Feeling ready to give up on BIAB.
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Batch I brewed over the weekend used Hothead yeast, and I'm going to throw what I brew tonight into my keezer to control the beginning of fermentation while I'm out of town for Christmas.
Ogri
Well-Known Member
Interested in hearing how this turns out and what sort of ambient temps the yeast had to deal with.
Interested in hearing how this turns out and what sort of ambient temps the yeast had to deal with.
I'll be sure to report back! It's sitting in ambient temps in my basement, probably upper 60s or low 70s.
chickypad
lupulin shift victim
Keep us posted! Take good measurements of volumes and gravities so we can follow along.
Keep us posted! Take good measurements of volumes and gravities so we can follow along.
I'll probably take a pre-boil measurement for ****s and giggles, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do for volumes yet. I *think* my gallon measuring jug is accurate, but I don't have a scale that can handle enough weight to check it. I also need to make a new dipstick or something similar - the only sort of metal ruler I could find at a local hardware store was the yellow kind with paint on it, and I'm not comfortable putting that in boiling wort to measure volumes.
Also need to do a check on my hydrometer to make sure that's not an issue - I just replaced it a few months ago, but you never know.
chickypad
lupulin shift victim
For my kettle without a sight glass I use a long plastic spoon marked with a sharpie.
That's essentially what I'm planning on, but then that adds the question of how to get accurate markings on that! I'm studying engineering though, so I tend to make everything more precise than it needs to be... How did you get your volumes marked? I think what I'm going to do it put a worm clamp or something around my spoon, add half a gallon of water, then slide the clamp down until it's just on the surface. Repeat, etc. Do you worry at all about the sharpie coming off in hot wort?
chickypad
lupulin shift victim
I also found the measuring tape awkward on the round spoon so I just did the same thing you're describing with my thumbnail, in qt amounts with accurately weighed quarts of water. I will recolor it now and then when the sharpie fades but it stays on there pretty good.
I used my plastic mash paddle. Add water a gallon at a time. Write on the paddle with a sharpie and clear tape over it.
brew703
Well-Known Member
Harbor Freight or Home Depot/Lowes has an 18" Stainless Steel ruler for $3 or something like that. It's what I use. For my kettle, 1.5" = a gallon (according to Priceless) so I also use that as a guide.
McKnuckle
Well-Known Member
If so, stop marking paddles with Sharpies and get this 35 lb scale with gram precision, which is what I use, for $26:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003MZORR2/
Edit: This one's even cheaper at $17 and has a 50 lb capacity - good enough for 6 gallons.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00SMHWZ42/ref=psdc_1068986_t1_B003MZORR2
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I checked Lowes, but they didn't have any plain stainless ones.
I'd be more worries about contamination from the tape adhesive than the Sharpie ink.
Brew on
I got this scale (110lb capacity, 0.1 oz accuracy, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I9D5IFM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20), and couldn't be happier. Great for grain and water. I also use it when filling closed kegs, so that I know exactly how much I put in.
Brew on
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brew703
Well-Known Member
Here's the one from Harbor Freight
http://www.harborfreight.com/12-inch-stainless-steel-ruler-66199.html
Home Depot (similar to the one I have)
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Empire-18-in-Stiff-Ruler-27318/202035334
If Priceless shows a gallon to be 1.5" or whatever, just measure that on a wooden dowel, stainless rod or something similar and mark it with a marker or a stainless screw clamp.
Bought my ingredients, brewing tomorrow morning. Crush looks much better - I had a good talk with the owner about BIAB efficiency and he double milled it for me. I also decided to pick up a product called accumash instead of doing the additions myself - it's expensive so I probably won't do it regularly, but he said he uses it personally and has heard nothing but good things from customers who buy it. I figure that way I know my mash chemistry is on point and I can see if it's really the crush that's killing me.
Only worry I have left is that I forgot to check dates and accidentally bought a pack of yeast dated to expire in three days. I don't have time for a starter - do I go pick up another package and pitch one or both, or do I roll with it?
Only worry I have left is that I forgot to check dates and accidentally bought a pack of yeast dated to expire in three days. I don't have time for a starter - do I go pick up another package and pitch one or both, or do I roll with it?
My problem with priceless is that I don't trust that my kettle is exactly 15" tall, or exactly 11 gallons. When I get a paycheck I'm going to get a scale and measure quart increments by weight, marking them on a stick for real accuracy.
