AG, the Maiden Voyage

**shecky** · 05-15-2009, 04:33 PM

I am in the midst of my first all-grain brewday, embarked upon so as to lessen the ridicule thrown my way.

Mash and sparge on EdWort's Bee Cave Kolsch are done. Boil must wait until I take my assisant, the cooperative 4 yo Paige, to daycare at 1 p.m. Question here: should I leave the wort uncovered or will covering it produce DMS?

It has been both a frustrating and exhilirating experience, which is really the point, right? It took me a good 15 minutes to stabilize my mash temp. I needed a couple more quarts of cold water than intended, resulting in a thin mash. But I got my mash temp to 152. Target was 151. Good enough.

Double batch sparge went well. Nailed my target pre-boil volume of 7 gallons. Unfortunately, I came in a little off on pre-boil gravity. Was targeting 1.042, got 1.036. Live and learn.

So far, I have learned I need to figure out my equipment and that having two burners is almost required when you're not near the kitchen.

Anyway, so far, so decent, I guess. I might post pics later, I might not. Who knows.

SmugMug · 05-15-2009, 04:37 PM

Love the avatar. Go Sox!

jmulligan · 05-15-2009, 04:50 PM

Good luck! I was so nervous my first AG brew day, I had every tiny action I needed to take written down on a list.

I could be wrong (so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will speak up), but I think you drive off DMS as long as you do a good, hard boil. But even if you leave it uncovered, whatever falls in gets boiled and won't hurt your beer anyway.

Have fun!

**mmb** · 05-15-2009, 04:51 PM

What temp did you sparge at? If you're waiting on your boil I hope you sparged about 170 or above to stop enzymatic conversion.

c.n.budz · 05-15-2009, 04:57 PM

Like JMull said, a good boil will drive off any DMS.

Good luck!

**shecky** · 05-15-2009, 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmb

What temp did you sparge at? If you're waiting on your boil I hope you sparged about 170 or above to stop enzymatic conversion.

Beersmith told me to sparge at 168 but I told it to go screw and sparged at 172.

I figured on the DMS, just wanted to make absolutely sure.

**mmb** · 05-15-2009, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by shecky

Beersmith told me to sparge at 168 but I told it to go screw and sparged at 172.

I figured on the DMS, just wanted to make absolutely sure.

For batch sparging, I use 180 degree water. Basically, I follow Bobby's process.

**shecky** · 05-15-2009, 05:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmb

For batch sparging, I use 180 degree water. Basically, I follow Bobby's process.

I mostly did, too, except on the sparge water. I sort of split the difference between him and Beersmith.

I entered this hoping I would do well, but also knowing it will be a learning experience. On the plus side, I've read so much about the process that I didn't need, or feel the need, to write a damn thing down. It's burned in my memory. I had a few tips and my Beersmith sheet out but they were rarely checked.

**Mike M** · 05-15-2009, 05:45 PM

Here's to your first AG!

**IrregularPulse** · 05-15-2009, 05:48 PM

Congrats on growing a pair Shecky, they ought to come in handy. Now maybe your wife will sleep with you again

I also brew AG without two burners/pots. Just 1 burner, one Keggle and a cooler mashtun. It'll be nice to get an HLT built someday.