digdan
Well-Known Member
I'm not having much luck with all grain, I've done atleast 12 ag batches and never got good efficiency. Here is what I did on my latest one... tell me if you see anything wrong :
I'm brewing a 5 gallon ag beer with 12lb of grain. 9lbs of the malt is base, the rest if crystal, carapils, and flaked wheat.
I poured boiling hot water into my MLT, which is a converted IceCube 48qt Cooler. Its equipted with a "T" Bazooka filter and a SS spigot. I let the boiling water sit int there for 10 minutes, then dumped it and put in my 3 gallons of mash water that was 164 degrees. I then slowly added my grain and stirred well. It dropped down to 142, but my target is 150 so I poured some more boiling water in until it came up ti 150 degrees. I then stirred off and on for the next hour and 15 minutes.
I then connected a tube to my HLT and fed 170 degree water into the MLT and opened up the spigot on my MLT to match its speed. I did a good fly sparge for 30 minutes. I tested the brand new wort and found great conversion via an iodine regent test.
I was also measuring gravity with my hydrometer from time to time. it was at 1.028 before I stopped becuase I had 6 gallons of water sparged in already.
I then brang this wort to a boil and boiled for 30 minutes before I added first hops.
At this point I noticed I wasn't far from the 10 gallon mark... probably around 8.5 gallons. I lost probably 1/2 gallon during the whole boil... leaving me with 8 gallons.... herm... I think i might of answered my own question.
Anywho I added my other hops and chilled via shirron, aerated w/ pump and airstone, and pitched a yeast that was started the day prior.
Efficency was 55% for the 5 gallons that made it into carboy.
Should I sparge slower? or sparge warmer? or boil down my diluted mess?
Thanks in advance,
Digdan
I'm brewing a 5 gallon ag beer with 12lb of grain. 9lbs of the malt is base, the rest if crystal, carapils, and flaked wheat.
I poured boiling hot water into my MLT, which is a converted IceCube 48qt Cooler. Its equipted with a "T" Bazooka filter and a SS spigot. I let the boiling water sit int there for 10 minutes, then dumped it and put in my 3 gallons of mash water that was 164 degrees. I then slowly added my grain and stirred well. It dropped down to 142, but my target is 150 so I poured some more boiling water in until it came up ti 150 degrees. I then stirred off and on for the next hour and 15 minutes.
I then connected a tube to my HLT and fed 170 degree water into the MLT and opened up the spigot on my MLT to match its speed. I did a good fly sparge for 30 minutes. I tested the brand new wort and found great conversion via an iodine regent test.
I was also measuring gravity with my hydrometer from time to time. it was at 1.028 before I stopped becuase I had 6 gallons of water sparged in already.
I then brang this wort to a boil and boiled for 30 minutes before I added first hops.
At this point I noticed I wasn't far from the 10 gallon mark... probably around 8.5 gallons. I lost probably 1/2 gallon during the whole boil... leaving me with 8 gallons.... herm... I think i might of answered my own question.
Anywho I added my other hops and chilled via shirron, aerated w/ pump and airstone, and pitched a yeast that was started the day prior.
Efficency was 55% for the 5 gallons that made it into carboy.
Should I sparge slower? or sparge warmer? or boil down my diluted mess?
Thanks in advance,
Digdan