Time for my 1st. AG

After a half dozen extract brews I've finaly got everything together for my first AG.
Single Infusion mash-Batch Sparging

I'm brewing a Brown Ale (Even though my water isn't right for it I will addd some spring water )

9.0# Mild Ale Malt
0.25# Simpsons Dark Crystal
0.25# Chocolate Malt
0.25# Weyermann CaraRed
(purchased grain crushed)

1.5 oz. Kent Golding (60 min)
0.5 oz. Kent Golding (10 min)

Wyeast #1098 British Ale Yeast

153 f. for 60 min
170 f. for 10 min
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I have a 10 gal. Igloo coolder I converter to my MLT. Added a valve and made a SS braded ring for my lautering ring.
I have a 8 gal and 5 gal SS pot.
I'm going to borrow a digital t-stat till I convert my pots.

I think I have everything to get started.


MY plan is:
Preheat cooler with 150 deg
Starting grain temp is 68 f.

Cooler will have @ 1/2 gal that is left in the cooler after it's drained

Strike 3.25 gal water to initial temp of 167 deg (not sure if this is the right temp after I preheat the cooler)

Add grain to cooler... add and stir 3.25 gal water
add t-stat Cover and let sit for 60 min. Open and stir every 15 minutes.

Heat 4 gals. sparge water to 174 f.

After 60 min drain off the first quart or two and add it back to the cooler.
I do this until I get a clear running liquid.

Drain into 8 gal. brew pot.

Stir in the 4 gals 170 f. to the grain.
Let set for 10 minutes.

Drain but recycle the first couple of quarts back to cooler for clarity.

I need to get 6 to 6 1/2 gal so I can end up with 5 gal. after the boil.

OK you experts, what did I forget??

Your comments are welcome and needed.

Don said:

Open and stir every 15 minutes.

Heat 4 gals. sparge water to 174 f.

Click to expand...

Everything looks great except I would not open and stir more than one more time after initial dough-in. Just make sure you dough-in thoroughly and don't have doughballs. I like to add my grains to my water, but it works either way.

I'd also heat the sparge water to more like 180F. I doubt you'll hit 170F and even if you do tannin extraction isn't such a concern with batch sparging.

Get to it!

Basically you have everything pretty close to right. I do agree with the above response about stirring and the sparge water temp. Also make sure you make up more sparge water than you think you will need. You can always use that for cleanup. You can also put your preheat water back into the HLT after you dough in. That will save a little water useage. You should also have a half gallon of boiling water on the stove just in case you need to adjust your temperature. Once you get comfortable with your processes you probably won't need it. Don't worry about having to add additional water to warm or cool your mash. The optimal water to grain ratio will range from 1.25 to 1.75 quarts per pound. Anything between 1.0 and 2.0 quarts per pound will also work, just not as nicely. Just don't exceed 2 quarts per pound as that will dilute the enzymes too much.

The one thing you appear to have forgotten is grain absorption. The grain will soak up about 1 pint per pound of grain. That will give you first runnings of only 1.75 gallons. For best efficiency you want your first runnings and sparge to be roughly equal amounts. So at the end of the mash, and before you drain your first runnings, add about a gallon and a half of your sparge water to the tun and give it a stir. I find it helpful to drain into a bucket with volume marks on the side so I know exactly how much sparge water I need to add. You don't need the 10 minute wait before draining the sparge. Just add, stir, vorlauf, and drain.

When you vorlauf (recirculate), you don't need (and probably can't get) clear wort. All you need is to have no pieces going through. Cloudy or hazy is just fine.

Good luck!

Wayne
Bugeater Brewing Company

You seem to have it well in hand but as stated you will need to add some water at the end of the mash for grain absorbtion. A nitpik is that I always add grain to the water instead of adding water to the grain at the start.

The ratio I often see cited for grain absorbtion is .1 gallon water per pound of grain. (That's one gallon per 10 pounds grain).

Bugeater suggested 1 pint per lb of grain--that's one gallon lost per 8 lbs of grain. That seems closer to me.

I have always figured .15 gallons per lb of grain: that's 1 gallon absorbed per 6.67 lbs of grain.

All these calculations get to be second nature after a few batches.

Cool deal, Don! It is fun stuff....don't sweat the details.

Blender said:

You seem to have it well in hand but as stated you will need to add some water at the end of the mash for grain absorbtion. A nitpik is that I always add grain to the water instead of adding water to the grain at the start.

Click to expand...

And I add a little water, then the grain, then the rest of the water. I read somewhre that it's helps avoid stuck sparges.

Good advice from the previous posters. Everything looks good to me!

Bugeaterbrewing said:

Basically you have everything pretty close to right.

The one thing you appear to have forgotten is grain absorption. The grain will soak up about 1 pint per pound of grain. That will give you first runnings of only 1.75 gallons. For best efficiency you want your first runnings and sparge to be roughly equal amounts. So at the end of the mash, and before you drain your first runnings, add about a gallon and a half of your sparge water to the tun and give it a stir. I find it helpful to drain into a bucket with volume marks on the side so I know exactly how much sparge water I need to add. You don't need the 10 minute wait before draining the sparge. Just add, stir, vorlauf, and drain.

When you vorlauf (recirculate), you don't need (and probably can't get) clear wort. All you need is to have no pieces going through. Cloudy or hazy is just fine.

Click to expand...

Do not open and stir. Have extra boiling water ready if needed.
After my 60 min. I want to add (stir-in) @1.5 gal of (155f. ?) to make up what I will lose in the grain. recircuate about 2 qts, Then drain my 3.2 gal out, measure the amount I get, and make up that amount with the 180f. sparge water, stir.. recirculate a couple of quarts the drain out the remaining 3.2 gal into my kettle.

Am I close?