O.G. and hopping rate typical of English pale ales in the 1890's. At the time, bitter beer was generally lower-gravity, lighter-coloured, and less-hopped, with O.G.s ranging from 1.045 to 1.050. Pale ale tended to be stronger, slightly darker, and hoppier, with O.G.s closer to 1.057*.
Efficiency was lower with my last batch, I think because I used a thinner mash, and rushed the transfer while sparging. Going with a stiff mash to make a less fermentable, maltier beer - also has the benefit of faster conversion.
□ heat 5 gallons water to 180°F to preheat mash tun
□ heat 4-1/2 gallons strike water to 168° F
□ transfer 3-1/2 gallons strike water, add 15g gypsum
□ mash for 75 minutes, heat 6 gallons sparge water to 180 ° F
□ vorlauf, collect about 2 gallons of sweet wort
□ sparge, stir, rest, vorlauf, collect to near 5 gallons of sweet wort
□ sparge, stir, rest, vorlauf and collect to near 7 gallons [O.G. 1.040]
□ begin boil, add first hops for 60 minutes
□ add hops at 30 minutes
□ add yeast nutrient and Irish Moss with wort chiller and mash paddle at 15 minutes
□ add final hops at 10 minutes
□ turn off burner, chill wort to 77° F
□ remove wort chiller
□ drain half to fermenter (splash), shake, add yeast, drain rest to fermenter
□ ferment in insulated bag [with some frozen water bottles to start]
bottle Saturday, September 23
4 oz. corn sugar in 4 cups water
blue crowns
yield: 53 bottles
- Cornell, Martyn, "Amber Gold & Black", 2010, Gloucestershire
