First PM. I searched, still unsure

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IrregularPulse

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Ok, I've been putting this post off for about 2 weeks trying to just search and find my answer. Basicaly I'll just post my recipe (converted to PM by Deathbrewer, [thank you]) and my proposed process. Looking for feedback, idea changes anything. My Bayou Burner will be delivered tomorrow and thats when I'll be breweing.

Recipe.
Grain Bill:
0.50 lbs Vienna Malt
0.50 lbs Flaked Wheat
1.00 lbs Flaked Corn
1.00 lbs American 2-Row

Extract (add before your 60 minute boil):
4 lbs of Light Dry Malt Extract
Add with 15-20 minutes left for Late Addition or Before bringing to a Boil as per directions.

Hops:
1.00 oz Hallertau for 60 minutes
0.50 oz Saaz for 20 minutes

Yeast:
White Labs WLP080 Cream Ale Yeast Blend


Procedure
1.375 Quarts water per lb of grain (1.375* 3Lbs of Grain)= 4.125 Quarts Water.
Heat Water to 161 in pot.
Pour water into Mashtun and let sit till water cools to 155-156
Dump in grains while stirring to prevent dough balls.
Take Mash Temp (Should be 154)
Make note of water level
Close lid on Mashtun. Let Mash for 45 minutes.
While this is Mashing Start bringing 1.5 Gallons of water to a boil in main pot.
Drain Wort through strainer out of cooler spigot to prevent husks/pieces from entering pot. Prevent splashing as much as possible.
Will have 1 Gallon and 1/8 quart wort.
Add 170* water on top of grains (set something flat on top of grain bed to pour onto so water spreads over grains) to fill back to original level noted previously.
Let mash for 5 minutes and drain as previously
Add this wort to 1.5 gallons boiling in brew pot for boil volume of 2.53125 Gallons.
Bring to Rolling Boil.
Add 1.00oz of Hallertau Hops
Add 0.50oz o Saaz Hops at 20 minutes remaining.
Add 4lbs Light DME at 15 minutes remaining.
Cool wort to 65-70*
Pitch Yeast
Store 65-70*F

Estimated OG = 1.051 SG
Estimated FG = 1.013 SG
Estimated ABV = 5.01%
Estimated Color = 6.0 SRM
227 Calories/Pint.
 
Everything sounds great except...

Add 170* water on top of grains (set something flat on top of grain bed to pour onto so water spreads over grains) to fill back to original level noted previously.
Let mash for 5 minutes and drain as previously

When you add that water, dump it in and stir the heck out of it for 3-5 minutes, then drain it. You can strain out the husks or you can simply collect a quart into a small cup and carefully pour it back over the grain. It will run clear eventually.

Also, the "make note of water level" is not necessary. It's arbitrary.
 
Your strike temperature is low. The water needs to be around 168F when you add the grain, as the grain is much cooler than the target mash temperature.
 
I've seen lots of posts by Bobby M and value his opinion. I've not seen much from David_42. Not saying you are wrong or don't know what you're talking about. I was told 168 would be way high. My grains are currently being sotred in 66degree basement in tupperware containers. How much will 3 lbs really drop my water temp. I tested my cooler last night. Water dropped from 165 -150 in an hour of being in my cooler. Any recommended temps? 168 would mean the grains would need to drop my temp 13 degrees. Basically what numbers do I need for a 2.5 quarts water in a cooler with 3 lbs grain to have a mash temp of 154?
 
i would raise your water temp to more than 161F and pour your grains in right away. your grains will greatly reduce the temperature of your mash. you can use this calculator to get close: http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml. Looks more like 170F, depending on grain temp. preheat your mash tun, too...just spray some hot water in there from your shower when you rinse it out or something.

i'd also shoot for more like 1.25 qts/lb of grain so you can add some boiling water to increase them temp if you need to.

i think when i gave you the recipe, i didn't know you had a mash tun? don't remember, but i would do a Batch Sparge like Bobby said and just stir it up before you do your second runnings.

