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

[Soren]

Old Nameless Barley Wine:

20 kgs of Marris Otter, Caramunich and medium crystal.
1.110 + an extra 0.010 of sugar in the secondary.
Hopping like HopWired, minus the dryhop.

Splitting up into 2 ferments, one with WLP007 and one with '05.

Probably the biggest homebrew I have ever mashed in, halfway through mashing I had to ditch my regular spoon and grab a garden spade...

[JackoNZ]

Brewed my APA today, Bairds Pearl with global light and pale crystal to 8% combined. Pacific Jade to bitter and Simcoe & Amarillo at 15/10/0 and dry hop later on. A gain in efficiency today of about 5%. BIAB but with a sparge step, increased the time the sparge water sat on the grains for the last two brews and it's paying off. Up from 66% to 72%. I'd love to be able to get a consistent flame to get really accurate with gravity and volume. It's the one variable I don't have much control over, hopefully I'll have a garage one day to avoid the wind playing a part!

[denimglen]

I find stacking some old bricks about half way around the burner on the side the wind is blowing shields the flame and gives a more consistent boil off. While the wind blowing over the top of the kettle will increase boil-off I find that it's a negligible amount.

[JackoNZ]

Yeah I've got some bricks set up and also a few bits and pieces lying around to try and create some cover. Today was southerly so I'm quite covered and didn't suffer from too much wind and ended up being able to turn off 1 of my rings. However because of this constant change I just can't seem to nail my boil off rate.
I think today's was a lowly 11%, is that getting a bit too low? At some points my boil just looked way too ferocious so I backed off the gas.

[denimglen]

Including volume loss from cooling I boil off 6L/hr.

Last I heard for a 20ishL batch you want to be at about 12%/hr.

[JackoNZ]

Is your cooling loss at the default 4%? 6L/hr from what I can see in Beersmith is about 18% boil off rate?

[denimglen]

I'm set at 4.78% cooling loss, 16.60% boil off, 29L preboil, 2.8L lost to trub and chiller, 65 minute boil.

[Ron]

Just finished this wee Blonde Ale.

5.21kg Gladfield lager malt
0.35kg Crystal malt
28g NZ Hallertau @ 60 mins
14g Motueka @ 0 mins
14g NZ Hallertau @ 0 mins
Safale US-05

Mashed for 75mins @ 67-68degC
28 ltrs into the boiler and 25ltrs into the fermenter .
OG 1.061 was a little high but we'll see how it goes.
Cheeky Bloody neighbour popped her head in the pot and said "That doesn't smell like beer, it looks like pumpkin soup."
She nearly bought it.

[Alasdair]

In the middle of brewing a blonde for my sister's post-wedding BBQ:

Pearl pale malt to 1040.
28 IBUs
Bittered with Southern Cross
20g Riwaka at 15m and flame-out.
Wyeast 1272

Will also be serving a dry-hopped APA -

Pearl malt + crystal 40; NZ cascade + a hint of Pacifica; 1272.

[Reviled]

I love 3711 :o) Its ticking away at 26*c and it doesnt matter haha, great summer yeast!!

[James P]

That's a sick temperature..... you sick b**tard! :) Only the French!

[Reviled]

Pitched at 28*c too without a starter, was a bit concerned untill it started fermenting after an hour :oD haha

Definately going to reuse the yeast for a few brews while Aucklands still muggy as!!