Gotta say, I really prefer AG brewing!

**BrewN00b** · 06-30-2010, 11:39 PM

Brewed my second AG today; an English Mild with a recipe all my own, so I don't quite know how it will turn out. Yes, AG takes longer, but damn if it isn't a pure labor of love, especially since I can tweak everything just the way I want.

I am pleased to say that I am hitting my 75% efficiency dead on, but I am still running into issues where it takes too long to boil down to my target volume (1hr boil took almost 2 hours), and cooling it down is still taking too long. I don't know how the masters get it done. I hope that long boil won't totally caramelize my resulting in a too sweet, to high FG.

Anyways, I'm all jacked on caffeine, and adrenaline from my hustle and bustle, but I will refrain from chatter. Take a look at my recipe though and tell me what you think!

Type: All Grain
Date: 6/30/2010
Batch Size: 3.00 gal
Brewer: Brewn00b
Boil Size: ~5.5 gal
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: Brew Pot (7.5 gal) and Igloo Cooler (10 Gal)
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
3.50 lb Pale Malt, Maris Otter (3.0 SRM) Grain 77.78 %
0.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 60L (60.0 SRM) Grain 11.11 %
0.25 lb Biscuit Malt (23.0 SRM) Grain 5.56 %
0.25 lb Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 5.56 %
0.50 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] (60 min) Hops 16.7 IBU -Ended up being WAY longer!
0.50 oz Fuggles [4.50 %] (15 min) Hops 7.4 IBU -Put in at flameout to hopefully balance out the long EKG boil
0.60 items Whirlfloc Tablet (Boil 15.0 min) Misc
1 Pkgs British Ale II (Wyeast Labs #1335) Yeast-Ale

Est Original Gravity: 1.039 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.038 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.010 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 3.79 %
Bitterness: 24.1 IBU Calories: 168 cal/pint
Est Color: 20.2 SRM Color: Way darker than I thought! Pics don't do just to it's darkness.

strat_thru_marshall · 06-30-2010, 11:44 PM

wow, 5.5 gal boil for a 3 gal batch seems way way high. My boiloff rate is slightly less than 1 gallon per hour. I try to target 7 gallons in the kettle to end up with 6 post boil, 5.5 in the carboy, and 5 in the keg (acounting for trub and equipment losses)

**BrewN00b** · 06-30-2010, 11:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by strat_thru_marshall

wow, 5.5 gal boil for a 3 gal batch seems way way high. My boiloff rate is slightly less than 1 gallon per hour. I try to target 7 gallons in the kettle to end up with 6 post boil, 5.5 in the carboy, and 5 in the keg (acounting for trub and equipment losses)

I figured it high, but I wanted to make sure I got the most out of the grains. I suppose I did, but at what cost? At what cost?

pcollins · 07-01-2010, 12:53 AM

At what cost? That's for you to decide.

You'll end up with beer no matter what so I wouldn't worry about that end of things.

Your calculations do seem a little off regarding the boil off rate. I also count on about a gallon per hour and work with about the same formula that strat-thru-marshall works with: 7-6-5.5-5. That's almost exactly how I figure it.

BA_from_GA · 07-01-2010, 01:24 AM

i start with an 8.5 gal boil and end up with just at 5.5 gal. no clue how i get a 2 gal per hr boil off... but i do... really screwed me up on the first few brews.

also, i'm only about 10 brews into AG, and i'm with you... i LOVE it... buying grain and hops in bulk has cut my cost (i'm a cheap-o) to about 10 bucks for a standard gravity batch.

And my last brew i started at 7:30 and was done by 11. that's just barely more time than my extract brews were taking, and i'm getting way better beer, and astronomically better attenuation now (most of my extract batches were averaging around 1.016 FG, now i'm consisntently around 1.010.)

**BrewN00b** · 07-01-2010, 01:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BA_from_GA

i start with an 8.5 gal boil and end up with just at 5.5 gal. no clue how i get a 2 gal per hr boil off... but i do... really screwed me up on the first few brews.

also, i'm only about 10 brews into AG, and i'm with you... i LOVE it... buying grain and hops in bulk has cut my cost (i'm a cheap-o) to about 10 bucks for a standard gravity batch.

And my last brew i started at 7:30 and was done by 11. that's just barely more time than my extract brews were taking, and i'm getting way better beer, and astronomically better attenuation now (most of my extract batches were averaging around 1.016 FG, now i'm consisntently around 1.010.)

Wow, that is some efficiency you have there! I still can not get a batch done in less than 5 hours, I just can't.

JNye · 07-01-2010, 02:20 AM

might be a bitter now. but yeah AG rules.
your time will decrease as you learn.

vitoma · 07-01-2010, 02:31 AM

I've been a lot happier with my beers since I've moved to AG.

**BrewN00b** · 07-01-2010, 02:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JNye

might be a bitter now. but yeah AG rules.
your time will decrease as you learn.

I'm more afraid of the overwhelming flavor of the chocolate malt. Smells like a burnt tree stump right now, lol.

ksbrain · 07-01-2010, 02:54 AM

I also love AG! I did a half dozen or so extract batches before making the jump. Since then I've done a few here and there, and it's just not the same. Mixing in pre-mashed concentrated wort can't compare to making your own wort. Even though most of what I make could be made with extract, I just love to completely control the process.