I tried my hand at caramelizing some wort (I second the bigger pot suggestions BTW) but it didn't end up anywhere near dark enough or introduce the caramel flavour after adding it back into the boil, even though it seemed way dark in the smaller pot and at about the right volume. My 'take home message' was that too much caramelising is barely enough when using that method. I guess repeatability is one thing we might get with the choc/roast in the recipes, every single caramelising process is bound to be different.
Sadly I lost a TTL pilot batch with 1469 and caramelised wort like Bribie's recipe to an infection, although I've now narrowed down its most likely source to the dreaded tap fiasco, which, thanks to recent posts, are now being pulled apart between batches plus being replaced more frequently. Can't boil them, or at least the ones I have boiled have thence begun to drip and are only good for bottling. :angry:
Am surprised no one has suggested an alternate yeast to Ringwood for this recipe? Or is a particular West Yorkshire strain just such given these days? Maybe there will be one or two in the works once lager season is over.
As a general observation, we'd all do well to take note- BribieG is a fantastic craftsman and the awards of late only reinforce what I've suspected for some time.
Oh, and the camping stoves are fantastic in the kitchen when you've got something flammable busy on the stove. i.e. stockpot and a jersey/doona. Very handy bit of kit and can pump out enough BTUs to be useful for many things, I often have starters sterilising on one while the mash is on as my organisational skills are pretty ordinary, but NC saves the day in ironing out timing issues.
Edit: Oh damn, I forgot to mention- what a fantastic recipe, pal! Bookmarked!
