BeerNewbie
Well-Known Member
Bare with me. Sorry, as I'm sure this is a common question.
With my first all-grain a few weeks ago, I nailed my target starting gravity, and everything went great. (10 extract, and one all-grain batches under my belt before this batch.)
My next batch, I used 11.5lb 2-row + 1lb caravienne. I use a Victoria Grain Mill, and it's possible this may be the problem, as it pulverizes some grains, and doesn't crush others very well at all. BUT, one reason I doubt this is my problem, is i set it finer than I did on my last batch, and *I thought* I was getting a good crush.
I mashed with about 4.5 gallons of water, at about 153, and sparged with about 6 gallons. I let it mash for just over an hour. I wouldn't have minded this to turn out to a 5.5 or a 6 gallon batch, so I didn't mind if I got extra water. I ended up with about 6.5 gallons pre-boil (I really don't have any way to measure accurately). I stirred a lot to make sure I got everything mixed well.
Post boil I ended up with exactly 5 gal, and a gravity of 1.050. My target according to MW recipe was 1.060 to 1.064.
-- Thinking I had more sugars in my grains, I 'partigyled' about 5.5-6 gallons for about 2 hours at about 150 to 154. I boiled it down to 3.5 gallons, and it only came to 1.027!
Did I give enough info to determine what my problem was? Did I not get a good crush? The reason I get confused, is because my first AG turned out so well.
Also, I ended up throwing some cheap-o Cooper's yeast into the 3.5 gal of 1.027 beer. Is this even going to be drinkable? I didn't have any extract laying around - I guess maybe I could have thrown in some corn sugar, but by the time I got it boiled down, it was kinda a long day, so I was happy to be done. (Oh, wait, I found a can of LME that someone gave dated 1992, is this even worth waisting time on, or should I throw it?)
With my first all-grain a few weeks ago, I nailed my target starting gravity, and everything went great. (10 extract, and one all-grain batches under my belt before this batch.)
My next batch, I used 11.5lb 2-row + 1lb caravienne. I use a Victoria Grain Mill, and it's possible this may be the problem, as it pulverizes some grains, and doesn't crush others very well at all. BUT, one reason I doubt this is my problem, is i set it finer than I did on my last batch, and *I thought* I was getting a good crush.
I mashed with about 4.5 gallons of water, at about 153, and sparged with about 6 gallons. I let it mash for just over an hour. I wouldn't have minded this to turn out to a 5.5 or a 6 gallon batch, so I didn't mind if I got extra water. I ended up with about 6.5 gallons pre-boil (I really don't have any way to measure accurately). I stirred a lot to make sure I got everything mixed well.
Post boil I ended up with exactly 5 gal, and a gravity of 1.050. My target according to MW recipe was 1.060 to 1.064.
-- Thinking I had more sugars in my grains, I 'partigyled' about 5.5-6 gallons for about 2 hours at about 150 to 154. I boiled it down to 3.5 gallons, and it only came to 1.027!
Did I give enough info to determine what my problem was? Did I not get a good crush? The reason I get confused, is because my first AG turned out so well.
Also, I ended up throwing some cheap-o Cooper's yeast into the 3.5 gal of 1.027 beer. Is this even going to be drinkable? I didn't have any extract laying around - I guess maybe I could have thrown in some corn sugar, but by the time I got it boiled down, it was kinda a long day, so I was happy to be done. (Oh, wait, I found a can of LME that someone gave dated 1992, is this even worth waisting time on, or should I throw it?)