chromosphere

Brew time again - with more adventures in reusing yeast from bottle conditioned ales. This time using Hopback yeast from the dregs of a couple of Summer Lightnings - and looking to brew much the same beer with it if possible.

The yeast was grown up in a half-gallon demijohn, using some wort made up from spraymalt dissolved in water, boiled and cooled. This was sat onto a DIY stir plate (computer fan, two strong button magnets and a PWM controller borrowed from the astronomy kit for a bit). The yeast was grown up using a 500ml batch of wort, and then, once this had fermented out, another 1.5l batch of wort. After this, stored in the fridge until the evening before the brew, and then allowed to warm and re-awakened by running off and cooling a litre of fresh wort during the boil.

The recipe for the beer was:

5.5kg Maris Otter
Mashed at 64C for 90min.

Hops:

44g Challenger (5.6%, 90min) - 27IBU
26g EKG (3.9%, 90min) - 11IBU
15g EKG (15min)
10g EKG (0 min Steep)

Irish Moss at 15minutes.

All in the FV - 23L at OG of 1050 - I chucked in 1/2tsp of Brew-vit for good measure too when aerating it, and it was put under the control of the ATC800 between 17C and 18C.

UPDATE:

The yeast is particularly active! It’s tried to make it’s way out through the lid a couple of times - I’ve now skimmed some off the top to keep for a next brew and put it away again to finish up.

Following on from my cycling incident, just to say well done to Grayline of Bicester who appear to take a positive attitude towards incidents like the one I experienced. So, without passing over details of the (very quick) response I received, thanks

A big thank you here to the bus driver from Grayline Coaches (Bicester) who decided to tailgate me at 10-20ft on Tuesday morning along the Botley Road in Oxford while I was travelling at 25mph - and all simply because he wanted to get by me to allow him to travel 5mph quicker and get into the long stationary queue of traffic a few seconds earlier. And also thanks to him for the volley of abuse and the hand gestures out the window…

(PS: next time you drive along there, note that the Bus Lane also has cycle and taxi signs, and hope your employer takes note of your lack of driving skills and the good impression you have made on their behalf).

Ooh - by the way, this may work or not - I’m probably currently doing 125mph in a train between York and Darlington - wifi on the train, and it works too (fairly well - sketchy in places, but better than nothing).

Managed to get down the road as it has finally stopped raining and picked a load of the wild hops (though there were an absolute load more left - I could have been picking them for days…).

Trying to dry them off now with a combination of drying in the airing cupboard and on newspaper laid out on the floor. We’ll see how it goes and how many I’ve actually got there when/if they dry out properly.

I’ve been on holiday this and last week - and only right that I get some brewing done. This one (brewed on the 2nd Sept) is a bit made up (but based on some logic) - I have an old pack of Bramling Cross I needed to use, and I discovered I had no crystal (only caramalt), and so I came up with the following:

3.9kg Maris Otter
180g Amber malt
200g Caramalt
150g Torrefied Wheat

Mashed at 65C for about 75min

Hops:

75min:
25g Fuggles (2007) 4.5%
25g Bramling Cross (2006) 5.5%

15min:

25g Bramling Cross

My aim here is to get a little sweetness from the caramalt, the roast flavours from the amber along with the combination of Fuggles and Bramling Cross (seen this a few times in commercial brews, but not much - Earthy Fuggles and fruity Bramling X?). The amber/Bramling X combination is quite popular too - seen several recipe with these. It has a fairly low SG - 1039 - but this should mean it’ll be ready sooner!

Also, fermenting this one (with S-04) at 21-22C - higher than I normally do, but I’m following a little after the White Horse Brewery (Stanford-in-the-Vale) who apparently ferment at 23-25C using the same yeast - surprising, but I think this is where they get their “house taste” from - and it’s not half bad either. (The White Horse Bitter and “Black Beauty” (roasty, dark mild) are lovely). And as a result, only 2 days later, the fermentation is already slowing a little - the 4-5inch yeast head is already reducing.

This afternoon, whilst elderberry picking in the pissing rain (wine - I need to post on this!) I found about 5-6 wild female hop plants in the hedgerow just down the road. (and no - I’m not telling where!)

If I get the OK from the cricket club (they are in their hedge and it’s easier from their car park), and it ever stops raining, I want those hops (loads!). Wild hop ale - the question is: How many do you use if you don’t know the AA percentage? How about a traditional IPA style brew? If it’s too bitter, just let it mature for longer…

Hmmm… Gotta love brewing with free stuff - if it tastes crap, then who cares?