More Beer

Right, the same again this time more hops and hop schedule.  I've started another couple brews since last time.  I think we can say this is a rather easy beer to make well.  There are lots of wiggle room, so you can't go wrong.

First off some comments about the last batch, it is a complete success.  After 4 days in the fermenter wort cleared, and the wort, now beer, was transferred into another carboy for secondary fermentation, then 3days later I primed with 36g of corn sugar and transferred to a Cornelius kegs.  It was totally drinkable, right there and then and improved considerably over the weekend.  I've been pouring off a few glasses all weekend, from days +5 until today +7. Initially, it was flat of course but by day +7 it was really quite tasty with very small suspended bubbles and thin head. 

Rewind the clock at bit, whilst I was preparing to transfer the initial batch into the secondary fermenter I started yet another batch.  I endeavoured to make this batch even before than the first one, by boiling the wort harder to improve my sugar and hop conversion efficiency.  The higher gravity showed that this was indeed achieved and wort had the hop character that tastes very promising.


The ingredients are much the same but I've added some Fuggle hops and modified the hop schedule.
5gal Water
6lb Pale Malt Extract
1oz Kent Goldings (60min)
1/2oz Fuggles(30min)
1oz Styrian Goldings (1/2 oz for last 15min of boil and 1/2 oz for flame off)
Nottingham Ale yeast (started from initial brew)
1/2 Wirlfloc tablet

Same basic procedure as before, one step sanitize everything.  Heat 5gallons of water to 40C, flame off, add malt extract, stir til dissolved, flame on, heat til 100C, add boiling hops, boil 60 min, add finishing hops, insert chiller, boil 30min, flame off, add final hops, chill to 80C in 10min, then continue to chill to 30C.

While the wort was chilling I transferred the initial batch into secondary.  There was quite a bit of sludge at the bottom and I wished there was something I could do with it, well there was.  I pulled the lot into a tall glass and let it settle.  I poured off the liquid into a sanitized PET bottle and added a teaspoon of corn sugar (not completely sanitary), giving it a good shake to add oxygen as yeast needs oxygen to multiply.  By the time the wort chilled to 30C the yeast starter had a vigorous foam going already!  Add a bit of wort to the yeast starter then pitched it in.  I transferred the wort to the carboy and poured it back into the copper boiler.  I let the lot settle for 10min then siphoned the wort back into the carboy.  The pre-fermented wort had a really smooth hop ramp that goes on and on.  I could drink the wort in place of tea.

On Friday when I transferred the initial batch into a keg I started yet another batch. This time with a slightly different hop compliment and schedule.


5gal Water
6lb Pale Malt Extract
1oz Kent Goldings  (60min)
1/2oz Fuggles  (60min)
1oz Kent Goldings  (1/2oz 60min, 1/4oz last 15min of boil, and 1/4oz at flame off)

Nottingham Ale yeast (started from secondary brew, but pitched dry yeast after 3hr of no activity)


Nothing much to note here, forgot the Whirlfoc tablet in the last 15min of boil and the yeast starter didn't seem viable after 3hr in fermentater so I pitched in some dry yeast.  I wasn't about to risk infection.  That most certainly worked, as with 30min there was a healthy foam at the top.   I always try a bit of the wort, this one had a pleasant hop ramp.  I think the Fuggles hops may be more distinctive that the Styrian Hops used in the previous brews.  Can't wait to find out.