CASK Beer prep

After brewing for 2 years with a brew in a bag / pot / propane burner / no chiller / bucket ferment.. malt extract and all grain..

https://craftalesociety.com/ - my friend Andy and I are showing our beers at the local craft ale society in a few months (19th Jan 2023) which is about 9 weeks.

There will be professional brewers there giving their opinion. So to mitigate embarrassment (and I’ve made lots of mistakes), I’m thinking strategically

What I’m brewing

Back to Basics

How to Brew says that firstly you need to consider:

  • Sanitisation
  • Fermentation temperature control
  • Yeast management
  • The boil - can undercook and overcook
  • The recipe - right proportion of ingredients to provide complexity and balance of flavours

How do people judge beer

And it is theatre!

  • Does it have a nice name?
  • Label design good?
  • Recipe sheet?

and more classically:

  • taste
  • smell
  • clarity
  • head
  • Is it fizzy enough
  • Temperature - colder is generally better

Strategy

Make something easy to get right.

  • Higher ABV
  • something I can practise doing so quicker feedback loop
  • don’t need much more kit (a challenge to keep it simple and cheap)

Simple(s)

From the Greg Hughes - Home Brew Beer book the simplest recipes are:

  • Strong Belgian Dark Strong ale quad (I like!). At least 2-3 months.
  • Bitter (crowd pleaser)
  • Pale Ale (not juicy ECIPA as technical needing low exposure to O2)

YouTube - Belgian Quad

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g43DH8FpGdE

**best beer he has ever made

YouTube - AIPA

Grain to glass in 10 days

American IPA - citrus pineapple and spice. and lime

expecting 68% efficiency

higher temp.. more ester production

35c ferment

chest freezer.. brewers edge space headter,,,

1 week ferment… was at 1023 the day after putting in. OG was 1060?

cold crash

serve in 10 days

YouTube - Belgian Golden Strong

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnloOt_TwqE&list=PLe0ZUhBOXP-dHrFhpln-grAJAEI-J42Tk&index=3

Like Duval

9%

1078 OG

Single grain: Belgian Pilsner

Hops: Styrian Golding (at boil) and Sars (at 15)

Corn sugar at a few minutes to go (Dextrose)

Ferment at 21c

5 weeks conditioning

IPAs

IPA’s have become very popular, especially Juicy ones. eg

Show Strategy

Take along Malt Extract ie how to get started. Take along brew kit. Take along books and photos. Take along a PDF of recipe sheets (so they can take away). Give people bottles of beer to take away with a nice label. Put costs on recipe sheets.

Whats worked so far

I’ve done 24 brews over the last few years with the highlights being

  • Belgian West 12 clone - me - 9% - 5 months condition
  • Double Hearted IPA clone - me - 7% - 7 months condition
  • Sussex best in a barrel (most popular) - 4.5%

Short Term - Ideas and Kit

Currently I’ve got a 50 litre pot using a Brew in a Bag system on a gas burner outside. Coo

  • cleanliness
  • temperature control (to avoid contamination, ferment at right speed)
  • brew less so can do faster
  • use corny kegs so more consistent and avoid contamination, and faster
  • kveik yeast?

Use garage to condition as slightly cooler or side of house

Research

pot

A very popular IPA with great head, lovely smell, good taste

pot

Hops are

  • Columbus
  • Centennial
  • Simcoe
  • Amarillo
  • Mosaic
  • Galaxy
  • Vic Secret?

Malt is:

  • Extra Pale
  • Carapils

Yeast

  • US-05

All in One Brewing Systems

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRmeiSrwq54 Part 1 of 3 part. UK. 2019. David Heath Homebrew. 53k subscribers.

Part 1 - Budget

Robobrew Brewzilla 35litre gen 3.1. Australian. £400. Gen 4 is coming soon early 2023

15-30litres Step mashing - 6 steps max grain bill - 7.5KG

fast heat up false bottom good temp probe no cooler.. is there a pump?

Part 2 - Middle Market

Grainfather 30l - about £750 15 to 25litres 7.5kg max grain 4 mash steps added a false bottom in tandem with supplied filter as it is a small standard filter and replaced screw fittings with camlocks smart controller so can put stuff onto but a bit dodgy he uses brewfather instead for calcs bad software.

Brewzilla 65litres 20 to 55litres 6 steps max grain 16kg no chiller more value for money without having bluetooth controller

Part 3 - Premium

Brewtools 40 pro 20-40litre 3.2kw 9kg max grain bill

Brewtools 80 pro 30litre-80litre 2*3kw 20kg max grain bill

Intro videos

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tuoRby1iLhc&t=96s 6 part. Norweigan/Brit guy.

Lomg Term

  • Water treatment
  • Mitigate oxygen from process
  • Lager brew (need cooling kit for ferment and condition)
  • Get a license so can give away beer to school fete
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