I used a small tubing cutter to put a line around the handle of my mash paddle. The paddle is made of plastic and the lines made by the tubing cutter come out neat and perfect looking. I added a gallon of water at a time to my empty kettle and then marked the handle at the water level, before using the tubing cutter to make a permanent line around the handle. I repeated this process until the handle had markers ranging from 5 to 14 gallons. Since water weighs 8.345 pounds per gallon a little simple math will allow you to make the conversion easier.
Chris_Primavera
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Stir and check your mash temperature every 20 minutes check your thermometer - mash for 90 minutes.
Find YOUR efficiency - don't worry about what you should get. We make beer not numbers.
Find YOUR efficiency - don't worry about what you should get. We make beer not numbers.
The exact capacity isn't all that critical (unless you try to do a 10.5 gal mash in a 10 gal [actual] pot.) The exact diameter measurement is critical. The difference in 15" diameter and 15.5" diameter creates a depth/gal difference of almost 7%. This is too much error for accurate measurements.
Brew on
Water has a density of 8.345 lb/gal at 40˚F. At a more common 68˚F, water has a density of 8.3304 lb/gal. I strongly recommend using the 8.3304 lb/gal value, as the common equations for converting SG to Plato (critical in efficiency calculations) are set up for 68˚F measurements.
Brew on
brew703
Well-Known Member
Just measure the height and width of your kettle and use those measurements.
I have a 10 gallon kettle and my measurements are 15.5" tall x 14" wide.
How many gallons your kettle is really isn't that important. Sure it's good to know how much wort it can hold. My kettle can actually hold about 10.5 gallons but I use 10 gallons as the size.
I have a 10 gallon kettle and my measurements are 15.5" tall x 14" wide.
How many gallons your kettle is really isn't that important. Sure it's good to know how much wort it can hold. My kettle can actually hold about 10.5 gallons but I use 10 gallons as the size.
Water has a density of 8.345 lb/gal at 40˚F. At a more common 68˚F, water has a density of 8.3304 lb/gal. I strongly recommend using the 8.3304 lb/gal value, as the common equations for converting SG to Plato (critical in efficiency calculations) are set up for 68˚F measurements.
Brew on
Correct, there would be a difference of 0.225 pounds between the 40˚F and the 68˚F temperature weights.
It is also advisable to allow for wort expansion at boiling temperature when trying to figure out if the kettle is large enough to hold it all.
ericbw
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I didn't read all these posts. He said he had thin beer, and his mash temp dropped to 147. Thin means less body, or what most would call dry. The mash temp is too low.
Fermentation temperature seems like the biggest factor because the yeast makes all kinds of off flavors. Switching to another yeast might help, but it won't fix the problem. I have not used HotHead, but it says it doesn't change its flavor across temperature variation. It does say it has a "unique fruitiness." Some would call that alone an "off flavor." Look at S-04. Some love it, but if it goes over 70 degrees, it has a "unique" flavor that I don't care for.
Mainly, though, making IPAs will lead to bad-tasting beer.
Fermentation temperature seems like the biggest factor because the yeast makes all kinds of off flavors. Switching to another yeast might help, but it won't fix the problem. I have not used HotHead, but it says it doesn't change its flavor across temperature variation. It does say it has a "unique fruitiness." Some would call that alone an "off flavor." Look at S-04. Some love it, but if it goes over 70 degrees, it has a "unique" flavor that I don't care for.
Mainly, though, making IPAs will lead to bad-tasting beer.
Brew day is finished! Definitely the most successful one I've had so far, with only a few minor snags.
Mashed with a hair over 8 gallons of water. The biggest issue I had was maintaining mash temperatures. Even keeping two blankets wrapped around it wasn't enough to stop my temperature from dropping. I ended up mashing for 55 minutes, turning the burner on low (praying I wouldn't scorch the bag) and mashing for another 15. Not sure how else I can better insulate - some sort of wind screen maybe - but that was the only real snag I hit, besides having to constantly relight my burner.
Came up with ~7.2 gallons pre-boil, as expected. Took a gravity reading for once - projected was 1.044, I came in a hair short at 1.042. I'm attributing this to struggling to keep my mash above 147, so not too worried.
I had to boil for 80 minutes, and even then I still ended up with about 6 gallons of liquid. I didn't want to over-bitter it by boiling my hops more than that, so I just left it there. OG stands at 1.050 right now - according to beersmith, 66.9% efficiency. It's still not perfect, but I'm miles happier with it than I was before - I hit within a reasonable range of my projected gravity, and if it comes out bad I'll be able to eliminate one option!
