VF Hop Garden Update!

While the fair headed men (Drew and Crispian) brewed a nifty APA on Saturday morning 30th October, i was pruning and training hop vines in the South East of South Australia.
I mild start to the spring has seen vigorous growth from the Columbus and new Cascade cuttings, the Chinook however has not taken off like it has in past years.
Not to worry - Cascade looks healthy - so APA freaks like us can rest easy knowing it handles the hot dry finish with style....

Before:

Healthy Columbus plants growing vigorously, about 5-10cm per day.

Cascade, you would not know that they were mostly first season cuttings...

VF Hop Garden update "Summer" Coming Soon....

VF# 27 American Pale Ale

Saturday 30th October 2010
Brewers Present: Drew Friebel & Crispian "Temp vs Time" Fielke

Malt
18kg Joe White Pale Ale
1.5kg Cara Pils
.5kg Light Crystal
.5kg Flaked Barley
.5kg Vienna

Total 21kg


Hops
200grams Galaxy @ 60 minutes
75grams Cascade @ 15 minutes
25grams Cascade and 25grams Amarillo @ Flameout
75grams Amarillo for dry hopping.


Yeast
WYEAST 1272 American Ale II

Method:
Flame on @ 6:38am 100L (inc 3ml of Phos Acid @85% Conc.)
Mashing @ 8:10am Strike Temp 67degC (80L)
Recirculating through water bath @80degC for 30mins (64>69degC)

20 minute Fly Sparge @ 9:20am @ 80degC
Boil @ 10:05am (60L)

Hop addition:
200gm Galaxy @ 60min
...
...
...

Immersion Cooling with Rain Water tank with pump:
Tank Water @ 17.5degC /Wort 100degC, 11:07am

Refer to Graph for cooling progress.......BEER NERD ALERT!!

Pitch Yeast @ 4pm @ approx 22degC
Original Gravity 1042
Volume in Fermenter: 84L
Extra Volume: 11L

Dry Hopped: 8th /11/2010
62gms Amarillo
56gms of Cascade
Specific Gravity ~1012

Chilled to 2degC
...

VF# 26 English Style Ale

Saturday 28/08/2010
This is our attempt at creating an English Pale Ale, caramel and toffee'd malt flavours with a  clean earthy bitterness. 


Malt:

18kg pale

2kg light crystal

1kg dark crystal

0.5kg Flaked Barley

21.5Kg

Hops:
200gm of EKG @ 60mins boiling 4.8%A.A.
50gm of EKG @ 30mins
100gm of Fuggles @ 10mins 4.2% A.A
50gm of Fuggles @ Flameout
400gm

Yeast:
1098 British Ale, Wyeast (4L started 4 days prior)

Schedule:
Start time: 6am Flame on.
100L + 5ml of Phosphoric Acid (85% conc.)
Dough in @ 7.45am
73degC strike temp, target temp 66degC
Mash volume: 75L
Sparge volume: 70L @75degC
Boil volume: 100L @ 9.55am
Immersion chill start @ 11am
Pump out to fermenter @ 12.05 (25degC)
Yeast pitched @ 1pm

Volume 80L
Initial gravity: 1046

Brewery Upgrades:
Below is a few photo's of the new kit installed and rolling for the VF.
A 100L cone bottomed fermenter mounted in an upright Kelvinator freezer. (Thanks to Dotti Campbell for the free - zer)
Hardware:  Stainless steel 1.5" skin fitting with 2 piece ball valve.

Hopefully the new setup saves racking time and kegging (and perhaps bottling) take a matter of minutes.  Generally larger volumes of beer mature more rapidly than smaller volumes, with luck and skill it will pump out quality booze for years to come.

Time for a bite while the immersion chill takes place, a continental snag with some rocket, lime, pepper and olive oil. Washed down with a White Rabbit Dark ale, a good session beer. No match for VF#25.

Here's the pitch!


Giles

VF Hop Garden Update!

A little work on the hop garden over the weekend, removing old growth, pulling weeds, mulching, and re-planting some cuttings.

A Chinook (we hope) hop plant taken from my back verandah pot and transplanted to the garden, hopefully bursting at the seams with fresh flowers this season!! Note the little purple tips are the new growth.

After: clean and ready to grow.... 14 plants in the ground! And some potted cuttings to kick the next season along!

G

VF # 25

Much Like VF#24, hopefully a well mannered dark ale with a vibrant toasty, roasty, choc topped goodness.


Malt:
8Kg Pale
8Kg Pilsner
3Kg Caramunich II
.75Kg Black Malt
0.75Kg Choc Malt
0.5Kg Oats (Rolled)
0.5Kg Wheat
Tot: 21.5kg
Hops:
200gm Fuggles @ 60min boil
100gm EKG @ 30 min boil
100gm Cascade @ 5 min boil


Yeast:
WYEAST: 1028 London (split into two batches, started to 4L + 4 cups of Light dried Malt)

Schedule:
I don't know yet.... but it will be about 6 hours long, with many laughs in between!
You should try brewing one day...

Here's how it went down....
8.30am adjust pH of 100L of tap water to 3.7 using 10ml of 85% Phos. acid.
Strike Vol: 65-70L
Strike Temp Aim: 66-68degC
Strike Temp 75degC
Actual Strike Vol: 75L
Ambient Temp: 11-13degC @ Dough in...
Mash for 1 Hour.

Sparge Temp 70degC
Sparge Vol: 55L
Sparge Length: 20-25min

First run off Vol: 50L
Sparge run off Vol: 50L
Boil Length: 1 Hr
Total Wort Vol (in fermenter): 80L
Original Gravity: 1046-1048

Lunch: Artisanal Pizza's of Spiced Lamb and Heirloom Tomatoes.

VF

The Wheaty turns Seven!!

Double hopped Lobethal bierhaus Ale, a Moo Dark Ale and birthday cupcake for good measure. Hops, roasted malt and small cakes.... Heaven! Giles

VF# 23 Lotsa Hops!!

V F 23

Harvest Ale

21kg Joe White Pilsner Malt
2kg Carapils
1.5kg Light Crystal
0.5kg Medium Cystal
0.5kg Oatmeal


WYeast 1272 American Ale II


Fresh home grown Chinook and Cascade hops.

60 minutes -- 370gms Chinook Fresh Dried Flowers
90gms Cascade Fresh Dried Flowers

15 minutes -- 110gms Cascade Fresh Dried Flowers

Flameout -- 600gms Chinook Fresh Picked Flowers (wet)

Specific Gravity 1050

Skipper

Beers on Tap...

Some immature hop flowers atop the font at The Wheaty...

Sierra Nevada Torpedo IPA - My golly gosh what a beer!  Apparently they have a license on the variety of hops that are used in this explosive ale! Thanks Jonty!

Epic Mayhem Ale, from the NZ brewery that brought you the Armageddon IPA with 42 count'em 42 hop varieties in the mix - and it is very drinkable.  I think the Mayhem is such a good beer, so well balance so clean in its flavour, and what tremendous flavour!!  Cheers Coops!!

Giles