first all grain questions...

[avm221]

ok so i found a recipe for a Samuel smith nut brown Ale. this will be my first all grain recipe, im looking at building a mash ton but for now im using a friends.


Samuel Smith Nut Brown Ale recipe
5 gal

7lbs Marris otter
5oz British 55ºL Crystal Malt
3oz British Chocolate Malt
4oz Crisp brown
5oz Victory malt
5oz Crystal 60L
3oz Chocolate Malt
Hops
1.5 oz East Kent Goldings
.5 oz Fuggles
Yeast
1 pack Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Ale


ok so this is my recipe i have a few questions...
1) how much water do i start the mash with and how much to sparg with?
2) what should my OG reading be? i have only done partial mash recipes before. i know that if i punched this into one of the brewing programs it would tell me but i don't have one.

 

[coosabrew]

1) Good rule of thumb is 1-1.5 quarts per pound of grain. So in your case a start of 10 quarts should be good. keep in the 9- 13 quart area. To collect 6 gallons for boil ( boiling off a gallon in 60 minutes) with absorbsion say 4 gallons, give or take.
2) Depends on your efficency of mash tun and sparging method, also the amount of mash liquid you use. Hard to say, guesstimate would be 1.045 area. You have alot of non fermentables in you grain bill. Everything under the maris otter is flavor, color, body. Do you have a mash temperature in the recipe? That will determine the finish gravity.

 

[CTR08]

I doubt 4 gallon absorption with that grain bill-- I would think maybe 2.5 ga.... maybe, maaaybe three

 

[CTR08]

But if I remember correctly, it takes like 10-12 lbs of malts to absorb ~ 3 gallons of water

 

[avm221]

i was thinking i would mash at 160*
i did go back and look at that recipe again, do you think i should add more fermentable maybe 2lbs more maris otter or 2 row?

 

[TahoeRy]

160 seems really high. I'd drop that to around 154-155. How are you doing the hop additions?

 

[Yooper]

But if I remember correctly, it takes like 10-12 lbs of malts to absorb ~ 3 gallons of water

10 pounds of grain will absorb about 1 gallon of water.

I'd mash no higher than 154 or so.

It's weird to have chocolate malt in there twice, but 6 ounces is ok.

 

[avm221]

sounds good ill mash at 154, any thought on adding more fermentable grains? and yes it is odd to have 2 chocolate malts but it isn't that much so i didn't question it

 

[avm221]

ok this is what i found so far found a free app for my phone and pluged in the grains, im used to dark Brown Ales but a 4.2 seems a little week to me is there a way i can bring that up to around 6% more marris otteris? this is a clone i found online of Samuel smiths nut brown Ale.


OG:1.047
ABV: 4.2%

7lbs Marris otteris
5oz British 55ºL Crystal Malt
3oz British Chocolate Malt
4oz Crisp brown
5oz Victory malt
5oz Crystal 60L
3oz Chocolate Malt
Hops
1.5 oz East Kent Goldings
.5 oz Fuggles
Yeast
1 pack Wyeast 1187 Ringwood Ale

Mash temp: 154 for 1 hour
Mash water: 2.1 gal
Sparge water: 4.25
Sparge temp 170 should take about an a hour

 

[coosabrew]

Sorry, I reread my post and it does seem as though is said it will absorb 4 gallons. What I meant was 4 gallons of sparge water. Seems as though it will taste good, nice and nutty. Maybe increase the maris otter a pound to make sure that a decent O.G. will be hit that will ferment out. Kinda depends on the equiptment. Usually, from threads I have read, that first timers get low efficency.

 

[3BB001]

Check out www.brew365.com they have a good water calculator that will help you with mash and sparge volume as well as strike water temp and more.