Arpeggiator
Active Member
Hi Gang,
Just finished my first attempt at a partial mash brew yesterday. I did encounter a few problem areas that left me with a dismal OG of .040
It's ok though because it brewed with some really great hops (cascade and amarillo) and smelled awesome. Maybe you guys could tell me where I went wrong.
First off, I am using 2 aluminum pots. I know, I know, but it's what i have. They suck, although heat up quickly, they cool down faster. When i was doing my first soak the temp kept dropping. I tried covering it in blankets, but the temp still dropped, forcing me to return the pot to the stove and heat back up. I did this about 5 times in 30 min. Although, I think I did a good job at keeping the temp between 149-160.
When it came time to put the grains in the second pot, I was a little unclear about the technique. I heated the water to 170, then dunked the bag like a tea bag, repeatedly. this dropped the temp really fast, so much so that I decided to heat the first pot up to 170 and repeat the process in the hot wort.
After that, I just boiled like normal. the rest of the process went fine, leaving me with a weak pale ale that smells like it still might taste great. I'm starting to get some airlock activity as I type.
My main questions are how much of the fermentation that is taking place is the result of my hard work or just the extract I added at the end of the boil? I realize my equipment efficiency is terrible. I have a small coleman cooler, if I did my first soak in that, would it greatly improve my efficiency? Am I rinsing effectively? What is the technique tea-bagging (don't laugh) or soaking? Any advice would be great.
Happy Brewing!
Just finished my first attempt at a partial mash brew yesterday. I did encounter a few problem areas that left me with a dismal OG of .040
It's ok though because it brewed with some really great hops (cascade and amarillo) and smelled awesome. Maybe you guys could tell me where I went wrong.First off, I am using 2 aluminum pots. I know, I know, but it's what i have. They suck, although heat up quickly, they cool down faster. When i was doing my first soak the temp kept dropping. I tried covering it in blankets, but the temp still dropped, forcing me to return the pot to the stove and heat back up. I did this about 5 times in 30 min. Although, I think I did a good job at keeping the temp between 149-160.
When it came time to put the grains in the second pot, I was a little unclear about the technique. I heated the water to 170, then dunked the bag like a tea bag, repeatedly. this dropped the temp really fast, so much so that I decided to heat the first pot up to 170 and repeat the process in the hot wort.
After that, I just boiled like normal. the rest of the process went fine, leaving me with a weak pale ale that smells like it still might taste great. I'm starting to get some airlock activity as I type.
My main questions are how much of the fermentation that is taking place is the result of my hard work or just the extract I added at the end of the boil? I realize my equipment efficiency is terrible. I have a small coleman cooler, if I did my first soak in that, would it greatly improve my efficiency? Am I rinsing effectively? What is the technique tea-bagging (don't laugh) or soaking? Any advice would be great.
Happy Brewing!
