Two problems today (3rd AG batch); one is recurring and one is new.
The recurring problem is missing temps. I always hit the temps at mash in but the rest of the steps are a train wreck. First couple of batches I messed around with decoctions and four-step mashes so I suppose I deserve what I got.
My Helles today I did 45 minutes at 145 then Beersmith calcuated three litres of boiling water for me to hit 158 (10 gallon Igloo cooler for mash tun). I had mashed in with 10 litres and 10 pounds of grain (yes, pretty stiff but since I was infusing for my other two steps I thought it would be okay). I guess I should have known 3 litres wouldn't be enough but I trust the software. Ended up adding 5.5 litres instead and that only got me to 155-ish which I considered close enough.
Next step was mashout at 170 after another half-hour which I hit with 8 litres of boiling water (actually overshot to 172 since I added more than Beersmith suggested after yet another missed temp). I added a bit of cold water to mashout at the right temp.
The new problem is that my mash got stuck today. I was ready to drain my MLT (has a false bottom from NB), opened the valve to start vorlaufing and...nothing. Totally stuck. By this point I had something like 24 litres of water with my 10 lbs of grain and it had been stirred a number of times at my various infusions. I bought a JSP Maltmill when I went to AG; no problems at all with the other two AG batches (Kolsch and Hefeweizen) which both had two-part batch sparges. Not even a hint of trouble. Still on factory settings; seems like a good crush but finer than my LHBS. Only thing I can think of is that I milled a pound of grain for this batch that I've had stored in a bag at room temp for over 10 months. When I looked at that grain after milling it seemed to have totally come out of the husks rather than just been cracked. Also wondering if it's possible that I added my grain to my strike water too quickly, though I thought I was pretty careful and gave it a good thorough stir.
Anything I might be missing? Oh yeah, I ended up fitting a grain bag around my kettle and just pouring the mash in, then lifting the bag out and transfering it to another big pot and basically sparging by soaking those grains. Ended up with wort at the target OG post-boil with a bit of a top-up in the fermenter.
The recurring problem is missing temps. I always hit the temps at mash in but the rest of the steps are a train wreck. First couple of batches I messed around with decoctions and four-step mashes so I suppose I deserve what I got.
My Helles today I did 45 minutes at 145 then Beersmith calcuated three litres of boiling water for me to hit 158 (10 gallon Igloo cooler for mash tun). I had mashed in with 10 litres and 10 pounds of grain (yes, pretty stiff but since I was infusing for my other two steps I thought it would be okay). I guess I should have known 3 litres wouldn't be enough but I trust the software. Ended up adding 5.5 litres instead and that only got me to 155-ish which I considered close enough.
Next step was mashout at 170 after another half-hour which I hit with 8 litres of boiling water (actually overshot to 172 since I added more than Beersmith suggested after yet another missed temp). I added a bit of cold water to mashout at the right temp.
The new problem is that my mash got stuck today. I was ready to drain my MLT (has a false bottom from NB), opened the valve to start vorlaufing and...nothing. Totally stuck. By this point I had something like 24 litres of water with my 10 lbs of grain and it had been stirred a number of times at my various infusions. I bought a JSP Maltmill when I went to AG; no problems at all with the other two AG batches (Kolsch and Hefeweizen) which both had two-part batch sparges. Not even a hint of trouble. Still on factory settings; seems like a good crush but finer than my LHBS. Only thing I can think of is that I milled a pound of grain for this batch that I've had stored in a bag at room temp for over 10 months. When I looked at that grain after milling it seemed to have totally come out of the husks rather than just been cracked. Also wondering if it's possible that I added my grain to my strike water too quickly, though I thought I was pretty careful and gave it a good thorough stir.
Anything I might be missing? Oh yeah, I ended up fitting a grain bag around my kettle and just pouring the mash in, then lifting the bag out and transfering it to another big pot and basically sparging by soaking those grains. Ended up with wort at the target OG post-boil with a bit of a top-up in the fermenter.
