National Homebrew Club Ireland

Haven't posted a brew like this in an age so here goes No Charge!

To start with a a nice big Irish ale starter enough for 40l

It was started 3 days ago and stepped up from 1.5 litres to start with by allowing to settle pouring off the wort and topping back up with just under 3l

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/14332931e78e5444a4f62507ba5dc098.jpg)

Always use a beersmith brew sheet  it just helps as brew progresses

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/c78927d15d3ac70be0ca1402062cc090.jpg)

after a swill out Hlt on 45l
https://vimeo.com/159332706 (https://vimeo.com/159332706)

First Time using one of these fellas, it won't be that colour after today

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/24cb6c98f59199a812703153df1a1ea3.jpg)

Return temperature probe for herms

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/285af3c36e985887507757713084cfc2.jpg)

Nearly there

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/5dfe52d77f620a64f768a24bab5d347b.jpg)

Grain weighed out (http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/cac0c71e6b0ac44cea19066a1eda4206.jpg)

Milling

https://vimeo.com/159336600 (https://vimeo.com/159336600)

Looking good John!

Underlet 33l water from hlt into mash tun through bottom valve stops dough balls

Ok time to crank her up
My system is very simple made up of a pid where you saw the earlier probe https://vimeo.com/159340092 (https://vimeo.com/159340092)

Out of the mash tun nice big wide feed for Chugger
Narrow or standard out on Chugger which means I don't need to use a valve to control flow, into the herms pot with 3kw element controlled by pid and then just returned to the mash tun

https://vimeo.com/159340989 (https://vimeo.com/159340989)

When I measured temp at end of return she was out by 0.3 too high (http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/6bd680276f35a7584d35e168e887ca57.jpg)

No biggie just went into Sensor Calibration on PiD and adjusted up so the match exactly

I guess that's either probe or pid drift?

It's an 80 min mash + 10 for mash out at 75.6

The return on the herms I adjust to sit just above the mash level and get a good distribution of returning wort

https://vimeo.com/159345700 (https://vimeo.com/159345700)


I maybe once in the middle of the mash I give everything a good stir to make sure there is no channelling

Time to pump batch 1 to boiler
https://vimeo.com/159349341 (https://vimeo.com/159349341)

Round 2
https://vimeo.com/159351741 (https://vimeo.com/159351741)

Target from round 1

37.12l pre boil 1083

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/9f4990cbc9aa98cdce378f857d5a677a.jpg)


(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/05786d05f11952190997bf9ebd5bccff.jpg)

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/38eeca323cd81027d0a66a6796c914ac.jpg)

Boiler has 75, wouldn't risk much more than this in case of boil over

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/08aeec09f8afcac6a8a4b480d6626ed5.jpg)

75 liters wow your a thirsty lad :)

Not long now to full boil(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/7ab8a6f1276868ab62a0d4e91bb0f15c.jpg)

Neighbours sheep will be happy

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/4b0886e14f797b57c73c7834c552e2e0.jpg)

There she goes

https://vimeo.com/159377656 (https://vimeo.com/159377656)

Hops have gone in now just have to wait 60 mins Gravity is a little lower on second batch at 1080 but good enough

Teacher!, Teacher! - CH has gone BIAB :D :D

Looks good all the same, knew you'd convert over from the darkside ;)

Never! I knew it wouldn't be long before the tea baggers showed up.
I happen to be using a bag to facilitate clean up that is all... :P

Amazing the amount of shite it caught from the recirc though, definitely will use one going forward.

Quote from: DEMPSEY on March 17, 2016, 04:20:49 PM
75 liters wow your a thirsty lad :)

its only a 10%er Dempsey "session FES" ;)

Quote from: CH on March 17, 2016, 05:49:47 PM
Amazing the amount of shite it caught from the recirc though, definitely will use one going forward.

Great, was wondering on that, my ArdBir FrakenFather might even work so.

Irish ale is great for settling out so time to pour off the wort(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/d930da0a4681c70ffc95a6369f804f0c.jpg)

1 full whirlfloc gone in because of the size of the batch

Chillinator in as well
(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/ecf3cefde57f5d5995da5de23a1d79ac.jpg)

Whirlpool on water on

https://vimeo.com/159392823 (https://vimeo.com/159392823)

10 mins

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/9b2572487bf746a58d33b165eaf2f819.jpg)

20 mins

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/f88e36dea43beb0879ad468c7493a673.jpg)

Nice write up. Long brew day though :) you mention you underlet the mash so there are no dough balls. Do you just pump in through the bottom valve and then stir or how do you do it?

Also I switched over to a bag in the ash run about 4 batches ago and never looked back. Cleanup is easier and you can have a very fine mill setting without worrying about clogging.

Ok switched off after 22 mins chilling she's reading 22 now and I loose 2-3 in transfer to glass and letting her sit there for 15 mins so the trub from whirlpool can settle into a nice cone

Ok into the Carboys and blow offs set, temp in the redneck fermentation chamber set to 19.

Because it's so cold in the garage as well as the 60w bar heater top right and fan bottom right I also supplement with a carboy wrap not fixed just loose to provide additional heat source.

