After some false starts and delays, I finally brewed my Irish Stout, with exactly 28 days to go before SPD. I'm a bit concerned, however, as I was brewing outside for the first time (I just bought a propane burner, prior to this I worked stovetop), and had some problems with keeping the wort chiller hoses off the ground - I cleaned them carefully with Starsan after it happened, but I'm still a bit nervous about the risk of infection.
For what is meant to be a 'dry' stout, it has some unusual ingredients; I wanted to give it just a little bit of sweetness and extra body, while still leaving an overall dry impression. The use of First Wort Hopping was pragmatic rather than deliberate; I didn't know how long the boil would take, yet, as I hadn't tested the equipment (the burner I had bought initially wasn't burning cleanly, and eventually a rep from the Brew Depot actually came by and replaced it, which was a real lifesaver), so it was easier to have the hops in at a point when I knew they would be effective, even if they gave some hop flavor that would be inappropriate for the style. When I did get the new burner, I wasn't aggressive enough with the heating at first - I didn't want a boil-over - which means the boil was still slower than it could have been.
Any constructive comments or advice would be appreciated.
Midnight Oil #2
5 lbs. Maris Otter
1 lb. brown malt
8oz. roasted barley
4oz. flaked barley
4oz. crystal 45L
4oz. honey malt
4oz. chocolate malt
2oz. Fuggles (5%AA) FWH
Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale yeast), 1 pkg.
Estimated OG: 1.043
Measured OG: 1.041
Estimated FG: 1.011
2015-02-14
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1900 - Crushed grain bill.
2014-02-15
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0930 - Prepared chemistry for mash (2.3g Epsom salt, 1.2g canning salt, 0.6g calcium chloride, 2.6g chalk) and sparge (1.6g Epsom salt, 0.8g canning salt, 0.4g calcium chloride), based on Bru'n Water calculations.
1000 - Unable to get correct heat from burner. Contacted store for help.
1600 - Dumped out prepared water, moving to next available day.
2014-02-17
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0930 - replaced mash chemicals (sparge chemicals weren't used in previous attempt).
1000 - Set up burner again, proceeding even without correct heat.
1125 - Reached strike temp. of 168°F. Added 14qts water to MLT, followed by the malt. Stirred. Temp. is now at 148 °F., which is lower than intended.
1135 - Replaced failing burner with working one. Began heating remaining 7 qts for mash out water.
1200 - Temp is now at 140°F. Added water intended mash-out to the mash, raising temp to 152°F. Began heating sparge water.
1225 - Sparge water still below 120°F. Began lautering anyway. Added salts to sparge water.
1245 - Sparge water now at 120°F, too low for desired effect, but began sparging despite this.
1300 - Finished sparging, total runoff is 10 gal. Began heating 8 gal. in large boiler. Started yeast packet.
1415 - Reached boiling.
1500 - Boil off of one gallon. Added gal. of remaining wort into boiler.
1530 - Added remaining gallon to boiler. Set heat down while my father watches the burner, due to outstanding appt elsewhere.
1745 - Returned from appt. Turned heat to maximum, watching for boil overs.
1830 - Began prepping wort chiller and fermenter. Filled MLT with 10 gal. water and added PBW. Ran solution through chiller and pump to the fermenter. Emptied fermenter, and refilled. Emptied again, and repeated using fresh water to rinse.
1900 - Filled MLT again, and added StarSan.
1915 - Boil-off complete. Covered BK, ran StarSan solution through chiller to fermenter, twice.
1925 - Moved chiller and fermenter to near the BK. Began chilling. NB: I had difficulty keeping the ends of the hoses clear of the ground, and while I cleaned them with StarSan again, I am concerned about possible infection.
1935 - Finished chilling wort. Added yeast. Decanted hydrometer sample from fermenter.
1945 - Began cleaning wort chiller by filling MLT with starsan and running it through, followed by rinse.
