As I previously mentioned on my first strong bitter brewing attempt even the smallest change to your brewing process can have a big effect on the beer in question.   For me it occurred when I changed a brewing pot in my typical process.   I would typically use a keggle for mash water but this time I used a brew pot which I picked up at a brewing contest in a raffle.   Well it was much thinner and apparently lost heat very fast and as a result I missed mash temperature.   The temperature settled around 144F and I wanted 152F.   I quickly calculated and added water I had left but it still didn’t hit 150F.    End result was probably not enough Alpha Amylase activity and too much Beta Amylase because the strong bitter seems a little thin at the end of fermentation.

The point is that something as small as using a different pot leads to unexpected variables in process.   Carefully evaluate everything you use or leave out on brew day.   I’ll be going back to using my other keggle for water.

This experience also identified where my equipment lacks by brewing back to back batches and will drive my next purchase.   Here’s the things I’m acquiring next as a result:

1. Another propane tank and gas line.    I own two burners but typically don’t need them both.   However on this particular day I was brewing two beers and my burner was being used to boil the first batch of beer while mashing the second.    I couldn’t use it to quickly heat backup water after missing the mash temp.  The stove didn’t do it fast enough to get the temperature up to 150F+ before most of the conversion had completed.
2. A couple of Blichmann brewmometer(thermometers) for my two kettles.   Currently I have this one thermometer that I dip and measure with.   It takes too much time and hurts my ability to react quickly while brewing.   I’ll also install a couple of waterproof thermometers through the wall of my cooler mash tun and stop them using brew stoppers as described on a Home Brew Talk post I read.