Hello all,
I wanted to create a thread detailing my entire process so I could hopefully improve it. I feel like 70% of my beers come out okay, 25% bad or flawed. And about 5% great. I want to increase the greatness! I also really want to simplify my process. Please feel free to add any questions, comments, or suggestions.
I have been brewing beer for almost 2 years with a 1 year hiatus in between. I have brewed approximately 35 batches of beer. Many have been on an ever changing system as I have re bought and re done my system. I currently do 2.5 or 3 gallon batches, and I am thinking of trying no chill. This is about my 4th brew on this exact set up. I had a lot of hiccups today which I will add. I took pictures to show, but I had to do them from my phone in one hand and brewing in the other. Today's Batch took about 5-6 hours to brew/clean.
Okay my recipe today is based off of NB's Oatmeal cookie BIAB.
Recipe: BIAB Oatmeal cookie
Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 4.40 gal
Post Boil Volume: 3.65 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 3.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 2.78 gal
Estimated OG: 1.067 SG
Estimated Color: 35.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 36.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 76.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 56.6 %
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 11.3 %
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 3 11.3 %
1 lbs Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 4 11.3 %
8.0 oz Brown Malt (65.0 SRM) Grain 5 5.7 %
5.3 oz Pale Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 6 3.7 %
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0 Hop 7 26.2 IBUs
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 10.0 mi Hop 8 10.3 IBUs
0.06 oz Cinnamon Stick (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 9 -
Mash Schedule: BIAB mash at 154
Total Grain Weight: 8 lbs 13.3 oz
Okay to start. I used RO water and added 1 tsp of Calcium chloride to 5 gallons.
This is my 6 gallon stainless steel kettle and Banjo Burner. Once I added the tinfoil it helped the burner really work. Without the foil it would take twice as long to heat water.
Added what beer smith calculated to the kettle used a paint stir stick to measure. I start the banjo burner to get the water warming to mash temp.
Here is my grain storage, getting ready to measure my recipe and mill.
I use this large kitchen bowl on top of my scale and measure my grain.
grains in the mill.
grinding at half speed.
Here is my crush I leave it at stock setting.
add the oats un milled
Now, I though I had enough grains for this recipe but I found out as I was measuring I did not and this is what my recipe turned into. This usually doesnt happen but I bought these ingredients about 4 batches ago. Only a month or two ago tho.
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM)
9.7oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM)
14.2oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Brown Malt (65.0 SRM)
5 oz Pale Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
I checked my water temp and saw it was too hot when I was finished milling. This happens a lot I need to really lower my heat.
add some ice to cool it down.
grab my bag to line the kettle
add some 5.2 stabilizer to the grains prior to mashing in.
Ok I usually average about 1 degree loss per pound of grain. I am shooting for 154, but this is the temp I got to before I mashed in.
Mash in
stir well for any doughballs. I love how creamy this is looking. I hope the beer comes out creamy.
okay when I first mashed in I was around 156 so I needed to cool it down, I added some more ice and unfortunately got half a degree too low. I decided to let it sit here because I dont want to add heat to the bottom because im scared of melting the bag. I have a veggie steamer to put in the bottom. but im still scared of melting the bag so I dont use it.
I drape a snowboarding jacket over the top to help insulate.
I usually mash for 1 hour but I ended up letting this one go for 75 mins. Here is the ending temp.
pull out the bag. I will squeeze the bag try and get more out and I think this makes a difference. If I dont squeeze it there is like 1/3 a gallon left in that sucker plus i'm sure lots of sugar. This is hot and sticky but it works.
heres the wort. Start the heat and get ready to test our pre boil gravity
Drop a bit onto the refractometer.
So the refractometer shows around 15 Brix which = 1.061
I wanted to create a thread detailing my entire process so I could hopefully improve it. I feel like 70% of my beers come out okay, 25% bad or flawed. And about 5% great. I want to increase the greatness! I also really want to simplify my process. Please feel free to add any questions, comments, or suggestions.
