Help Needed On First AG....

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brewagentjay

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So I added my striket water to a new Mash Tun I built. I used 10 G Cooler with SS Braid from FlyGuy.

While I was stiring the mash to ensure accurate temp reading I noticed I could see my SS braid in the swirl.

Help...........

How do I ensure it gets down to the bottom under the grain? Thanks.

:drunk:
 
Do you have a plug in the end of the braid? If you do, when you start draining the tun the suction action will cause it to fall. It will likely fall well before that. Relax. :)
 
Yeah I got the Plug on other end.....It just came up while I was stirring. Any advice to keep that from happening in future? Or is it normal?

I pushed it down a bit with my Mash Tun best I could since I can't see below surface. Much to hot for me to stick hand in........
 
Wort is Pale hot chocolate color is that normal......I'm about to collect first running and sparge....

Wanted to verify... It sure is sticky.

Grains:
Muton's Pale Ale Malt
Weyermann Light Wheat
 
It sounds just like my experience. :rockin:
One more week and I should be putting those in bottles.

I think you're okay. (for whatever that's worth):mug:
 
cool....it sure seems like wort to me......I have my numbers and I'll caculate the other stuff later....Just trying to ensure a decent beer and that I learn from this......
 
How do I get OG Reading of Wort before boil? What I mean is what temp does it need to be at to take an OG reading?
 
Most hydrometers are calibrated at 60F. There are a few hydrometer temp adjusters on the internet, but correcting for temperature usually leaves me +/- 5 points depending on the brew.

I usually take the sample and put it in a big pan and put it in the freezer for a bit. The increased surface area allows it to cool quicker. Then gently pour it back into the hydro tube.
 
So I'm at 1.030 and need to be at 1.050. So I'm alot down. I the reciepe calls for 1 lb of hard candy sugar which I not to put until near end of boil. So question is how much will that bring up my OG readin? I also have on stand by 1 lb of Dry Pale Malt Extract in case. Thanks.
 
Don't trust a temperature conversion chart for your gravity reading - it's easy enough to cool it and you can be sure it's correct. I just put the sample in the fridge or freezer for a few minutes. Cool it to the calibration temp, usually 60F like archief said.
 
I'm in process of doing that I just was curious anyone new a calculator that did OG plus extra fermentables. The recipe calls for the clear belgian candi sugar but just a pound so not sure what that will do to OG.
 
Looks like a pound of candi sugar is only going to take you up about 7 points to 1.037. (According to BeerSmith) Also, your 1 gallon boiloff will raise your gravity a bit (boiling off water, leaving behind denser sugars in the water)

(6 gallons at 1.030 boiled down to 5 gallons will get you to 1.036)

Download the trial of beersmith and play with it before your next batch. It's a great tool (or whole toolbox really) and worth the $20 for the full version.
 
So I'm at 1.030 and need to be at 1.050. So I'm alot down. I the reciepe calls for 1 lb of hard candy sugar which I not to put until near end of boil. So question is how much will that bring up my OG readin? I also have on stand by 1 lb of Dry Pale Malt Extract in case. Thanks.

Is 1.050 your target preboil gravity? If so, you might want to add both the hard candy sugar and the DME. The DME will get you probably another 6 pts or so (I don't have any brew software on my comp at work and I don't have any of this memorized so I'm not sure on that - it's somewhere in that neighborhood I think) in addition to the 7 pts or so from the hard candy sugar. That's closer to the 1.050.

If the 1.050 is your target OG (after the boil), you might get close to that with just the hard candy sugar addition (you'll lose some volume with the boil).
 
Yeah 1.050 is my after boil volume. I don't have good instructions....Kit was for Extract but I requested AG they made me AG version which they advertise but it's a beta recipe so instructions were not ready for AG I emailed and got some of them but nothing on details of pre-boil.....

Sounds like with my candy I should hit it after boiling down to 5 gallons. I'll update.
 
Check out the BeerSmith trial version. http://www.beersmith.com/

It's great. Promash also has a trial version, but I found it more difficult to use... to each his own. It'll calculate the expected pre-boil gravity so you know where you sit and whether you need to add more stuff or dilute (but why would you ever dilute???).
 
Check out the BeerSmith trial version. http://www.beersmith.com/

It's great. Promash also has a trial version, but I found it more difficult to use... to each his own. It'll calculate the expected pre-boil gravity so you know where you sit and whether you need to add more stuff or dilute (but why would you ever dilute???).

I'd never dilute....I'd only add....:mug:
 
:mug: Thanks to all who helped me yesterday & last night.........

HBT :rockin:

So I hit my number with out altering recipe...The 1 lb of Belgian Clear Candy Sugar combined with fact I had 1 gallon boil off, brought the OG right up....

My Target OG was 1.050 and I got 1.0495 if I add in the calibrated at 60 math I should hit really 1.052ish so I say that I'm in there......

Thanks....It was my frist AG and It took me all afternoon and evening but I enjoyed it and learned a lot. Now I know I still could use some more equipment.........

:rockin:
 
Nice work. Glad it worked out. Your eyesight must be better than mine... 1.0495? :mug:

I measure it like a hawk... It's an estimate from what I see it's just not quite 1.050 but it's close as hell....

Looks like after I did some math I ended with 70% Efficiency when all said and done...

And well for my first time I'm happy with that. I hope the beer is as good as it smells right now when I get to drink it....
 
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