Let me know how this one goes...my cream ale was amazing, hope yours is just as good!

:mug:
 
I've done a few recipes using the technique Chris Colby describes in BYO and it was very easy to follow. Chris (IMHO) does a great job explaining the process.

http://***********/feature/1536.html

The PM's I've done have all turned out pretty good.
 
IrregularPulse said:
I've seen lots of posts by Bobby M and value his opinion. I've not seen much from David_42. Not saying you are wrong or don't know what you're talking about. I was told 168 would be way high. My grains are currently being sotred in 66degree basement in tupperware containers. How much will 3 lbs really drop my water temp. I tested my cooler last night. Water dropped from 165 -150 in an hour of being in my cooler. Any recommended temps? 168 would mean the grains would need to drop my temp 13 degrees. Basically what numbers do I need for a 2.5 quarts water in a cooler with 3 lbs grain to have a mash temp of 154?

Well, trust me, David_42 knows his **** about beer. I think he has more experience than many of us put together. I value Bobby M's thoughts, too, of course.

168 is NOT way too high. If your grains are 66 degrees, and you want to mash at 154, it actually calculates out to 167.7 degrees for your strike temperature.

I would say the rest of your plan looks ok, if you batch sparge as directed by the other posters.
 
Yeah didn't have one when you first gave me the recipe DB. just bought a cheap 2 gallon cooler from the Article linked above after searching Partial mashes. Not using the bag though. I couldn't find steel mesh so I'll be draining out of the spigot over a strainer. This is just for a couple batches to get the process and till I get money to step up to AG. Enough of this extract crap. AG just looks to fun.
Thanks for the Yooper. I meant no disrespect to you David, just going off what I've seen so far. I will def. add you to my list of people to pay attention to along with Deather Bewer, Yooper, TexLaw, and some others I can't think of.

What is the formula you used to calculate that Yooper?
 
Yup, I just missed the strike temp part. Everyone is right that 161 is way too low even if your cooler was preheated. If the tun is preheated and taken out of the equation, I get 12ºF drop on grains alone (at 1.25qt/lb). It would be close to 10º at 1.5qts/lb. Of course, instead of preheating my tun, I like to go in way hot, like 180 and let it cool down to 168, then dough in.

I hope your spigot doesn't completely clog. You could also just pour the entire mash out into the strainer over a bucket if it's big enough. Then dump the grain back into the cooler, add the sparge water, stir and dump it into the strainer again.
 
Bobby_M said:
Yup, I just missed the strike temp part. Everyone is right that 161 is way too low even if your cooler was preheated. If the tun is preheated and taken out of the equation, I get 12ºF drop on grains alone (at 1.25qt/lb). It would be close to 10º at 1.5qts/lb. Of course, instead of preheating my tun, I like to go in way hot, like 180 and let it cool down to 168, then dough in.

I hope your spigot doesn't completely clog. You could also just pour the entire mash out into the strainer over a bucket if it's big enough. Then dump the grain back into the cooler, add the sparge water, stir and dump it into the strainer again.

when you dough in, do you keep the grains in a bag, or just slowly stir them in?

i ask because i did my first PM (which didn't go all that great) and used a 2gal converted cooler. I put in the water, and used a bag (which in hindsight was probably overkill between the bag and ss mesh filter) and found it a bit difficult to get into the cooler and trying to make sure there we no dryspots. Next time I was thinking of using no bag, and slowly stir the grains into the water.
 
If my spigot gets clogged I'll just do as mentioned above and dump all over the strainer and then put my grains back in to get my second run offs. I'm sure I'm being to complicated. It's nice to see all the calculators. Every time I see a new one I bookmark it. Thanks


*edit*
Checked out the calculator. That rocks. Wish I'd had that first. 171 Strike water it is.
 
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