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Extra Strong Vintage Ale


TonyW

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I have just done the Extra Strong Vintage Ale as per the site recipe, i pitched the yeast that was in both the cans, although i have a batch of commercial Ale yeast reactivating and on its way for my next stout brews but its not ready yet.

 

OG 1.060 once i read this i clipped the lid onto the Krausen collar incase i get a beer volcano, it should/would make more mess than and airlock.

 

Ambient temperature is 29C i pitched the yeast at 25C a bit higher than i normally would but alls good.

 

The strong smell of malt and yeast is all through the house, it would be a bit hard to disguise the fact that your homebrewing.

 

Heres something i have only ever done once, way back in my 1st batch of brew in the early 90's and today i did it again, left the tap open on the FV as i was filling it from my brew bucket. I make all my ingredients up in a 10litre bucket then throw them into the FV its my theory that this aerates the brew a bit, i then top up with buckets from the tap and give it another good stir. Today i knew what had happened as soon as it happened and didnt lose much of my beer. We live and learn [roll]

 

Strong Vintage Ale Recipe

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Took a sample today day 6 and its 1.009/010 , i also took a 500ml bottle to sample next week, i will bottle this batch up a week from today. Alc approx a littlr<7% by volume.

 

I still have to have a whinge about the tap on this kit, it literally spewed beer at me whilst i was carefully taking a 500mm bottle to sample next week. Between the tap and the FV literally opened up with out any pressure at all and ceovered me and my floor in beer, i smell lovely. [love]

 

I think the wall between the tap and FV needs to be strengthened so it doesnt warp so easy [rightful]

 

 

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I haven't got a DIY fermentor. Initially I was turned of by the stupid, stupid, stupid name....DIY my foot [pinched] ....why my beloved Coopers insists on aiming their marketing at idiots is above me....DIY....Lager kits with ale yeast...grumble grumble.........now I forget what I was going to post [lol]

 

 

oh yes, I remember. I was turned off by the name but I was won over with the design. I never bought one as I don't need the other crap that comes with it and I reckon the FV is a tad too big for my brewing fridge. I still dreamed of maybe having one some day but all the reports of leaking taps is turning me off. I was going to buy one as a b'day present for a friend next week but I don't think I will bother....I better stop now as I'm working up to rant mode again.

 

Bye for now..[bandit]

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Before I go I should mention something on topic and say that the ESVA recipe makes a wonderful beer. Mine has been in the bottle 12 months now so it is still a bit young but it tastes great [love]

 

I might have to sample another bottle soon.

 

Its tasting nice straight of of the FV i reckon if i can age this one it will be a ripper. Aging beer is a problem with me [devil]

 

I must add the FV itself is a great design but as i said the taps a POS the way it doesnt seal. I would thicken the wall in say a 6" square (about 150mm) and that i susspect would get rid of the warping.

 

I also would buy another kit but i dont want all the gear in it so it looks like i wont bother. I also have a fridge coming soon so i dont want to buy a new FV until i know it fits.

 

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Ok i have just taken a reading using the coopers hydrometer ( broke my good one today doing apple cider [crying] ) and my refractometer.

 

My final gravity according to the refrac and doing calulations is is tah dah 1.007 and according to the coopers hydrometer about the same. Alc BV+ 7.12% the warm beer in the sample tastes mmmm.

 

Opened the 500mm i bottled last week, 1st up was a loud pop then the aroma of a nice malty beer with some subtle hop flavours. Pouring a glass i got a lovely pour with good head retention and the taste? well i am enjoying this obviously young beer as is and its very moreish, i cant wait to bottle up the rest tomorrow and leave it sit (if i can) for ages.

 

Do this kit by the book and you cant go wrong, you will get a very good beer that will age superbly [love]

 

When i switch to kegging this will be one of the 1st beers i do for an on tap experience.

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All bottled up and i will sample one a week until i get the desired taste i want, having said that the green one i had yesterday was very nice indeed.

 

After fighting with my tap on the fermenter i managed 20 740ml PET and 8x500ml grolsch type

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I found the Vintage Ale recipe as posted a little too sweet, so as I have a large enough fermenter to do double batches, I did a 42 litre batch and substitued one can of Dark Ale for one of the Real Ale cans. I dry hopped with 50g Fuggles, would probably half that next time.

