Geordie Yorkshire Bitter Challenge - EB vs WA

[Exiled Bradfordian]

I'm claiming home advantage on this one, hailing from God's own county. Got to be worth ten points as a start off.

As a fully paid-up member of the Easily Led Club I challenged Wales to a Yorkshire Bitter Brew Off since we both had a Geordie Yorkshire BItter kit. My bottling crisis meant a delay in beginning. Five point forfeit. Five to Wales for Readiness.

Five all.

I also drunkenly suggested to my friend that I do a brew for his kid's christening. Combined the challenges. Got to be ten points in there plus five for reckless bravado - my brew's gonna be on naked show to all my friends and family.

Wales' love of hops crept in and I was challenged to use at least 100g. 100g! Well this one has to be good. As a first time hopper I'm terrified of over hopping. Decided to go with 50. Bravery to go with 100g - ten points to Wales.

First time hopper means no hops. London Fields Brewery sell them? Awesome! Nothing suitable. Booo! Where else? London Beer Lab! Brixton? 40 minutes away. Traffic? Make that an hour. I reckon a point a minute's in order for the inconvenience factor. Sixty to me! Picked up 50g each of Challenger and EKG. I'll use EKG on a future brew. By the way - awesome place; half the price of London Fields. Yippee!

Ready to brew? Bottling crisis suspended you bet I am:



Here's the deal:

1 x Geordie Yorkshire Bitter kit
1470g Liquid Malt Extract (450g H&B; 3 x 340g Rayner's)
50g Challenger Hops



Hops steeped for 30 mins and resulting tea and hops added to the brew

Made up to 20 litres. Wanna flake in that, mate?



First to get the brew on. Ten points to me. Five points a pic.

EB: 105 points
WA: 15 points

Best get a wriggle on Wales. Get brewing!

[WalesAles]

EB,
I can`t do this BrewOff. MrsAles made me sell all my Gear!
WA

[Monkeybrew]

EB,
I can`t do this BrewOff. MrsAles made me sell all my Gear!
WA

WTH Mun????

[Monkeybrew]

EB: 105 points
WA: 15 points

I'm thinking that this point system may require some moderation

[Exiled Bradfordian]

WA—this is a joke, right?

MB—I have been scrupulously fair and invite scrutiny, however, should you wish to volunteer to referee as an independent person, be my guest!

[SiMania]

WA—this is a joke, right?

He's running scared.

[Monkeybrew]

WA—this is a joke, right?

MB—I have been scrupulously fair and invite scrutiny, however, should you wish to volunteer to referee as an independent person, be my guest!

I'll happily be chief taste tester

Cheers

MB

[Exiled Bradfordian]

Hey MB...we'll be up in Colchester in September for the football. If it's all bottled up by then I'm happy to drop a bottle off for you to swig.

[WalesAles]

WA—this is a joke, right?

EB,
Look at the time of my post. Just come in off 12Hr nights, drinking Blackcurrant TC and having a bit of Fun!
What was your SG?

Game On!
Geordie Yorkshire Bitter 20Lts.
1 can Kit
1 bottle Golden Syrup 454gr
252gr Demerara Sugar
1 Kg Medium Spraymalt
25gr Chinook Hops and 25gr Summit Hops 5 min boil in 3Lts water
SG @ 22deg 1052.
Day 7 Dry Hop with 25gr Chinook and 25gr Summit.
This was a pain to cool down to 22deg, 6 Chinese Takeaway containers filled with water, put in the Freezer Friday soon brought the
Temp down! Spot on 22deg!
WA

[Exiled Bradfordian]

Starting points:

EB: 105
WA: 15

EB: didn't take an OG reading. Five point forfeit. Shame we're not playing Ditch rules or I'd be winning by a country mile!
WA: Hilarious joke: 15 points
WA: 1,706g additional fermentables: 10 points plus 5 bonus points for wild abandon of sense
WA: Ridiculously precise measurement of ingredients: 10 points
WA: Two varieties of hops: 5 points each
WA: Bothering to take a temperature reading: 5 points (damn this not playing by Ditch rules)
WA: Having a ready supply of Chinese takeaway containers on demand: 5 points each

Points tally:

EB: 100
WA: 100

It's neck and neck!

[Exiled Bradfordian]

Wales. Need to benefit from your hop advice. Don't sabotage me. The points aren't worth it.

I've just paid my brew a visit. I know I shouldn't but I couldn't help myself. It smells bloody lovely mun.

Here's what I did to hop:

Boil the bejesus out of a leg of my wife's (previously unworn) tights to sanitise them after reading somewhere that these would be a reasonable proxy for a muslin bag.

Shoved my hops in them together with a sanitised shot glass to weigh them down.

Put into a sanitised bowl. Poured boiling water on them. Left them for a bit.

Made up my wort. Added the resulting hop tea and hop bag to the brew.

THEY'RE FLOATING ON THE TOP OF MY BEER. In the bag, like, but floating. I thought the shot glass should weigh them down.

I'm in a bit of a quandary. On the one hand I'm loath to mess with it: risk of infection and all that. But on the other .... aren't they supposed to be down the bottom to infuse in the lovely beer?

I think the best option is to leave it as is...grateful for any opinions?

Second question: dry hopping. How'day do it? For the record, my hops are in an (unsanitised) bag in the freezer. What's the deal here? Whack em in another tights leg that's been boiled up and shove it in after 7/14 days? Do I 'sanitise' them in some way? Can't see how...they seem to be pellets but mushed up before I got them.

Also...are EKG good for dry hopping?

If you can't tell, I'm doing this a bit on the fly

I should have never got involved in hops!

[Manngold]

Hi EB. Don't worry too much with it floating on the top. I personally say leave it be, my previous three dry hops have all floated on the top and have turned out ok.

In terms of your future dry hop, I would wait into day 7, at which point you have couple of choices. You can shoose to put them in a muslin type bag and weigh down, or you can just add on top of the brew. Either is fine. The only problem with adding on top is when you come to siphon you may end up getting some hop bits. In which case you can put a mesh or muslin bag over the end of the siphon to stop getting the hops.

Hope this helps.

[WalesAles]

EB,
I`d leave alone until day 7, sanitise the tights and 4 shot glasses (use 3 in the hop bag or 4 if need be). Get everything ready in one place,
(near the FV), take out the old hop bag, put the new one in ensuring it is below the beer. Close lid, leave alone for a week.
Obviously in your case you will take a peek the next day just to make sure it`s OK, and the next, and the next, etc, etc.
Hope this helps!
WA

[Exiled Bradfordian]

Three/four hop glasses...that's where I'm going wrong!

As for taking a sneaky peek/sniff...brewer's prerogative!

[WalesAles]

EB, EB,
Wake up! Wake Up!
Day 7 today, my Dry Hop has gone in, Has yours?
25Gr Chinook, 25Gr Summit.
Game On, EB!
WA