ifishsum
Well-Known Member
Up to today I've only done Mr. Beer kits but thanks to DeathBrewer's tutorial (and lots of other help here on HBT) I built the nerve to jump to PM. If anyone's interested, here's how it went. Feel free to add comments or suggestions on my technique, in fact please do.
Recipe: (PM version of EdWort's Haus Pale Ale)
Size: 5.5 gallons
Stated OG: 1.051 Stated FG: 1.011
Grains: 2 lb Vienna
1/2 lb Crystal 20L (couldn't get 10)
Extract: 6.25 lbs bulk Light LME
Hops: 1.0 oz Cascade 6.0% at 60 min.
0.5 oz Cascade 6.0% at 30 min.
0.25 oz Cascade 6.0% at 15 min.
0.25 oz Cascade 6.0% at 5 min.
Yeast: Safale US-05 (the recipe calls for Nottingham but I couldn't get it)
I started the mini mash by heating 3.75 quarts of water to 165F, while it was heating up I put a grain bag into a preheated 2 gallon drink cooler and folded the top over the sides garbage bag style. Poured the water in then slowly poured the grains into the bag, stirring with the floating thermometer. Temp stabilized at 152F, pretty much what I was shooting for so I slipped the lid on and set my timer for 45 minutes.
I had planned a late addition of the extract so while I was waiting for the mash to finish I measured out 2 lbs (1/3) to add at the beginning of the boil.
With 15 minutes left I started heating 5 quarts of sparge water in my 3 gallon boil kettle, and it hit 170F just as the timer went off. Perfect. Picked up the grain bag, let it drip a couple of minutes then put it into the sparge water. Soaked it for 5 minutes, tea bagged it for a couple more then pulled it out and let it drip out. I was careful not to squeeze the bag.
Next I added the wort from the cooler and the 2 lbs of LME to the kettle, plus another quart of water and fired up the burner. The boil went well (no boilovers) and added hops per schedule (I had premeasured each addition into a hop sack). With 5 minutes left in the boil I turned off the burner, added the rest of the LME and the final hops addition and brought back to a boil for 5 more minutes.
I put the boil pot into a cold water/ice bath in the sink for a few minutes, and while that was cooling I put 2 gallons of cooled water (preboiled and vigorously shaken) into my bucket. Once the ice melted and the cooling water warmed up I poured the wort through a sanitized strainer into the bucket. Topped up to 5.5 gallons with more chilled water and checked the temp. 77F, pretty good so I took a sample to see how close I came to hitting the recipe's OG. Hydrometer read 1.050, with temp correction I get 1.052. I'm happy with that for my first try not using a canned kit.
All this took me about 3 hours. I didn't have time to pitch the yeast, had to rush out the door to a school function and then a scout meeting with the kids. Put the lid on the bucket and put it in the bedroom with the A/C on high. When I got home 3 hours later, I rehydrated and pitched my yeast, and stirred the wort again before snapping the lid and airlock on.
I'm excited, I feel like the whole thing went well, I had planned it out before I started and I'm sure that helped. Since I hit very close to the OG I assume I did something right, and that was a bit of a relief.
Thanks for listening, and thanks to all who offered their suggestions ahead of time.
Recipe: (PM version of EdWort's Haus Pale Ale)
Size: 5.5 gallons
Stated OG: 1.051 Stated FG: 1.011
Grains: 2 lb Vienna
1/2 lb Crystal 20L (couldn't get 10)
Extract: 6.25 lbs bulk Light LME
Hops: 1.0 oz Cascade 6.0% at 60 min.
0.5 oz Cascade 6.0% at 30 min.
0.25 oz Cascade 6.0% at 15 min.
0.25 oz Cascade 6.0% at 5 min.
Yeast: Safale US-05 (the recipe calls for Nottingham but I couldn't get it)
I started the mini mash by heating 3.75 quarts of water to 165F, while it was heating up I put a grain bag into a preheated 2 gallon drink cooler and folded the top over the sides garbage bag style. Poured the water in then slowly poured the grains into the bag, stirring with the floating thermometer. Temp stabilized at 152F, pretty much what I was shooting for so I slipped the lid on and set my timer for 45 minutes.
I had planned a late addition of the extract so while I was waiting for the mash to finish I measured out 2 lbs (1/3) to add at the beginning of the boil.
With 15 minutes left I started heating 5 quarts of sparge water in my 3 gallon boil kettle, and it hit 170F just as the timer went off. Perfect. Picked up the grain bag, let it drip a couple of minutes then put it into the sparge water. Soaked it for 5 minutes, tea bagged it for a couple more then pulled it out and let it drip out. I was careful not to squeeze the bag.
Next I added the wort from the cooler and the 2 lbs of LME to the kettle, plus another quart of water and fired up the burner. The boil went well (no boilovers) and added hops per schedule (I had premeasured each addition into a hop sack). With 5 minutes left in the boil I turned off the burner, added the rest of the LME and the final hops addition and brought back to a boil for 5 more minutes.
I put the boil pot into a cold water/ice bath in the sink for a few minutes, and while that was cooling I put 2 gallons of cooled water (preboiled and vigorously shaken) into my bucket. Once the ice melted and the cooling water warmed up I poured the wort through a sanitized strainer into the bucket. Topped up to 5.5 gallons with more chilled water and checked the temp. 77F, pretty good so I took a sample to see how close I came to hitting the recipe's OG. Hydrometer read 1.050, with temp correction I get 1.052. I'm happy with that for my first try not using a canned kit.
All this took me about 3 hours. I didn't have time to pitch the yeast, had to rush out the door to a school function and then a scout meeting with the kids. Put the lid on the bucket and put it in the bedroom with the A/C on high. When I got home 3 hours later, I rehydrated and pitched my yeast, and stirred the wort again before snapping the lid and airlock on.
I'm excited, I feel like the whole thing went well, I had planned it out before I started and I'm sure that helped. Since I hit very close to the OG I assume I did something right, and that was a bit of a relief.
Thanks for listening, and thanks to all who offered their suggestions ahead of time.
