location very much :thumb:

 

[Camberwell Canary]

Are they difficult to grow? I notice they're growing Fuggles in the new glass-covered bit of Borough Market.

 

[godfrey]

hops grow wild in the UK,

they are annuals so you cut them back every year
and next year they grow back
they can grow 30-40 feet in a year
unless you get a dwarfing variety
that only grow 10-15 feet

won't be long now before the market is flooded with rhizomes

they usually on the market around September to March

most big vendors sell in November

this is the best time to move them as they are dormant for the winter