#9 Cincinnati Pale Ale (#2)

Ok, take 2 for the Cincinnati Pale Ale! This time I am following Sam’s 10ltr batch idea. Only 12 bottles if I am lucky.

I am doing a 10ltr boil/batch and late addition malt, and I will look at putting some hops in after primary fermentation is done (say day 7) before bottling at day 14. Oh and the same hop amounts for the full 19ltr previous batch. I better read up what the story is with sanitisation for dry hopping.

Notes

With 10.25ltrs of water in the pot heating up I started sanitisation of the fermenter & other equipment. Once the water was getting close to boil I slowly added 1kg of malt.

Once at boil I started with the hop additions as specified above. I also boiled a cup of water for rehydrating the yeast and put aside to cool. At the 15 min addition I add in the last 0.5kg of malt, then get the ice bath ready.

Turned off heat and chilled the pot in ice bath to 25deg C. During this time I added the yeast to my cool boiled water – not really counting on how long it was going to take to cool the water. I splashed the wort into the fermenter leaving about half the turb in the pot – I had sterilised a sieve but thought the hops in the turb may still part some oils… but probably should not have. No topping up – 9.5ltrs is my guess so I lost about .75 in the boil and turb. The wort was about 24deg C when I pitched the yeast.

Bubbling was going nicely within 12 hours.

15/4 I have not seen/heard any bubbling after 24 hours – the yeast says quick starting, rapid fermentation… but 12 hours? I guess I pitched a whole packet for only 10ltrs. Better learn about dry hopping damn quick.

16/4 Well that could not have been easier (see http://www.byo.com/stories/article/indices/37-hops/573-dry-hopping-techniques). Dy hopped

28/4 Bottled. This was the first time I used a bottling bucket and corn sugar mix for priming so I hope goes ok – I read about 4oz for a full batch so I did 2oz. Taste was ok, I think it will be a reasonable batch.

1/5 The bottles are getting firmer to squeeze (I use plastic as they never last that long in the house to need glass bottles!)

Tasting Notes

6/5 My first real beer! I could not resist and we have had a bottle early and I am very pleased. Basically it just does not have that yeasty, fruity taste that the last ones had (except the porter). It nicely bittered and has a good flavour. The hop aroma is not as strong as I wanted, but I am very pleased. Now with only 11 bottles left… I have the challenge to make it last (it should not be drunk yet).