1st all grain GF batch

[max42]

Not a successful day but here it is:

Brewed the "FANTASTIC FLOYD'S IPA - GLUTEN FREE All Grain Kit

Original Gravity: 1.062
Final Gravity: 1.014
Alcohol By Volume: 6.5%
Bitterness IBU: 51
Yield: 5 gallons

● 10 lb Pale millet malt
● 2 lb Light roast millet malt
● 2 lb Crystal millet malt
● 2 lb Buckwheat malt
● 1.6 lb Rice hulls
● 2 oz Citra hops
● 2 oz Amarillo hops
● 1 Whirlfloc tablet
● 1 pkg Mangrove Jack’s M44 U.S. West Coast Yeast

milled grains at .025" using Monster Mill 3.

Included instructions called for 4.4 gal of strike water @ 183.1 deg. 4.5 gal was too thick so added another 1 gal. Thus 5.5 gal Strike water @ 185deg. Added 5.2 Ph and Amylaze Enzyme, then stirred in grains, stirred until low 160's thinking a 2 hour mash would decrease into 152-158 deg range.

After 2 hour mash, collected 1st runnings of 2.25 gallon @ 1.048
I read that multiple sparges were better so I sparged with 2 gal, after 5 min rest, total gravity now 1.040
sparged with 2 gal, after 15 min rest, total gravity now 1.033
sparged with 1.25 gal, after 15 min rest, total gravity now 1.033

I didn't check for starch since it seemed most people still found starch when tested.

Clearly missed the mark with the mash so I added 3 lb sorghum syrup, preboil gravity 1.048, 7.5 gal

90 min boil, OG now 1.058 @ 5.5gal


The big question is where to start the next time, finer crush, better strike water management (e.g. it may have been too hot, killing enzyme)

I entered it all into Beer Smith today, calculation state that my strike water only needed to be 164 deg, probably safer for the enzyme. I may try lower strike water temp vs crush for the next batch.

thoughts?

 

[neumema]

Thanks for sharing your recipe/results. I like to see how other folks are doing. I have three suggestions.

1) Mash at a lower temp. I strike with 12 lbs of grain at 173, and I'm thinking about dropping that to 165-170. My highest gravity came from a strike temp of 170.

2) If you are using powdered amylase, find a better enzyme.

3) Up your grain bill. I'm using 12 lbs of grain to get a 1.050-1.065 SG on my 3-gallon test batches. 7.5 lbs of pale millet & 2 lbs of buckwheat are my current base.

I don't know how much the buckwheat is contributing to the SG. I haven't done a single infusion batch with just millet or just buckwheat, so I don't really know where all my points are coming from.

 

[max42]

Thanks for the reply, was wondering where everyone was
Ghostfish supposedly mashes between 152-158 so I was clearly higher. Should have entered recipe into Beer Smith and wouldn't have missed the strike temp so much.

I'm using Amg-300L enzyme which is liquid and seems to be what many use.

The wort was sort of milky in the boil kettle.

Fermented hard for 2-3 days seems to have stopped or slowed but haven't checked gravity yet. Hasn't cleared at all, not sure if this will come with time. May leave another week then go to 2ndary and dry hop.