I’ve been remarkably lucky this year. Despite being outrageously busy with work, I’ve managed to meet a number of great people with similar interests. One such meeting (a very cold, very successful hunting trip over the Winter Solstice) laid the foundations for what appears to be a solid brewing partnership.
After Dany gave me a hand with my first all-grain brew day, his own obsession with the hobby has taken hold. To date, he’s brewed feijoa wine (not so good), Pilsner from a kit (pretty darn good), and a Nelson Sauvin Amber Ale (bloody hoppy!). With the latter brew being a touch on the bitter side for his wife, Dany set out to brew a wife-friendly beer, while also marking the recent birth of his son – Archer.
Archer Ale – Best Bitter
Recipe Specifics: Extract + Steep
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Batch Size (L): 19
Anticipated OG: 1.044
Anticipated ABV: 4.1%
Anticipated SRM: 11.7
Anticipated IBU: 30.1
Wort Boil Time: 60 minutes
Extract and Grain
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83.2% 3.20 kg. Briess Pilsen Light DME (2.0SRM)
16.80% 0.65 kg. Caramunich III Malt (71.1SRM)
Hops
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28.00 g. Golding, NZ (Pellet, 5.00% AA) @ 60 min.
28.00g. Fuggle (Pellet, 5.90% AA) @ 45 min.
20.00 g. Golding, NZ (Pellet, 5.00% AA) @ 0 min (30 min whirlpool at 75 °C).
Yeast
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Burton Ale (White Labs # WLP023) [35.49mL]
Water Profile
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Profile: Waimakariri Tap Water (chlorine-free)
Mash Schedule
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Caramunich III steeped at 70°C for 30mins prior to boil
Notes
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Dany is still fine-tuning his brewing system (aren’t we all?), so ended up with more boil-off than predicted, and an OG of 1.059 instead of 1.044. He made the most of the situation though, pitched two packets of yeast, and ended up with a very tasty beer (or so I’m told – I’m yet to be given a taste!).
At 6.4% ABV, and with an OG of 1.059, it would seem that Dany’s beer fits more within the ‘British Strong Ale’ guidelines. Regardless, it would certainly seem the brewing obsession has taken hold, and he’s made a damn fine beer to mark his son’s birth. Nice work, mate.
