Sunday, June 04 found the Fieldpointe Brew Crew meeting up with the McFarland Mashers to resurrect that group’s 30 gallon brewing system which had gone dormant for some years. Mark and I were graciously invited to be a part of the event and were glad to attend.
The McFarland guys consist of my brothers Paul and Todd (Todd is a OTR driver and was on a run that day.) and their friend John – at whose place the brew gear resides, is maintained and now once again used.
This post is going to be in picture format so Mark can actually follow along and enjoy it for a change.
55 pounds of grain went into this brew.
As you can see, the sparge vessel false bottom consists of multiple stainless steel braids. You probably recognize the float!
Notice how Mark fulfilled the role of supervisor – just as he does at the Fieldpoine events. Every brewery needs an overseer of operations.
This kettle is full! Todd will be glad to know that a boil over did not occur – thanks to Hop Spider’s watchful eyes. Here he is going after that stray bottle cap that wandered too close.
This copper chiller has a motorized paddle that agitates the wort. A garden hose in and out gets the job done.
This system works very well.
This rack keeps the barrel at a slight forward incline. John explained that he simply slips another barrel under the primary and uses good old gravity to transfer to the secondary. The secondary is at just the correct hight to fill kegs when the time comes.
This was a fantastic day! John had the beer fridge well stocked. Paul brought some fantastic brats. Mark brought some snacks – including Danny’s meat sticks. I brought 4 liters of Father, Bread, Evil and a bottle from Dark Lord Day at 3 Floyds Brewing. (Mark and I linked up with his boys in Munster, IN a week or so earlier for the annual Dark Lord Day. Next time you see Mark, ask him about his new best friend John – not the one above – although….)
This is my brother Paul’s recipe for Paddle Pushers Ale – printed without permission.
Grain
- 40 lb – 6 Row Pale Malt
- 5 lb – Flaked Rice
- 5 lb – White Wheat Malt
- 3 lb – German Pilsner
- 2 lb – Crystal Malt 10°L
Hops
- 6 oz – Perle for 60 minutes
- 6 oz – Willamette for 10 minutes
Adjunct
- 4 lb – Corn Sugar
Yeast
- Yeast #1056 – American Ale (starter)
Projected Analysis (not measured)
- Original Gravity (OG) – 1.053
- Final Gravity (FG) – 1.012
- ABV – 5.4%
- Bitterness – 31.2 IBU
- Color – 3.9 SRM
Paul and I plan on each serving this beer at our respective amateur radio Field Day events at the end of this month. The rest of it John and Mark will have to fight over.
Thanks for a great day guys!
