I’ve moved the Autumn Gold brew I started yesterday into the fermentor I’m using – the same pot I boiled it up in – along with 6.5g of Safale S-04 yeast. This time I’ve covered the top of the pot with clingfilm first (allowing for a temperature probe) and then put the lid on. Last time I tried to cover the lid with clingfilm after putting it on but I think a couple of tiny flies still got inside; I haven’t detected any ill effects but I’d rather keep the fermenting environment as clean as possible.

Original gravity was 1.051 after ajusting for temperature, which is a little higher than the target of 1.045. It could be that mashing in the full volume of water is a very efficient way to brew. I had about the same margin of extra strength with the previous brew too. Alternatively, it could just be a sign that my equipment isn’t precisely calibrated. It doesn’t matter too much since I’m only brewing for my own consumption and the main purpose of taking the readings is to gauge when the beer is ready to bottle but I think there is scope to try increasing the amount of water compared to the base recipe to stretch the value of the grain further. I will have to do some reading but if I could add another 300g – 400ml of water, I could probably get another bottle out at the end.

Anyway, this one is now in the pot and I’ve got my temperature monitor rigged up. This time I’ve got one of the probes in the fermentor and the other outside the cupboard that the assembly sits in. Based on the previous brew, I could be bottling next weekend but for now, time to leave it be apart from an occasional check on how the temperature is shifting.