2000 - disconnected pump and ran backflow through chiller in kitchen sink for 15 min. Moved larger boiler to bathroom tub and filled with hot water and Starsan to soak overnight.
2200 - Hydrometer reading is 1.041, about 2 points below target.
For what is meant to be a 'dry' stout, it has some unusual ingredients; I wanted to give it just a little bit of sweetness and extra body, while still leaving an overall dry impression. The use of First Wort Hopping was pragmatic rather than deliberate; I didn't know how long the boil would take, yet, as I hadn't tested the equipment (the burner I had bought initially wasn't burning cleanly, and eventually a rep from the Brew Depot actually came by and replaced it, which was a real lifesaver), so it was easier to have the hops in at a point when I knew they would be effective, even if they gave some hop flavor that would be inappropriate for the style. When I did get the new burner, I wasn't aggressive enough with the heating at first - I didn't want a boil-over - which means the boil was still slower than it could have been.
Any constructive comments or advice would be appreciated.
Midnight Oil #2
5 lbs. Maris Otter
1 lb. brown malt
8oz. roasted barley
4oz. flaked barley
4oz. crystal 45L
4oz. honey malt
4oz. chocolate malt
2oz. Fuggles (5%AA) FWH
Wyeast 1084 (Irish Ale yeast), 1 pkg.
Estimated OG: 1.043
Measured OG: 1.041
Estimated FG: 1.011
2015-02-14
-----------
1900 - Crushed grain bill.
2014-02-15
----------
0930 - Prepared chemistry for mash (2.3g Epsom salt, 1.2g canning salt, 0.6g calcium chloride, 2.6g chalk) and sparge (1.6g Epsom salt, 0.8g canning salt, 0.4g calcium chloride), based on Bru'n Water calculations.
1000 - Unable to get correct heat from burner. Contacted store for help.
1600 - Dumped out prepared water, moving to next available day.
2014-02-17
----------
0930 - replaced mash chemicals (sparge chemicals weren't used in previous attempt).
1000 - Set up burner again, proceeding even without correct heat.
1125 - Reached strike temp. of 168°F. Added 14qts water to MLT, followed by the malt. Stirred. Temp. is now at 148 °F., which is lower than intended.
1135 - Replaced failing burner with working one. Began heating remaining 7 qts for mash out water.
1200 - Temp is now at 140°F. Added water intended mash-out to the mash, raising temp to 152°F. Began heating sparge water.
1225 - Sparge water still below 120°F. Began lautering anyway. Added salts to sparge water.
1245 - Sparge water now at 120°F, too low for desired effect, but began sparging despite this.
1300 - Finished sparging, total runoff is 10 gal. Began heating 8 gal. in large boiler. Started yeast packet.
1415 - Reached boiling.
1500 - Boil off of one gallon. Added gal. of remaining wort into boiler.
1530 - Added remaining gallon to boiler. Set heat down while my father watches the burner, due to outstanding appt elsewhere.
1745 - Returned from appt. Turned heat to maximum, watching for boil overs.
1830 - Began prepping wort chiller and fermenter. Filled MLT with 10 gal. water and added PBW. Ran solution through chiller and pump to the fermenter. Emptied fermenter, and refilled. Emptied again, and repeated using fresh water to rinse.
1900 - Filled MLT again, and added StarSan.
1915 - Boil-off complete. Covered BK, ran StarSan solution through chiller to fermenter, twice.
1925 - Moved chiller and fermenter to near the BK. Began chilling. NB: I had difficulty keeping the ends of the hoses clear of the ground, and while I cleaned them with StarSan again, I am concerned about possible infection.
1935 - Finished chilling wort. Added yeast. Decanted hydrometer sample from fermenter.
1945 - Began cleaning wort chiller by filling MLT with starsan and running it through, followed by rinse.
2000 - disconnected pump and ran backflow through chiller in kitchen sink for 15 min. Moved larger boiler to bathroom tub and filled with hot water and Starsan to soak overnight.
2200 - Hydrometer reading is 1.041, about 2 points below target.
