mesooohoppy
Well-Known Member
So, I have brewed a total of 5 batches so far (all 5 gallon recipes). Every single batch i have brewed, i for the life of me, cannot get the correct (or even close) OG. Its always low, the closest i have gotten is 5-6 points low. I think its my mash tun setup.
Example, i brewed an ipa last weekend and my OG was only 1.050 (recipe:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=529258). Here are the guidelines for mashing and the OG.
Original Gravity: 1.060
MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 152 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 3 gal
2) Sparge, Temp: 185 F, Time: 15 min, Amount: 5.5 gal
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.33 qt/lb
My mashtun is a coleman 5 gallon cooler (http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/1000/e0/e07631d4-7940-4754-8a66-5b42fa48c5f8_1000.jpg), I can fit 9-11 lbs of grain and 3 gallons of water in the cooler no problem. But, when it comes to sparging time, i think thats the issue.
I cannot fit 5.5 gallons with 9-11 lbs of grain in a 5 gallon cooler (obviously). So, i basically halve it and sparge twice. I followed the directions and i still got a 1.050 OG. Should i extend sparging time to extract more sugars from the grains? Is it an issue that i have to sparge twice? Should i get a bigger cooler?
Any suggestions are welcomed, i have no help aside from this forum.
Thank you in advance.
Example, i brewed an ipa last weekend and my OG was only 1.050 (recipe:
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=529258). Here are the guidelines for mashing and the OG.
Original Gravity: 1.060
MASH GUIDELINES:
1) Infusion, Temp: 152 F, Time: 60 min, Amount: 3 gal
2) Sparge, Temp: 185 F, Time: 15 min, Amount: 5.5 gal
Starting Mash Thickness: 1.33 qt/lb
My mashtun is a coleman 5 gallon cooler (http://www.homedepot.com/catalog/productImages/1000/e0/e07631d4-7940-4754-8a66-5b42fa48c5f8_1000.jpg), I can fit 9-11 lbs of grain and 3 gallons of water in the cooler no problem. But, when it comes to sparging time, i think thats the issue.
I cannot fit 5.5 gallons with 9-11 lbs of grain in a 5 gallon cooler (obviously). So, i basically halve it and sparge twice. I followed the directions and i still got a 1.050 OG. Should i extend sparging time to extract more sugars from the grains? Is it an issue that i have to sparge twice? Should i get a bigger cooler?
Any suggestions are welcomed, i have no help aside from this forum.
Thank you in advance.