I hate all grain.....

Stuck mash today...... You've got to be kidding me! My SG reading was a full .01 off from last Sunday. Can the crush of the grain contribute to a stuck mash? I didn't do anything different today that I didn't do on Sunday, I'm using a 5 gal cooler with a false bottom.
I had more troubles with the CFC, not sure how much wort I lost but I only ended up with about 4 1/2 gallons in the carboy with noticeable debris already gathering on the bottom. It looked like the wort was flowing fine from the kettle to the CFC but it was coming out very slowly and full of bubbles from the hose coming out of the CFC and into the carboy. I think I may boil some DME and toss it in in a couple days.

Another aggravating but this time more successful AG brew....

I've had a day or two like that. Just keep at it until you find your "groove".

A really fine crush can definitely contribute to a stuck mash. Especially if the husks get shredded.

Don't fret. My first AG was the same way. I got rid of the false bottom and upgraded to a 10 gallon cooler with a stainless braid. That changed my life. The AG beers I've brewed have been overwhelming in flavor, body, aroma, etc.

Every time I pull a beer from the tap, I still am amazed that it's MY creation. Better than lots of micros out there IMHO.

This just scares me off of AG. I finally have a good extract system down and I don't want to mess around learning something new right now.

Todd, it can only get easier from here on out right?

I'm about to do my first AG - I just love reading stuff like this!

Here is some food for thought. I have never done an extract batch, started with AG and been doing it since. I have never had a stuck mash either... there is hope!!!

The Pol

EdWort said:

...a 10 gallon cooler with a stainless braid.

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I don't know if this is the reason for your problem, but I've got a stainless braid too, and never have had a stuck mash. Keep on truckin and good luck!

Cheers,
Monk

In a book I read once, the author said something regarding...RDWHAHB.

Guys, it will still turn out to be beer. Damn good beer.

RDWHAHB!!!!!!!!!

Use some rice hulls next time. Costs close to nothing.

Flyin' Lion said:

This just scares me off of AG. I finally have a good extract system down and I don't want to mess around learning something new right now.

Todd, it can only get easier from here on out right?

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Don't let it scare you. My first AG went perfectly! To me, it's much more fun, and far more satisfying.

ayrton said:

Don't let it scare you. My first AG went perfectly! To me, it's much more fun, and far more satisfying.

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My first AG....lol. Well it went great, thing is I had to improvise on the fly. I thought that I could buy an old grain grinder on the cheap and make it work...not. I defaulted to the Cuisinart, which thankfully worked. It was an Oatmeal stout and I was really nervous about getting a stuck sparge. Well that never happened, but my efficiency was the lowest I have had to date. It was still and excellent beer though. I had all sorts of stuff out and sanitized that didn't need be, etc.....had to split the boil because I didn't have a big enough pot. Yuck. Life is much better these days. Thing is you shouldn't be afraid to try. Like SWMBO always says "What's the worst that could happen?"

I want to boil another gallon and throw in some DME but then I thought, don't I have over a pound of crushed crystal in the freezer? It's been in a ziploc bag in the freezer for about 4 months. So my questions are is it still good and can I steep this instead of going out and buying DME? If so, should I steep for 30 min or just 10?

Todd

Just wondering what kind of false bottom are you using? Plastic or SS

Can't offer any advice.
I use a copper manifold with slits and I've never had a problem, I have heard lots of people with false bottoms say they have had problems.

just becasue you have a stuck sparge doesnt neccesarily mean its your false bottom. Ive had mashes that felt like concrete on the top of the mash bed. Granted it was mostly wheat, but nothing was going to pass through that bed to even get to the false bottom.



sorry you had a bar AG experience. Hopefully your next week will be a walk in the park

Flyin' Lion said:

This just scares me off of AG. I finally have a good extract system down and I don't want to mess around learning something new right now.

Todd, it can only get easier from here on out right?

