July 27th

A full 6 days in on the Belgian Gold and it has gone from 1045 to 1018. Probably give it another week before I bottle. Tasted the hydrometer brew and I'm feeling pretty good about this one. Fermentation got a little warm on me. I was shooting for 68 all the way through, but with the heat from fermentation, it got to 72-74 for a day or two. It is now back down to 68, but will have to control this a little better in the future.

Belgian Gold

Recipe:

6 lbs Pilsen LME

.5 lbs Pilsen DME

.6 lbs Belgian Caramunich

.4 lbs Munich

Kent Goldings .9oz 60 mins

Saaz .5oz 30 mins

Saaz .5oz 15 mins

Yeast.....WLP550 Belgian Ale with 2L starter

Mistakes: Put the whirlfloc in at 20 mins instead of 10, Starting OG was 1045 instead of 1052. I believe that I didn't take into account for the 2L starter and this caused a little extra in volume, though it doesn't look like it's over 5 gallons. I need to remark my carboy since it came off. Other than that, it went perfect. After cooling wort and adding it to the ice water in the carboy, wort was 66 degrees. Fermentation began about 4 hours after adding yeast. Full "yeast-gone-wild" was about 12hrs. Fermentation temp was at 66-70 degrees. Above are the pics.

So, I'm back after a few month hiatus. I could make excuses, but the truth is I have just been lazy and enjoying summer. But, I have the brewing fever again and hope to keep it going this time. Anyways, this is my first beer back, a Belgian Pale called Belgian Gold. I hope to be drinking these easy brews while watching the Olympics in August. Below, is my equipment. I use a V8 Splash container as a beaker(yes, I'm going to buy a 2000ml soon) and in the specimen cup is a black liquid called Demand Sanitizer. It is my secret weapon. It is by-far the best sanitizer money can buy, except I get it free from work(we pay $9/gallon). It smells like ass, but 1 oz for 4 gallons is awesome. The other pic is 200 grams of DME with a little over 2 liters of water and 1/4 teaspoon of yeast nutrients.

The picture below is beautiful and smell even better...ummm wort!! The other is sanitizer with funnel and foil.

Ahhh....need a brew right? SN Summerfest...hey, I have to mow the grass after I'm done. Oh, another of that wort, I liked it that much!!!

Putting the lid on at the last 5 mins to sanitze it. And chilling in the sink.

Poured the wort into the V8 Splash container but was still about 90 degress so I had to try and cool it down some more. I was literally throwing everything cold in the kitchen sink!! Cooled and yeast pitched on the right.

After 1 and 1/2 hrs yeast already settling to the bottom. Got to love it!!!