Easy Stovetop All-Grain Brewing (with pics) - Page 36

Grimster · 01-25-2010, 07:19 PM

Ordered a premilled AG from AHS and one from BMW so I'll be doing my first AG probably this weekend or next weekend so just a note I'm bookmarking this thread and reading it again and again so hopefully I'm ready for it

Thanks for the great write up!

lady_brewer · 01-26-2010, 12:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by agenthucky

I often like to blend characteristics in my beer. Continuous hop additions, and flavor profiles with grains. I couldn't find much on blending mashing temperatures. At least nothing like step mashing.

Just a random (uneducated thought) - to get a blend could you just make two partial worts mashed at different temps and then mix them together? Obviously this would mean more time spent brewing, but if you wanted to try blending something different would this work?

**DeathBrewer** · 01-26-2010, 01:20 AM

Sure, that would work. You could blend to taste. Or make two different beers and blend after fermentation. Or do both

ecojack · 01-30-2010, 06:33 PM

I am ordering an all-grain kit TODAY just to try this method out.

agenthucky · 01-30-2010, 07:45 PM

DeathBrewer (or anyone with an opinion), have you done any step mashing with this method? I want to do a rest at 120, then raise it to 150. Any idea on the best way to do this? I was having a long discussion with the guy at the brew shop about the best way to do it with BIAB. Directly heating it might cause scorching unless I stir, which would lose heat, meaning I would have to put the burner on high...bad idea. I have almost NO room for infusion. I thought decoction would be best but he disagreed. And then I thought possibly removing the grains, and heating the mash water. This wouldn't burn the grain and I could heat it faster. He didn't really like that method either. He said the grains would get cold, and it would be like reusing a tea bag after it got cold and might get off flavors. I think I might try to get half of the mash water out and heat it up, leaving the grains still in some warm water.

What do you think? What have you done in the past?

**DeathBrewer** · 02-01-2010, 05:04 PM

I would go with decoction. That way you are not heating the mash itself and not worrying about stirring and ripping/burning with the bag...just scoop them into a smaller pot and boil it up. ProMash can help you with the quantity to pull, or you can google "decoction calculator" and it gives a ton of results.

Decoction is always my favorite way to go...as long as I don't have to worry about it getting overly malty. That's not always the case, either, as long as you don't boil for more than 10 minutes or so.

Why didn't he like decoction? Just make sure you stir that sucker well so the grains don't burn and it will be fine.

agenthucky · 02-01-2010, 05:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeathBrewer

Why didn't he like decoction? Just make sure you stir that sucker well so the grains don't burn and it will be fine.

I think he was worried about tannins, and the profile of the beer isn't overly malty. Although I've never had a good one, I decided to try my luck at a cream ale. A creamy pear ale to be exact. It was quite an interesting brew day to say the least.

I decided to do a little freestyle with my step mash. I started out at 121F for 20 minutes. While that was going I boiled 3/4 gallon of water. After the rest I removed the grains into the kettle I will soon be sparging in. I't didn't have the sparge water in it yet. As soon as I removed the grains I cranked the heat on the mash water, and added the boiling water. I just about hit my temp of 160 within 5 minutes. I made a miscalculation of the temperature of the grains when adding back in, and it brought the temp down to 145F (shooting for 150F). I added in the last bit of boiling water I had to raise it to 147F. Mashed for 50 minutes. I left it a little longer because I forgot to heat the sparge water. All this moving around, I forgot.

So a little of direct heating and a small infusion. I was at the TOP of the kettle during the boil. I think next time I need one, I'll do a decoction. Save time and effort. The beer itself was an experiment anyway. The brew store didn't have flaked corn, so the guy recommended to me that I get canned corn, drain it, and blend it lightly. That and I couldn't find a ripe pear anywhere. I got a little lucky at the local fruit market, but next time I will look in advance. It may not be the prettiest beer ever, but I went over my expected 68% and got 71% conversion. Not bad. I racked it on top of the Pacman yeast I had from the Dead Guy clone (man was there a lot of healthy yeast after that fermentation), and it took off vigorously within 2 hours.

My closet now smells slightly like vanilla and creamed corn. We'll see, the whole beer only cost $15 for 5 gallons!

**DeathBrewer** · 02-01-2010, 05:48 PM

I didn't think corn would work in the mash without first doing a cereal mash...did you include the corn in your efficiency calculation? Definitely sounds interesting...let me know how it tastes.

agenthucky · 02-01-2010, 06:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DeathBrewer

I didn't think corn would work in the mash without first doing a cereal mash...did you include the corn in your efficiency calculation? Definitely sounds interesting...let me know how it tastes.

I didn't bother with the cereal mash, I just did a protein rest for the corn, wheat, and oats I had in it. I did calculate everything when I looked at the efficiency, beer alchemy says 71%. The corn did soak in a little cold water after it was blended, maybe the 30-50-65C did the trick. I wasn't too worried because I had some german malts and 2 row to back it up.

I am quite anxious to taste it, but it is a couple months away. I think I get more of a creamed corn smell because of the canned corn I used. It's fading as fermentation is slowing, but the smell might have something to do with the pear as well, so I can't know.

The guy at the brew store said one of the best cream ales he had was made with canned corn...we'll see.

lady_brewer · 02-04-2010, 01:31 AM

Just wanted to say that I have been rereading this thread... and it is awesome as always. I have yet to take the plunge and order some grains, but when I do this is the method I will be using. (Down the road I have my eye on a turkey fryer that is fairly reasonably priced)

I hope you will forgive me when I come back to double check all of my amounts... reading quarts is so foreign to me, I like litres... and all my beers so far have been 6US gallons, so more conversions necessary...

Anyway - a question... one thing I really noticed on this read through was the importance of water. I get why (more or less... did some university chem) but am not really sure how to go about gauging my water. We have an artesian well... I have been using it so far in all my kits with no issues... and it is great for drinking... what simple steps/ tests can I do and take just to get an idea of what it is really like? Or where can I send (in general) it to get tested?

I am sure I will have more questions later

Oh... and one more vote to have this stickied... maybe in the AG section? I always bump off the other sticky to grab DBs link in sig... (well not now since I have it bookmarked)...