Steeping grains

Got a question. I've never used grains for a brew. Got a recipe for a Warstiener clone from El Pistollero. It calls for grains in the first part of the boil, then straining and sparging. Do I need a lauter tun for this? Could I just steep the grains, or boil them in a bag for the same effect? Would I need to extend the boil doing it that way. This is kinda frightening . I see it as a small step towards AG brewing, and that scares the crap out of me at this time. Yeah, laugh if you will! When you're done, could you answer my question? Anytime now......... It's not that funny.

beginner so grain of salt, but what type of grain are u talking about? Is it just a specialty malt, like choc. or crystal? If so, I think it would be just fine to use a household metal strainer. that's what I did to filter out the debris from the chocolate malt in my first brew I cooked up today. Lol. i was just gonna wait till someone who knows something replied to u, but i'm bored, so I decided to give my 2 cents while I wait
-John

Yes; it's a lot like making tea. I learned to follow these rules I read in BYO and it really improved my beer.

1. Steep in 1-3 quarts of water per pound of grain steeped.

2. Don't exceed ~165oF. Usually 145oF - 160oF is a good range.

3. If your water has a pH above the 5.2-6.0 range (or if you're uncertain what it is), add 3.5 ounces of malt extract (~1/2 cup plain light DME) for every gallon of steeping water (not total boil volume). This will bring your pH down to within range.

For example, using 2 quarts/lb. grain as a base measurement, 2 lbs. of grain would steep in 4 qts. of water, plus 5 oz. DME (if needed).

Steeping in too much water, at too high a temperature or in high pH water - or any combonation of the three - may extract excess tannins from the grain. This will give you a harsh, bitter taste. I did it once in a batch I brewed and, after reading these rules, never had that problem again.

Don't worry, after you've done it once, you'll wonder what you ever feared!

There's some good reading here: BYO Search

sudsmonkey said:

Got a question. I've never used grains for a brew. Got a recipe for a Warstiener clone from El Pistollero. It calls for grains in the first part of the boil, then straining and sparging. Do I need a lauter tun for this? Could I just steep the grains, or boil them in a bag for the same effect? Would I need to extend the boil doing it that way. This is kinda frightening . I see it as a small step towards AG brewing, and that scares the crap out of me at this time. Yeah, laugh if you will! When you're done, could you answer my question? Anytime now......... It's not that funny.

Click to expand...

No you don't need a lauter tun. Apparently many people including Palmer just steep their grains in a bag, then pull the bag out of the pot and squeeze all of the water out of it. Or, steep the grain in a smallish pot, then pour the whole thing thru a strainer into your brew kettle, then pour the extra gallon of 170F water over the grains in the strainer.

Steeping looks pretty easy...really it's just like making a big bag of tea. The next step up is a mini-mash where you mash the specialty grains, along with a small amount of base grains. But, I'm with you...AG scares me, so I'll just be taking baby steps for a while. I've been reading that link above (to chapter 13 in Palmer's online book) over and over...he makes it (steeping) look doable, even for a klutz like myself.

I've always used a cheescloth bag and done fine.

Thanks guys. It really doesn't look that complicated. This will be my first brew that doesn't involve a big can of Somebody Elses Extract . Just grains, DME, and raw fear. El P. , this is going to be the Warsteiner clone you showed me. If it turns out o.k., I'll put a bottle under the bridge where I made the last drop. It's good to have everyone elses experience to draw on. Today, when I looked down and saw only one set of footprints on the malt floor, I knew you were carrying me.


Thanks,
Wesley

Rhoobarb, based on the 1Qt/lb. of specialty grains...Suppose I steeped about 1.5# of specialty grains, which would require 6 qts, or 1.5 Gal, but then wanted to boil 3+ gallons of wort. Would I "sparge" over them with 1.5 Gal (or whatever amount would bring my boil to the intended level, be it 3, 4 or 5 Gal) to bring my kettle to say 3 Gal? This way you aren't using too much water for the grains, but you still get to boil as much wort as you want. Does this make any sense?

Brewing today. Did the steeping/straining/sparging method. It really was quite painless. I plan on doing it alot in the future. Thanks for your help.