Countdown Conundrum

periolus · Post by **periolus** » Mon Oct 08, 2012 9:30 pm

Okay. Brewing this on Wednesday. Called Countdown Conundrum, as I am going to attempt to finish my brewery as it is on the go! Ha! Still feeling fluey, so wish me luck.

Anyway, here it is:

91.5% Maris Otter Pale Malt
7.0% Crystal Malt
0.75% White Wheat Malt
0.75% Roasted Barley

Challenger and First Gold hops

Carol Vorderman's natural yeast. Don't tell me you don't want a slant ; )

No, it's St. Austell really, the stuff from good ol' Proper Job.

Will be fermented and brought to November BCB.

WISH ME LUCK! I still need some stuff for the day.

periolus · Post by **periolus** » Sat Oct 13, 2012 7:06 pm

This went well today.

I changed the recipe to include some Munich:

85.5% pale
6.5% crystal
6.5% munich
0.75% white wheat malt
0.75% roasted barley

It came out a bit warm and is still cooling in the FV until it reaches pitching temp.

---------

Right, have decided to re-aerate once it gets to 20C and then pitch the yeast. Hopefully it will be cooled sufficiently in the next 30 minutes.

I have worked out that my efficiency today was 59%, which wasn't awesome, but maybe not that bad either. I did learn a lot as I went. The sparges were very close to target, hit 76.2 and then 75.9 on the two batches. I made a mistake with mash strike temp, so first 25 minutes of the mash averaged about 63.5C - I think that's where my problem came from.

Can't wait to get the thing fermenting anyway! Smells great so far ; )

I had a good day, and only panicked once at the end!

periolus · Post by **periolus** » Sat Oct 13, 2012 9:04 pm

SHIT! I just put my STC-1000 (sterilised with HPPA) into the bottle of yeast I got from Roger, and suddenly it is off like a fucking rocket. I was just about to pitch and now it is going off on its own! Should I wait for it to stop? Should I stop it by chilling?
Please advise! I don't want to bugger the yeast up and end up pitching something I have spoiled.

I_used_to_brew · Post by **I_used_to_brew** » Sat Oct 13, 2012 9:59 pm

Put the yeast in the wort.

periolus · Post by **periolus** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 8:27 am

I have a hangover, so I will look into this later, but my STC claims the wort is at 15.3C, yet it has spent the last 12 hours in a room at around 18.5. My heating belt broke, so I left the heating on : )

I had put the wort outside in the early evening to cool it, so maybe it did go the other way, but seeing as it was still over 20C when I pitched, I doubt it.

Will get it warm and swirl it a but, then prep a starter of Nottingham tonight if I get no joy.

I_used_to_brew · Post by **I_used_to_brew** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:02 am

Your'e making too much of a fuss. Post boil chill the wort to mid 20's C and get into FV with yeast.

Put somewhere around 19 C for ten days, package. Possibly you have too much technology giving you far too many 'worry points' just keep it simple.

Bimster · Post by **Bimster** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:35 am

RogerP wrote:Your'e making too much of a fuss. Post boil chill the wort to mid 20's C and get into FV with yeast.

Put somewhere around 19 C for ten days, package. Possibly you have too much technology giving you far too many 'worry points' just keep it simple.

Agreed, step away from the gadgets....

Pitch at mid twentys, set your STC at 17.5 to allow for the exothermic nature of fermentation, let nature take its course and most importantly.....

RDPHAHB!

I_used_to_brew · Post by **I_used_to_brew** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 10:51 am

You put the wort outside? It was 6C and falling yesterday evening.......

periolus · Post by **periolus** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 11:06 am

I put it outside for an hour early evening, as it was in the mid 20s and I wanted to bring it down.

I was drunk at the time. I might have sodded my beer up : (

Capn Ahab · Post by **Capn Ahab** » Sun Oct 14, 2012 12:43 pm

Bimster wrote:RDPHAHB!

Hahahaha love the Barnification of the mantra!!!

Bristol Brewers