CS12 - #Unknown Ale

[mattd2]

This one was a bit of a mess as the first time round trying to brew it my mill didn't work, so I had to leave it for a week until I could buy some crushed grains. This meant there was only a week to get it ready for a party we were hosting. It was ok at the party but hadn't cleared by then. Hopefully it is better now... well I'll find out soon enough.

I Was shooting for a English brown ale but I would consider it more of a standard NZ draught. As for labelling it's the one with a # on the cap.

Cheers,

Matt

Recipe Specs

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Batch Size (L): 22.0

Total Grain (kg): 4.500

Total Hops (g): 30.00

Original Gravity (OG): 1.045 (°P): 11.2

Final Gravity (FG): 1.014 (°P): 3.6

Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.13 %

Colour (SRM): 12.1 (EBC): 23.8

Bitterness (IBU): 19.2 (Average)

Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 70

Boil Time (Minutes): 60

Grain Bill

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4.000 kg Maris Otter Malt (88.89%)

0.500 kg Crystal 80 (11.11%)

Hop Bill

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20.0 g Fuggles Pellet (6.6% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (0.9 g/L)

10.0 g Fuggles Pellet (6.6% Alpha) @ 5 Minutes (Boil) (0.5 g/L)

Misc Bill

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Single step Infusion at 69°C for 60 Minutes.

Fermented at 20°C with US05 (only thing I had on hand)

[Ryan Perkins]

Nice and clear, toffee colour and flavour with a mild bitterness.  Good mouth feel but not as thick as I had expected with a mash temp of 69 although the sweetness comes through.  Very easy to drink and like an NZ draught as you say. Thanks Matt, nice beer. 

[mattd2]

Thanks guys. Mash temp (mostly mash tun insulation) is something I need to work on I think as it probably dropped a few degrees over the mash.
I was a bit worried for this one as I just kicked the keg and it had possibly started to go south with a slight tartness.
Cheers!

[Ryan Perkins]

Didn't notice any tartness.  I used to have the same issues during the mash when I was using an old rectangular chilly bin.  I recently upgraded to a cylindrical Rubbermaid cooler and I put a sleeping bag over it for a bit of extra insulation, I only loose about 0.5 - 1 degree over the hour now.  I also started doing a mash out which I think has helped.

[Duncan Emo]

Hi Matt - here's my notes from a tasting last week.

Appearance - golden brown/amber - the head didn't appear for me. There was not much carbonation in this bottle.

Nose - A nice toffee/caramel aroma

Taste - Very mild - as fitting with what you were aiming for (Brown Ale/NZ Draught). Maybe due to my bottle not being very carbonated it was not as nutty/rich in malt that I've had with Maris Otter beers in the past.

A good beer on the deck on a hot still summers day (don't have many non windy days like that in Wellington). Cheers.

[Richard Jack]

Think my bottle might have been well undercarbed? poured from 6 inches or so over the glass and gained a few mm of head. Great colour and clarity.

Malty sweet aroma, not really much hop character to speak of other than earthiness, fuggles I guess.

Not a whole lot other than mild malt in the mouth, medium/light mouthfeel.

If you were shooting for an NZ Draught, bar carbonation this is a triumphant success. If you were shooting for an english brown, I think you really need an english yeast.

Cheers.

[Peter Church]

Last one for me, brilliantly clear amber, same carb issue that the others have mentioned, really enjoyed this, a simple well made sessionable offering, very approachable, a good one to put in front of the non craft drinking mates. will be trying for something close to this but with an english yeast strain as one of my next brews. Thanks Matt. will drop past the office next time im in tga and fix you up with the money too, forgot last time I saw you.