My brewing weekend

The SWMBO and my daughter were out of town this weekend, so I took advantage and did some brewing. I took Friday off of work with the intent to brew a batch Friday and Saturday.

Fridays Batch: Made a batch of Yooper's DFH 60 minute. It started great, using some of my new gear I picked up like the RV in line filter and food grade hose to fill the water. Started my mash and missed the temp by a couple of degrees on the high side. Not a big deal IMO. Then I knock my hydrometer off the table, and it breaks. I have been trying to increase my efficiency. I was running 50-55% a couple of batches ago. I go to drain my mash and it is stuck. This is my second straight stuck mash. I just traded my braid for a false bottom that I was using for the first time. I finally got my mash drained and then my sparge water was way too hot. I eventually got everything under control, and the rest went fine.

Saturday: It started to thunderstorm just as I was getting setup. I did get to the LHBS for a new hydrometer.

Sunday: Brewed a pale ale recipe I have been working on the clone Sweetwater 420, but I checked my hops and I messed up my order and I had to sub with some left over hops from the freezer. The rest of the brew session went as smoothly as a brew session has ever been for me. I hi all my temps, and no stuck mash. I got my efficiency up to 72%, which is an acceptable range.

I just found it amazing how one brew session can go so wrong and then 2 days later it goes perfectly.

Sometimes the worst brew day batched turn out the best.

I recently had a bad brew session. I had it all: boil overs, slow start to fermentation, hop bag fell into chilled wort so I had to reach in a get it out, siphon stopped while racking, etc. etc.

Turns out it was my best batch ever and won the IPA taste session of our local brew club.

Overall I am just happy to get some brew time. It was my 3rd and 4th batch of the year. With tax season, I'm an accountant, and a newborn baby it has been difficult to find the time. I am really glad that I have been improving my process even though I have not brewed that often this year.

Have you brewed the 420 recipe before? If so how did it turn out and would you mind sharing the recipe?

Yes I have brewed the 420 before and it was a very good beer, and similar to the actual. I was tweaking it a little bit to try to get it closer to the real deal. I will post the recipe when I get home tonight.

Here is the recipe for a 420 like pale ale. It is very close to the actual, but I do think it could be a little bit closer before I would give it the title of a clone recipe.


Recipe Specifications
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Batch Size: 5.50 gal
Estimated OG: 1.054 SG
Estimated FG: 1.012 FG
Estimated Color: 7.0 SRM
Estimated IBU: 40.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
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Amount Item
8 lbs 12.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
2 lbs Munich I (Weyermann) (7.1 SRM)
8.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 40L (40.0 SRM)
1.50 oz Cascade [5.10 %] (60 min)
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] (15 min)
0.50 oz Cascade [5.10 %] (15 min)
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.50 %] (3 min)
1.00 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min)
1 Pkgs California Ale (White Labs #WLP001)


Mash at 154 for 60 minutes

If you have never had Sweetwater 420 it is a great pale ale with some sweetness along with a great hop flavor. The best of both worlds. I know I have seen several threads with people asking for a clone recipe of this beer which inspired me to create the recipe.