OK - I am all set (I think) to do my first all grain brew tomorrow. I have all the stuff - 10 gallon MLT made from home depot cooler with stainless braid, 11.5 lbs of grains, hops and yeast. The recipe is a sweet stout and calls for one step infusion at 150 degrees for 1 hour 15 minutes. It also calls for a "boil volume" of 7 gallons for a 5 gallon batch. It seems like a lot of steam to lose in only 60 minutes. Perhaps the extra water will be absorbed by the grains (I know some will).
I have made a few batches using extract and they tasted pretty good. I have been searching the forums for a step by step guide and I think this is what I should do:
1. Pre-heat MLT
2. Heat 7 gallons of water to 164 degrees strike temp using my turkey fryer
3. Empty the pre-heat water from the MLT and add the 7 gallons
4. After water temp goes to 150 degrees, slowly while stirring, add the grains, while trying to avoid it "clumping up"
5. Let it sit for 75 minutes (per recipe)
6. Drain into boil kettle and start boiling
7. Once boils starts, add hops and other ingredients per recipe (this part I get)
My real confusion is in step 5. Should I be draining it and pouring the stuff I drain on the top of the cooler (sort of recirculating it)? Do I have the water amounts in the right place - I've read on some calculators that I should be using 3.6 gallons of mash water for 11.5 lbs of grain. I guess this is the difference between mash water and sparge water. I'm not sure I understand this completly. If I go this route how do I get to the 7 gallons the recipe calls for?
I have made a few batches using extract and they tasted pretty good. I have been searching the forums for a step by step guide and I think this is what I should do:
1. Pre-heat MLT
2. Heat 7 gallons of water to 164 degrees strike temp using my turkey fryer
3. Empty the pre-heat water from the MLT and add the 7 gallons
4. After water temp goes to 150 degrees, slowly while stirring, add the grains, while trying to avoid it "clumping up"
5. Let it sit for 75 minutes (per recipe)
6. Drain into boil kettle and start boiling
7. Once boils starts, add hops and other ingredients per recipe (this part I get)
My real confusion is in step 5. Should I be draining it and pouring the stuff I drain on the top of the cooler (sort of recirculating it)? Do I have the water amounts in the right place - I've read on some calculators that I should be using 3.6 gallons of mash water for 11.5 lbs of grain. I guess this is the difference between mash water and sparge water. I'm not sure I understand this completly. If I go this route how do I get to the 7 gallons the recipe calls for?