Sorry for the lack of photos this time round – I must have mislaid my camera somewhere between the shed and the house – normal service resumed one day soon I’m sure.
On 1st December we moved the Premium APA into secondary for a further week of fermentation and to drop clear before kegging. I tested the gravity at 1.018 from 1.058 which is spot on but rather surprising as I was resigned to the fact the Fermentis would break it down below the desired level and create a stronger brew than intended. As things have turned out, we’re very happy and unless anyone knows differently, will expect a final ABV of around 5.25%, which will probably be rounded up to 5.3% to take into account some natural priming.
I was also considering dry hopping this one with a further ounce of Cascade, but the sample I smelled and drank during transfer was pungent with hops and I feel will drink well as it stands. In a way I suppose I’m compromising in order not to create a beer so hoppy that it puts off as many people as it attracts, but I genuinely think the current bitterness, malt and aroma balance is worth conditioning and testing. I’ll let you know if I was right after the keg has been drained sometime in the New Year!
For now the APA is resting like a golden millpond. There is sufficient to fill the keg currently housing our Dark Garden, plus a further eight bottles or so which will be used for early testing (!), presents and perhaps future events.
* On the same day we also kegged and bottled the Seasonal Stout, which had been lurking in secondary for long enough at 1.010 waiting for a clean keg. This dry Irish stout tasted superb out of secondary FV and frankly could be drunk with a nice port and a chunk of blue cheese without ever seeing a tap! So we have high hopes for this one, which also stretched to seven swing-top bottles for future sampling. Both the bottles and the keg were naturally primed with neutral glucose. They’ll now sit in the warm for a week before being shipped out to the Boxshed for conditioning, and tapping on Christmas Eve.
** I found my camera – sadly a little late – but here are two resting shots anyway!
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- The APA looks very dull, but is getting brighter and smells t’riffic
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- I am going to drink the tall shiny one myself with a straw, but I might share the little glass ones if I’m feeling generous
The Boxshed Brewery 
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