Brew #4
Started 1-30-2002
Went to "The Grape" on 1-28-2002 and picked up a 7 gallon bottling bucket, lid, airlock, tap, floating thermometer, and the ingredients for my next batch.
3 lbs Muntons extra pale malt extract
1.75 fl oz Wyeast #1028 mfg Jan 15th, 2002
1 oz East Kent golding hop pellets
some steeping grains (I dunno what kind. The guy just gave them to me and said "Use this")
This time when I went to The Grape I talked to a different guy. He didn't talk as much, but was still quite helpful. I explained to him that I wanted to make a lighter beer this time. I think I made a mistake by mentioning that I was using Mr Beer paraphernalia, because at first he showed me a bag of pre-hopped malt extract and said, "You could use this. It has the hops already in it. Just add warm water and yeast." My response was something like, "What fun is that?" He smiled and nodded, then rushed around the store collecting things. He handed me a handful of stuff and a sheet of paper with some very nice instructions. He then explained exactly what I should do. So I did.
The day before I had popped the Wyeast slap-pack. It was ballooned up nicely by the time I was ready to get started. First I sterilized my Mr Beer fermenter, and put 1 gallon of cold bottled water in it and placed it in the fridge. Then I put 1 gallon of tap (well) water into my 3 gallon pot and brought the temperature up to 153°. My new floating thermometer didn't have enough space to float, but it worked OK anyway. At 153° I turned off the heat and put the grains into the sock-thing and floated them in the hot water for 20 minutes covered. At the end of the 20 minutes I checked the temp again. 148°. Not bad. I removed the grain-bag and cranked up the heat. I let it get to a nice rolling boil, and then dumped in my bag of powdered malt extract. The I returned it to a boil and noted the time. Foam and boil over were not a problem, I tended it the whole time and stirred it as needed. Once the wort was boiling nicely I added 1/2 oz hops and stirred. 40 Minutes later, I added the last 1/2 oz of hops. 5 minutes after that, placed a lid on the pot, and set it in a cold water bath in my sink. I left it to cool for 20 minutes, changing the water about 3 or 4 times. After 20 minutes the pot was cool to the touch. Then I dumped the wort into my fermenter with the cold water, and topped it off with bottled drinking water. The I added my yeast and realized I had forgotten to sterilize something to stir with. Improvising, I put the lid on and shook the fermenter vigorously. I put the fermenter back on the top shelf of my cabinet, but this time with a cookie tray under it to catch any rouge krausen.
All in all, things went quite well. I'm looking forward to some good beer from this batch.
02-02-2002 I figured out what the grains were. It was listed on my receipt. 3 oz of 60 degrees Lovibond crystal malt.
02-07-2002 (I think) Bottled. 20 12 ouncers. Used the bottling bucket again. Worked good. Boiled sugar in some water and cooled before adding to the bucket. Uncarbonated beer is quite good.