Half way through my first mash

This is awesome, I'm so rigged up its not even funny, but everything is working like a charm so far. I'll keep you'll updated:

7:32 PM added grain to 172degree water. AFter stirring was at 153-154. Closed the lid.

7:54 PM stirred and checked temp: 154-155 degree... seems to have gone up a bit.

Got my sparging water chilling in a cooler at 183degrees.

Update**
8:12 PM 153-154degrees

Update**
8:31 PM 154 degress... time to start sparging!!

Update**

9:15 PM sparging over, 1.042 pre-boil gravity... I hope that goes up a bit.


Update**
9:52 PM

BOIL IS UNDERWAY!!!!

Added my bittering hops, calmed the boil over now just waiting til aroma hops time. Have two pots going, gonna have to do another boil of 2 pots after this. Split my hops up 4 ways. I have turkey fryer in the mail, but its been 4 weeks already (I live in Germany) and I couldn't wait any longer. Its working perfectly.

Congrats, sounds perfect!

seefresh said:

This is awesome, I'm so rigged up its not even funny, but everything is working like a charm so far. I'll keep you'll updated:

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Roflmao. Yeah my first AG was fun. Ended up using my Cuisinart to 'crush' about 9 lbs of grain, had every pot in the place out, sanitized way too many things....still made one heck of an Oatmeal Stout.

Let us know how it goes!

And don't sweat the details (YET)!

I'm totally winging it. I won't be able to do a full boil, so I'll be doing two seperate pots at the same time, I'm gonna split the hops up exactly half and half... gonna be crazy I tells ya! Taking lots of pictures too.

Finished.... 71% efficiency, that'll do!

Wow- that's great! I still split my boils into two pots- easier for me to cool/carry too! I can just picture you with all the pots you own boiling water and then boiling wort. Good for you!

Yeah, split pot boils was my life as well until I upgraded to a 9 gallon kettle (makes life much easier!). It works just fine. I never really went back and calculated my first AG...once I got my MaltMill I never looked back lol. Good going seefresh!

Oh by the way..What are you brewing?

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=22270

Its in the primary bubblin away. I'm serious when I say I was rigged up. I had to sit at the kitchen sink and hold the hose for my wort chiller up to the faucet for 20 minutes.... my hands were FREEZING and I think I have carpel tunnel now.

I have a 32qt turkey fryer in the mail, but I couldn't wait for it.... was taking way too long.

so anything further?

I am seriously toying with all-grain. most of all the restriction is space right now.

I have done a 1 gal batch, I think I will convert an old cooler to use and make a 3 gal batch this/next week. very very shortly will be a full conversion!

It wasn't that bad. I've seen so many people's riggs that have unbelievable amounts of tubing and levers and stuff, but all I had was my cooler converted to mash tun, a bucket, 1 thermometer and a few pots so I could boil it all on my stove.

I had to keep track of when each pot started to boil on a little sheet of paper, so I could do the hop additions right for each one.

Was not bad at all. The only bad part was holding that wort chiller hose up to the sink for 20 minutes..... that sucked. I live in apartments on a military base and didn't really want to drag my wort down 3 flights of stairs to use the hose outside.

Next time, I will run a long ass hose to my porch.

Congrats Seefresh!

It sounds like you couldn't take the wait any more... I totally understand that feeling!

From reading the thread it looks like you had a real smooth brew -

Still can't wait for the turkey fryer, I got another fermenting bucket in the mail today so gonna have to do another brew tonight, have ingredients for my hefeweizen waiting..

seefresh said:

have ingredients for my hefeweizen waiting..

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That's really bitter for a heffe, traditionally they have around 12 IBUs - just over a third of what that recipe calls for. As well, they never have aroma hops. Looks like it should be a nice beer all the same.

Hey Cheyco, I'm still pretty new at this, and I'll gladly alter the recipe. I'm shooting for traditional, should I just put some of the bittering hops it calls for in and forgot the aroma hops altogether??

This is the most straight-forward recipe around:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=21016

For more in-depth info on Heffes, go to this thread:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=7713

seefresh said:

It wasn't that bad. I've seen so many people's riggs that have unbelievable amounts of tubing and levers and stuff, but all I had was my cooler converted to mash tun, a bucket, 1 thermometer and a few pots so I could boil it all on my stove.

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KISS

Nice, keep your feet on the ground and it's easy. Add the flash stuff after you know how to do it the simple way.

Welcome aboard the AG express, im a newbie to, 3 batches under the belt, none tapped yet. Thinking about doing my fourth one tonight the classic cheesefood caramel cream vanilla ale!! Its a steep learning curve but an enjoyable one!!

PS whats with the ian pasiley ipa (is it because its really bitter but mellows with age :fro: ).

Nice Delboy, I have an extract CCVAle in bottles write now, would like to do an AG version of later... maybe once I get a keg.

seefresh said:

The only bad part was holding that wort chiller hose up to the sink for 20 minutes..... that sucked. I live in apartments on a military base and didn't really want to drag my wort down 3 flights of stairs to use the hose outside.

Next time, I will run a long ass hose to my porch.

Click to expand...

You can hook it up directly to your sink and not worry about the hose. Get a sink/hose adapter and a hose/barb fitting for your tubing and you're all set.

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=905


http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?products_id=10781

You can hook it up directly to your sink and not worry about the hose. Get a sink/hose adapter and a hose/barb fitting for your tubing and you're all set.

Click to expand...

Wow... that would've save some serious pain. I guess it "built character" the way I did it.