First all-grain

Doing Ed Worts Kolsch today for my first all-grain. Please feel free to give me some last minute preparation tips. I will take photos throughout, to post later; wish me luck.

Good luck!

I'll be doing my first all grain today as well!

I've been extract brewing for almost a year, but this will be my first all grain!

Good Luck man!

use a piece of chalk for the starch test, i always have the hardest time trying to use a plate.

oh, and plan on the first few brewdays to be about 45 minutes longer that you estimated.

Well boys,

Didn't go as good as I wanted. I had a stuck sparge and had to try and salvage the best I could. I ended up three points off and may have tannins due to excess grain in the boil.

On the bright side, I learned a couple of things today; I will correct these and move forward.

Thank you guys for your help!

Your first one is under your belt. You're only going to get better from here on out.

FoundersBrew said:

Well boys,

Didn't go as good as I wanted. I had a stuck sparge and had to try and salvage the best I could. I ended up three points off and may have tannins due to excess grain in the boil.

On the bright side, I learned a couple of things today; I will correct these and move forward.

Thank you guys for your help!

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I just did my first the day prior and you're right, learned a lot. Congratulations on finishing your first of many!

Best part of all grain is not dealing with sticky extract.

When a stuck sparge occurs I ussually evaluate the amount of water in the mashtun. If it is below the grain bed I add. I then just stir the mash and ........ do that thing where you pour off the runnings into a container then add back to the mash (can't think of the word, I'm tired and have been drinking). Then proceed with the sparge.

FromZwolle said:

oh, and plan on the first few brewdays to be about 45 minutes longer that you estimated.

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Did my first all grain a 2 weeks ago and if it only took 45min extra id have been happy as could be. My first batch started at 330 ended with clean up at 1145 or so. Just finished bottling 15min ago. My first batch of AG American IPA: FG sample aside from flat, not too bad. I feel a Summer Blonde coming over next weekend.

Rock Chalk

Chris

Dirty said:

Did my first all grain a 2 weeks ago and if it only took 45min extra id have been happy as could be. My first batch started at 330 ended with clean up at 1145 or so. Just finished bottling 15min ago. My first batch of AG American IPA: FG sample aside from flat, not too bad. I feel a Summer Blonde coming over next weekend.

Rock Chalk

Chris

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WOW!!!! I thought my first AG batch took a long time! I started yesterday at 12:30 and ended my clean up at 5:30!

How long does it usually take everyone else for an all grain batch?

I've only done one and it took 5 1/2 hours from begin till the end of clean up. It was a cream ale, tried it yesterday and was pretty good. 

From bringing out my equipment until I put it away clean, an all grain day will be 3 to 3 1/2 hours. I've learned about "Brew in a Bag" from the Aussies and I only have one pot to clean when I'm through and a paint strainer bag to empty. Do a search on this forum.

just2brew said:

Best part of all grain is not dealing with sticky extract.

...I then just stir the mash and ........ do that thing where you pour off the runnings into a container then add back to the mash (can't think of the word, I'm tired and have been drinking)...

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Vorlauf?

And for some reason, stickyness from wort you're drawing off the tun is fine with me.. I kinda like it.. I'm still awed at the conversion that takes place that transforms simple grains into an almost syruplike sticky, sweet fluid.

But, I agree.. stickyness from extract is just a pain to me, LOL.. I guess its all about perception


Regarding times:
I do a full tun / boil kettle, with a counterflow chiller..

If I start moving equipment outside at 11:00AM, Im usually finishing up drying off the equipment at 2:00 to 3:00.. Its Dependant on mash times and boil times.. But a 60, 60 (60 min mash, 60 min boil) yeah, right about 3 hours.

I use "down" time waiting on mash, or boil time to clean as I go, start sanitizing the chiller, carboy, etc..

stblindtiger said:

WOW!!!! I thought my first AG batch took a long time! I started yesterday at 12:30 and ended my clean up at 5:30!

How long does it usually take everyone else for an all grain batch?

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Yesterday took me 6 hours to brew 11 gallons including cleanup and BS'ing with two other people while also drinking beer.

I'm down to about a four hour average for my brew day. I just did my first cereal mash two weeks ago, that was a pain!

also plan to do my second decoction mash this upcoming weekend, so that should make for a pretty long day.

I usually do a decoction mash and double batch sparge. My brewday is just about 6 hours long including set up/break down.