Acts-as-Pale Ale* (v1.0)

Primary Fermentation

The goal was to stay within 18-23ºC.

Sun, 29 May 2016

• Gravity at 1.012 for a couple of days now (3.15-3.81% ABV)
  • Very quiet brew. Low sugar? Yeast in the wrong conditions?
  • Try a yeast starter next time
  • Watch the temperature at the beginning of the fermentation

Thu, 26 May 2016

• Gravity 1.014 (~3% ABV)
• Temperature steady at 20ºC for several days

Mon, 23 May 2016

• Fermenter reached a high of 26.3ºC, due to both heat pad and blanket
• Switched off heat pad and removed blanket, slowly cooled to 18.8ºC
• Heat pad switched on, rose to approx. 20ºC

Sun, 22 May 2016

• 2 x 1.5kg cans of Maltexo
• 28g Nelson Sauvin added after hot break
• Another 28g Nelson Sauvin added at 30-minute mark
• Another 14g Nelson Sauvin added at 55-minute mark
• Boil ended at 60-minute mark and quickly cooled to 24ºC in ice water
• Topped up with water and pitched M44 US West Coast Yeast at 24ºC
• Rehydrated the yeast about 20 minutes too early – kept it around 32ºC in water
• Original gravity 1.041

* Name suggested by @danielfone. It's a reference to the habit of early Rails gems starting with acts_as.

Mangrove Jack's Columbus APA

Final result

• Tasted awful
  • Poor instructions for boil?
  • Variable temperature?
  • Too long in fermenter?

Sat, 7 Nov 2015

• Bottled beer

Tue, 6 Oct 2015

• Weather has turned sunny
• Airlock barely bubbling

Sun, 27 Sep 2015

• Another cold night, compensated by setting the room heater on a timer
• Sample quite pleasant, bodes well
• Added hop pellets (Columbus, Centennial)

Fri, 25 Sep 2015

• Cold night, morning reading: 19º
• External temperature sensor not sticking to the fermenter barrel very well
• Adjusted live reading reporting rate (thanks, Kirsty!)
• Gravity still over 1.040

Thu, 24 Sep 2015

• Morning reading: 21º
• Evening reading: 21º
• Set up live temperature readings

Wed, 23 Sep 2015

• Initial gravity: beyond the limits of my hydrometer, over 1.040
• Used hot water (tap water, measured at 60°), not boiling water
• Pitched yeast about 24.5°
• Weather cold, set fermenter on heating pad