Tuesday, August 13, 2013

ESB, First Attempt

This was brewed on 8/11/2013

Since my kegs are currently empty, it is probably wise to brew an ale while all the other sours and lagers are fermenting away. Dry kegs make me sad... I am still trying to dial in my system and for the first time, felt like I actually got things right! The brew day was pretty uneventful except for not getting a cam-lock on properly while doing the boil recirculation for the whirlpool. Boiling wort all over your hands and feet will make you curse all of the gods...

Ingredients:

Grains:
11 lb - Riverbend Heritage Malt
8 oz - Aromatic Malt
8 oz - Crystal 40L
8 oz - Melanoiden Malt
4 oz - Crystal 120L
4 oz - Special Roast

Hops:
2 oz - EKG @ 60 min
.5 oz - EKG @ 20 min
.5 oz - EKG @ 1 min

Yeast:
White Labs WLP002 - English Ale

Misc:
1 gram Calcium Chloride
2 grams Chalk
5 grams Gypsum

Mash at 154F for 60 minutes
Boil for 60 minutes

OG (measured): 1.054

Started fermentation at 62F. Thanks to the guys from the CarboyJunkies on the fermentation temperature recommendation. Fuller's will start their fermentation at 63F before raising to 68F and then will lowered back down.

http://byo.com/stories/issue/item/2318-fuller%E2%80%99s-the-pride-of-london

8/16/2013 Update:

Took a small sample of the beer and it is reading 1.018. I cranked the temp up to 69F and roused the yeast. I am looking for a FG of 1.016.

8/23/2013 Update:

Kegged the ESB this afternoon. I did a refractometer reading and it measured 7.7 brix. Doing a brix FG calculation, it started at 13.5 brix which means the FG equals 1.015. Just to be sure, I took a hydrometer reading and sure enough, 1.015! Im always OCD about reading and not trusting them but I now, finally, have 100% confidence in my refractometer.

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