Yes it is. Most of the flavour though comes from the hopstand.
One of the changes I’m planning is day 0 dry hopping to take advantage of bio transformation.
Hazelwood Brewday
- Thread starter Hazelwood Brewery
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One of the changes I’m planning is day 0 dry hopping to take advantage of bio transformation.
I’m happy to take advice but that’s a step too far, I love Galaxy.
Brew day today. I’m just brewing an English Bitter today so I’m expecting a relaxed day - famous last words!
My mash water is treated and heating for the mash. The water profile is Chloride rich to accentuate the malt flavours, the ratio being 0.7. Calcium content is 137ppm including 60ppm from my tap water. For this beer I use 40% tap water and 60% RO water in the mash.
Time to mill the grain; 4000g Simpsons Maris Otter, 200g Flaked Barley, 100g Crystal 225, and 30g Roasted Barley that’s mostly for colour adjustment.
My mash water is treated and heating for the mash. The water profile is Chloride rich to accentuate the malt flavours, the ratio being 0.7. Calcium content is 137ppm including 60ppm from my tap water. For this beer I use 40% tap water and 60% RO water in the mash.
Time to mill the grain; 4000g Simpsons Maris Otter, 200g Flaked Barley, 100g Crystal 225, and 30g Roasted Barley that’s mostly for colour adjustment.
Water is up to temperature so time to add the grist, plumb in the recirculation pump and get the mash on.
10 minutes in and time to check the gravity & pH. SG is 1042, pH is 5.36. That will do for me. 
20 minutes in and time for one more check. Gravity is now 1049, pH is 5.26 and the wort is starting to clear. All is on track so I’ll leave it another half hour and mash out. Time for a coffee and an Eccles cake 
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When using a grain for colour adjustment only, do you still include it for the full mash duration or as a late addition?
You could do either, I add it at the start. Some people say it adds bitterness and is best steeped at the end but I haven’t found that - it is only 30g.
Ok, cheers. I asked because I added 40g Chocolate malt to add colour to my London Bitter as a late addition recently because I’d heard about the potential bitterness from adding early.
That said, I’ve just checked the SG of my London Bitter and it’s stopped at 1.020, (Lallemand London Ale yeast) so it might have actually benefitted from any bitterness added
I guess that’s another consideration with late additions. If you’re doing any kind of stepped mash you’ll be adding late additions at higher temperatures and that might lead to more unfermentable sugars. In your case I doubt 40g is going to make any appreciable difference even if you are step mashing. I’m sure it will be great even with a tad of sweetness. Hobgoblin is quite sweet and I like thatOk, cheers. I asked because I added 40g Chocolate malt to add colour to my London Bitter as a late addition recently because I’d heard about the potential bitterness from adding early.
That said, I’ve just checked the SG of my London Bitter and it’s stopped at 1.020, (Lallemand London Ale yeast) so it might have actually benefitted from any bitterness added
Right, time for mash out. One more check at this point on gravity and pH before I start.
That looks like it's headed for a high gravity after the boil. What's the target?
Target is 1046 by the end and I suspect I’ll be a couple of points up without some adjustment.
Mash out done and the final mash gravity is 1060 so a little up on where it should be. My suspicion is that this is a result of having turned down the flow rate on my recirculation pump because this is the only variable that’s changed in an otherwise routine and well rehearsed brew-day. Interesting 
The wort is also now nice and clear.
Just started raining here now - did anyone see which way summer went?
The wort is also now nice and clear.
Just started raining here now - did anyone see which way summer went?
So, turning the flow rate down, I'm assuming that permits more enzyme activity in the malt rather than continually flushing the enzymes away from the starch? There's a fine balance then between having a high density of enzymes but not flushing sugars out of malt, and flushing enzymes out too rapidly.Mash out done and the final mash gravity is 1060 so a little up on where it should be. My suspicion is that this is a result of having turned down the flow rate on my recirculation pump because this is the only variable that’s changed in an otherwise routine and well rehearsed brew-day. Interesting
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Just started raining here now - did anyone see which way summer went?
BTW summer has moved north. Just sat outside in the sun for a 12pm online briefing and it's gorgeous! Resisting temptation for a lunchtime half on the deck is a tall order. ☀
Sparging now. It’s a kind of fly sparge I guess. I made up a “sparge head” (not a real thing) from the lid of a fermenting bucket, some 3/8 beer pipe, a John Guest “T” piece and a few cable ties. I pierced the ring of beer pipe with a needle to form a spray head. The sparge head is fed from a fish tank pump, a bit more pipe, and another couple of John Guest fittings.
This is is assembled and working…
This is is assembled and working…
Good observations and might be the answer, I don’t know. It hasn’t even crossed my mind before now as a factor in efficiency but my curiosity is certainly piqued!
Gone North you say? Well if you be so kind to send it home down here I’d much appreciate it.:hat:
Sparge all done. During the sparge I bled off 10 litres of wort. At the end, lift the basket and sit it on some clips hooked over the rim of the boiler. Drain for a few minutes and sit in a bucket to catch the last half litre or so.
In the meantime turn up the temperature on the Inkbird to 212F, add back the decanted wort and take a pre-boil gravity reading. Gravity is 1047 and I would normally expect 1046 so I’m pretty much on track at this point.
