So, there I was, Friday night, milling away all my grains for a ten gallon batch of a Leffe blonde clone. So excited because it was my first ten gallon batch and I was going to test the actual capacity of my ten gallon mash tun. So after milling the grains, it became evident that all 23lbs of grain for this monster batch wasnt going to fit in my 5 gallon bucket for storing overnight. So I had to use a pot to put the rest of the grains in. It was a bit too hot to let the grains stay in garage overnight I thought, so last minute decision I proceeded to bring the grains inside and set the covered bucket and uncovered pot on the floor.
Next morning, jumping out of bed in excitement, I started getting the strike water drawn and heated. Everything was going so smooth, as soon as I added the grains, I hit my temp dead on. No need for stirring to get the temp down, or adding hot water ect. Threw the lid on and let her sit for an hour. Came back to my temp spiking on my digital thermometer (cheap), so just to be safe I decided to pop open the lid and throw in ole trusty (analog thermometer) to calm my fears. Whew, everything was good....cept there was what looked like a doughball floating at the top of the grain bed...had I not mixed the grains well enough?? I poked it with my finger to try and distribute it.....strange I thought, since when are dough balls mustard yellow?? Out of instinct I suppose, I smelled my finger, strange I thought, since when did dough balls smell like ****???? AAAAAAAHHH!!!!!, there is **** in my mash!!!! At first I though, that damn homebrew supply, an animal got in there, **** in my grains and he sold it to me! Then I thought, I milled these grains last night myself, so it had to have happened last night. Then the truth hit me like a ton of bricks....I left the uncovered grain just 15 feet from my cat's litter box. Upon further inspection, there were grains kicked all over the floor. I have no idea how I didnt smell it during dough in, but Im glad I caught it when I did. Interesting concept though....cat**** beer, could be the next big thing, hell Dogfish used chewed up corn in one of their beers!lol
Lesson learned!
Que
Next morning, jumping out of bed in excitement, I started getting the strike water drawn and heated. Everything was going so smooth, as soon as I added the grains, I hit my temp dead on. No need for stirring to get the temp down, or adding hot water ect. Threw the lid on and let her sit for an hour. Came back to my temp spiking on my digital thermometer (cheap), so just to be safe I decided to pop open the lid and throw in ole trusty (analog thermometer) to calm my fears. Whew, everything was good....cept there was what looked like a doughball floating at the top of the grain bed...had I not mixed the grains well enough?? I poked it with my finger to try and distribute it.....strange I thought, since when are dough balls mustard yellow?? Out of instinct I suppose, I smelled my finger, strange I thought, since when did dough balls smell like ****???? AAAAAAAHHH!!!!!, there is **** in my mash!!!! At first I though, that damn homebrew supply, an animal got in there, **** in my grains and he sold it to me! Then I thought, I milled these grains last night myself, so it had to have happened last night. Then the truth hit me like a ton of bricks....I left the uncovered grain just 15 feet from my cat's litter box. Upon further inspection, there were grains kicked all over the floor. I have no idea how I didnt smell it during dough in, but Im glad I caught it when I did. Interesting concept though....cat**** beer, could be the next big thing, hell Dogfish used chewed up corn in one of their beers!lol
Lesson learned!
Que
....."Na can't be" Welp....color me wrong
