Very Confused

planning on going AG.im doing alot of reading (john palmer etc )and on these threads.
1-do you mix the grain with the water or visa versa?
2-will doughing upset the manifold?
3-when adding sparge water do you add it all at ounce?
or use a sparge sprinkler?
4-john palmer says collect wort and boil normally with your hops etc.
ive also read you collect as much as possible,maybe 7 gal for a 5 gal batch then boil down to 5 gal.



need help. dazed and confused,the more i read the more confused i get. thanks

it's really very easy, and there is no one way to do it. You will do trial and error and figure out what works best for you and your setup.

WHen I dough in I add the grains to the water. This has always worked best for my 5 gallon setup.
I currently batch sparge and do it in 2 separate additions. I drain my initial runnings then add approx 3 gallons of 180* water. Let rest while my second sparge addition heats up. Then do it all again until I have about 7 gallons in my kettle.

thanks chimone-
so your going to boil down to 5 gal ,then start your 60 min boil with hops etc,?

I use the greenbay rackers mash calculator to find my strike temp. then I add the water to my pre heated cooler then dough-in (stir in grain). If you manifold is set up right you sould be fine, what type of manifold are you using? Adding sparge water can be done either way. if you drain the mash tun and then add your sparge water it is called batch sparging. If you start running of and slowly add your sparge water at the same time that is call fly sparging. you are going to boil off at least 1.5 gallons give or take for a 5 gallon batch so collect 7 from the mash/sparge and boil down to 5

busmanray said:

thanks chimone-
so your going to boil down to 5 gal ,then start your 60 min boil with hops etc,?

Click to expand...

I do 5.5 gallon batches. If I start with 7 gallons, the 60 minute boil is long enough for me to loose that gallon and a half with a really vigorous boil.

Don't be confused, my son

relax and give an all grain batch a try. You'll find that much of the confusion will go away once you are doing the process. At least that's the way that I learn things. Study, study, study, but then I'm usually pretty uncertain about details. Then as soon as I start actually doing it, things start making a lot more sense.... Of course you'll screw some stuff up, but so what. Soon you'll be AG brewing while doing laundry, surfing the internet, watching TV, and getting dinner ready all at the same time

I start with 6.25 gallons and end up with 5. I guess it really depends on your boil-off rate, and everyones will be different! the first time it's more of a trial and error type thing!

Still, if you tell us what equipment you'll be using, we can give you our experiences with it. I use my kitchen stove, so my boil off rate will be much different than someone with a banjo burner, for example. I'm sure there are people around who have some experience with whatever equipment you're using.

In my last batch, I DID dislodge my drain tube with my mash paddle. That was a huge mess- so I've learned to be more careful in where and how I stir. I usually put about a gallon into the mash tun, then add some grain, stir, add more water, stir, and more grain, etc. Then I check the temperature in several places to make sure it's uniform and what I need. Occasionally I need to add more hot water, so I have some boiling water ready just in case.

I also batch sparge, because it's easier for me. So, I drain my mash tun completely. Then add the sparge water (at about 174 degrees, so the grain bed is 168) and stir it up. I let it settle for about 10 minutes, then drain that. Don't forget to recirculate the first runnings out of each of these procedures- the first quart or two will be filled with bits of grain and stuff. So just gently pour that back into the mlt, and then drain completely.

Good luck with it- and remember that even if you don't do it perfectly, it'll be fine. Each time you learn a little more, until it's almost routine!

hey guys thanks for all the great info,being confused for me is very easy,im 54 married with children,all ive got is my beer and a rocky patel cigar.pray for me,everybody.

ill be using 2---28qt pots.one for sparge water ,one for the wort boil.and a 10 gal picnic cooler retrofitted.
heres the link http://www.homebrew.com/articles/article09130301.shtml

It's sort of like flying blind the first time if you don't have someone to show you. If you think of it though, the worst is you lose a few bucks ingredients and some time...but even then you'll learn.

You will succeed!

shafferpilot said:

relax and give an all grain batch a try. You'll find that much of the confusion will go away once you are doing the process. At least that's the way that I learn things. Study, study, study, but then I'm usually pretty uncertain about details. Then as soon as I start actually doing it, things start making a lot more sense.... Of course you'll screw some stuff up, but so what. Soon you'll be AG brewing while doing laundry, surfing the internet, watching TV, and getting dinner ready all at the same time

Click to expand...

Very true--I say just jump in and do it. Be as prepared as you can, but a lot of stuff will (probably) happen that you weren't ready for....and that's how you learn...That's the path I'm a few steps into....and it's a very fun journey!

One note about boil-off rates and batch/fly sparging. If you batch sparge it goes much faster, so you will have much less boil off if you are heating the wort you collect while sparging. A fly sparge can take an hour, and if you are bringing the collected wort to a boil the whole time in your kettle you will have a lot more evaporation and need to collect more.

ill be using 2---28qt pots.one for sparge water ,one for the wort boil.and a 10 gal picnic cooler retrofitted.
heres the link http://www.homebrew.com/articles/article09130301.shtml