MonkeyWrench
Well-Known Member
Picked my self up a complete kit plus some on Tuesday. Built a fermentation box, bought aeration equipment (aquarium pump with homemade charcoal filter), immersion chiller, and prepared to brew all week. I also got a water report from the city just out of curiosity. I also boiled my aluminum kettle (a borrowed pressure cooker). I never saw any change in color. I boiled it for an hour on Friday, and an hour on Saturday. Hopefully fine.
Here's the recipe:
6lb wheat LME, but I used 5lbs DME.
1oz Cascade 5.9 @ 0min (LHBS only had Cascade 5.4)
.5oz Cascade @ 30min
10 Cascade pellets at 55min
60min boil. WLP 320 yeast
Friday I made myself a starter for my yeast. I boiled 1l of water and added 3oz of my wheat DME. I chilled to 80* and pitched my 80* yeast. It was a little foamy in the morning, but had a nice milky layer on the bottom of the mason jar. I kept it around 70* for Saturday and warmed it up to 80* (water bath) this morning in preparation for todays brewing.
Saturday before bed, I also boiled up 1.5gal of water. That's the biggest pot I have.
Sunday (today) I got up and at 9AM I started prepping. Made up my Iodopher, well I already had about half gallon made up from Friday's starter. I filled a spray bottle with it and cleaned and sanitized the counters and all around.
I washed my kettle and filled it with 4gal of water and started heating.
When I was finally ready to start brewing (12:45), I added the rest of my 1lb bag of DME (1lb bag - 3oz for starter). I made sure that was all mixed in, then added 1oz hops. @30min I added .5oz and at 45min, I put my immersion chiller in and added my other 4lbs of DME. Temp dropped a couple degrees so while I waited for it to boil again I sanitized a few other things. Must have only been 30 seconds and look over and foam running down the side of the kettle...crap! Not too much mess, it didn't get down into the stove, I pulled it to the side just in time and just a bit got on the stove top.
I stirred constantly for the rest of the boil and added the last 10 pellets at 55min. At 60min I pulled it off and carried it to the counter next to the sink. I hooked up my immersion chiller (50' of 3/8" copper tubing that was just poking out of the liquid, perfect size). I was amazed how quickly I went from 210* to 80*. It was only 7min from the time I turned off the timer and burner until I turned off the water to the chiller.
Now, I wasn't sure whether to pitch my yeast in the kettle, or the carboy. I pitched into the kettle and stirred. The carboy was sanitized earlier and the funnel was just done. I sanitized the rim of the kettle and attempted to pour it in. Duh, hops clogged the screen after about a gallon or so. I should have known better. I got my racking cane and sanitized that and the hose. I had to suck on the end to get it flowing, but I ran the first of it in to a mason jar and pinched it off, then re-sanitized the end of the hose where I put my mouth.
I emptied the liquid into the funnel and carboy. There was still a bit of liquid I couldn't get, so I just ended up dumping the hop slurry into the funnel and letting it drain. I don't know if I should have done that or not?
I topped off the carboy to the 5 gal mark (6gal carboy). I already had my air pump going because I was blowing out the Iodopher in the stone and in the tube. I inserted it and then watched for about 30 seconds. Wondering how long to leave it, I came to the internet to look it up. Found about 2 min is enough, go back (probably 3-4min) into the kitchen and find foam coming out the mouth of the carboy, ooops. Good thing I sanitized that again before aerating.
I took my sanitized thief and took a sample and tested. OG came out to be 1.041-1.042. I don't know what it is supposed to be.
Sanitized my air lock and filled with vodka. Placed on the carboy and now here I sit. Time to go clean up.
Let me know if anyone sees a problem with what I've done or has suggestions.
Thanks!
Steve
Here's the recipe:
6lb wheat LME, but I used 5lbs DME.
1oz Cascade 5.9 @ 0min (LHBS only had Cascade 5.4)
.5oz Cascade @ 30min
10 Cascade pellets at 55min
60min boil. WLP 320 yeast
Friday I made myself a starter for my yeast. I boiled 1l of water and added 3oz of my wheat DME. I chilled to 80* and pitched my 80* yeast. It was a little foamy in the morning, but had a nice milky layer on the bottom of the mason jar. I kept it around 70* for Saturday and warmed it up to 80* (water bath) this morning in preparation for todays brewing.
Saturday before bed, I also boiled up 1.5gal of water. That's the biggest pot I have.
Sunday (today) I got up and at 9AM I started prepping. Made up my Iodopher, well I already had about half gallon made up from Friday's starter. I filled a spray bottle with it and cleaned and sanitized the counters and all around.
I washed my kettle and filled it with 4gal of water and started heating.
When I was finally ready to start brewing (12:45), I added the rest of my 1lb bag of DME (1lb bag - 3oz for starter). I made sure that was all mixed in, then added 1oz hops. @30min I added .5oz and at 45min, I put my immersion chiller in and added my other 4lbs of DME. Temp dropped a couple degrees so while I waited for it to boil again I sanitized a few other things. Must have only been 30 seconds and look over and foam running down the side of the kettle...crap! Not too much mess, it didn't get down into the stove, I pulled it to the side just in time and just a bit got on the stove top.
I stirred constantly for the rest of the boil and added the last 10 pellets at 55min. At 60min I pulled it off and carried it to the counter next to the sink. I hooked up my immersion chiller (50' of 3/8" copper tubing that was just poking out of the liquid, perfect size). I was amazed how quickly I went from 210* to 80*. It was only 7min from the time I turned off the timer and burner until I turned off the water to the chiller.
Now, I wasn't sure whether to pitch my yeast in the kettle, or the carboy. I pitched into the kettle and stirred. The carboy was sanitized earlier and the funnel was just done. I sanitized the rim of the kettle and attempted to pour it in. Duh, hops clogged the screen after about a gallon or so. I should have known better. I got my racking cane and sanitized that and the hose. I had to suck on the end to get it flowing, but I ran the first of it in to a mason jar and pinched it off, then re-sanitized the end of the hose where I put my mouth.
I emptied the liquid into the funnel and carboy. There was still a bit of liquid I couldn't get, so I just ended up dumping the hop slurry into the funnel and letting it drain. I don't know if I should have done that or not?
I topped off the carboy to the 5 gal mark (6gal carboy). I already had my air pump going because I was blowing out the Iodopher in the stone and in the tube. I inserted it and then watched for about 30 seconds. Wondering how long to leave it, I came to the internet to look it up. Found about 2 min is enough, go back (probably 3-4min) into the kitchen and find foam coming out the mouth of the carboy, ooops. Good thing I sanitized that again before aerating.
I took my sanitized thief and took a sample and tested. OG came out to be 1.041-1.042. I don't know what it is supposed to be.
Sanitized my air lock and filled with vodka. Placed on the carboy and now here I sit. Time to go clean up.
Let me know if anyone sees a problem with what I've done or has suggestions.
Thanks!
Steve