My first all-grain

[Nil]

I am planning my first all-grain batch. I selected a Hefeweizen kit, 55% wheat and 45% 2-row pilsner. Grain total weight is 9.6 lbs.

I plan to perform an infusion, multi-step mashing as follows:
1st: 104 F for 30 minutes, & 12 qts of water (assuming T = 210)
2nd: 140 F for 20 minutes, & 7.2 qts of water (assuming T = 210)
3rd: 154 F for 40 minutes, % 5.2 qts of water (assuming T = 210)

I also plan to use a pH stabilizer.

My concern with the above plan is that, assuming a 40% water grain absorption, I will have only 1.3 gallons of water left for sparging.

Please let me know your thoughts.

Thanks, Nil

 

[BrewThruYou]

Personally, I would stick with a single infusion mash for your first all-grain.

If you want to do step mashing, I would make your first rest a thicker mash (less water per # of grist).

 

[arch1tect]

For your first AG i'd keep it simple and just try to mash at one temp. All your infusions are going to make it difficult to get a good read on your system. Using methods like this right out of the gate are going to make it difficult to diagnose any sort of efficiency/process issues if/when things go wrong.

If you're set in stone in doing it this way I'd dial the water back so you can sparge with a little more to help with your efficiency.

 

[asterix404]

Use a single diffusion mash for your first one. Look up decoction mashing as that will actually get you a heff that really tastes like one. You don't ever need a protein rest but if you don't do a decoction, you should add rice hulls. Also your hops should be something like hallertau or german noble

Also create a large starter if you don't do that already. The actual recipe looks good though. I prefer wheat and munich but pils works just as well too.

 

[scottland]

Personally, I would stick with a single infusion mash for your first all-grain.

^Agreed.

Don't mess with a step/decotion mash for your first all-grain. Your first all-grain brew will be complicated enough. Do a single rest at like 152-154* for 60minutes, then sparge.

 

[Nil]

Thanks, folks.

Nil

 

[Nil]

Below are the details about my first all-grain. I had more information as soon as I bought the kit.

FULL GRAIN SINLGE-STEP SCHEDULE

Date: 7-Jan-12
Name: HafenWeizen Kit
Volume (gal): 5
Yeast: Safale s-04 Dry Ale -Fermentis
Target gravity: 1.060
Malt quantity (lbs.): 7.23
Expected efficiency: 0.75
Total grain required (lbs.):9.639
Original gravity:1.087
Actual Quantity (lbs.):10.00

Grains
Type Grain ratio Qty (lbs.)
German Wheat 0.494 4.757
German Pils 0.452 4.361
German Munich 0.041 0.396
German Crystal 0.013 0.124
Total 9.639
Hops
Type Qty (oz.) AA (%) Time (min) AAU IBU
Tettnanger 0.75 7.3 60 5.475 16.3
TOTAL IBUs 16.3

Boil
Water (gal) 6.5
Boil Gravity 1.067

Total grain (lbs.): 9.64
Water quantity (qt):12.0
Mash temperature (degrees F): 69.2
1st infusion temperature (degrees F): 154 (90 minutes)
Water to grain ratio (qt/lb.): 1.25
Striking temperature (degrees F): 167.6

Water absorbed (gal): 1.377
Sparging water (gal): 4.664

Total Water used (gal) 7.88
Final wort volume (gal) 6.50

Final Gravity 1.05

1. Getting the striking temperature was quite a challenge. I had to remove the water from the tun three (3) times, since once the water was added; the temperature went below 154 F. I had to reheat the water up to 175 F, in order to get a final water temperature of 159 F. I added cold water to get to the target (154 F).

2. There was a reduction of 2F from 0 to 60 minutes of mashing.

3. Three (3) gallons of water were lost in the process. The kit instructions call for a 90 minutes boiling, yet the default observed elsewhere is 60 min. A total of 1.5 gallon of distilled water was added to q.s. to 5 gallon.

4. Though it was not required, I re-hydrated the yeast as follows: a) Suspended yeast in 100mL of pre-boiled water @ T = 89 F for 15 minutes, using a insulated stainless steel cup (de-sanitized), b) Stir dispersion and add increments of wort at a rate of 1/4 cup every 5 minutes for 15 minutes, c) Added a little bit of pre-boiled cold water to reduce the dispersion temperature to 68 F, and d) Add yeast dispersion to the wort and vigorously stir with spoon or a few minutes.

5. Fermentation started within five (5) hours of the process. The bubbling is VERY vigorous, at a rate of 240 bubbling’s/min and increasing. I've never seen anything like this.

6. The final wort seems to me sweeter relative to extract. Is this related to the additional processing of the DMEs/LMEs?

7. Took me an entire day to process a single batch. Hopefully with practice I may be able to reduce the cycle time.


Thanks!, Nil

 

[Nil]

Tables are out of wack, yet U did the best that I could...

 

[ShinyBuddha]

I'd advise preheating the mash tun before adding the sparge water. Also plan on the brew day for all grain being 8 hours.

 

[Nil]

I did pre-heated the tun before mashing with ~1 qt of water @ 200 F for 10 minutes. This is why I was surprised. The temperature shoulda go up and not down.

Thanks, Nil

 

[tektonjp]

I did pre-heated the tun before mashing with ~1 qt of water @ 200 F for 10 minutes. This is why I was surprised. The temperature shoulda go up and not down.

