It has been a couple of years since we brewed a clone of Magic Hat #9, and this time I wanted to brew 5 gallons with the apricot extract called for in the recipe, and the other half with blackcurrant syrup instead. Last time we brewed it we made 20 gallons from one mash, so the water to grist ratio was changed to be much stiffer. I forgot to change it back, so today’s mash started off way too thick, and I had to heat a gallon or so more water in the boil kettle and then add it to the mash. I didn’t brew this batch using the no-sparge method used for the last couple of weeks, going back to our usual fly-sparging technique. The grist was Halcyon, crystal, caramunich, wheat, aromatic, and biscuit. Hops were minimal, a couple ounces of Magnum for bittering and Tettnanger for flavour. The ground water still isn’t cool enough to avoid the dual-stage chill, so we used the immersion chiller again.

We racked the Harvey’s bitter to a firkin along with a few ounces of Northern Brewer. Attenuation improved over last week, getting mid-teens on both yeasts. We also kegged up the other half of the Milk Stout, and tapped the first keg of it.