Phew. Brew day done.
Draining and sparging after bringing the grain in temp to 73c. I heat the kitchen kettle up to 75c and pour it in the top of the bag
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Electric winches rock!
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I scoop most of the scum off the top. Hop bag with EKG hops goes in and we boil for 60 minutes. Looking like stout now!
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I add these 15 minutes before flame out (heat off).
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In goes the chiller to bring it down below 30c as quickly as possible.
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Mine circulates from the water tank through the chiller and back into the tank. You can also do recirculating system using ice, or putting the pot in ice until it comes down as far as it will go.
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I sterilise a spoon
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The sweet spot to turn off the chiller - 24-27c
The break - why you are chilling it as fast as you can. You don't want this in the fermenter if you can avoid it. It won't damage the beer, but clearing it will be harder.
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Whirlpool!!!! And leave it to sit, lid on, for 20 minutes.
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No starter today, just using up some dried yeast. cleaned and sanitised glass jar, with 28c water taken from the kettle after a boil and allowed to cool down. Leave it to sit for 15 minutes, and then give it a good swirl.
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Hey presto, clear, silky black stout wort.
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Into the sanitised fermenter she goes. I draw off 500ml first as the cold break comes through initially before clear wort.
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See how the break gets sucked down to the bottom from the whirlpool
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Into the fermenting fridge she goes, heat belt round the bottom (never use a heat pad, bad for bottom feeding yeasts!) and thermometer strapped half way up for more accurate fermenting temps
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Yeast is looking creamy and ready to eat that wort
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this will come out around 6.2 to 6.3% abv
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In the meantime, Jerky went well too. I reckon I need 1/2 the blueberries, they are pretty strong, but it is delicious.
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Over a pound of jerky…… should keep us going for a week or so!
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