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Showing posts from January, 2021

Brew 17 - Worlds Collide (Kveik IPA)

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Brew 17 - Worlds Collide (Kveik IPA) Brew Day: 19/01/2021 Bottle Day: 30/01/2021 I have 2 kilos of malt sat waiting to be used so I feel a mini 7 litre batch is needed. I've ordered some hops and yeast to try out.  Firstly, 200g of Sabro Hops. I've only recent come across this hop variety thanks to a local brew (Pneuma by Steel Brew Co.) and it blew me away. Such sweet, fruity and tropical flavour.  Next, I've ordered some Kveik yeast to try it out. I understand that this yeast can brew at some seriously high temp and speed and have tried some really tasty brews including one by North Brewing Co. I'm aiming to brew at 30 deg C to see how this yeast goes - hoping for a rapid primary fermentation. I spent a bit of time adjusting the immersion heater in some water to get it to switch on and off at 30 deg C - I'm hoping this isn't affected much by the size of the vessel but let's see how it goes! So, just waiting on the items to arrive and we can get cracking! 

Brew 16 - Pilgrim Brother (2nd Running's Experimental)

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Brew 16 - Pilgrim Brother (2nd Running's Experimental)  Brew day: 09/01/2021 Bottle Day: 30/01/2021 Whilst at the end of the mash for Brew 15 (Son of Cornwall), I decided to try something out.  Usually at this point I would squeeze the bag and discard the malt. This time, I intended to re-infuse some hot strike water into the mash tun in the hope of extracting the rest of the fermentable sugar held within the grain bed. As I don't usually sparge there should be some at least.  I added about 10L of hot water (77 deg C) back into the mash tun with a view to washing more of the sugars from the grist. This is the temperature that a sparge would usually lift the grist and wort up to - making the wort more viscous and allowing it to move more freely to the base of the mash tun.  I then recirculated the new wort a few times over the grain to increase yield.  The resulting wort had a gravity of 1.049 which was well above what I expected. I decided that this wort would be used to make a

Brew 15 - Son of Cornwall (Wee Heavy)

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Brew 15 - Son Of Cornwall (Wee Heavy) Brew day: 09/01/2021 Bottle day: 29/01/2021 New year, new beer. The first malt order for 2021 has arrived and a new beer style awaits. I received 2 brewing bibles for Christmas (Greg Hughes and another by Chris Colby). Flicking through I have picked up lots of tips and ideas and consequently decided to brew one of the recipes.  I've a real love for Scottish beers and remember sampling a range of shilling beers during my time in Scotland in 2019. My Dad and I also love McEwan's Champion (weighing in at 7.3%) and often drink it in memory of my Grandad Roger (who also enjoyed this tipple). A fine, fitting beer style to emulate then. The name 'Son of Cornwall' derives from the poem/prose that my Dad wrote about Roger for his eulogy and was read at his funeral. Roger was a true Cornishman and this beer will be dedicated to him.  This style poses a lovely big malt bill, a smallish hop bill and a really high original gravity that requires