Hopsteep Brewing

[user 18729]

Wow - 40L... do you condition it in Cornys?

I'm planning on filling a sankey keg (same size as a corny) and then canning/bottling the other half :hat:

 

[samale]

Here's today's beer- one of my favourite beer styles. I don't usually brew the same beer twice but this is the exception

Marilyn
Belgian Blond Ale
40L Batch

Colour 9 EBC
Est Abv 7%
22.6 IBU

Fermentables
Lager Malt 10.3kg / 86.6%
Weyerman Abbey Malt 400g / 3.4%
Belgian Candy Sugar (boil) 1200g / 10%

Boil
60 mins
Polaris 24g / 21.1 IBUs
5 mins
Hallertauer Hersbrucker 40g / 1.5 IBUs

Yeast
Wyeast 3944 Belgian Witbier (repitched from previous brew). Fermented at the higher end to get some Belgian funk out of the yeast.

Adjusted Water
Ca 116ppm, Mg 9ppm, Na 43ppm, SO4 96ppm, Cl 101ppm and a mash PH of 5.3

I have had the pleasure of sampling this before. Lovely beer

 

[user 18729]

I have had the pleasure of sampling this before. Lovely beer

I'm hoping this will be just as nice! I've gone with Abbey malt this time instead of aromatic malt and the yeast is now 3944 instead of 3463. The 'Forbidden fruit' strain worked really well before so I've gone with another witbier yeast

 

[Welsh Badger]

Yes! Christening the new chiller as I type, seems to be doing a great job

View attachment 48170

Looks like a great location and setup. Noob question. Can somebody describe the kit setup? At a guess I've got as far as brew kettle, sparg kettle, why duel pump? And don't know the kettle on left

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

Can somebody describe the kit setup? At a guess I've got as far as brew kettle, sparg kettle, why duel pump? And don't know the kettle on left

It's a 'three vessel' (3V) setup

From Homebrewing: 3-Vessel Brewing:

"Three vessel systems comprise a Hot Liquor Tank, Mash Tun, and Boil Kettle.​

​

The hot liquor tank has the least intuitive name—brewers refer to water as liquor. The only thing you use the Hot Liquor Tank (HLT) for is heating up water to use in various points in the brewing process.​

​

The Mash Tun, or MT, is where you mash your grain. Crushed grain mixes with water at about 150°F to convert starches to sugar. The bottom of the MT has a metal screen at the bottom, which allows you to drain the wort without getting any grain along with it.​

​

The Boil Kettle is exactly what it sounds like. If you've done extract brewing before, then it's likely that the only kettle you have is a boil kettle."​

 

[user 18729]

Looks like a great location and setup. Noob question. Can somebody describe the kit setup? At a guess I've got as far as brew kettle, sparg kettle, why duel pump? And don't know the kettle on left

That's a good question!

The right hand vessel doubles as a HERMS (heat exchanged recirculating mash system) as it has a stainless coil inside of it.

In simple terms, you can pump the wort out of the mash tun, run it through the HERMS coil and then back into the mash tun in order to raise the temperature of the mash. So one pump is for recirculating the mash through the HERMS and the other is then used to whirlpool the hot water within the sparge/HERMS kettle (to ensure the coil efficiently exchanges heat during the process.

I hope that makes sense!

 

[user 18729]

Such a mess this morning, good job the blow off was fitted!

Decided to top crop the yeast

 

[Welsh Badger]

That's a good question!

The right hand vessel doubles as a HERMS (heat exchanged recirculating mash system) as it has a stainless coil inside of it.

In simple terms, you can pump the wort out of the mash tun, run it through the HERMS coil and then back into the mash tun in order to raise the temperature of the mash. So one pump is for recirculating the mash through the HERMS and the other is then used to whirlpool the hot water within the sparge/HERMS kettle (to ensure the coil efficiently exchanges heat during the process.

I hope that makes sense!

Yep, does. Very nice kit. I'm thinking of upgrading. Have modified a 30l pot to add a ball valve lever which is great for brew days. I still use the plastic tubs as a FV on a Mangrove Jack heat plate.

So, upgrade to all in one brew kit? Or upgrade to a posher temp controlled FV?
Both around same ish price.

Which is best?

 

[user 18729]

Yep, does. Very nice kit. I'm thinking of upgrading. Have modified a 30l pot to add a ball valve lever which is great for brew days. I still use the plastic tubs as a FV on a Mangrove Jack heat plate.

So, upgrade to all in one brew kit? Or upgrade to a posher temp controlled FV?
Both around same ish price.

Which is best?

For temperature control all you need is an inkbird and a second hand fridge big enough to put your FV inside second hand fridge circa £50, inkbird £30 and you have temp control.

The all in one debate is really down to personal preference. I think if I was starting over I would look at BIAB with a nice shiny boiler (which you can DIY really easily).

You don’t need to spend much to make great quality wort to answer your question I’d buy what will make you happy in the long run

 

[Welsh Badger]

For temperature control all you need is an inkbird and a second hand fridge big enough to put your FV inside second hand fridge circa £50, inkbird £30 and you have temp control.

The all in one debate is really down to personal preference. I think if I was starting over I would look at BIAB with a nice shiny boiler (which you can DIY really easily).

You don’t need to spend much to make great quality wort to answer your question I’d buy what will make you happy in the long run

Great, thanks. Modified a cooking pot to add the ball valve which has helped. I use a large muslin drawstring bag and a pack of bulldog clips to hold out the pot to drain. Will look at the stronger bags. Space is an issue for me until we extend. Need a garage!

 

[user 18729]

Great, thanks. Modified a cooking pot to add the ball valve which has helped. I use a large muslin drawstring bag and a pack of bulldog clips to hold out the pot to drain. Will look at the stronger bags. Space is an issue for me until we extend. Need a garage!

If space is tight i would definitely stay with BIAB or look at an all in one Brew Builder make some lovely bits of kit if you do go down the DIY route one day

In terms of space, I brewed on a two vessel (boiler and mash tun) for a good 10 years before deciding to add another vessel. There’s never enough space even with a garage

 

[user 18729]

I’m going to try and get permission this year to brew some beers for our website- thought I’d sample the witbier that I brewed a few weeks ago

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

View attachment 48593
I’m going to try and get permission this year to brew some beers for our website- thought I’d sample the witbier that I brewed a few weeks ago

Fab label - love that

 

[user 18729]

Fab label - love that

Something really simple to begin with

 

[user 18729]

So my Belgian Blond has been chugging along at a painfully slow pace

Down to 1.016 after 9 days, with the temperature on the gradual ramp up- currently sitting at 28 degrees in the brew fridge.

I've had some slow fermentations but this is probably the most memorable, any other Belgian strain and this would have been fermented out in about 4 days

 

[Hazelwood Brewery]

So my Belgian Blond has been chugging along at a painfully slow pace

Down to 1.016 after 9 days, with the temperature on the gradual ramp up- currently sitting at 28 degrees in the brew fridge.

I've had some slow fermentations but this is probably the most memorable, any other Belgian strain and this would have been fermented out in about 4 days

In this heat I’m feeling almost as lethargic as that yeast

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

In this heat I’m feeling almost as lethargic as that yeast

No kidding - I've just mowed the grass, and I think I'm in danger of melting...

 

[user 18729]

My Wit has done a @Hazelwood Brewery

 

[samale]

View attachment 48975
My Wit has done a @Hazelwood Brewery

Looks like a well brewed light pale ale. How's it tasting

 

[user 18729]

Looks like a well brewed light pale ale. How's it tasting

Very nice indeed! Crisp and refreshing! My other half loves it