The Maddock
Member
- Joined
- Jan 26, 2006
- Messages
- 9
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So I took a dive and decided to brew my first AG batch. I went out, bought the grain, yeast, and hops, and 2 days later, I decided to brew. The mash went all right and I was surprised at how sweet the mash liquid actually was.
Well all was going fine until sparge time came, then I realized that my siphon wouldn't siphon. My collection manifold was not clogged, but for some reason I couldn't get a steady flow. At 2:30 AM (I started brewing at 12, so the rents wouldn't tromp through the kitchen), I was getting tired. My only option was to put a tube straight through the grainbed and siphon as such, with the liquid falling on a splatter screen to keep out the nasties.
About 4:00 am I was about finished boiling, and there was no way I would spend another 1-2 hours waiting on the wort to cool so I could pitch. I put the wort in the backup fridge (ambient temperature 36F), pot and all, and went to bed. About 9:30 that next morning, I woke and re-sanitized my fermenter. Poured in the wort, (which was conveniently cooled to an even 84F!), yeast starter from the night before, attached the airlock, and set it in the basement. Two hours went by and not a bubble. So I removed the lid, not surprised that there was no layer of foam and gunk (German word, I forget what it's called), and no action at all.
I made the decision to swallow my pride and mix up a starter of bread yeast. The brand I use has served me well in the hard times, and doesn't produce too much of a bread-y taste. Now the fermentation is going well, according to my airlock.
Any ideas on how the product might taste? Hmm? It's usually just me and my buddy that drink my brew, so no loss if it isn't the greatest, I just hope it doesn't sour.
So
Well all was going fine until sparge time came, then I realized that my siphon wouldn't siphon. My collection manifold was not clogged, but for some reason I couldn't get a steady flow. At 2:30 AM (I started brewing at 12, so the rents wouldn't tromp through the kitchen), I was getting tired. My only option was to put a tube straight through the grainbed and siphon as such, with the liquid falling on a splatter screen to keep out the nasties.
About 4:00 am I was about finished boiling, and there was no way I would spend another 1-2 hours waiting on the wort to cool so I could pitch. I put the wort in the backup fridge (ambient temperature 36F), pot and all, and went to bed. About 9:30 that next morning, I woke and re-sanitized my fermenter. Poured in the wort, (which was conveniently cooled to an even 84F!), yeast starter from the night before, attached the airlock, and set it in the basement. Two hours went by and not a bubble. So I removed the lid, not surprised that there was no layer of foam and gunk (German word, I forget what it's called), and no action at all.
I made the decision to swallow my pride and mix up a starter of bread yeast. The brand I use has served me well in the hard times, and doesn't produce too much of a bread-y taste. Now the fermentation is going well, according to my airlock.
Any ideas on how the product might taste? Hmm? It's usually just me and my buddy that drink my brew, so no loss if it isn't the greatest, I just hope it doesn't sour.
So