Twabe
Active Member
Hello all,
I am new to the forum so please forgive my newbness.
I made my 5th AG batch (& 7th total - since I started brewing in Jan '06) this afternoon(eve), and was wondering:
Is it against the rules to add more wort to the boil, up to 30 minutes into a 90 minute boil, to maximize on the fermentable output (to = 7.25 gals in the fermenter)?
Basically, I was topping off my 38.5 quart ss pot to the point where I could contain it in the pot and not on the floor of my garage. It seemed to me that the color of the sparge was still quite dark at the end of the mashing process.
I probably added 1.5 gallons to the boil. from this extra sparge. As much work (& enjoyment) brewing is, I wanted to maximize on the output.
I am using a 5gal Igloo cooler as a mash tun (w/ss toilet water intake as a filter) , and another 5 gal Igloo cooler as the liquor vessel & my 7 gal plastic fermenter as the overflow liquor vessel.
My strike temp was 168, & the mash stayed hotter than I expected, 161, then very gradually down to 156 @ 90 minutes.
I am not doing any fancy tests to see how efficient I was.
My Dad's ancient hydrometer measured 1.05 @ the yeast pitch, If I am reading it right.
Recipe:
~13.5 lbs two row premium
1.5 lbs crystal 80L
1.5 biscuit 25L
4 OZ Northern Brewer
3 OZ Kent Goldings (+1 oz to be dryhopped)
London Ale yeast
PS: Today while attempting to vent one of my yeast bottles from the fridge from a previous batch, It exploded over the whole operation, the ceiling, the shoplight, and me.
PSS: For some reason, the exploding yeast bottle was a indication of the sloppiest, boiling overest, clumsiest, spillingest batch so far!
Any wisdom would be appreciated.
-t-
I am new to the forum so please forgive my newbness.
I made my 5th AG batch (& 7th total - since I started brewing in Jan '06) this afternoon(eve), and was wondering:
Is it against the rules to add more wort to the boil, up to 30 minutes into a 90 minute boil, to maximize on the fermentable output (to = 7.25 gals in the fermenter)?
Basically, I was topping off my 38.5 quart ss pot to the point where I could contain it in the pot and not on the floor of my garage. It seemed to me that the color of the sparge was still quite dark at the end of the mashing process.
I probably added 1.5 gallons to the boil. from this extra sparge. As much work (& enjoyment) brewing is, I wanted to maximize on the output.
I am using a 5gal Igloo cooler as a mash tun (w/ss toilet water intake as a filter) , and another 5 gal Igloo cooler as the liquor vessel & my 7 gal plastic fermenter as the overflow liquor vessel.
My strike temp was 168, & the mash stayed hotter than I expected, 161, then very gradually down to 156 @ 90 minutes.
I am not doing any fancy tests to see how efficient I was.
My Dad's ancient hydrometer measured 1.05 @ the yeast pitch, If I am reading it right.
Recipe:
~13.5 lbs two row premium
1.5 lbs crystal 80L
1.5 biscuit 25L
4 OZ Northern Brewer
3 OZ Kent Goldings (+1 oz to be dryhopped)
London Ale yeast
PS: Today while attempting to vent one of my yeast bottles from the fridge from a previous batch, It exploded over the whole operation, the ceiling, the shoplight, and me.
PSS: For some reason, the exploding yeast bottle was a indication of the sloppiest, boiling overest, clumsiest, spillingest batch so far!
Any wisdom would be appreciated.
-t-