My first all-grain batch was a success and is, so far, the most popular among my friends and family. I encountered a few challenges, but thanks to the valuable resource that is Home Brew Talk, I was able to address them without panicking.
It is a Belgian Wit. Simple recipe: 50/50 pilsner and flaked wheat, 1 lbs. of honey, 1/4 oz. Hersbrucker, WLP400 and 5 tbsp. coriander powder. I didn't have bitter orange peel, so I used Kaffir lime, which we had in abundance. I guess, you can call it an Belgian Wit with an Asian twist.
As could be expected of a first all-grain brew I ran into a few issues. First, the mash got stuck. I couldn't fix it by mashing out because the Igloo mash tun was already filled to the brim. So, to lauter I had to scoop out the mash and strain the wort. Naturally, since I didn't sparge, the efficiency was terrible and I didn't hit the target gravity of 1.042. I proceeded with the boil anyway, thinking that the honey should provide extra gravity points. After the boil, I left it in the kettle to chill overnight (I know this method still manages to raise eyebrows, but until you've tried it, don't knock it. I've done it for 5 batches now with NO discernible ill effects on the finished beer).
The next morning, I couldn't bring myself to dump the "un-sparged" grains and the sugars that might still be in them. But, by then it smelled of puke! However, I read on this forum that "souring" a mash is actually a technique used in some styles and could manifest into a dry, crisp profile in the finished beer. I decided to sparge the grains and boil the wort for an hour; cooled and combined it with the rest of the wort, then pitched the yeast.
For a week, it smelled of rotten eggs. I read here that that is "normal" for WLP400. I gave it three weeks to ferment because, again, I read here that this strain tends to be slow.
After two weeks of conditioning, I opened one. No rotten egg smell. Thick, creamy white head. Pleasant, sweet, slightly spicy aroma. The first taste immediately reminded me of Hoegaarden. Only a faint hint of tartness, though I'm not sure if that's from the Kaffir lime or the soured mash.
Anyway, all this writing is making me thirty. I think I'll go have another. Thanks to everyone who make this forum a valuable resource for brewing!
It is a Belgian Wit. Simple recipe: 50/50 pilsner and flaked wheat, 1 lbs. of honey, 1/4 oz. Hersbrucker, WLP400 and 5 tbsp. coriander powder. I didn't have bitter orange peel, so I used Kaffir lime, which we had in abundance. I guess, you can call it an Belgian Wit with an Asian twist.
As could be expected of a first all-grain brew I ran into a few issues. First, the mash got stuck. I couldn't fix it by mashing out because the Igloo mash tun was already filled to the brim. So, to lauter I had to scoop out the mash and strain the wort. Naturally, since I didn't sparge, the efficiency was terrible and I didn't hit the target gravity of 1.042. I proceeded with the boil anyway, thinking that the honey should provide extra gravity points. After the boil, I left it in the kettle to chill overnight (I know this method still manages to raise eyebrows, but until you've tried it, don't knock it. I've done it for 5 batches now with NO discernible ill effects on the finished beer).
The next morning, I couldn't bring myself to dump the "un-sparged" grains and the sugars that might still be in them. But, by then it smelled of puke! However, I read on this forum that "souring" a mash is actually a technique used in some styles and could manifest into a dry, crisp profile in the finished beer. I decided to sparge the grains and boil the wort for an hour; cooled and combined it with the rest of the wort, then pitched the yeast.
For a week, it smelled of rotten eggs. I read here that that is "normal" for WLP400. I gave it three weeks to ferment because, again, I read here that this strain tends to be slow.
After two weeks of conditioning, I opened one. No rotten egg smell. Thick, creamy white head. Pleasant, sweet, slightly spicy aroma. The first taste immediately reminded me of Hoegaarden. Only a faint hint of tartness, though I'm not sure if that's from the Kaffir lime or the soured mash.
Anyway, all this writing is making me thirty. I think I'll go have another. Thanks to everyone who make this forum a valuable resource for brewing!
