All Grain Brewing

Well, I have bitten the bullet, and my Honigweizen will be the last extract brew, at least for a while. I've purchased a good system (two ten gallon coolers with brass valves, a sparge arm, and a false bottom) for all-grain brewing, which means using malted barley grain, instead of prepared malt extract syrup and powder. I'll save money, and it will give me more control over the brewing process, ultimately giving me a more authentic product. First up will be an ESB, with Maris Otter pale malt and loaded with East Kent Goldings hops. Brewday is Saturday.

Other happenings will include starting the Blackcurrant Cider, racking the Honigweizen to secondary, and bottling the Ginger Metheglin. I'm also planning to add some medium-heavy toast oak cubes to the cherry melomel, to add a nice tannic addition to the sweet fruitiness that already rules that mead. I'm also keen to try out a new dry yeast...Safale S-04, the Whitbread strain. That will be used in the ESB this Saturday, and I'm looking to get a great English style yeast profile from it, balanced with fruity (but not phenolic) esters and bready flavours. So if you think of it, mates, raise a pint on Saturday to the inaugural mash at St. Crispin's, as I break in my new mash/lauter tun! Prost, Slainte, Cheers!