Labor Day ESB

Sept. 1, 2013

Ingredients have been purchased. Yeast starter is looking good. Since this will be our first all grain brew day without the Brew Boss, I have spent this day reading, calculating, cleaning and panicking I now realize what goes into this. Come tomorrow, we all will realize just how nice it is to have someone as knowledgable as Tom to brew beer with. Tomorrow, success or failure will be on us. We will need to step up our game because we can not just “show up” and have the Brew Boss work everything out and keep us on schedule. This brew day and hopefully a good ESB is dedicated to the Brew Boss.

Sept. 2, 2013

Grain Bill

• 9.5 pounds British Pale Ale 2.2 L
• 1/2 pound Crystal 120 L
• 1/2 pound Aromatic 25 L
• 1/4 pound Special Roast 50 L

Hop Bill

• Total 2 ounces  East Kent Goldings 6.3 Alpha

Higher Alpha than what the recipe calls for but bought only 2 ounces. Recipe called for 2.2 ounces. Not sure on timing yet. Need to read more.

Yeast

• Wyeast 1968 London ESB

Mash Schedule

• Strike Temp 165˚ F
• Mash In 9:00 am
• Mash Temp 155˚ F
• Hold 90 minutes.
• Mash out 167˚ F 10 minutes.

Sparge

• 10 minute settle
• 10 minute recirculate
• Had to scramble to heat up a little more sparge water.
• Total time 1 hour 30 minutes
• Ended with 6.5 gallons

Boil

• 60 minute boil
• Boil start 1:10, add 1 oz. East Kent Goldings
• 1:50 add 1 oz. East Kent Goldings
• 2 tablets Irish Moss
• Boil end 2:10
• Cold break.

Cold break was longer than expected. Panic. Retrieved utility sink tub that is not yet installed. Set boil pot in tub, added large bag of ice, filled tub with water. Temperature dropped dramatically. Rob has been talking about a dual system with the copper coil in the wort and cold water running around the pot as it sits in a round tub. This might be something to think about.

Original Gravity – 1.054

Pitched yeast.

Decided to try the airlock method Bob Roewe told me about. A plastic tube is stuck into the hole in the stopper and the other end is submerged in a vessel filled with water.

10 pm. Strong bubble with lots of activity in the carboy. Almost looks like it is boiling.

September 28

Our Oktoberfest is over and it is time to do something with the ESB. Was ready to bottle and needed to go to the homebrew store for priming sugar.

Went home with a keg system.

After enjoying the beers we had on keg at Oktoberfest, I decided to go this route instead of bottling. I am sure it will be put to good use between myself and the others.

ESB is in keg and cooling in fridge. The small fridge I bought looks like it will work perfectly and could easily fit 2 kegs if needed.

Final Gravity – 1.023