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/6b83242b0d5f7a801980ed93fa3aa9f2.jpg)

Time for clean up

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/2ac93094922969e42a45d949cc14280c.jpg)

I'm gonna be all night at those elements

One came up alright, the second one needs a soak


(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/1c3589fe39425bdce633ff4f0c2a3acb.jpg)

Citric acid lemon juice or starsan will get them both shining again

(http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160317/690ab873762a9813e70d431c46a0ebbb.jpg)

All done and everything away clean and shiny, that part of the brewday is as important as the brewing!

Quote from: molc on March 17, 2016, 07:03:53 PM
Nice write up. Long brew day though :) you mention you underlet the mash so there are no dough balls. Do you just pump in through the bottom valve and then stir or how do you do it?

Normally when I'm looking for 50l, I can get away with one big mash for a 5 percenter but not with a 10 percent monster and 11kgs of grain per batch, so it does make the day drag a bit but with such big mashes and boils I was fluting around doing other stuff.

On the under letting I saw it on another forum and tried it, I can fill from the bottom through the valve without any stirring and get no dough balls, but not from the top! weird I know, I still give it a stir just to be sure, I used to pump but now just gravity feed.

Irish Ale is a demon to go, a good starter helps, just over 12 hours and she's coming out the blow off, she will be done in a week but I'll leave her at least 3 to clean up then a crash cool for 3-4 days and into a keg


https://vimeo.com/159473644 (https://vimeo.com/159473644)

So you split the grain bill for the recipe and did two mashes then all into one boil yes :)

Yep grainfatheresque except each grain bill was 11kgs
Boiled for 90 mins to hit the number, once I knew I was on track I added 60 min hops as I'm watching gravity through the boil and obviously 75l takes a lot of grunt

Nice. Yeah I tried under letting once but the grain just floated. Will give it another go next batch though, as it should cut down on dust a bit.

What are you using for the return on the herms into the mash tun, been trying to come up with a plan for this myself?

Machine gun now
Important to throw an occasional eye on it just to make sure no blockages in blow off as otherwise you could have a right mess

https://vimeo.com/159499985 (https://vimeo.com/159499985)

Quote from: Damofto on March 18, 2016, 11:44:33 AM
What are you using for the return on the herms into the mash tun, been trying to come up with a plan for this myself?

I have a keg spear with a t on one end with the feed and temp probe the other side on the business end I managed to pick up a metal version of this from a guy on Jims
https://www.morebeer.com/products/siphon-spray-wort-aerator.html?a_aid=homebrewing

I think hot side aeration is a myth but not taking any chance either

And with Chugger gives a good dispersion across the top of the liquid level below the wort line.

You can use anything as long as it's a uniform dispersion to avoid channelling.
In my old cool box I had a plastic manifold
I've seen fancy food approved tricklers in Angel Homebrew

http://www.angelhomebrew.co.uk/en/sparging-equipment/169-large-flexible-sparging-spray-hose-12-hose-system.html

Even silicone hose with one end sealed and several holes in it sitting on top will do the job

Return silicone pipes sitting directly into silver foil tins with holes punched in them, just try and use one where it matches very closely the shape or diameter of your MT you don't want dead spots and start slowly with the holes in terms of diameter and number of them
I'm thinking better to have more of them with smaller diameter.

CH, whats your grain bill for this?

Sorry I can't publish it as its not my recipe but I can tell you that it had MO, chocolate, brown and crystal 120

I just have a silicone hose sitting on top of the mash as the return arm. Doesn't seem to channel and gave 80+% efficiency last batch. You need to spare slowly though I find, even with herms, otherwise the water runs straight through. Maybe that's where a return spray arm works well...

Thanks lads, I might just try the silicone hose first and see how I get on.

My mash ton has a temp probe so I use the silicone tube and push it in to the mash and up against the probe. It gives me another temp reading along with temp read out on the HERMS outlet :).
That Angel sparge arm looks like it should be on sale in Anne Summers shops :D

Quote from: molc on March 18, 2016, 02:28:00 PM
I just have a silicone hose sitting on top of the mash as the return arm. Doesn't seem to channel and gave 80+% efficiency last batch. You need to spare slowly though I find, even with herms, otherwise the water runs straight through. Maybe that's where a return spray arm works well...

Silicone tube is always a good start but you do need to distribute unless it's in a tin or something or you are stirring regularly.
At that juncture as the wort already has all the goodies in solution from mash and mash out temps all you are doing is rinsing the husks with the sparge
Only 80

Quote from: DEMPSEY on March 18, 2016, 03:50:15 PM
That Angel sparge arm looks like it should be on sale in Anne Summers shops :D

Your mind is warped if you think that's a Willy ring

Nice looking beer 😉

somebody much cleverer than me came up with the recipe

So its Nigel's Gold Medal, NCB Brewed, aged for 2 years, RIS then!

Below recipe for NCB winning cask RIS
http://www.nationalhomebrewclub.ie/forum/index.php?topic=2155.msg25519.msg#25519

Nope. Different one.

"Don't tell em Pike"

That recipe is far too nice to be put on a general release.
Can't clams it though. Rossa and Dec drew it up as well. Really really good. even out of fermenter you could tell its gonna be special.

Next barrel Nigel? ;)

Quote from: nigel_c on March 19, 2016, 05:42:15 PM
That recipe is far too nice to be put on a general release.
Can't clams it though. Rossa and Dec drew it up as well. Really really good. even out of fermenter you could tell its gonna be special.

Come on share the wealth :)

Shanna