I was really using this beer as a giant über-starter for a Belgian golden strong ale I planned to brew. On an episode of the excellent Basic Brewing Radio podcast (I forget which one) the guest suggested that there were a lot of similarities between the golden strong ale yeast and the hefewizen yeasts and that…
Posts Categorized: Grainfather
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.054 SG Original Gravity: 1.052 SG (I added some water to hit my numbers) Final Gravity: 1.015 SG ABV: 5.0 % IBU: 30 IBU Colour: 28 EBC BU:GU Ratio: 0.59 Mash water: 20L Sparge water: 13L Grain (total: 6.21kg): Gladfield Ale Malt 5.000 kg (80.5%) Gladfield Redback Malt 600g (9.7%) Medium Crystal 350g (5.6%)…
Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.046 SG Original Gravity: 1.051 SG Final Gravity: 1.013 SG ABV: 5.0 % IBU: 50 IBU Colour: 25 EBC BU:GU Ratio: 0.9 Mash water: 20L Sparge water: 13L Grain (total: 5.95kg): Pilsner Malt 4.100kg (68.9%) Munich Malt 1.000kg (16.8%) Aromatic Malt 500g (8.4%) CaraMunich I 250g (4.2%) Carafa Special II 100 g (1.7%) Hops:…
As a bit of a rebellion after the Chur! pale ale, my next brew in the Grainfather was this malty little number. It’s a beer style that is being kept alive by home brewers as it is nearly extinct in the UK now. It’s a little like a very light porter. The chocolate malt gives…
This was the first recipe I did in the Grainfather. It was a kit and a special “early adopter” gift. It’s very much in the mould of the aggressively hoppy pale ales that abound these days. It’s a nice beer, especially if you are a worshiper at the altar of Humulus lupus. The colour is…
I had wanted to brew a pilsner for a while. I discovered Pilsner Urquell & Budvar when we visited the Czech Republic a few years back. It’s the most popular form of beer in the world, and even though it’s been abused and watered down by the big mega-swill breweries, it’s a beautiful beer when…
Hoegaarden was one of the amazing Belgian beers that I was introduced to by my beer-mentor neighbour. It ws unlike anything I have ever tasted. A bit sour, slightly sweet, slightly spicy and with a wild “fermenty” sort of flavour that you don’t get in mass-market lagers. It was pretty much certain that I was…
A lovely, malty, red ale. This was a very easy drinking beer and made a good introduction to the world of “good beer” for my uninitiated friends. This beer also placed 3rd in the A & P show newcomer beer category 🙂 Pre-Boil Gravity: 1.052 SG Original Gravity: 1.056 SG Final Gravity: 1.010 SG ABV:…
My mate Andrew & I have brewed this beer several times. Back when we used to brew together a lot, it was our first really hoppy “craft beer” style brew. It’s an American style IPA but made with Kiwi ingredients. It has a good malt body supporting loads of aromatic hops. A crowd-pleaser that is…
This was my first ever all-grain recipe. My mate Andrew and I brewed it one afternoon, and we learned a whole pile while we did it. It was brewed in the brand new Brew in a Bag gear, and there were even a few panicked phone calls to people in the middle to confirm the…