Long Post Incoming - Sorry =D
So the CFO (RE: SWMBO) approved the cost for equipment, and I went and picked up the parts to put together a 10 gallon Rubbermaid MLT and a 5 Gallon Rubbermaid as a HLT.
I've been planning a big DIPA for a month or two and decided in the interest of "Go Big or Go Home" I wasn't gonna start with something easy, I was just gonna dive in. Wanted to make sure the numbers I've made/gotten from beersmith look right, and my recipe looks good. I sorta just pulled this AG recipe together (AKA: Made it up) from looking at a bunch of other IPA's with what should be similar flavor profiles to what I'm going for.
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RECIPE
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13.5# US Pale 2-Row
2# Crystal40
2# Belgian Pilsner 2-Row
.5# Carapils
1oz Columbus @90
2oz Amarillo @ 10
2oz Citra @ 10
4oz Amarillo @ FO
4oz Citra @ FO
2oz Cascade @ FO
2oz Willamette @ FO
2oz Amarillo DH @ 7 Days
1oz Chinook DH @ 7 Days
1oz Columbus DH @ 7 Days
2oz Citra DH @ 7 Days
2oz Amarillo DH @ 3 Days
2oz Citra DH @ 3 Days
2oz Cascade DH @ 3 Days
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Sooo.. basically going for a decent malt backbone, with a HUGE hopbursted citrus/grapefruit/floral hop character. This is a bastard brainchild of the RR Hopfather Hop Schedule and another DIPA a fellow homebrewer did.
How's the grain bill look? Any suggestions for additions or changes? With those numbers Beersmith gives me --1.088 OG, 105 IBU's, 12.6 SRM.
So my plan based on my understanding...
- Grain in the cooler ready to go, heat water to about 168, and mash in, slowly adding water and trying to stop dough balls from forming.
QUESTION: After feeding it my equipment and grain bill, Beersmith is telling me to use 22.5qts, where I expected to see closer to 27 quarts after reading How to Brew. Feedback?
- Close lid, wait for 60m. As it gets close, I'll preheat my HLT with some boiling water just to get it up to temp, and heat up my sparge water to 168-170. Beersmith says 2.5 gallons so I figure I'll aim to put in 2.75 - 3 in the tank to give myself a little bit of flex.
- Vorlauf. Once I've got clear runnings, try and get my rates set so that water going out is equal to water coming in from my sparge tube, trying to maintain about an inch of water on top of the grain bed.
QUESTION: I always read that this should be "slow". I'm sure I'm overthinking it but.... how slow is too slow? Is there a trick to it?
- Once I hit my pre-boil volume. Cut the feed, hit the burner and.. away we go.
Anywhow.. that's basically all of it. Just stressin over my first so want to make sure everythings as perfect as I can get it. Ever battle plan goes to crap at the first shot but... still =D
Thanks for all the help gents.
So the CFO (RE: SWMBO) approved the cost for equipment, and I went and picked up the parts to put together a 10 gallon Rubbermaid MLT and a 5 Gallon Rubbermaid as a HLT.
I've been planning a big DIPA for a month or two and decided in the interest of "Go Big or Go Home" I wasn't gonna start with something easy, I was just gonna dive in. Wanted to make sure the numbers I've made/gotten from beersmith look right, and my recipe looks good. I sorta just pulled this AG recipe together (AKA: Made it up) from looking at a bunch of other IPA's with what should be similar flavor profiles to what I'm going for.
---------------------------------------
RECIPE
---------------------------------------
13.5# US Pale 2-Row
2# Crystal40
2# Belgian Pilsner 2-Row
.5# Carapils
1oz Columbus @90
2oz Amarillo @ 10
2oz Citra @ 10
4oz Amarillo @ FO
4oz Citra @ FO
2oz Cascade @ FO
2oz Willamette @ FO
2oz Amarillo DH @ 7 Days
1oz Chinook DH @ 7 Days
1oz Columbus DH @ 7 Days
2oz Citra DH @ 7 Days
2oz Amarillo DH @ 3 Days
2oz Citra DH @ 3 Days
2oz Cascade DH @ 3 Days
---------------------------------------
Sooo.. basically going for a decent malt backbone, with a HUGE hopbursted citrus/grapefruit/floral hop character. This is a bastard brainchild of the RR Hopfather Hop Schedule and another DIPA a fellow homebrewer did.
How's the grain bill look? Any suggestions for additions or changes? With those numbers Beersmith gives me --1.088 OG, 105 IBU's, 12.6 SRM.
So my plan based on my understanding...
- Grain in the cooler ready to go, heat water to about 168, and mash in, slowly adding water and trying to stop dough balls from forming.
QUESTION: After feeding it my equipment and grain bill, Beersmith is telling me to use 22.5qts, where I expected to see closer to 27 quarts after reading How to Brew. Feedback?
- Close lid, wait for 60m. As it gets close, I'll preheat my HLT with some boiling water just to get it up to temp, and heat up my sparge water to 168-170. Beersmith says 2.5 gallons so I figure I'll aim to put in 2.75 - 3 in the tank to give myself a little bit of flex.
- Vorlauf. Once I've got clear runnings, try and get my rates set so that water going out is equal to water coming in from my sparge tube, trying to maintain about an inch of water on top of the grain bed.
QUESTION: I always read that this should be "slow". I'm sure I'm overthinking it but.... how slow is too slow? Is there a trick to it?
- Once I hit my pre-boil volume. Cut the feed, hit the burner and.. away we go.
Anywhow.. that's basically all of it. Just stressin over my first so want to make sure everythings as perfect as I can get it. Ever battle plan goes to crap at the first shot but... still =D
Thanks for all the help gents.