Brew Day - October 26, 2013

Slightly Confused Brewing Company

Spiced Winter Ale (Norther Brewer recipe)

Ingredients:
British Golden Promise
English Medium Crystal

1 oz cluster hops (US Goldings)
0.5 oz Mulling Spices

Liquid yeast (Wyeast #1728 Scottish Ale Yeast) via 1 L starter

Stats:
OG: 1.047 (estimated); 1.042 (measured)
FG: 1.014 (measured); estimate no provided
ABV: 5.2% (measured); estimate no provided

Brewing Steps:

First time brewing solo - only 1/2 of the SCBC brewers somehow is not better than the two of us combined, although not substantially worse

• Heated 3.1 gallons of water to a strike temperature of approximately 167 degrees
• 10 pounds grain, 1.25 quarts/pound 
• Added grains to mash tun
• Added water to mash tun by about 1/2 - 3/4 gallon at a time; poured last 1.5 gallons from brewpot straight into mash tun
• After all water added mash temperature approximately 156 degrees; final temperature 154 degrees 
• After 60 minutes recycled 3/4 gallons and then lautered into sanitized bucket 
• Heated about 6 gallons of sparge water to approximately 175 degrees and added to mash tun 
• Online calculators recommended 6.1 gallons of sparge water to get pre-boil volume of 6.5 gallons
• Let sit for 10 minutes, then lautered into bucket until we had about 6.5 gallons (had to shut off flow - still liquid left in mash tun. Responsible for slightly lower OG d/t dilution?). Poured bucket into brew pot and brought to boil
• Boiled for 60 minutes, adding hops and spices according to schedule
• Chilled by putting pot into tub with ice and water (filled about 6-8 inches of tub with water) and wort chiller/pre-chiller to 70 degrees in about 6.5 minutes
• Pitched yeast (whole 1 L bottle) and then aerated wort by transferring between brew pot and bucket 6 times
• Poured into fermenting bucket (had probably ~5.5 gallons total volume - hard to tell because very foamy. Had to waste about 1/3 - 1/2 gallon)
• Put bucket into fridge at 62 degrees (took 13 minutes post-boil, including almost forgetting to measure the OG)

• Ferment 14 days
• Recommended schedule is to ferment for 1-2 weeks in primary, then 1-2 weeks in secondary, then condition for 2 weeks in bottle
• Will likely ferment for about 2 1/2 weeks, cold crash, then keg around 11/12

Update 11/19

-Kegged on 11/16

-Haven't tasted yet.