Objective and Comments
This is my recipe and method yielding an amazing ale that is balanced with darker malts. It is easy to drink yet full of malt falvour. I started at 1pm and finished at 7:15pm including clean up. This should have been about 1 hr faster do to a slow pour into the fermenter and a long mash. I should have hit 154F this first time for 60 minutes.
Malts
2 lbs Carared
2 lbs 70/80 L Crystal
1 lb 40 L Crystal
1 lb 60 L Crystal
4 oz Black Roasted Barley
20 lb British Base Malt
Total Malts: 26 lb 4 oz
Mash tun could have taken about 2 more lbs of malt but that would be pushing it. Strike temp was 165F. Air temperature was about 78F.
Hops
Magnum 2 oz (bittering)
Warrior 2 oz (flavour)
Magnum is a clean bittering hop. Warrior is a robust hop that should balance the malts. This is about adding enough hopes to balance but not play centre stage.
Mash
150F for 50 mins, drained 3 gallons
153F for 60 mins, drained 12 gallons (154F would be better)
Sparged at 172F.
Boil
Bittering hops 60 mins
Falvour hops 20 mins including pour into fermenter
I skimmed off the foam off the top to help prevent a boil over.
No clarifier
Fermentation
OG 1.064
Taste was asexpected but maybe a bit thin. Good dark color. Yielded 10 gallons plus a couple of pints in hydrometer and sprayer.
Yeast: Irish Ale WLP Labs. Yeild expired 1 week ago but was showing good life in vile.
Repitched new yeast (saf04) 1.5 days later. Morebeer sold me expired yeast (mailorder).
Comments
Clarifier would have improved appearances. 2oz buttering was not enough. 4 oz next time. Try mash temp 154 and at dextrose next time.
