The grain is in the pot. I hit the temp right on. I am only letting you know because I need something to do to keep me from taking the top off and checking the temperature over and over. 
Tony
Tony
First all grain brewday has begun.
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OP
OP
Okay here is my first question. If I want to calculate my efficency I need to take a gravity reading of the wort I collect before the boil, right? Before I add additional water yo get my boil volume.
Tony
Tony
I don't know anything about stridency, but you should measure your efficiency post boil knowing the final volume. I measure it at other stages as well, but this is the only number I use to determine my efficiency.
OP
OP
Well mash out went good. Temp was perfect. All is not well though, I dropped and broke my hydrometer. I will take a sample post boil and save it until I get a new one of but it will be a mystery until then. Is it to early to crack a beer?
Tony
Tony
Its never to early. good luck on the AG today!
OP
OP
Well all done and cleaned up. Seemed to go pretty well. I did only end up with 4.5 gallons in the primary instead of the 5.5 I was shooting for. I had enough wort but there was about 1.5 inches of stuff on the bottom of the pot. I used a strainer bag from my local supplier and I put the hops in paint strainer bags but a lot got through. Any suggestions?
Tony
Tony
I had the same issue with my first AG batch. My major culprits were not starting with enough pre-boil volume, maybe boiling a little long, and being too concerned about getting trub in the primary.
What was your preboil volume, and how long did you boil?
That stuff on the bottom of the pot was probably "hot break" material, mostly proteins. I just dump it all in and whatever the yeast doesn't eat settles out in the bottom of the fermenter. I don't even worry about straining out the hops.
OP
OP
I had 7.5 gallons pre-boil. I boiled for 90 minutes per the recipe. I was thinking most of that stuff was grain dust that got through the bag. What would boiling longer do to make stuff in the bottom of the pot?
Tony
I was just thinking of boiling time as it relates to boil off, not anything that happens to the stuff that remains.
OP
OP
Okay, I have been searching the forums on what to do about the 1.5 inches of trub I had on the bottom of my pot in this batch.
Some say dump it all in and it will compact on the bottom of the fermenter. I found this to be the case with the little that did make it in. It was no longer fluffy and easy to stir up. I was like a paste.
Others say that the hot break in this material will give the beer off flavors. So I need to leave it out.
The "Joy of Homebrewing" book barely touches on the subject but says put it in and don't worry so much.
Another little book I have, I forget the name, says take every opprotunity to strain out anything that isn't clear wort.
I am brewing the same recipe on Friday.
Please tell me what you do.
Tony
Some say dump it all in and it will compact on the bottom of the fermenter. I found this to be the case with the little that did make it in. It was no longer fluffy and easy to stir up. I was like a paste.
Others say that the hot break in this material will give the beer off flavors. So I need to leave it out.
The "Joy of Homebrewing" book barely touches on the subject but says put it in and don't worry so much.
Another little book I have, I forget the name, says take every opprotunity to strain out anything that isn't clear wort.
I am brewing the same recipe on Friday.
Please tell me what you do.
Tony
First thing is to get a long stem thermometer and make a hole in the lid of your mash tun, be it a cooler for traditional all grain or the kettle if you are using brew in a bag. With that you can see what is happening with your mash without taking the lid off which is a good thing since removing the lid lets out a lot of heat.
Second thing is to look closely to see which book says to strain the wort to get everything out. Once found, throw that book away.
Second thing is to look closely to see which book says to strain the wort to get everything out. Once found, throw that book away.
OP
OP
First thing is to get a long stem thermometer and make a hole in the lid of your mash tun, be it a cooler for traditional all grain or the kettle if you are using brew in a bag. With that you can see what is happening with your mash without taking the lid off which is a good thing since removing the lid lets out a lot of heat.
Second thing is to look closely to see which book says to strain the wort to get everything out. Once found, throw that book away.
I appreciate the advice but I have a thermometer on my kettle. What does that have to do with the trub? I am sorry, I am missing the point.
Tony
Your initial post said you had trouble keeping from opening the lid to check the temperature. That is why I put in the long stem thermometer.
Trub is hops and proteins. Dump them all in the fermenter and let the yeast decide what to use and what to discard at the bottom.
Trub is hops and proteins. Dump them all in the fermenter and let the yeast decide what to use and what to discard at the bottom.
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congrats on your first all grain brew. i had all the same questions you had just last weekend when I bit the bullet and did my first AG as well. in fact, i lifted the lid on my mash tun and it KILLED my temps. really aggravating. didn't realize it affected it so much, but i know better now. i still got a little better than 70% eff. gonna have to find this "long stem" thermometer.
i wish i had thrown my trub in the bucket now after reading this thread. i left out about a quart of wort. really could kick myself.
reading all these posts about broken hydrometers, i think i'm gonna buy an extra!
i wish i had thrown my trub in the bucket now after reading this thread. i left out about a quart of wort. really could kick myself.
reading all these posts about broken hydrometers, i think i'm gonna buy an extra!
Thermoworks makes quality thermometers, including 2 long-stem. This is the same company that makes the thermapen.
ThermoWorks RT610B-12 RT610B-24 Long-Stem Digital Thermometers
ThermoWorks RT610B-12 RT610B-24 Long-Stem Digital Thermometers
I bought my long stem thermometer from Midwest. I checked it against 2 pocket digitals I have and it seemed to be within a degree of both of them at mashing temps (until I dropped it from counter height, then I had to adjust it again).
Dial Thermometer - Black Friday
I now have 2 hydrometers myself after breaking one when I should have been taking a gravity reading.
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