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I just need to streamline the process and I guess get the Weekend Brewer to not crush my grain into oblivion.

You can come over and watch an AG batch if you want. That really helped me get over the fear of it. Of course, I'm probably not the best teacher at this point.

abracadabra said:

Todd

Just wondering what kind of false bottom are you using? Plastic or SS

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It's a SS circle with a fine screen. I got it from Boston but I don't know if he made it or bought it. It worked great on Sunday so it's not the equipment. Probably either the crush of the grain or operator error. :cross:

Yah, throw in some rice hulls or use some 6 row to replace some of your 2 row, more husks, better filtering, less sticking. Make sure you keep at least 1" of water on top of that grain bed and maybe run it off a little slower. My last sparge lasted 90 minutes.

The Pol

todd_k said:

It's a SS circle with a fine screen. I got it from Boston but I don't know if he made it or bought it. It worked great on Sunday so it's not the equipment. Probably either the crush of the grain or operator error. :cross:

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Yea man, don't listen to everyone who blames the false bottom for every stuck sparge. You crush too much and yes, your going to get stuck. Do you batch sparge? Stuck sparge is a minor inconvenience if you do. Stir again, recirc and keep on truckin.

Yes, I batch sparge. Why is that a minor inconvenience if I batch sparge? I was stirring like crazy and that wasn't helping.
Do rice hulls contribute anything to the final product or are they there just to take up space and add air pockets? How much should I use?

todd_k said:

Yes, I batch sparge. Why is that a minor inconvenience if I batch sparge? I was stirring like crazy and that wasn't helping.
Do rice hulls contribute anything to the final product or are they there just to take up space and add air pockets? How much should I use?

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its a minor inconvienence becasue it takes all of 3-4 minutes to get your wort flowing back into your kettle. If you fly sparge, well it can be more of a hassle. Its not the end of the world is what Im getting at.

No rice hulls do not contribute anything to the finished product.

Hating all-grain after one stuck sparge? It was only a minor inconvenience right? I'm sure that you'll hardly ever have one again. And you're probably right about the milling being too fine.

I used that 5-gallon set-up at least a half-dozen times without incident. If I were to guess I'd say your crush is too fine. If the grain mill at your LHBS is non-adjustable then I'd second the recommendation for rice hulls as a cheap fix.

ian said:

Hating all-grain after one stuck sparge? It was only a minor inconvenience right? I'm sure that you'll hardly ever have one again. And you're probably right about the milling being too fine.

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He's back!

You must have missed my other AG thread from last Sunday.

Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? NO.

Don't be put off. The worst day of brewing is still a great day.

You're liable to find that this batch tastes better than anything you've done yet...and then you'll spend the rest of your life trying to recreate the "mistakes" that got you there.

KalvinEddie said:

Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? NO.

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When did the Germans bomb Pearl Harbor? I missed that......

KalvinEddie said:

Did we give up when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? NO.

Don't be put off. The worst day of brewing is still a great day.

You're liable to find that this batch tastes better than anything you've done yet...and then you'll spend the rest of your life trying to recreate the "mistakes" that got you there.

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Your right, I'm just used to no problems and this is killin' me!

By the way, nice slide show!

Yooper Chick said:

When did the Germans bomb Pearl Harbor? I missed that......

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Animal House!!!!! Geez.....

todd_k said:

Do rice hulls contribute anything to the final product or are they there just to take up space and add air pockets? How much should I use?

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No, they don't contribute anything. They should make your grain bed more porous which prevents stuck sparging. I use 1/4 -1/3 of a pound when I mash 10-12 pounds of barley. When I do weizens I add half a pound. Usualy I add them just before I add mash out water.

The crushes I've gotten from the Weekend Brewer worked fine... granted, I use a SS braid. The crushes haven't looked all that fine as it is (still lots of husk bits in there), but if you still have problems I'd second the recommendation on rice hulls. I would think that may fix the problem.