Bad brew day

[mattmcl]

I did my first AG with my MLT today and it did not go well.

First, I meant to mash at 154 for 60 min. I did all the calculations and used brewing software to figure my strike water. Everything was at the correct temp, but when I added the water the temp hit 147. I added hot water- I don't know temps and volumes because I was panicking- and couldn't get it over 150.

Then my sparge got stuck. Not a biggie in itself, I think it was the flaked barley that did it.

Then I forgot to vorlauf.

Then, I ended up with 5.75 gallons in the kettle for a 5 gallon batch- pefect, right? No. I boiled for an hour and ended up with 3.5 gallons. I wasn't blasting it either, just a nice rolling boil. Has anyone ever heard of a 39% evap rate?

To top it off, I pitched before I took a gravity reading so I have no idea what my efficiency was.

At least it was a nice balmy 55 degrees.

 

[Flic]

How did you calculate the amount of sparge water needed? I usually have around 7.5 gallons in to the kettle for a 5 gallon batch as I boil off over 1.5 gallons/hour plus you have to factor other water losses such as trub in the boil kettle, etc. Sounds like it may not have been planned out right as far as sparge amounts. I highly recommend BeerSmith for about $20. Makes life a lot easier and once you figure out your own brewing system as far as boil-off amounts, etc you can hit the numbers pretty consistently.

 

[Chris_in_Utah]

I feel your pain. My brew day was hell too. Hope that makes you feel a little better.

1. Couldn't hold my target mash temp. Wanted 154 got 149, added some more water and got it back up for the rest of the mash. It was 30 degrees out though. Next time I'll do it inside.

2. Had two mega-boilovers that actually put out the burner. Threw off the hop schedule.

3. Didn't hit my target OG. Came up about 5 points short. 1.046 vice 1.050.

Chris.

PS: I'm new. Hi everyone!

 

[FxdGrMind]

So you think it was a "Bad day"...

Let me just say this... Would you have rather been at work???

I can't think of a bad day brewing... having a few cold ones you make yourself...enjoying the process... and finally Learning how to do it better next time around... Sure beats even a good day at work.

 

[The Pol]

#1... did you PRE HEAT your MLT? If not, that is probably where you are losing your temp.

#2... Stuck sparges happen, rice hulls can help

#3... 39% boil off? Do you have an abnormally large diameter pot? Are you certain that you calculated your pre-boil and post boil volumes correctly? That seems nearly impossible from my experience.

#4... Relax, it gets better... you are learnin'

 

[mattmcl]

I used BeerSmith, but I may not have set up the equipment correctly.

I'm positive I calculated pre and post boil amounts right. I double checked everything after the fact. I know my carboy is right, because I marked it years ago and it's good. I use a metal rod to measure kettle volume, and double checked that while I was cleaning, and it's good.

I think Flic's numbers would be about right for me next time.

I'm not too disappointed, I made a fermentable alcoholic beverage at any rate. And yeah, it does beat working.

 

[Champurrado]

Mr. Mattmcl:

This process we all enjoy takes a little while to figure out. Like me, I'm sure most of the contributers here have some gawd awful stories to tell about their first AG with missed mash temps, spilled carboys, rotten efficiencies and more. At worst, you made beer - at best, it's probably going to taste pretty good. Hang out until you're done fermemting and bottling/kegging to pass judgment on this first batch. With practice and good notekeeping you'll learn your equipment quirks and your routine will get smoother - mine did.

Cheers

 

[adamjab19]

It's ok. I went to cool my wort in a snow bank today and after pulling the kettle out I realized that I had set the kettle right on to a pile of my dog's **** that was under 10+ inches of snow!

The upside I got my first keg today!

 

[shertz]

It's ok. I went to cool my wort in a snow bank today and after pulling the kettle out I realized that I had set the kettle right on to a pile of my dog's **** that was under 10+ inches of snow!

The upside I got my first keg today!

OMG...that is too funny!!

 

[hazzards]

I use a picnic cooler MLT and never could keep my target temperature until I started filling it with a couple of gallons of hot tap water (near 150 deg. F) for 1/2 hour. I had just been throwing in a gallon of boiling water about 5 min before throwing in the grain, but that wasn't long enough to get the cooler up to temp.

 

[mattmcl]

I pre-heated, but the cooler was in the garage at 45 or so for twenty minutes, and the grains were probably that cold as well. I think that's how I missed my strike temp.

Thanks for the encouragement. I've been extract brewing for 20 years, and it's hard to learn a whole new process when I had that down to a science.

 

[ajf]

That sounds like a good brew session to me. You ended up with a batch of beer, and learned a great deal.

-a.