Mashed with a hair over 8 gallons of water. The biggest issue I had was maintaining mash temperatures. Even keeping two blankets wrapped around it wasn't enough to stop my temperature from dropping. I ended up mashing for 55 minutes, turning the burner on low (praying I wouldn't scorch the bag) and mashing for another 15. Not sure how else I can better insulate - some sort of wind screen maybe - but that was the only real snag I hit, besides having to constantly relight my burner.
Came up with ~7.2 gallons pre-boil, as expected. Took a gravity reading for once - projected was 1.044, I came in a hair short at 1.042. I'm attributing this to struggling to keep my mash above 147, so not too worried.
I had to boil for 80 minutes, and even then I still ended up with about 6 gallons of liquid. I didn't want to over-bitter it by boiling my hops more than that, so I just left it there. OG stands at 1.050 right now - according to beersmith, 66.9% efficiency. It's still not perfect, but I'm miles happier with it than I was before - I hit within a reasonable range of my projected gravity, and if it comes out bad I'll be able to eliminate one option!
Yes, you really should correct all volume measurements for the temperature at which they are taken vs. temperature at which the volumes matter. You want to know how large the volume will be at operation temps, so you know you can hold it all. (I've seen at least two guys start heating to boil with almost zero freeboard in their BK's. Not my idea of a fun time.) But, it's really important to adjust volumes back to a reference temperature of 68˚F, if you care about accurate efficiency, and grain absorption calculations. If you're not a numbers nerd, then it's all good (hopefully.)
Edit: This is one of the reasons I like @pricelessbrewing 's calculator (https://pricelessbrewing.github.io/BiabCalc/.) Mark gives us volumes at both 68˚F, and mash or boil temp as appropriate.
Brew on
ericbw
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Glad you're seeing improvement! 66% is about what I was being before buying my own mill, so I think you're sitting right where you want to be.
For insulation here are a couple suggestions:
Reflectix, basically bubble wrap covered in foil. 4 layers wrapped around your kettle will really help you. Put a pad of 4 layers under the kettle, and on the lid too. Then put a blanket over the whole top of the kettle for good measure.
Put a layer of aluminum foil inside your kettle directly on top of the wort as a barrier between the wort and the headspace in your kettle. It helps reduce the contact with air driven by convection inside the headspace that could be stealing your heat. I learned that trick courtesy of Inkleg here on HBT.
bucfan1234
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Glad to hear it went well!
Why do you keep using so much water? That's your problem. You are making 6+ gallons of beer with ingredients for 5 gallons. Work backwards. Say you want 5.5 gallon in the fermenter, have a 1 gal/hr boil off rate, and .5 gal for grain absorption/kettle loss. That gives you 7 gallons to start.
chickypad
lupulin shift victim
Nice job! I agree with MadKing, 67% with the LHBS crush is pretty good as long as you can reproduce it.
If I am reading things right you mashed 12.5 lb in 8 gals of water for a mash thickness of 2.56 qt/lb. If doug is still following he can probably give you more accurate numbers, but you can do a quick estimate of your conversion efficiency with the simple formula and table from Kai's article (about halfway down the page). So if your gravity was 1.042 that'd be about 84% conversion efficiency, and you want that up in the mid 90's. Again, not to sound like a broken record but I'd suspect crush first rather than mash temp unless you were really low, like low 140's.
If I am reading things right you mashed 12.5 lb in 8 gals of water for a mash thickness of 2.56 qt/lb. If doug is still following he can probably give you more accurate numbers, but you can do a quick estimate of your conversion efficiency with the simple formula and table from Kai's article (about halfway down the page). So if your gravity was 1.042 that'd be about 84% conversion efficiency, and you want that up in the mid 90's. Again, not to sound like a broken record but I'd suspect crush first rather than mash temp unless you were really low, like low 140's.
ericbw
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Yeah me too, never had an IPA I liked yet.
Just following Priceless' and beersmiths recommendations.
Thats a good place to start, and I don't mean to be redundant, but you have to measure your volumes and inputs for the calculators to refine your batches.
And it doesn't really matter how you do it. For example of your batches are ending up 0.5 gallons too large, you can decrease your trub loss or kettle loss or boil off rate by an equivalent amount. As long as beersmith's batch size agrees with your actual measured batch size you're good to go.
