Today I make my much anticipated return to brewing!  I’m really excited to be doing this again after this summer’s backyard construction projects. I’m still figuring out my process in the new space and I need better work surfaces but hey, it’s a start.

Cask ESB last runnings

This is my Cask ESB project. It’s a simple Extra Strong Bitter recipe hopped with UK Kent Goldings and Fuggles. It’s intended to come out around 5.5% ABV, copper to amber colored around 12 SRM, and bittered to 38 IBUs.  I’m still struggling with my brewhouse efficiency, and seem to have once again undershot my pre-boil gravity. I overshot the estimated pre-boil volume, so maybe that’s my culprit. Otherwise my temperatures and times were spot on. I’ll try boiling off the overage and see whether I can make up the gravity before I pitch. Glad I got myself a refractometer.

After this ferments out it’ll secondary a 8-10 weeks in a new, toasted oak cask. Then it’ll be kegged and tapped sometime before Christmas. Oooo… Maybe I’ll put it on nitro.

Looking forward to it.