Brew Day

 I'm still playing with my template and theme. I haven't that place I like yet. It's coming together.

But after spending a couple hours trying different things, and getting no where, I've decided to give it a rest. I've got stuff to 'Do My Self' today.

First off. I'm doing a little window test today. I've placed 2 glaces of water in my house; one is in the dinning room on a black surface in direct sunlight an inch from a big window. The other is in a room without windows. The thermostats are turned off. I'll be using a digital thermometer to get the results.

It is noon right now.
Bathroom - 21.1
Dinning    - 29.4

I might also add that the black surface is a plain semi-clean t-shirt and the glass is warm within 2 feet of it. Then the glass temperature gets colder.
I'll keep checking it as the sun goes down.

But more important than anything else... today is BREW DAY!

I'm brewing a batch of Honey Brown Ale today and taking pictures while I do it.

I'm using a partial grain recipe which means I have grains and hops as well as malt extract. When you brew with a kit, like Coopers kits, you use an extract - kind of like making juice from concentrate.
I haven't made the equipment I need in order to properly brew all grain beer yet; can't build Rome in a day.
One item I really need is a large stainless steel pot. Not just for brewing but for canning also. Right now I am using 2 smaller pots. :(

A very important part of anything you do in the kitchen is sanitation. Brewing beer or cooking food. Keep it clean.
All of my equipment has been cleaned in Sodium Metabisolfate. The water I use is a 5 gallon jug I got at the store. All of this is, or better be, clean and bacteria free. Even the scissors I use to open the yeast pack, sanitized. The stove and counter has all been cleaned.

1:30
Bathroom - 21.1
Dinning     - 33.2

I got my water all nice and hot (66C) and added my grains. They are going to sit there for about a half hour and smell up the kitchen. :D
This process adds the barley flavor and also extracts all the sugars from the malted barley.
When you make beer from a kit you need to add a lot of sugar because you aren't getting any from grains.



Then I strain out the grains and the rename the liquid 'wort'. Now because I am making a partial extract beer, I'll add the extract and mix the two up and increase the temperature to a good tolling boil. It's good to keep some cold water near by in case it starts to foam up.
Right about now it should look like coffee and smell like bread.



Now it's time to add some hops usually it's bittering hops; they give beer that... bitter flavor. Later, 5 min before I'm done boiling the wort, I'll add another variety of hop for aroma.

And stir it often so it doesn't burn to the bottom of the pot.
And stir.
Read a book nearby and stir.

3:00

Bathroom - 21.1
Dinning     - 33.1

An hour later...
Now it's time to add the wort to my fermenter. I've already added 15L of room temperature water to it; I need to set up my large strainer and pour the wort through it - so I get out the hops and any missed grains.

One way to cover up the smell of brew day is to make a loaf of bread while you are at it.
I cheat and use the bread maker to mix the dough. Then I'll take it out, separate it into 2 loaves and roll it in the used up barley - to give it a neat topped look. After its done baking the house will smell like wonderful fresh bread. True story.

Its a good idea to give it a good stirring and aerate the brew. This is the only time you want to do this; if you add air later on during fermentation you will get a sour spoiled taste. :(

I poured the yeast in. Moved the bucket to my brew cabinet and attached the air lock.
Now I just need to wait.

In the next couple hours the yeast will start to go all crazy in the brew. The air lock will start to bubble and maybe even overflow. That is all good signs. It means the brew is fermenting and on it's way to being BEER.


I'll post another pic later showing the air lock action.

4:15
Bathroom - 20.9
Dinning     - 27.1

I'll keep watching the water temperatures and post more information on it later. Until then... I am going to go make myself some supper!