Brew #7
Started 5-18-2002
Used a recipe found online at http://brewery.org/brewery/cm3/recs/05_44.html
3 lbs Briess extra pale dry malt extract
4 lbs Mount Mellick amber liquid malt extract
1.25 lbs dark brown sugar
1.75 fl oz Wyeast #1084 (Irish Ale)
2 packets Danstar Nottingham dry yeast
1/2 pound, Black Patent
1/4 pound, Roasted Barley
1/2 pound, Crystal (60 degree L)
1/2 pound, Crystal (40 degree L)
1/4 pound, Chocolate Malt
2 oz Nugget hop pellets
1 oz Cascade hop pellets
3 oz fresh grated ginger
I followed the instructions fairly closely. Which is to say - steep grains in 150° water (2 1/2 gallons), for 40 minutes, added sugar and malts, raised to boil, added Nugget hops, boiled for 50 minutes, added ginger, boiled 10 more minutes, added Cascade hops, turned off heat. Let rest for about 5 minutes, then chilled. Racked off to 6.5 gallon primary fermenter, topped off with bottled drinking water (just over 5 gallons). Noticed that the Wyeast slap-pack was not ballooned up to it's maximum size, so decided to help it out with extra dry yeast left over from other kits. Re-hydrated 2 packs of dry yeast, added that and Wyeast and stirred vigorously.
One note - I didn't pre-heat the liquid malt extract as recommended, because I wasn't sure why. Now I know. The stuff is like molasses at room temperature. When I added it, it sank to the bottom and began to burn against the heat before I could mix it in. Hopefully the brew doesn't turn out tasting like burnt sugar. Many of the burnt flakes were ejected during the boil-over (ahem), so maybe this will help.
This was done in the early afternoon. By nighttime, the airlock was already showing activity. I've never seen it start so fast.
Typically, it takes about 3 days for the airlock activity to subside to the rate of 1 bubble per 60 seconds (At which time the brew should be transfered to a secondary fermenter). Not this time. 5 days later (on the 22nd of May) this puppy was still popping out a bubble every 20 seconds. Not only that, but three or four times prior, my airlock jammed with krausen and needed to be cleaned out. I've never seen such vigorous and lasting activity.
5-23-2002 - Airlock activity finally below 1 bubble per minute. Transfered to secondary fermenter - in the morning. This resulted in lateness for everything else I needed to get done in the morning. Ah, well, the brew must come first!