God damn messy brew day, need to sort the bloody set up for next time!
Completed water calculations then didn't trust them and underfilled initial mash and had to top up. Overcompensated with splarge and probably made 32+ litres in the end and got a boil over as a lesson for my mistake.
Prrboil was a little under expected at 1.045 post boil made this up at 1.07.
In the fermenter now and awaiting dry hop additions and fruit juices soon.
Dry hopped with just 2 hop varieties on day 4 with Rubicon brand fruit juices - 1L each (passion fruit and lychee cartons). Smells great!
Reading up on NEIPA has got me paranoid re:oxidation. Decided to bottle after only a week (doubt there is a great deal left to go anyway).
Final reading 1.02 - ABV at least 6.5% (likely more due to late juice additions).
This is definitely not an NEIPA - stuff is clearing already in my sample has.
Obvious errors I have made -
- too full for boil meant I lost some protein in the book over.
- Need neater set-up for whirlpool at the end
- Ditch the bazooka screen - I have a false bottom and a BIAB bag so no need and constantly restricts flow on the damned pump.
- Do NOT secondary - had so much trub from the above I moved to secondary but now understand this is a killer for an NEIPA
- Not sure if new formula Rubicon juices now suitable for fermentation - they say "30% LESS SUGAR" but clearly sweet so may have other crap in it (and perhaps preservatives) that probably don't help the style. I'll ditch this next time and go all beer.
I bottled into squeezed pet bottles (no air space at all) and purges mini-kegs (full purge using water) to minimise air exposure.
Fermented Wort tastes great so at least it's not a complete failure! fingers crossed goos after carbing and I avoid dreaded oxidation.
Actually despite the various cock ups, this beer tastes great! Reckon it could be better without the various errors made in the brew process and I think I'd skip the fruit juice additions next time.
