OK.....here's my disclaimer
I'm an AG brewer...
I recently brewed a batch of Jamil's Bohemian Pilsner recipe using the AG option.... and I spent an easy 7 hours including clean up time. I'm usually done in around 4 hours.
It took a long time for the sacrification conversion...almost 3 hours at 154 degrees. I did 2 batch sparges. Then I did a 90 minute boil to minimize any DMS production.
Jamil recommends chilling the wort down to 44 degrees before aerating and pitching any yeast....so that took another 24 hours. I pitched a 1 liter starter at 44 degrees and brought the fermentation temp up to 50 degreees slowly within 48 hours and it's fermenting quite nicely(this is day 7). I'm not exactly thrilled with the color...it's much darker than I was planning on. I think the darker color is attributed to such a long boil and possible maillard reaction.
I consider myself a knowledgable AG brewer who started with extracts. And I can still remember the difference in taste between my best extract brews 15 years ago and my 1st AG. But I've got to know what the difference will be now after so many years of AG brewing.
For my next science project, I'll brew the same recipe except I'll do the extract version. I'm sure it will be completed much faster. I won't do a full volume boil and I will add the final 2/3 of the extract in the final 10 minutes of the boil. I'll run it through my therminator to chill, then I'll add 2 or 3 gallons of 33 degree distilled water to the fermentor. I'll ferment it on the fresh yeast cake that the AG has been fermenting on.
I'm very interested in what the difference in taste and color will be between both batches after 2 months of conditioning at 30 degrees.
I will keep you posted on my results.
I'm an AG brewer...
I recently brewed a batch of Jamil's Bohemian Pilsner recipe using the AG option.... and I spent an easy 7 hours including clean up time. I'm usually done in around 4 hours.
It took a long time for the sacrification conversion...almost 3 hours at 154 degrees. I did 2 batch sparges. Then I did a 90 minute boil to minimize any DMS production.
Jamil recommends chilling the wort down to 44 degrees before aerating and pitching any yeast....so that took another 24 hours. I pitched a 1 liter starter at 44 degrees and brought the fermentation temp up to 50 degreees slowly within 48 hours and it's fermenting quite nicely(this is day 7). I'm not exactly thrilled with the color...it's much darker than I was planning on. I think the darker color is attributed to such a long boil and possible maillard reaction.
I consider myself a knowledgable AG brewer who started with extracts. And I can still remember the difference in taste between my best extract brews 15 years ago and my 1st AG. But I've got to know what the difference will be now after so many years of AG brewing.
For my next science project, I'll brew the same recipe except I'll do the extract version. I'm sure it will be completed much faster. I won't do a full volume boil and I will add the final 2/3 of the extract in the final 10 minutes of the boil. I'll run it through my therminator to chill, then I'll add 2 or 3 gallons of 33 degree distilled water to the fermentor. I'll ferment it on the fresh yeast cake that the AG has been fermenting on.
I'm very interested in what the difference in taste and color will be between both batches after 2 months of conditioning at 30 degrees.
I will keep you posted on my results.