I have been brewing beer for almost 2 years with a 1 year hiatus in between. I have brewed approximately 35 batches of beer. Many have been on an ever changing system as I have re bought and re done my system. I currently do 2.5 or 3 gallon batches, and I am thinking of trying no chill. This is about my 4th brew on this exact set up. I had a lot of hiccups today which I will add. I took pictures to show, but I had to do them from my phone in one hand and brewing in the other. Today's Batch took about 5-6 hours to brew/clean.
Okay my recipe today is based off of NB's Oatmeal cookie BIAB.
Recipe: BIAB Oatmeal cookie
Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Boil Size: 4.40 gal
Post Boil Volume: 3.65 gal
Batch Size (fermenter): 3.00 gal
Bottling Volume: 2.78 gal
Estimated OG: 1.067 SG
Estimated Color: 35.3 SRM
Estimated IBU: 36.4 IBUs
Brewhouse Efficiency: 65.00 %
Est Mash Efficiency: 76.0 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name Type # %/IBU
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM) Grain 1 56.6 %
1 lbs Munich Malt (9.0 SRM) Grain 2 11.3 %
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM) Grain 3 11.3 %
1 lbs Special B Malt (180.0 SRM) Grain 4 11.3 %
8.0 oz Brown Malt (65.0 SRM) Grain 5 5.7 %
5.3 oz Pale Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM) Grain 6 3.7 %
1.00 oz Goldings, East Kent [5.00 %] - Boil 60.0 Hop 7 26.2 IBUs
1.00 oz Styrian Goldings [5.40 %] - Boil 10.0 mi Hop 8 10.3 IBUs
0.06 oz Cinnamon Stick (Boil 5.0 mins) Spice 9 -
Mash Schedule: BIAB mash at 154
Total Grain Weight: 8 lbs 13.3 oz
Okay to start. I used RO water and added 1 tsp of Calcium chloride to 5 gallons.
This is my 6 gallon stainless steel kettle and Banjo Burner. Once I added the tinfoil it helped the burner really work. Without the foil it would take twice as long to heat water.
Added what beer smith calculated to the kettle used a paint stir stick to measure. I start the banjo burner to get the water warming to mash temp.
Here is my grain storage, getting ready to measure my recipe and mill.
I use this large kitchen bowl on top of my scale and measure my grain.
grains in the mill.
grinding at half speed.
Here is my crush I leave it at stock setting.
add the oats un milled
Now, I though I had enough grains for this recipe but I found out as I was measuring I did not and this is what my recipe turned into. This usually doesnt happen but I bought these ingredients about 4 batches ago. Only a month or two ago tho.
Ingredients:
------------
Amt Name
5 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) UK (3.0 SRM)
9.7oz Munich Malt (9.0 SRM)
1 lbs Oats, Flaked (1.0 SRM)
14.2oz Special B Malt (180.0 SRM)
8.0 oz Brown Malt (65.0 SRM)
5 oz Pale Chocolate Malt (350.0 SRM)
I checked my water temp and saw it was too hot when I was finished milling. This happens a lot I need to really lower my heat.
add some ice to cool it down.
grab my bag to line the kettle
add some 5.2 stabilizer to the grains prior to mashing in.
Ok I usually average about 1 degree loss per pound of grain. I am shooting for 154, but this is the temp I got to before I mashed in.
Mash in
stir well for any doughballs. I love how creamy this is looking. I hope the beer comes out creamy.
okay when I first mashed in I was around 156 so I needed to cool it down, I added some more ice and unfortunately got half a degree too low. I decided to let it sit here because I dont want to add heat to the bottom because im scared of melting the bag. I have a veggie steamer to put in the bottom. but im still scared of melting the bag so I dont use it.
I drape a snowboarding jacket over the top to help insulate.
I usually mash for 1 hour but I ended up letting this one go for 75 mins. Here is the ending temp.
pull out the bag. I will squeeze the bag try and get more out and I think this makes a difference. If I dont squeeze it there is like 1/3 a gallon left in that sucker plus i'm sure lots of sugar. This is hot and sticky but it works.
heres the wort. Start the heat and get ready to test our pre boil gravity
Drop a bit onto the refractometer.
So the refractometer shows around 15 Brix which = 1.061