Bought Mash Tun...now what?

Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum

Help Support Homebrew Talk - Beer, Wine, Mead, & Cider Brewing Discussion Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Gopher40

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 15, 2010
Messages
69
Reaction score
2
Location
Rockford
Have been brewing extract for a couple years and have decided to make the leap to all-grain. Now I feel like a lost puppy. When I start reading posts I get system overload. Checked out Beersmith...can't figure it out. I don't consider myself as a dummy, but am worried I am in over my head. AM always told how easy it is, but them I read posts and it seems like you need to be a scientist to understand it.What might the best source be for me to get info to walk me through that first batch?? HELP!! Seriously considering returning the mash tun. I need a beer!:eek:
 
Check out the recipe database they have some that will show you the exact recipe to follow.
What kind of beer do you like?
I should say what kind do you want to brew first because if your like me you like most beers!
 
Probably will just do an IPA.

Tell you what. Pick a recipe that looks good, and we can type out step by step directions for you.

It would help us to know about your boil kettle, and burner, and if you know your boil off for that kettle. Let us know how big your mash tun is, and if it's a cooler. Tell us if you have a HLT to store water, and if you'll be batch sparging. Or if you don't know that, let us know that too.

Then we can walk you through how to do it.
 
Just as a general comment, would it be easier for him to pick something a little easier than an IPA for a first brew? Not that it is that much different but something lower gravity with less hop additions for his first go-a-round so he can focus on the allgrain process? Any other thoughts on this?
 
Equipment info is 10 gallon rubber maid cooler mash tun with false bottom. I just use an aluminum turkey fryer pot. It has worked great for my extract batches. Not sure about the burner. It is an OLD turkey fryer burner. Seems to throw out a crap-load of heat.I will get back with you real soon on a recipe. Hey Yooper I was up in your neck of the woods last weekend in Marquette for the beer fest. First time to that part of the UP. BEAUTIFUL country, and I love Lake Superior. Did the Pictured Rocks cruise.
 
Just as a general comment, would it be easier for him to pick something a little easier than an IPA for a first brew? Not that it is that much different but something lower gravity with less hop additions for his first go-a-round so he can focus on the allgrain process? Any other thoughts on this?

Nah, an IPA is as easy as anything else, and in fact my be a little more forgiving as if you miss the OG it won't really matter very much. If you miss the mash temp, it won't matter that much either as the worst thing that could happen is a slightly drier beer, or one with some residual sweetness. Either way, IPAs are awesome.
 
rjsnau....hop additions wouldn't be any different than for an extract batch really..would they?
 
I guess that's true. By the time you get to the boil it is just like extract. Sorry, it has been many years since I did extract so I tend to forget. It seemed overwhelming to me until I did my first all grain, then it seemed pretty straight forward. You are in great hands with Yooper!
 
Youtube. I'm the kind of person who likes to see stuff, not read about it, to really understand it. There are alot of really good videos which help take the stress out of it and show how easy it can be. Worked for me!
 
Equipment info is 10 gallon rubber maid cooler mash tun with false bottom. I just use an aluminum turkey fryer pot. It has worked great for my extract batches. Not sure about the burner. It is an OLD turkey fryer burner. Seems to throw out a crap-load of heat.I will get back with you real soon on a recipe. Hey Yooper I was up in your neck of the woods last weekend in Marquette for the beer fest. First time to that part of the UP. BEAUTIFUL country, and I love Lake Superior. Did the Pictured Rocks cruise.

Glad you had a nice time! I wanted to go, but spent the weekend in Minneapolis and didn't get a chance to stay around for the Beerfest. The Pictured Rocks cruise is a fun time, and so is the Shipwreck cruise. I've done some hiking around the waterfalls in the Munising area, and it's always a good time. There is a brewpub in Grand Marais so I like driving through H-58 from Munising to Grand Marais for the great views and then a stop for whitefish and beer!

When you make your extract batches, what size boil have you done in that turkey fryer/burner set up? If you boil, say 6.25 gallons, you may have to take that into consideration when formulating your recipe that's why I ask.
 
Yooper I believe I have fit as much as 6 gallons in the pot I have. No more than that though.
 
Okay, this recipe sonds good. I notice it is 6 gallons. I believe 5 is what I am after. Okay brewing wizzards...what do I do??
 
Just as a general comment, would it be easier for him to pick something a little easier than an IPA for a first brew? Not that it is that much different but something lower gravity with less hop additions for his first go-a-round so he can focus on the allgrain process? Any other thoughts on this?

I'll bite, and say I like your general direction, but past the whole mashing and lautering process, brewing extract is no different with regards to the boil and any additions.

Gravity would only have something to do with how much grain he mashes, and the volume of what he wants to make really.