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I found the Vintage Ale recipe as posted a little too sweet' date=' so as I have a large enough fermenter to do double batches, I did a 42 litre batch and substitued one can of Dark Ale for one of the Real Ale cans. I dry hopped with 50g Fuggles, would probably half that next time.[/quote']

 

Recipe as is on the site

1.7kg Australian Pale Ale beer kit

1.7kg Real Ale beer kit

1kg Dextrose

30g Nelson Sauvin pellets

 

No dark ale in it, and the Nelson Sauvin set it off superb

 

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Aging beer is a problem with me [devil]

 

Yes with me too. Usually I leave mine in the FV for about 10 days then it is all gone within the next 10 days, at most. Sometimes only 2-5 days after fermentation is complete.

Generally from the goo can to the loo can in under 20 days [innocent]

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Aging beer is a problem with me [devil]

 

Yes with me too. Usually I leave mine in the FV for about 10 days then it is all gone within the next 10 days, at most. Sometimes only 2-5 days after fermentation is complete.

Generally from the goo can to the loo can in under 20 days [innocent]

 

Starting to do a 14day brew turn around, Saturday brew up 2 weeks later bottle and start a new brew. Going to try a few more of the Vintage ale brew tonight and i have 15 PET in my new brew fridge outside and a few 500mm in a cupboard in the house.

 

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Aging beer is a problem with me [devil]

 

Yes with me too. Usually I leave mine in the FV for about 10 days then it is all gone within the next 10 days, at most. Sometimes only 2-5 days after fermentation is complete.

Generally from the goo can to the loo can in under 20 days [innocent]

 

Starting to do a 14day brew turn around, Saturday brew up 2 weeks later bottle and start a new brew. Going to try a few more of the Vintage ale brew tonight and i have 15 PET in my new brew fridge outside and a few 500mm in a cupboard in the house.

 

That's a big thing I like about kegging though, no real need to wait 2 weeks+ for conditioning [cool] Like I said, mine are all drunk within 20 days at most from the opener hitting the can [love]

 

I have to do 2 week turn around brews, sometimes sooner, just to keep up the supply [bandit]

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Well i gave this brew a nudge on Saturday night and it kicked my butt after few bottles, what a lovely beer this is is especially in pints. I switched back to my Lager for a bottle or 2 then ran out of steam, lucky i didnt fancy hitting up the cider as well.

 

I try not to drink during the week so its alot easier for me to preserve a few bottles, but i discovered a neighbour, a couple of houses away is a keen homebrewer and we are going to be doing some brew swaps during the week and share an All Grain Brew over summer, this could get nasty.

 

Will possible switch to kegs after my shed is full of brews [love]

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Took a sample of this Ale over to my neighbors house and i reckon i could sell the stuff, it went down a treat and its only 2 weeks old and obviously need more conditioning. Was good to do some homebrew comparisons, always good to find a neighbor with the same hobby.

 

aleup.jpg

 

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Yep' date=' it's a cracker of a recipe that one. I've made it three times so far and they're all brilliant. One the last 2 I bumped the NS up a little.[/quote']

 

I was thinking of dropping the dex for 1.5kg of LME next brew and adding another dose of NS as a dry hop about 5 days in.

 

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I was thinking of dropping the dex for 1.5kg of LME next brew and adding another dose of NS as a dry hop about 5 days in.

 

I'd be interested in hearing how the LME went if you try it.

 

Just looked at my brewing notes for my 2nd and 3rd batches. I dry hopped 30g of NS pellets straight up. I then added another 15g of pellets 7 days later. I then added another 30g of NS flowers 4 days before bottling. The reason I bombed it up was my first brew initially (about 3 weeks)was a little bitter and harsh and very aromatic but still very good. Longer in bottle has seen it turn into a very smooth beer but has lost a lot of the NS aroma. I thought I'd put plenty of NS in so by the time it ages and becomes smooth it will still have the prominent NS aroma. Well I

ve tried my 2nd and 3rd batches and can't really tell any difference, which is hard to believe considering how much I put in. One thing though the 2nd and 3rd brews are much smoother earlier. I thought it might have something to do with the flowers, not sure though. Next time I think I'll just add 45g (half a pckt) of NS pellets at about day 5 and be done with it.

 

When I said I bumped the NS a little that's what it tasted like but a put a lot in.

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