Well....I did my first AG brew.
I started at 11:30AM and ended at around 9:30PM. So what does that tell you about how it all went? Just picture a chicken with its head cut off moving around pots and mashing and such and that was me.
Beer Style: A very simple English Bitter
Final Volume: 5 gal
Mash Type: Single Infusion
Sparge: Fly Sparge
Target Gravity: 1.045 (actual gravity was 1.056)
Yeast used: Wyeast Thames Valley Ale
Starting Boil Volume: 6.5 gallons
Boil Time: 90 min
My setup consists of two 10 gal coolers, one 7.5 gal pot and one 15 gal pot along with all the other tools and gizmos.
The first major problem was when I went to raise the temp of the mash (in the cooler) to 170 with 200 degree water. This did not work like I planned. I added almost 2 gallons of near boiling water and the mash didnt get above 160 even though the mash was at 150. I'm thinking its not a good idea to do 5 gallon batches in 10 gallon coolers. Too much extra space maybe?
So I had to move the whole mash to the kettle to get it up to temp. Man, way too much hot-side aeration...oh well.
So then comes the sparging. I'm guessing that you would have to have like 190 degree water in the cooler so that by the time the water comes out of the sparger its hitting the surface of the mash at close to 170. So the sparging didnt work that great either. I never got a stuck mash but I had to constantly stop and start the sparger because it was always way too much compared to the wort flowing out.
Well I'm sure this will all get easier. First time is always hardest trying to figure out everything as you go.
I'm sure I'll get good beer as its fermenting nicely right now. I was able to make a starter and use pure oxygen for the starter and the 5gal batch.
So anyways, the point of this post isnt really to ask any questions. Just telling about my experience. But now that I've finally done my first AG I know a lot of things I can do better next time around.
Now I just need more money so I can buy the equipment I really want. I need Pots with Spigots and Pumps and Plate Chillers and Stainles Steel Fermentors and a 2,000,000 btu Burner and a clean room for growing yeast and my own Beer Factory and some Oompa-Loompas and...........
I started at 11:30AM and ended at around 9:30PM. So what does that tell you about how it all went? Just picture a chicken with its head cut off moving around pots and mashing and such and that was me.
Beer Style: A very simple English Bitter
Final Volume: 5 gal
Mash Type: Single Infusion
Sparge: Fly Sparge
Target Gravity: 1.045 (actual gravity was 1.056)
Yeast used: Wyeast Thames Valley Ale
Starting Boil Volume: 6.5 gallons
Boil Time: 90 min
My setup consists of two 10 gal coolers, one 7.5 gal pot and one 15 gal pot along with all the other tools and gizmos.
The first major problem was when I went to raise the temp of the mash (in the cooler) to 170 with 200 degree water. This did not work like I planned. I added almost 2 gallons of near boiling water and the mash didnt get above 160 even though the mash was at 150. I'm thinking its not a good idea to do 5 gallon batches in 10 gallon coolers. Too much extra space maybe?
So I had to move the whole mash to the kettle to get it up to temp. Man, way too much hot-side aeration...oh well.
So then comes the sparging. I'm guessing that you would have to have like 190 degree water in the cooler so that by the time the water comes out of the sparger its hitting the surface of the mash at close to 170. So the sparging didnt work that great either. I never got a stuck mash but I had to constantly stop and start the sparger because it was always way too much compared to the wort flowing out.
Well I'm sure this will all get easier. First time is always hardest trying to figure out everything as you go.
I'm sure I'll get good beer as its fermenting nicely right now. I was able to make a starter and use pure oxygen for the starter and the 5gal batch.
So anyways, the point of this post isnt really to ask any questions. Just telling about my experience. But now that I've finally done my first AG I know a lot of things I can do better next time around.
Now I just need more money so I can buy the equipment I really want. I need Pots with Spigots and Pumps and Plate Chillers and Stainles Steel Fermentors and a 2,000,000 btu Burner and a clean room for growing yeast and my own Beer Factory and some Oompa-Loompas and...........