First all-grain batch

lordbeermestrength · 12-15-2008, 06:36 AM

Hey all-

I just did my first all grain batch this last Friday. All went smoothly, except that I got some pretty piss poor efficiency (~55%). But after reading some other posts it seems many people get fairly low eff this first time doing all-grain as well, so now I don't feel so bad!

I think the biggest problem for me was not stirring my mash completely before sparging. I do batch sparge with a cooler, and I think I left some residual sugars in the deadspace below my manifold... I know it wasn't in the mash since I had complete starch conversion. I need to be more careful next time.

I plan on doing another batch very soon so we'll see how the next one turns out. Here's to hoping!

Arneba28 · 12-15-2008, 07:30 AM

Good luck man. I just did my first AG last week and it didnt go smothly but I hit ~70% eff.

Now I did a batch yesterday and I missed my OG big time, was supposed to be 1.056 and instead got 1.048. But I am sure it will taste fine.

BarleyWater · 12-15-2008, 07:53 AM

If you know you had complete starch conversion, that's step 1 in figuring out you effeciency problems.

My largest gain in effeciancy came when I got a larger pot and was able to sparge more wort. I now regularly do 90 minute boils to allow for a little more wort collection.

Other sources could be, as you noted, dead space below the outflow of the MLT. I know I lose about 1qt down there. Or the courseness of your crush. The more starches exposed in the grain, the more you can convert per pound. The effeciency is based on potential numbers from different grains, so if you just aren't reaching all the starch, it can't all be converted, even though the available starch has been.

Congratulations on going AG, this is where the fun begins.

lordbeermestrength · 12-15-2008, 11:36 PM

I think the crush could have something to do with it too. A friend of mine has his own mill so after I eliminate the sparge dead-space I'll try the non-LBHS mill and see how that turns out.

lordbeermestrength · 12-19-2008, 07:11 PM

Update: Just poured my first glass.

MMmmmm..... good!

nosmatt · 12-19-2008, 11:54 PM

wow, 2 weeks from grain to bottle? what is it, and hows it taste?

i am dying to pull one of my IPA's out of the closet and test, but only two weeks in the bottle so far.... think ill go stick one in the freezer now.

fwiw, i did try it at 6 days in bottle, 21 in primary it was carbed, but not what i would call real tasty.

**Nightbiker** · 12-20-2008, 07:48 AM

niiiice. I'm looking forward to my first AG batch. Alas, as in keeping with my usual track record in project completion, the brewery build is running behind schedule. But I did manage to get the tops cut out of my two sanke kegs (once I got started, it went relatively smoothly -used an air-driven cutting tool with a metal cutting wheel (gator-grit brand) and used up two and a third wheels (not bad at all -I'd budgeted for six of 'em and expected to have to use more -later today (its three am now) I'll get a grinder and dress up the edges so I don't end up bleeding into the beer ingredients if I stick my hand in there. Have plenty of copper pipe/tubing and loads of fittings, valves, etc. A plumbing diagram that looks like spaghetti, and an old wood bench (from my late mothers' greenhouse -this thing looks a bit ugly but is very sturdy, and will provide the platform for my keggle, mashtun and hlt, pumps, therminator, etc. -once the system is up and running, and I learn what does or doesn't work, I'll see about welding a proper brewstand and putting things on that).
sigh. Still, I'm having fun!! Someone gave me a donor motor from an old dryer, to try to motorize my mill.... later I'll give that a try.