Newest Threads

**redman67** · 12-24-2012, 04:14 PM

so with Beersmith
mash in with 20 Quarts
absorbtion of almost 2 gallons
2 sparges with 2 gallons a piece
assuming a loss of 1/4 Q in tun
pre boil volume of almost 7 gallons
assuming a boil off rate of 15% and cooling loss of 4%
post boil volume of 5 1/2 gallons
loss to trub in fermentor of a couple quarts
gets you near 5 finished product

Denny · 12-24-2012, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kodyind

Rich,
I am new to AG and i have a quesion about a recipe that i want to try. It is a Bourbon Vanilla Porter and it has 16 lbs of grain is how much water would you use to sparge for a 5 gal batch

Does that happen to be my recipe? I mash about 1.6-1.75 qt./lb. Then sparge with enough water to get your boil volume. Are you fly or batch sparging?

Mysticmead · 12-24-2012, 07:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kodyind

Rich,
I am new to AG and i have a quesion about a recipe that i want to try. It is a Bourbon Vanilla Porter and it has 16 lbs of grain is how much water would you use to sparge for a 5 gal batch

simple answer.... drain your mash tun and measure the amount collected from first running in kettle. add the remaining water needed to reach pre-boil volume as sparge water. vorlauf and drain to kettle.

more complicated answers.. read the posts above.

Denny · 12-24-2012, 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mysticmead

simple answer.... drain your mash tun and measure the amount collected from first running in kettle. add the remaining water needed to reach pre-boil volume as sparge water. vorlauf and drain to kettle.

Absolutely. That's why I asked if he was batch sparging.

**brewkinger** · 12-26-2012, 07:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TexLaw

That's a mighty good tip. Also, it's not a bad idea to keep a few pounds of light DME handy, so you really don't have to worry about efficiency.

TL

So, I am planning on moving to AG in the next year or so and I thought (quite correctly I might add!) that this thread would be a great place to start.

If I am truly understanding this AG thing, does this quote essentially mean that after I am all done with an AG attempt, if my gravity is low (which means that my efficiency was low?) that I merely add light DME until my gravity is up where I want it??

OlieNH · 12-26-2012, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by brewkinger

So, I am planning on moving to AG in the next year or so and I thought (quite correctly I might add!) that this thread would be a great place to start.

If I am truly understanding this AG thing, does this quote essentially mean that after I am all done with an AG attempt, if my gravity is low (which means that my efficiency was low?) that I merely add light DME until my gravity is up where I want it??

I use a refractometer and BeerSmith when All-grain brewing. When you have all of your wort in the kettle ready to boil, take a refractometer reading and determine your pre-boil gravity. Beersmith will automatically tell you what this should be. For example, if I am doing a 60-minute boil on my Breakfast Stout with a target OG of 1.087, my pre-boil gravity will likely be 1.077. BeerSmith accounts for the boil off and is usually spot on.

If my pre-boil gravity is way off, I will add some DME or Corn Sugar to bring it up. If I am within a few points, I will start the boil and take another measurement about 15 minutes from the end of the boil. If I am off at that point, I will add whatever DME I need to hit my target OG.

The nice thing about most refractometers is that they can measure hot wort. You only use 1 drop of liquid, so it cools on the instrument immediately.

**kodyind** · 12-27-2012, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Denny

Does that happen to be my recipe? I mash about 1.6-1.75 qt./lb. Then sparge with enough water to get your boil volume. Are you fly or batch sparging?

Denny
Yes it is yours, and tell me how either way, i have not decided to fly or batch. Thanks for your help and this recipe sounds great

Jim

Denny · 12-27-2012, 04:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kodyind

Denny
Yes it is yours, and tell me how either way, i have not decided to fly or batch. Thanks for your help and this recipe sounds great

Jim

Well, if you batch sparge it's easy. Decide on your mash ratio and mash with that amount of water. After you run it off, measure how much you got from the mash. Subtract that from the ampunt you want to boil. The answer you get is how much to sparge with.

Brew-Dawg · 12-28-2012, 04:37 AM

I batch spared for the first time and my efficiency improved from 75% to 81% - yeah! - but even after using Irsh moss at the usual rate, my beer remained cloudy.
It tastes phenomenal though! My next brew I fly-sparged (same as the past 15 years) and hit 75% as expected, then got a little distracted by a new 'assistant/home-brew drinker' and forgot Irish moss and the damn beer is cloudy again! understand that it still tastes phenomenal!

Mysticmead · 12-28-2012, 04:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brew-Dawg

I batch spared for the first time and my efficiency improved from 75% to 81% - yeah! - but even after using Irsh moss at the usual rate, my beer remained cloudy.
It tastes phenomenal though! My next brew I fly-sparged (same as the past 15 years) and hit 75% as expected, then got a little distracted by a new 'assistant/home-brew drinker' and forgot Irish moss and the damn beer is cloudy again! understand that it still tastes phenomenal!

what style of beer? are you dry hopping? are you doing anything post fermentation to clear the beer like cold crashing? gelatin? bio-fine clear?