first AG.... feedback?

OK! how exciting. I recently put up a post about the left over hops sludge and got such a Great response I thought I'd try the beer smith and see what I actually made. I suspect all the Crystal malt, which was actually caraHells but I didnt see it in beersmith, was too much. Also my decoction was a bit different: 97deg 15min, 122deg 15min, 145deg 30 min, 155deg 30min, 168deg 10min, sparge with the remaining 3gallons needed to make 6gal before boiling at 170deg. I chose this mash because I suspected it would give me a good chance of creating a fermentable wort.... So what are my big mistakes and any guesses what this will end up as (gulp)?
Thanks So Much
Seth


Type: All Grain
Date: 9/12/2008
Batch Size: 5.00 gal
Brewer:
Boil Size: 5.72 gal Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: My Equipment
Taste Rating(out of 50): 35.0 Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.00
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
8.00 lb Pale Malt (6 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 64.00 %
2.50 lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 20.00 %
2.00 lb Pilsner (2 Row) Ger (2.0 SRM) Grain 16.00 %
2.00 oz Hallertauer Hersbrucker [4.00 %] (60 min) Hops 25.7 IBU
0.50 oz Crystal [3.50 %] (60 min) Hops 5.6 IBU
1.00 oz Tettnang [4.50 %] (15 min) Hops 7.2 IBU
0.50 oz Crystal [3.50 %] (15 min) Hops 2.8 IBU
6.00 gal Denver, Colorado Water
1 Pkgs Munich Lager (Wyeast Labs #2308) Yeast-Lager



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.066 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.016 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 6.57 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.65 %
Bitterness: 41.3 IBU Calories: 43 cal/pint
Est Color: 6.7 SRM Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Decoction Mash, Triple, Lager Total Grain Weight: 12.50 lb
Sparge Water: 2.45 gal Grain Temperature: 70.0 F
Sparge Temperature: 168.0 F TunTemperature: 70.0 F
Adjust Temp for Equipment: FALSE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Decoction Mash, Triple, Lager Step Time Name Description Step Temp
15 min Dough-In Add 11.25 qt of water at 70.0 F 70.0 F
20 min Acid Rest Add 7.81 qt of water at 165.6 F 105.0 F
10 min Protein Rest Decoct 3.03 qt of mash and boil it 122.0 F
20 min Dextrinization Rest Decoct 6.99 qt of mash and boil it 155.0 F
5 min Mash Out Decoct 5.02 qt of mash and boil it 170.0 F

That is a pretty complicated mash for a First AG. (Along with I think many people on this forum), I do a single infusion mash.

You can also get most of the general information for a malt from the malster's website and add it into Beersmith, or if you go to their website (BeerSmith Brewing Software, Recipes, Blog, Wiki and Discussion Forum) you can d/l a ton of malt information that isn't included with the release.

I hope your beer turns out well!

Oh that does sound nice for a recipe. For a first time brewer you picked a hard one. I hope you are keeping the ferment temperature down at 50F. Just before the end of the primary check for diacetyl and give it a rest for 24 to 48 hours around 65F if needed.

Thanks. I'm trying to keep it 48-52 deg. I have to unplug and plug in this old fridge. Ran out of money before I could get a thermostat.... I dont know how to check for diacetyl but am planning on 2wks in the primary with a rest after that.
Thanks!

Update:
I just racked this to the secondary after a 48hr diacetyl rest. I lost probably 1 liter that I couldn't siphon because of the fluffy, clumpy debris on the bottom that I don't want to transfer. It had slowed to ~1bubble a minute before the d-rest and while transferring I got a sg of 1.011. I'd like it to get to maybe 1.009-10 I think. Not sure if it will do any more though. Tolerable bitterness, perhaps could use more aroma. I really should be dry hopping this, (if I had any....). I really think that would work nice. At any rate, it tastes like beer, has alcohol (maybe ~4-5% my spitball taste-guess), and the color is quite nice. Colorwise very close to sam adams. The other think that would have been better I suspect would be to sparge with another gallon or so. I maxed out my brew pot and until it boiled down had to use 2 pots. The sweetness is right on but perhaps it could use a touch more fermentable sugars. I think the mashing was fine just needed a touch more sparge. Also would have been nice to get a good og reading. ....It melted the little plastic cylinder that came with the hydrometer. Live and learn....