This was a little bit beyond me putting together the ingredients list and pulling the whole thing together which another brewer helped me with did wonderfully and I learned quite a bit from him and also resulted in my buying this awesome strainer!
Of course though I can't crush my own grain but never the less I'm feeling pretty good about it.
Style: Irish Red Ale
Batch: 2.25 gal
My Ingredients
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8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 11.4 %
8.0 oz Caramunich III (Weyermann) (51.0 SRM) Grain 11.4 %
13.6 oz Northern Brewer Gold Malt Syrup (4.0 SRM) Extract 71.6 %
0.25 oz Cascade [6.20 %] - Boil 60.0 min Hop 11.5 IBUs
0.25 oz Cascade [6.20 %] - Boil 20.0 min Hop 6.9 IBUs
3 lbs 2.4 oz Northern Brewer Gold Malt Syrup [Boil for 15 min](4.0 SRM) Extract 71.6 %
0.25 oz Cascade [6.20 %] - Boil 7.0 min Hop 3.1 IBUs
1.0 pkg Irish Ale (Wyeast Labs #1084) [124.21 ml] Yeast
Second Fermentation after 7 days, racking to another LBK
0.25 oz Cascade [6.20 %]
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HEY UPS IS HERE!
HEY DAD WHATS IN THE BOX?!
So much joy to unpack! Why is there so much packing material? It's good stuff to, I might actually reuse it, note the absence of packing peanuts!
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Brew day/night is here, I put if off a day or two due to infant interruption and I had to get a Mead and Pale Ale brewed before this. Very excited to get it going, it's going to take a while so I better get stared! DAMMIT
GET OUT OF MY BREWERY WOMAN! Oh you're making me dinner? Awwww nevermind, love you.
Ok let's get this show on the road!
Just going to do a steep. 1.5 quarts water, heated to about 155/160. Kill the heat. Add the grains in a nylon bag to the heated water. Let sit for 30 minutes. This went pretty easy with an electric stove which surprised me. I though this was going to be a huge headache but I only needed to molest it a couple times and just slightly. I held at about 156 for pretty much to entire time. I didn't Steep this in the brew pot because it just didn't seem like enough water to really get the job done due to the width.
Jesus this part is boring
While waiting, heat an additional quart or so to about 160. After 30 minutes, remove the grain bag from the water and put it in a colander above the brew pot and slowly pour the additional quart of water evenly over it and let it drip into the pot. At this point, should have approx 1/2 gallon of wort. Add 3 gallons to bring pre-boil volume to approx 3.5 gallons and bring to a boil. Ok I should of used my propane burner, holy shit this takes forever to get to a boil.
ok at this point using my indoor pot I realize I can't hold the full amount of water and was maybe behind 1/4 gallon. so during the first main 40 minute boil I added it back in after it boiled down a bit. I boiled up the remaining 1/4g and then dumped it in, figured it would be better doing it this way then just dumping straight wter into the LBK to match it up in the end if I had to.
Kill the heat and stir in the 13.6oz DME and bring back to a boil, watching out for the hot break. Once boiling, add 1/4oz Cascade and boil for 40 minutes, then add 1/4oz Cascade and boil for 5 minutes. Kill the heat and add the 3.15lbs LME, stirring constantly to mix well and not let any settle on the bottom of the kettle. Bring back to a boil for 8 minutes, then add 1/4oz Cascade and boil for 7 minutes.
After 60 total minutes of boil, remove the hops and chill the wort as fast as you can down to pitching temps. "As fast as you can" my ass, this sucks... ordering a chiller today.
Xfr wort to LBK and aerate the crap outta it! But first from the O.G.
1.075
Thats a bit hotter then I was planning on, also I ended up at the level and I really was trying to hit under the Q so I did was I didn't want to do and added some water, it was much at all but I hated to do it.
Into the cooler with you!
I think if I learned anything it's to spend more money to save time. This took several hours, but mainly it was just getting a electric stove to get back to boil after removing heat, and then cooling from 213oF to 70oF, using my gas burner and chiller would of saved a ton of time.
I felt really good about it and nothing really went bad at all, I wasn't expecting it to have the OG it did but no turning back now.
As always I'd love any comments or concerns. note the level marking on my sampler tube now... very proud of that.
