Elf King Ale III

Just ran out of the Zythos IPA. Time to make more beer. If you really want to be a good brewer, brew the same beer 5 times I've heard. This will be the fourth of this blonde ale. Well I guess 6th if you count the two Spike Ales. Anyhow, of note this time around I will not have a flavour/aroma hop addition and I'm using dry yeast. Also this is the first blonde ale I will use water I have built. Here's the breakdown:

10 lbs 2-row
1 lb Munich
0.5 lb Wheat

0.5oz Northern Brewer 10.6 AA

Safale US-05 11.5g - Dated 06/13 - Lot# 72202 179 1535

Servomyces
Whilfloc

5 gallons Ridgecrest filtered water
5 gallons distilled
4 grams gypsum
4 grams calcium chloride
1 gram epsom salt

10:15 - I've already measured out the hops and brewing salts. I've also boiled water for the yeast to re-hydrate in. That water is now cooling in a mason jar that I boiled with the water. I used tap water. I am now boiling the O2 stone in distilled water. It's the best way to sanitize since it is hard for the sanitization solution to get into the pores. Once I get done boiling I usually just put it right into sanitization solution and leave it until I'm ready to use it.

11:20 - Moving along well. The strike water is now heating up. I've tasted the water and it is good. Here's a screen grab of what the water chem came to.

 

Mash tun is ready to go. Grains have been crushed. Ellie was here to see the mill and I think she thought is was cool. I seem to have lost my drill key. Got to go to Home Depot and get a replacement. Also, I need to got on with cleaning some stuff. It seems in my drunken stupor last brew session I didn't clean the gear as good as I should have.

11:55 - Just doughed in. Wanted to hit 150F. Looks like I did. Also looks like the pH came in around 5.2 on its own so no 5.2 will be used. Got the brew kettle soaking along with some hoses. I think I'll leave it for another 30mins or so.

12:50 - Heating up the sparge water. Went inside for bit to hang with Ellie. That was nice. Then I came out and cleaned some stuff. In a minute I'll begin the sparge. So far all is well.

1:39 - Sparge done. Now heating up the wort. On a whim I decided to do more of a continuous sparge today. I heated up the sparge water to 190F and then put 1+ gallons in and stirred up the mash. Then I did the vorlouf and started the first runnings. I don't know why but 10mins or so later I slowly put more water in the mash tun. And then I was like, screw it, let's do this. I got a very good extraction of sugar. The gravity of the last of the runnings was 1.015, the lowest I've ever had. The pre-boil gravity was 1.040. I should hit 1.050 no problem. Also, I tasted the grain and it was the least sweet it's ever been. Go team Avery!

2:06 - The 60min count down has begun. All is going well. Just added the hops.

4:03 - Man the wheels fell off quick. I got the pump circulating the wort and the hose flung out and started pumping hot wort all over the garage. So, it's going to take a long time to clean the garage. Then things just got worse. I tried to use dry yeast. So I warmed the water in the majon jar by putting it in the stove until it was 100F. Then I added the yeast. I left it for a while then went to swirl it around and it spilled everywhere. Since I spilled a crap ton of beer on the floor there was not enough in the fermenter. And then I smashed my finger when putting the propane tank back and it hurt like hell. Then after I moved the fermenter to the bathroom to ferment I realize I forgot to put the yeast in. Now I remember I forgot to take a gravity reading. I'm in a bad mood. I've got to get to cleaning now.

5:16 - Ok. Measured OG was 1.052. Done cleaning. In addition to the usual cleaning process I hosed and mopped the floor. I hope I got all the sticky. Time will tell. Also, my shoes got real sticky. I hosed them off too. I hope the beer is ok. From all the crap of me touching the brew as it was cooling I hope I won't get an infection. If we do I guess it would be kind of fun. We can have a new party game to see who can drink the awful beer the fastest or something like that.

Avery out!