What are you brewing?

[nzbrewer]

Since this is the most popular thread on the RealBeer.co.nz forum I thought I would start it here just to see what happens

[denimglen]

My hops are at like 20 cm for my smoothcone and my Danscade have got a few buds each and that's it. At least my garden looks balla now.

Must be the bullshit AK weather.

[James P]

Smoothcone is now 1700 two shoots, and cascade is 1500 three shoots.

They stalled for a week when we had a frost, but since then all the rain then couple of sunny day and they are grow like ..um... er... weed.

[Dale]

Hey James that's a great jump. So with that slower sparge how much longer was your whole brew session?

[James P]

About 30 minutes longer Dale, but during that time I hung out washing and moved some gear around so no issues!

[James P]

Just checked my running sheet.

Mashed in at 0925
Started draining MLT at 1030 (recirc 4.5 litres) batch volume 14.75 litres
Added batch sparge at 1105 (sit 5 min, recirc 4.5 litres)
Started draining MLT at 1110 batch volume 14 litres (total 28.75)
Started flame, and boil achieved at 1135 (while still draining so ramped up the flow rate)
Flame out 1300.

I think I'm converted to a 45min sparge! :)

[denimglen]

Was your increase in efficiency from the slower sparge due to an increase in volume extracted from the MLT or normal volume + more sugars?

I would think in a batch sparge all the sugars would be dissolved within a couple of minutes of adding the liquor and stirring? Maybe not though...

[James P]

I'm blowing the slow sparge's trumpet at the moment DG, as I would normally get my sparge done in 10 - 20 minutes (impatient). Having listened to others supposedly the sugars are "washed" from the grain more effectively with a slow flow rate... I have to read more on that side of it!

The volume has stayed relatively the same as previous batches. The only other thing that I did do differently this morning was I gave the mill a dust off with the air compressor.

[Mark Kessell]

hi guys. thought i'd bang this one up here.
i brewed this one last weekend. it's a styled APA, using a variety of NZ and american hop.

recipe:
5kg Koelsh Base Malt
0.25kg caramalt 30EBC
0.25kg Malanoidin

90minute boil.
90 mins:
20g NZ Cascade

15 mins:
10g NZ Cascade
20g Liberty
20g Riwaka

10mins:
20g Liberty
20g Motueka
20g Rewaka

0mins:
30g Liberty
20g Motueka

dry hop after 6 days:
30g Liberty
15g Nelson Souvin
15g Motueka



OG = 1.054. est. IBU's ~48 - 52 (can't remember exactly).
3 days into dry hopage, grav is sitting at 1.015.
i noticed it bubbling this morning, but as a mate said, it might have been the fermenter farting.
so i'll test it tomorrow night, for the last time.

i dont usually do style beers, so it's a 1st for me. but, out of the fermanter, it's tasting quite good.
and definitely looking forward to giving it a crack for the 1st time.

special thanks to big mike neilson for giving me a hand on brew day.
cheers bro! i'll save bottle or 2. :-)



p.s. i've already done 1 all grain, and it turned out frigin awesome (if i say so myself).
i'll post that one a bit later...

cheers!

[Michael]

So, I mentioned it elsewhere, but here is what the final recipe was of what I put into the fermenter today/tonight:

3.6 kg Weyermann Pilsner Malt
0.45 kg Global Munich Malt
250 g Weyermann CaraAmber
250 g Global Caramel Light
250 g Bairds Pale Crystal
100 g Bairds Brown malt
45 g  Weyermann Choc Wheat

Hops 
Amount Name Form Alpha IBU Boil Time 
1.00 oz. Willamette Pellet 5.50  60 minutes
1.00 oz. Fuggle Pellet 4.00 9.1  30 minutes
1.00 oz. Fuggle Pellet 4.00 4.8  15 minutes
1.00 oz. Willamette Pellet 5.50 0 minutes

Chilling it was a pain, as I have no chiller, and could not heft the pot out to the bath tub. So, I split what was in pot with three other pots, and cooled in the kitchen sink and the bath tub. Hopefully I managed to stay away from infecting the beer. I look forward to drinking it. (if I stayed sanitary. :) )

BY the way, the pot and bag from Liberty worked wonderfully! Now to get a chiller!

[Tony]

Michael, what are oz?

[James P]

28.3 grams.

[Michael]

oz=Australia :p

j/k

oz=ounces... grams are too hard to read on my scales, since they come from the US. The grains were already measured from Liberty, and JT's.