My First All Grain Brew Day

[PastorsWalkTavern]

Wanted to let everyone know we finished our first brew day and how it went! It was far from smooth, but there is always a first time for everything.

This is our set up:

Equipment List: Coleman 52qt Xtreme cooler with bazooka screen, 8 gallon megapot with Ball Valve, Darkstar Burner, Wort Chiller.

This was the recipe we brewed:

Hemwhac American Stout

9 lbs Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM)
1 lbs Blackprinz (Briess) (500.0 SRM)
1 lbs Caramel Malt - 120L (Briess) (120.0 SRM)
10.0 oz Oats, Flaked (Briess) (1.4 SRM)
6.0 oz Chocolate (Briess) (350.0 SRM)
6.0 oz Roasted Barley (Briess) (300.0 SRM)
4.0 oz Caramel Malt - 60L (Briess) (60.0 SRM)
.75 (%17.7 Warrior @60 min
.50 (%10.9)Centennial @10 Min
Irish Ale Yeast Wyeast

The one thing we did not do was check for leaks in the equipment. As a result we had starts and stops all day which led to some lower sparge temps.

We boiled water and cycled it through the mash tun to heat it up. I heated my first 4 gallons of strike water for the mash and treated it with a bit of chalk, gypsum, and kosher salt. I heated it to 165 degrees and added it to the tun. I doughed in the grains which should have been around 72. However, after stirring and probing with my digital thermometer, I achieved a steady mash temp about 151 degrees for almost all of the mash. I occasionally added hot water to and stirred.

My Dad and I vorlauffed until it ran clear and drained to the kettle. We collected about 3 gallons of wort. Using my refractometer, I took a reading of 1.070. I didn't have iodine, but after tasting a sample it was absolutely sugary and not starchy.

At this point we found a kettle that we were able to fix just enough. I had taken of my sparge water just enough so it was only 165. I through the whole bath in and vorlauffed almost immediately. We collected 6 gallons in total.

I took another reading with the refractometer and had a pre-boil OG of 1.045. I got nervous and thought this was too low. I added a pound of Light DME pre-boil. Fired up the burner, added the Warriors, and half a campden tablet. Whirlfoc at 15, Centennials at 10. Chilled in 20 minutes. Took a reading with a hydrometer and got 1.070. Pitched yeast and clariferm at about 5.2 gallons.

Interested to see how it turns out.

 

[PastorsWalkTavern]

The TLDR version is that I have a few questions:

1. Did I panic with the preboil gravity being too low?
2. Was my mash volume off?
3. How long do you let your sparge sit before vorlauf?
4. Anything else I'm missing?

Thanks and Ill keep everyone updated.

 

[PastorsWalkTavern]

Also here are pics!!!

 

[smccarter]

blah blah blah... yadah yadah yadah....

The most important thing is that you had a great brew day. Congratulations is all I have to say. Keep up the good work and keep enjoying your hobby. All grain is really the way to go, but no matter how you get your beer, it's beer.... and beer is good!!!!! I'm like Buddha.....

 

[passedpawn]

It will get easier, to the point you won't have to think about it. Brew often and you'll see.

 

[Jupapabear]

The TLDR version is that I have a few questions:

1. Did I panic with the preboil gravity being too low?
2. Was my mash volume off?
3. How long do you let your sparge sit before vorlauf?
4. Anything else I'm missing?

Thanks and Ill keep everyone updated.

1. Depends. What was your Target OG?
2. If you were aiming for a 5 gallon batch, I say you did well.
3. I vigorously stir in my sparge water and let it settle. So maybe 2 minutes.
4. Na

 

[brewkinger]

Congrats on making it through brewday.
My advice: relax.

Test your equipment. Brewday is never a good time to discover these issues.

Recognizing, addressing and finding a solution to brewday problems is what makes the next brewday that much more meaningful.

Test and trust your equipment and the rest will fall into line.


Sent from my iPhone using Home Brew

 

[PastorsWalkTavern]

Here's what the finished product came in at.

I clocked it at 7.6%. In retrospect, I did not need to add that DME. Nice and Roasty, a bit dry, some nice sweet coffee notes.

Very excited about my next batch.

 

[rodwha]

Nice!

And much better than my first all-grain attempt the other day.