1st AG - A Qualified Success!!

Today I brewed my first AG batch, and despite a few learning opportunities it went really well.

I started by missing my mash temp, 12' too low. Added about a gal of 200' water to hit 152'. Mash and batch sparge went smoothly from there (with some help from 'lil sparky).

The MLT

The Mash

Spent Grain

The Wort

Congrats! Welcome to the club, The All Grain Club! Did you take an O.G. reading?

Wadja brew?

I brewed Ed Wort's Haus Pale Ale after reading all the rave reviews.
Hit the OG on the nose :rockin:

Here's a hydrometer pic, took the pic too close, but I know it reads 1.051.


Not my first full boil, but the first where I needed to end up with the right amount. Came up a little short, I boiled off more than expected. I don't think I could've boiled more runoff, so next time I will plan to top off the boil partway through.


After the yeast is pitched and the fermenter is safely downstairs, it's time to clean up.


Overall I couldn't be happier for a first time AG brewday. I couldn't have done it without the help and advise from HTB, thanks to all!

Very nice. Did you drink your hydrometer jar? It's a must on your first all grain you know.

Of course I did, and it was delicious. I didn't drink all the break material that settled out, though.
Definately looking forward to drinking this batch.

Now I have to work on my fermentation temps, we're having a mini heat wave in Jersey this week, although nothing like all the poor southwest brewers are experiencing.

Barley-Davidson said:

Of course I did, and it was delicious. I didn't drink all the break material that settled out, though.
Definately looking forward to drinking this batch.

Now I have to work on my fermentation temps, we're having a mini heat wave in Jersey this week, although nothing like all the poor southwest brewers are experiencing.

Click to expand...

Congrats. I had the same issue here in Texas till I started fermenting in a chest freezer with a temp controller.

Before that, I put my bucket in a gray rubbermaid bus pan (like they use in restaurants to bus dishes, get them at Sam's club) add about 1/2 to 3/4 inch of water and put a t-shirt over my bucket with the airlock through the neck of the shirt. I'd help the shirt along by wetting it on all sides for the bottom 3/4th of the shirt. I did not want a wet shirt near my lid.

On really hot days, I would drop an ice pack in the water. I made several batchs of Haus Pale this way, as well as my first batch. Works out great!

Yuck! Did you say cleanup??!!! That's the worst part.

It's the reason I've now committed myself to brewing 2 or 3 batches in a day. That way, I get three batches with only one cleanup!!!!

Here's the t-shirt fermentation chiller


Would've started doing this sooner but the bucket was full of my son's toys. I had to get a new container for them before I could commandeer it for brew purposes.

Way to go! Sounds like a great 1st AG experience. You can be sure that a lot don't go nearly that smoothly. As Ed said, welcome to the club.

Thanks. I'm hoping to get another AG batch in before time constraints send me back to extract for a while.

According to the efficiency calculator at tastybrew my efficiency is 68.6%, how does that compare with the average, and how can I improve it? I don't have a grain mill so I have to rely on the HBS for my crush.