As I have mentioned, this brew will be the last for a couple of months at least while I try and get the hang of this being a Dad business (36 weeks today so we're pretty much on target for mid January). When I come back to it the intention is to have a usable setup in the garage and to start thinking about becoming a registered brewery, even on a small scale, so yesterday's brew was something that, all being well, could be put on the shelves at your local craft beer shop and that might even sell and that I could repeat.

This is my third go at a low ABV blonde/pale/golden ale, and after the last one's low yield (8 bottles in the end) I wasn't taking any chances, and I've done a full 25 litre batch. The last one wasn't bad but was a little too bitter for a session pale so I've wound back the IBUs while scaling up the brew length and added  another hop for aroma. There's also a bit of end of the bin allowance for the grain bill as I had less pilsner malt than I thought and less Golden Promise than I needed:

  • 47% Golden Promise
  • 24% Pilsner
  • 15% Torrified Wheat
  • 14% Maris Otter
  • Brewer's Gold hops
  • Hallertauer Hersbrucker hops
  • Cascade hops
  • Safale S-04 yeast

Again, I find torrified wheat really good for giving a decent head where a beer like this might otherwise be fairly flat. The grain bill may have more pilsner in production. The addition of Cascade will give a citrus aroma to the spiciness of the Brewer's Gold and the earthiness of the Hallertauer. Safale S-04 is a good neutral yeast for most purposes, although I did consider reusing the Belgian Golden Ale yeast I used for AG#9 but I haven't quite got into washing yeast and using starters although I know that's going to be inevitable.

The brew was uneventful apart from the need to lug 30l of wort about, something I'll have to address in the garage. OG came in at 1038 which should lead to a pleasant 4% ABV or so and the yeast has taken hold reliably for the first phase. Scaling the design with a 25l profile was incredibly easy and it seems to be working so I should have - ulp- 46 bottles ready in February.

Time to start on the Christmas cheer!