First thoughts after first AG brew

So I think that the first AG experiment went well. I brewed last Friday night and I did have some glitches....and would like some technique help.

First, my 10 cooler/SS braid setup:
I filled up my cooler with the correct amount of strike water, and then slowly poured my grains in. At first it wasn't slow enough, because I got clumping, but stopped until that was sorted out. With all of that stirring, I thought that I may have made the SS braid in a funky spot, should I worry?

The next question was when sparging, what's the best way do pour it in, and not channel the grain bed? I tried to pour it down the side, but I don't think that worked as well as it could have.

Boiling......I have a 30 quarter for now, and I had a wicked boilover......any tips?

Lastly, (this is so dumb) what do you guys use to measure your 4.6837023 gallons of water? I used a ghetto gallon milk jug marked at each quart, and kinda guesed.

As far as the 30 quart pot goes...how full did you have it? I have filled mine scary full plus some and never had a boilover. An old spray bottle with water works well, spray the foam that looks like it is about to jump out.

I usually round to the nearest quart and have an old jug marked at each quart.

First, my 10 cooler/SS braid setup:
I filled up my cooler with the correct amount of strike water, and then slowly poured my grains in. At first it wasn't slow enough, because I got clumping, but stopped until that was sorted out. With all of that stirring, I thought that I may have made the SS braid in a funky spot, should I worry?

Just stir it. I find it easier to add the grain first, dump all the water in at once, which mixes it up then I stir.

The next question was when sparging, what's the best way do pour it in, and not channel the grain bed? I tried to pour it down the side, but I don't think that worked as well as it could have.

Again, after draining I just dump the sparge water in, stir, let sit for 10 minutes to settle the bed and dump it all out at once. (recirculating the first few litres)

Boiling......I have a 30 quarter for now, and I had a wicked boilover......any tips?

Yes. get a keggle.

Lastly, (this is so dumb) what do you guys use to measure your 4.6837023 gallons of water? I used a ghetto gallon milk jug marked at each quart, and kinda guessed.

I don't. I have a marked pail and would just go for ~4.75g

worrying about a measurment like 4.690987435 gallons is a waste of time, brewing is art and science! but if it really bothers you you could go with 4 3/4 gallons.

if you are batch sparging you dont have to worry about channeling your grains that only applies if you are fly sparging (continious run off spargning) but what i normally do is use a large flat spoon with holes in it i stole from the kitchen(dont tell the wife!) i dont think it makes a HUGE diff or actually matters because i always stir up the grain bed afterwards anyways.

I use a red Victory cooler with about 9" of SS braid that is all whacked out it with "bad" spots in it from me stretching it to much or shutting it in the lid lol but it continues to work for me but i think in the near future im going to go with a round cooler with a false bottom or build a copper manifold for my current set up.

best advice is keep brewing AG your technique will come with practice. get the basics down first then later stream line your system, take notes lots of them! i have 2 hard back record books from work i keep notes, and i also use Beersmith to keep my recipeis and additional notes.

i brew in a 30qt pot also, you just have to pay attention to it once it starts building up foam fast kill the heat, let it die down then turn it back on, this should go on a couple times before the wort calms down and just turns in to a rolling boil, then just keep an eye on it, i either sit by it and read a magazine on a bar stool or just sit and drink while watching it.

just remember, brewing is about 1% science and 99% art/technique nothing has to be perfect!

alright, so I'm pretty much on the right track then, sweetness, I feel a lot better. BTW, beer looks so good, although it looks like nothing I've brewed before, I need to take the pics off my phone and post them up

And the other bit of great advice......keggle, yeah, I can't find any legally, pisses me off, I got my own "Yuri" to cut it up and weld it so it doesn't end up like BM's

there is a guy on ebay that sells them, has several differnt styles, im kicking my self for not buying one a couple months ago when the ones with the SS Spigot where only 150! they are 199 now!!

There's lots of threads on here at the moment full of advice on how to steal a keg!

idiots.

orfy said:

There's lots of threads on here at the moment full of advice on how to steal a keg!

idiots.

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I know, I can't even find one to steal....not that I would, but that's how much it sucks

98EXL said:

alright, so I'm pretty much on the right track then, sweetness, I feel a lot better. BTW, beer looks so good, although it looks like nothing I've brewed before, I need to take the pics off my phone and post them up

And the other bit of great advice......keggle, yeah, I can't find any legally, pisses me off, I got my own "Yuri" to cut it up and weld it so it doesn't end up like BM's

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Wait till you taste it! It will change your life.

I have a keggle for sale complete with valve.

that thing looks dangerous

98EXL said:

Lastly, (this is so dumb) what do you guys use to measure your 4.6837023 gallons of water? I used a ghetto gallon milk jug marked at each quart, and kinda guesed.

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I'm real imprecise on the water, simply because I can't control the external conditions that will influence evaporation. Temperate, humid day? Be conservative. Dry day? Be liberal.

98EXL said:

...so it doesn't end up like BM's

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Huh???

Wha???

Someone say something????

I thought I heard something....

***back to snoozing at my desk***

BierMuncher said:

Huh???

Wha???

Someone say something????

I thought I heard something....

***back to snoozing at my desk***

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and of course I realized I forgot my usually sarcastic smiley parade of

Hey Ed, are you really selling that keggle???

I am gonna try your Haus Pale Ale recipe for my first all grain, and could really use it!

Looks like it's gonna be another extract / grain brew this weekend....It's really frustrating trying to find a 10 gal round cooler around here! I got the false bottom off a buddy and am just itching to do my first all grain!

Anyway, sorry this was kinda

sleepystevenson said:

Hey Ed, are you really selling that keggle???

I am gonna try your Haus Pale Ale recipe for my first all grain, and could really use it!

Looks like it's gonna be another extract / grain brew this weekend....It's really frustrating trying to find a 10 gal round cooler around here! I got the false bottom off a buddy and am just itching to do my first all grain!

Anyway, sorry this was kinda

Click to expand...

don't worry about the OT, I'm so ADD it helps!

And I feel your pain about the cooler, took me about a month to find one, THE ONE, that I wanted

Wouldn't it be nice to know how many people have those 10 gallon jobbies lying around taking up space in the garage. I'm sure they would just give then away just to gain the space back!! It was a nice thought anyway...

jobbies, what is that?

EdWort said:

Wait till you taste it! It will change your life.

I have a keggle for sale complete with valve.

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You used Maggie Simpson as a template, didn't you.

olllllo said:

You used Maggie Simpson as a template, didn't you.

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Why would Matt Groening misspell his own last name?

RotorHead6 said:

Wouldn't it be nice to know how many people have those 10 gallon jobbies lying around taking up space in the garage. I'm sure they would just give then away just to gain the space back!! It was a nice thought anyway...

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Sure would, buddy.

Well, i think I am just gonna convert my 48 quart cube cooler, using the stainless braid technique....so there will be an all grain brew, come Sunday!

I already have the cube, so it sure beats buying a 10 gal round for the money...even though I already have the false bottom....

Grrrrrr.

I saw a link on here earlier to pics / info on the conversion of one of these.... now if i can only find it.

Ed spent too much time with BM last week, it appears.

BrianP said:

Ed spent too much time with BM last week, it appears.

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Taught him everything I know about DIY projects....