The Missionary Position

Saturday was a Brew Day. Lots of firsts with this one. First time venturing into Belgian Land. First time we had an "open grain bed" (more on this later). And, as of today, first time we needed a blow off tube.

The Missionary Position is a Dark Belgian Strong Ale brewed with Wyeast's Trappist High Gravity yeast. We're planning on adding dried mangoes to secondary for a little fruit lift.

The day went pretty well once we got rollin'. Attempting to get an early start, Justin and I were thwarted by my lack of inventory adjustment, thinking that I had one large grain sock left which we use as our lautering device in our mash tun. So after a few minutes of trying to figure out a way to MacGyver a lauter tun, we decided to use some cheese cloth, which we draped over the cooler and secured underneath the lid. And this is what I mean by an "open grain bed". Instead of usually tying off the grain sock, the top was left open. This actually worked a heck of a lot better. It was easier to stir the grain to make sure it was saturated and it created a better "filter" (mainly because it's an actual grain bed). So, I think we found a new technique.

After that little hiccup, the rest of the day went smoothly. We ended up with an OG of 1.096. That's a lot. So I was expecting a vigorous fermentation. Definitely nothing as vigorous as what's taking place in my dining room. The normal airlock got clogged twice, causing it to fill up, so I had to put a quick blow off tube together.

But now, as of Sunday night, it seems that all is well.

Cheers,

Dave