Dutchie is brewing tonight: Weizen

[Koffie]

So, tonight is another brewing night for me

The plan is to brew 30-35 liter Weizen.
Yesterday I bought all te ingredients, including a Wyeast 3068. Smacked it immediately at work, but had to stop it and put it in the fridge .. it was to frech
Later in the evening I poored all the liquid yeast in a 1,5 liter bottle, cooked some wort from the freezer (half liter or so) and after cooling it to 24 degrees I put the wort in the bottle. Give at long shakes and put an airlock on the bottle.
After that, I shaked the bottle (without the airlock) everytime I passed by.

Earlier this evening I started crushing my malt and getting my equipment ready.
Half way filling the mash kettle I took a closer look at the recipe .. oops .. forgot that the Weizen needs lower temp to start
Stopped using hot tapwater and start using cold tapwater.
Time to bring the kids a goodnight kiss, meanwhile hoping the water would cool down.

Unfortunately the malt didn't bring much cooling to the water (1 degree) so the first mash temp is now 43 instead 40
Reading the refractometer I only got 1007 since I started 36 minutes ago. The first mash step is 40 minutes. Not sure what to do. I guess I'll wait for a bit ?

After shopping

Pils, wheat, Cara-5, Vienna, Melanoidin

Ready to crush

During the crushing

Mashing

Update
I decided to wait a little longer so the mash would hit some time ~ 40 degrees.
For so far, here are my brewing notes (graden = degrees ceclius):

20.14 43 graden
20.17 43 graden 1003
20.50 42 graden 1007
21.09 42 graden 1009
21.15 41 graden 1010
21.31 41 graden 1010
21.35 41 graden START HEAT
21.43 49 graden 1016
21.50 58 graden 1019
21.58 69 graden END HEAT
21.58 69 graden 1026

update

Putting in the filter

First run of filtering

Adding extra water

Man make fire!

Update

Perle Hops

More hop

Adding hops to the boil

Cooling the boiled wort

End SG is 1045 a little bit lower than planned, but I guess the yeast will go to 1010.
Time to go to bed now, it's 01:48 here

 

[Koffie]

Last night a brewed a second batch of the same recipe.
I crushed the malt one day before and started organizing my brewin gear at 19:00
So on 19:30 I was sitting for the first mash rest at 40 degrees
I ended at 01:30 with a wordt of 1048

This morning the yeast was quite active at 06:30

 

[Koffie]

Look at those active yeast beasts!

 

[November]

Where is that cool fermenter from?

 

[Koffie]

Where is that cool fermenter from?

That is a normal, common available fermentation bucket/barrel in our country.
I have them in 30 liters and 60 liters (the one on the picture is 60 liter).
They er also available in 120 liters, but that's to big for me. A almost fully filled 60 liter bucket is to heavy to handle and lift.

retail price for 60 liter is something like 30/40 euro

 

[Koffie]

Transfered the first batch into an empty fermenter the day I brewed the second batch. Last friday I transfered batch one into a 5 gallon keg with 75 grams sugar.
Today I tasted a little glas from the keg. The beer was cloudy and very very young, but the taste was good. This is going to be for 4 weeks in the keg and then served at a party. Can't wait!