BrewLog:Martel

From Brewwiki

"Elbow Grease Ale" or "Martel's Elbow Ale" or "An Ale of Two Cities" 5/11/06

Picked up a starter kit today (5/11/06). In process of sanitizing.
Decided on a kit for my first attempt. Picked up the Home Brewing Kit 'Nut Brown Ale' kit.
Also picked up some candy sugar to bump the alcohol content.
Brewing will begin momentarily.
Started around 9PM. The kit came with a steeping bag and three vaccuum bags of ...grains?
Grains in the bag, boiled water then removed heat. Steeped for 30 minutes.

Using a small sauce pan, I put several paper towels and filled half way with water.
Peeled label from malt extract can and put the can in the water.
Brought to almost boiling then turned back to low heat.
This did very well softening the malt

After steeping it was time to add the malt extract and milled grains.
This kit came with one can and three vaccuum packs of things to add at this point.
Two mills grains and one brown sugar.
Mixing was uneventful but having a helper to stir was good.
Boiled the mixture for 43minutes, then 2 more after adding the aroma hops.

Into the fermenter.

I attempted to cool the wort using Alton Brown's ice bag method. Poo Poo.
I used 1 1/2 gallons of my drinking water in the first step. Refridgerated the rest.
I put most of a 10lb bag of ice into my fermenting bucket and the other 1/2 gallon.
Added the candy sugar on top of the ice/slush. Then added the other 2 gallons of water
Poured the wart through the strainers on top.
The measured temperature at this point was around 51F. Crap. Was expecting closer to 70F
I had already started preparing my yeast per the packette instructions.
By the time it was ready the wort temp was around 55F.
I pitched at this time due to lack of time.
I then place the bucket lid on the fermenter and attempted to push in the air lock.
The grommet, instead of making a seal around the air lock, decided to fall into the wort. And sink to the bottom.
Lovely.
A few minutes and some hot water/antibacterial soap later I'm up to my elbow in wort fishing the grommet out.

Luckily no more mishaps and the fermenting bucket is now in the closet.

So. I dub thee "Elbow Grease Ale". Until a better pun comes along.

24 hours in I had small bubbles. 36 hours in I had regular bubbling at about 1/second.
Bubbling has now slowed slightly. On schedule for bottling Wednesday, 5/17/06.