There’s no doubt that Beersmith software allied to the Grainfather brewing system allows the home brewer huge freedom to experiment. I’ve been moving to hoppier and hoppier brews recently, including the use of particularly highly flavoured American hops.
Be careful what you wish for. This time I think that I’ve overdone it. Even the iconic Ben Truman wouldn’t want that many hops in his beer!
Continue reading
Time for another Grainfather batch. I’m not sure whether I shall get closer to my target of replicating a Sheffield Bitter; indeed I may be moving further away! But at least this time, the colour will be nice and pale. This is the Beersmith formulation:
Posted in Brewing
Tagged BeerSmith, FastFerment conical fermenter, Grainfather, home brewing, wort aeration
Before I went off to college I worked at a food science laboratory. The scientists would cook up foodstuffs in laboratory ovens and test the results for various characteristics. If the experiments involved something delicious like roast chicken, their reports would conclude that they’d carried out organoleptic tests, but never seemed to list the results, which puzzled me. I had to ask what it meant, which was, of course, that they’d eaten it.
We’ve been away for a couple of weeks, which has given our first Grainfather brew a chance to condition. I was all agog to try it.
Well, the great day has come. I’ve been on the course, watched the videos, even read the instructions. Now for the first experiment with … the Grainfather.
Adding the grain to 21 litres of water at 50C. The Grainfather brings the temperature back up 50C as the grain cools the water down.
It’s an all-in-one mashing and brewing device for home-made beer. The last time we made any beer, many years ago, we had to mess about pummelling bags of grain in warm water, rather reminiscent of a Victorian washday.
Continue reading
Posted in Brewing
Tagged FastFerment conical fermenter, Grainfather, home brewing, mashing
Years ago we used to brew beer, and quite successfully so. Later I actually worked for a brewery, and learned at least a smattering of brewing technology. Our beer got better. We used to make a nice brown ale for the summer months, not too strong, but refreshing after work on a warm evening.
We found the old boiler and mash bucket in the attic recently. They’re looking a bit yellowed and sad now, but they prompted us to revive the idea of home brewing. So that’s what we’re going to do.
Continue reading
John Norman's Blog 