A simple 1.055 or so Pale/IPA or something would be a great intro, and allow someone who enjoys their extract IPA's to see a difference in AG brewing v. Extract.

Beyond understanding the process of mashing, then sparging, everything is identical to extract, IMO.. Not exact, but pretty darn close!
 
Okay, this recipe sonds good. I notice it is 6 gallons. I believe 5 is what I am after. Okay brewing wizzards...what do I do??

Might I suggest this.. Yooper will be able to help better, but look up her Pale Ale recipe.

You can add more hops and make it an IPA, super easy, and super simple. Great base recipe too!!

Also, don't let Beersmith scare you. I was overwhelmed when I first looked at it, and was lost. Watch the videos on there and they are really helpful. I was able to input my equipment, which you will tweak as you get used to it and it will tailor ANY recipe you want right down to the finest point, and with your equipment in mind.

You MIGHT need a bigger pot. I upgraded from an aluminum turkey fryer pot to a 12 gallon SS pot, and it's plenty big enough for full volume boils where I'm collecting 7-8 gallons of wort and boiling it down.

With that said- Just take it slow. Keep in mind that it's easier than it sounds. Getting all hung up on the numbers first off, don't worry. If you miss your numbers, it's in your process usually and it's fixable.
 
Found Yoopers Pale recipe. That sounds like a good one also. I will go with that.


Great, you can't go wrong with it.

Take it to your LHBS, and get the grains. Make sure the crush is good. You don't want to see any whole grains that aren't broken open when they are put in the bag from the grain.

Follow the recipe. Don't fret over the water additions, or worrying about PH. If you use bottled spring water, you'll be fine as a base to get the whole process down for now.

Heat your water in your pot to the temp it says to "strike" the grains at. This is going to be higher than your mash temp, as the grain will take the heat away quickly being cooler than the water. So if you mash at say.. 152*, you need roughly 166 or so with room temp grain.

Pour the hot water in your mash tun that you measured and heated up. Close it up and let it sit for 10 minutes or so.. Check the temp.. Once it's at the right temp, which is easier if you over shoot it and let it cool.

Once it's at say. 165*, add the grain slowly.. Add some, and stir like hell. Add more, and stir. Add more and stir. Do this until it's all in there.. Powder(flour) and all in the bottom of the bag. Stir really well, and get all the dough balls out of the grain. You want super super soupy oatmeal!

Check temp. Is it low? Add some extra hot water and stir.. Is it too high? Stir some more until it cools, and/or add a bit of cool water. Don't worry about it being sanitized, it's fine!

Once it's where you want it, close it up, and forgot it for atleast 60 minutes.

Once you are around 30 minutes in, start heating your sparge water. This is to rinse the grain bed.. Depends on how long you can heat your water. The amount should be in the recipe, or Beersmith will calculate it for you based on volume and whatnot.

Drain your mash tun, slowly. Collect the first runnings from it in a pitcher until it runs clear. As in, not cloudy with grain particles. Usually 2 quarts to 1 gallon is good. Let it drain into your pot, or into a bucket if you have your water in your pot heating.

Add the cloudy stuff slowly to the top of the grain bed and let it drain out.

Once it's done draining, measure the gravity of the 1st runnings.

Then add your hot water. It should be around 180 or so. You want your grain bed to get close to 168 as possible. Add water and stir like hell again here.. Really good stir.. Let it sit 5 minutes or so, and stir again. Wait 5 minutes, and drain it all out.

Repeat the process of collecting your 2quarts or so of cloudy wort, and add it back to the top while it drains.

Once it's drained, you are done with the grains!

Start to boil the wort, but don't forget to take a gravity reading of the wort. Cool a sample down and note the reading.

Proceed like you would in extract. Bring to a boil with NO LID, and add your hop additions and whatnot.

The only big change in the process is that you need to be be aware of your wort volume.. If you want 5 gallons of finished beer, you'll need to figure out how much you boil off in say an hour of boiling. So if it's 1 gallon an hour, you'll need to start with 6 gallons, to have 5 when you are done. If your recipe is set for 5.5 gallons, then if you end up doing 6 gallon boil and finish with 5 gallons, you are short .5 gallon and your OG will be higher if you hit all your numbers in your mash right. Thats really the only "math" involved, and Beersmith will assist you with this easily.
 
To keep things more simple for your first all-grain brew, you can use brewheads.com to calculate strike temps.

Another change is you need to know your volumes of water. If you collect 3 gallons of wort the first time you drain the grains, and you want 6.5 gallons of wort to start you boil, you then know you need 3.5 gallons of sparge water. The first time you add water to grain, it soaks up quite a bit of water, but the second water addition will not be absorbed by the grains because it's already wet.

To know my volumes, I put permanent marks on my stirring paddle for each gallon, this way I quickly know how much water is in my brew pot.
 
Back
Top