1) If you use TOO MUCH sparge water, you can extract tannins from the grains. This method uses 2 gallons for mash and 2 gallons for sparge...you could probably go up to three and be fine. It also uses a partial boil. If you want to do a full boil, add water after the sparge is complete and the grains are out (and, obviously, you'll need to use a bigger pot)
Does this mean "too much sparge water at any given time"? Because I think in a full AG system, wouldn't I constantly sparge until I had enough water for my boil? In this system, the difference is I can only sparge with one batch of water... so here I end up having to top off with fresh water in order to hit my boil volume.
Saying it this way, it would be "if the ratio of water to grain ever gets too high, bad stuff happens, so always keep the ratio at ..." Could I theoretically have a 2nd pot with sparge water in it, and soak the grains in that too? Would the now "weaker" grains mean the 2nd pot should have less water than the 1st pot for a correct sparge, or does it not matter if the grains have already been rinsed or not?
Just trying to understand the theory a little more...
You have to cool it. a 1 liter mug with ice water works well for a sample vessel. I use a refractometer for that type of stuff so I only need a small sample.
I am preparing to brew two 5-gallon recipes this weekend and wanted some help in converting the AHS mini mash instructions to this partial mash method. I'm also trying to figure out how to set up Beersmith to help calculate temperatures, volumes and hop additions. I can either use a 5-gallon pot for a partial boil or a 10-gallon pot to do a full boil. Here goes...
AHS 1492 Pale Ale
3 lbs. 2-Row Malt
8 oz. Crystal 40L Malt
4 lbs. Extra Light DME
4 oz. Malto Dextrin
1 oz. Columbus 60 mins
1 oz. Columbus 15 mins
1 oz. Columus dry hop
OG -1.052
FG - 1.012
AHS mash instructions: 2.5 gallons to 160 degrees, mash for 45 minutes at 155 degrees. Pour 170 degree water over grain bag using 1 qt/2 lbs grain. Allow bag to drip until nearly all water has dripped out, then return to heat for boil.
Questions:
1) How do I convert to partial mash method?
2) Should I change the amount of water used?
3) I prefer to do a full boil, do I just add enough water after the mash to reach my pre-boil wort amount?
Stella Artois Clone
2 lbs. Belgian Pilsner Malt
0.5 lbs. Vienna Malt
0.5 lbs. Cara Pils Malt
5 lbs. Extra Pale LME
2 oz. Saaz 60 minutes
1 oz. Saaz 15 minutes
1 oz. Saaz Flame out
OG - 1.047
FG - 1.008
Same AHS mash instructions as the Pale Ale. The instructions also suggest a cold fermentation for 10 days at 50-55 degrees, which I can accomplish using my kegerator. It then states to raise the temp to 60-70 degrees for 2 days before racking to the secondary for 3-4 weeks at 40 degrees.
Questions:
Same as the Pale Ale, except I also want to get some feedback on the fermentation process recommended by AHS.
Thanks for your help!
I thought I would clarify my questions...I'm trying to convert the AHS mini mash recipe to a full boil version of DB's partial mash method. I plan to use my turkey fryer to do a full boil to 5.25 gallons. My question is how much water should I use for each recipe for the mash and sparge? My other question is how should I change my hop additions given the full boil versus the mini mash per AHS? I'm brewing in the morning and trying to figure this out! What a noob!
How do you go about taking efficiency ratings with hot wort? So for example, after the mash, do i just scoop out some, put it in a tube and drop my hydrometer in right away? Will my hydrometer reading be at all accurate at those temps?
If you know what the temperature is, you can calculate what the gravity would be at lower temps with a conversion tool.
I would use 1.25 quarts per pound of grain in the mash and then whatever additional water needed to get to 6 gallons pre-boil for the sparge
Quote:
Originally Posted by DeathBrewer
1) If you use TOO MUCH sparge water, you can extract tannins from the grains. This method uses 2 gallons for mash and 2 gallons for sparge...you could probably go up to three and be fine. It also uses a partial boil. If you want to do a full boil, add water after the sparge is complete and the grains are out (and, obviously, you'll need to use a bigger pot)
Hmmm 2 conflicting points of advice... anyone want to offer a 3rd? I'm thinking of doing a PM recipe with 3 lbs of grain, which means what... um, not even a gallon of mash water (1.25X3, though I guess if I do closer to 2 quarts I should have over a gallon), so I'll need to have somewhere around 5 more gallons in my final pot...
Hmmm 2 conflicting points of advice... anyone want to offer a 3rd? I'm thinking of doing a PM recipe with 3 lbs of grain, which means what... um, not even a gallon of mash water (1.25X3, though I guess if I do closer to 2 quarts I should have over a gallon), so I'll need to have somewhere around 5 more gallons in my final pot...
This is what I continue to struggle with. I prefer to do a full boil but don't want to use too much sparge water if it could be a problem. I have a 3.5 lbs grain bill, so call it 1-1.5 gallons of water. My sparge would be 5-5.5 gallons, which seems too high based on what I've read here. The other issue is hop utilization. My recipe calls for 1 oz. Columbus 60 minutes, 1 oz. Columbus 15 minutes and 1 oz. Columbus dry hop in the secondary for a week. According to Beersmith, that would be 78.2 IBU's, assuming a 6.63 gallon boil and 5.25 gallon final batch. This is an American Pale Ale (AHS 1492 Pale Ale), so IBU should range from 30-45, based on what Beersmith says.
Listen to DB before me! If you aren't sure, sparge with about the same amount you used to mash.
I think the issue is that most people who can do a full boil are also doing all-grain. I didn't even consider that you might be talking about a 5 gallon sparge.
Your recipe also isn't based on a full boil, which is why you are correct to question the hop amounts. Play around in your calculator to get the ibus where they ought to be. You can always dry hop or make a hop tea if it isn't hoppy enough.
Listen to DB before me! If you aren't sure, sparge with about the same amount you used to mash.
I think the issue is that most people who can do a full boil are also doing all-grain. I didn't even consider that you might be talking about a 5 gallon sparge.
Your recipe also isn't based on a full boil, which is why you are correct to question the hop amounts. Play around in your calculator to get the ibus where they ought to be. You can always dry hop or make a hop tea if it isn't hoppy enough.
Thanks for the feedback. I end up mashing in at 1.5 gallons (3.5 lbs of grains). My initial temp when I added the grains was 160 degrees but I was able to get it quickly down to 155 degrees by adding two cups of cool water. I hope I didn't mess up. It's holding at 154 degrees for about 30 minutes. I'm getting ready to heat up the 2.0 gallons of sparge water and hope to hit the 170 degree sparge temperature. I'm sticking with a partial boil (I don't want to mess around with changing the hop adds) and will fill up to 5 gallons in the fermenter.
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