First All Grain Batch...Haus Ale

Just finished up with my first AG batch. Brewed up Ed Worts Haus Pale Ale...which seems like a pretty popular brew for a first AG batch.

For the most part it went well...only one major mishap in which I spilled about a cup while sparging when I forgot to close the valve on my brew kettle. I also ended up with just about 4.75 gallons to primary, as my whole hops seemed to absorb quite a bit of water (I typically get about a gallon/hour of boil off).

I brewed on an EHLT in a 10 gallon Home Depot cooler based on a few designs I have seen here and elsewhere. MLT is a 10 gallon Home Depot cooler with a SS braid, bargain fittings bulkheads all around. I noticed a few places where I could certainly get some more efficiency out of this system...

Anyways, just thought I'd come on here and gloat briefly on a successful, major disaster free, first AG brew session. Mostly thanks to reading all kinds of posts on HBT about process, equipment, ingredients, and everything else that comes to brewing...Happy Brewing.

Prost!

that's awesome. i'm starting my third all grain tomorrow. Foreign extra stout. my first was a baltic porter, 7.6 % abv, probably the best beer i have ever had. i use a 12 gallon igloo cube cooler as a mash tun with a pvc pipe manifold, first two batches, 82% efficiency. good luck to you.