1st All Grain...and it was a doozy

[head7l]

So I decided to make the jump to All Grain since I have been reading about how the BIAB (with Dunk Sparge) has had great success. So I got a 5 gallon cooler and some paint strainer bags and decided that a SMaSH would be a easy jump in to the deep end. So I went to the LHBS and got 10lbs Pale Ale 2-Row 4 oz of Citra Hops and some US-05. I figured I would mash in with 10.25 Qts (1.25 qts/lb) @ 155 for 60 mins and then dunk sparge @ 175 then boil on!

So I got my mash water to 157ish and poured it in my cooler (which I preheated with some hot-130ish water) on top of the grains and began to stir like crazy. But...It was waaaaaay too dry. So I tried to quickly nuke 2 qts of water and dumped it in but it took my mash temp to 140! So I was just sitting there cursing when I was struck...why not try decocting? I mean....what was there to lose, right?

So I quick threw a pot on the stove and got 3 quarts to boiling and then put them back in the mash (now I am at 157!) and started stirring to bring the temp in line.


UPDATE: it's been in the bottle for 2-ish weeks and I tried some last night. It finished quite nice, a little malty though and those Citra Hops really give it a fruity nose. I'm not sure how long it'll last to see how it ages as SWMBO is in love with it.

60 minutes later I check the "first runnings" and they are @ 1.052 then dunked the bag and the sparge was 10 point-nuthin. So my 60 minute boil became 90.

In the end... 1.042 (whew), 4 hops additions (90, 60, 30, 15), some whirlfloc, yeast nutrients, and she's bubblin' away in the basement. Nice color too!

I'll check back in 2 weeks when it's bottling time. I may need that long for my nerves to recover.

 

[meddin]

The first one is always the hardest . Congrats on the AG!

 

[smizak]

Next time add 175ish water to the mash tun, let it come down to your strike water temp. Your tun will be preheated and in thermo equillibrium. It's also much easier to avoid doughballs by adding grain to water, not water to grain.

 

[head7l]

It's also much easier to avoid doughballs by adding grain to water, not water to grain.

D'oh! I guess that is part of the "lesson learned" thing.

 

[archiefl98]

10.25 qts would have been 1.025 qt/lb. -- you'd needed 12.5 quarts for 1.25 qt/lb. \

I second smizak on the preheat method. I've been dumping in 175F water and putting the lid on, letting it sit for ten minutes, then opening it up and stirring it until the temp drops to my desired strike temp. (Usually around 165-167 before I add 60-degree grains) It works like a champ!

Plus, I always have about 4 quarts of water boiling on the stove if I need to raise temp, and 4 quarts sitting in the fridge in case I need to lower a temp real quick.

Congrats on the first AG!

 

[head7l]

Holy crap! I can't add either?

Ok...so there had to be some reason that it wasn't working well and apparently the problem is me.

I'm really much smarter than that...really.

 

[wedge421]

I personally have found that the only way to get your SRM spot on is to do AG which im assuming you figured out! Congrats

 

[KayaBrew]

I've been mashing really thin lately, and it works for me. 1.75 quarts per pound, single batch sparge and 80-88% eff.

 

[TheCookieMonster]

I've been mashing really thin lately, and it works for me. 1.75 quarts per pound, single batch sparge and 80-88% eff.

So if everyone moves to 1.75 then they will increase efficiency?

I'm just curious.

 

[smizak]

So if everyone moves to 1.75 then they will increase efficiency?

I'm just curious.

Nope. There are a bunch of parameters involved with efficiency. Mainly crush, as it affects how much can be extracted from the grains. There is also lautering efficiency, if your process leaves too much sugar in the grist and not rinsing(sparging) it out well, your efficiency will suffer.

I wish I could mash a little thinner but my tun is not big enough for most of my grain bills. That being said, I get low 80's efficiency with a 1.25 qt/lb water grist ratio and a double batch sparge, no mashout. I like the thinner mash as it's easier to stir and gets the grist more liquid, so I do it when the grain bill is a little smaller.