Thanks, Nil

1 quart is not nearly enough to preheat. if you are calculating using your m/t thermal mass value as 0, then you'll need a couple of gallons at least.
Secondly, I batch sparge 5 gallon brews (one hour mash) and my brew day with clean up is at four hours.

 

[arch1tect]

To pre-heat your Tun simply use your mash volume. Preheat to about 175/180, dump into MLT. Let rest for 10 mins to stabilize. If still too hot, stir to reach strike temp(around 165-160). Dough-in wait 10 more mins take temp and adjust if necessary.

 

[scottland]

Also plan on the brew day for all grain being 8 hours.

Maybe your first couple all-grain brew days, but not typically. 8 hours?

5 gallons takes me around 3.5-4 hours to brew. That includes milling grain, taking out my equipment, cleaning the equipment, and putting it back away.

10 gallons takes around 4-4.5 hours.

8 hours? Are you heating your kettle with a candle?

 

[ShinyBuddha]

Maybe your first couple all-grain brew days, but not typically. 8 hours?

5 gallons takes me around 3.5-4 hours to brew. That includes milling grain, taking out my equipment, cleaning the equipment, and putting it back away.

10 gallons takes around 4-4.5 hours.

8 hours? Are you heating your kettle with a candle?

I should have been more specific. I was thinking the first few times (especially since this was Nil's 1st batch). After that, you're more than likely going to have a pattern down which will speed up the process. Thanks for catching that scottland. fyi I heat with sterno thank you =)

~SB

 

[BrewThruYou]

5 gallons takes me around 3.5-4 hours to brew. That includes milling grain, taking out my equipment, cleaning the equipment, and putting it back away.

It definitely takes longer for me. Considering the mash takes 1 hr, boil takes 1hr. That just leaves 1.5 hrs to weigh grain, mill, heat strike water, sparge, lauter, heat wort to boiling, whirlpool, chill, evac to fermenter, hydrometer sample, aerate, pitch, clean boil kettle and other odds and ends. This is assuming you are heating sparge water while mashing and cleaning mash tun while boiling.

 

[Brulosopher]

1 quart is not nearly enough to preheat. if you are calculating using your m/t thermal mass value as 0, then you'll need a couple of gallons at least.
Secondly, I batch sparge 5 gallon brews (one hour mash) and my brew day with clean up is at four hours.

I preheat using my entire strike volume. Brew day is just about 4.5 hours after clean up

 

[Nil]

This are the final details about my first AG.

The OG was 1.05 and the FG = 1.01. The beer has a low alcohol level and not clear, despite that I used Irish moss.

The mashing time was 60 minutes @ 152-154F using 1.25qt/lb of grain. The sparging was (4 gallons) @ 168F for 60 minutes.

I was wondering if the mashing time was enough for full starch degradation. If degradation was not complete, this may explain the lack of clearness in the final beer as well as the relative short fermentation time (~3-5 days).

I guess that the best way to evaluate the mashing endpoint is via an iodine test.

 

[asterix404]

What temp was the beer fermenting at? Keep in mind that the beer might hit FG in a few days but spends quite a lot time cleaning up the intermediate stuff that yeast produces. Also, the yeast could be particularly floculant and just not like settling out even with irish moss. I am guessing that the beer will clear in a few days to another week or two.

Also I am just reading stuff about preheating your tun? A kettle of boiling water, let it sit for about 10min, drain it. It will still be really hot I promise you. Also it's really designed to get the vat warm to prevent too much heat loss. I have been doing this for years and I hit my strike temp spot on all of the time.

 

[Nil]

The fermentation temp was 68-70F.

My problem is that I don't feel the alcohol. I have a full extract formula that I can feel good cross with two-three beers. With this first AG, I need about five of them to feel something. That is why I believe that the conversion was not complete and thus the fermentation time was short, relative to my all extract formula, that take 7-10 days to ferment.

Next time I will use a longer mashing time (90 min) with less water (1qt/lb) and probably perform a mash-out before sparging.

Any suggestions will be appreciated.

Thanks, Nil

 

[timdsmith72]

If I follow the thread right, this beer was brewed on Jan. 8th, and you're already drinking it? I know Heffe's are better "fresh" but wow.
Oh well. If you like it, drink up!

 

[Gab1788]

It's probably cloudy because of the wheat. So it won't clear fully.

Gab.

 

[Nil]

Timdsmith, you have a valid point. The problem is that at day 5 of fermentation, the beer was dead so I decided to bottle. This was on Jan 13th. On Jan 23th, there were 10 days of carbonation. Still I did not see any carbon dioxide bubbles and it tasted low in alcohol.

There is something wrong with my AG or I am missing something.

Any comments will be appreciated.

Thanks, Nil

 

[Stankonia]

Give it more time in the fermenter..I leave my beers in primary for 2-3 weeks at the least. Even if it's done fermenting the beer can still benefit from the yeast.

Also, what did you use to formulate your recipe? It looks like you expected an original gravity of 1.087..but you used less than 10lbs of grain. When I put your recipe into BeerSmith it gives me an estimated O.G. of 1.053 which sounds like it's pretty close to what you got.

 

[asterix404]

So if the beer that you brewed was a heff it will never and should never clear. The only way to get a krystalwisse is to filter the beer with a very sharp filter. I am surprised you used irish moss with a heff. The heff actually means with and wisse is yeast, so the beer literally should be poured with yeast. Heff yeast doesn't really settle out very much. I know mine did under pressure from a keg in about 3 months. Also it tastes good.

 

[prrriiide]

I did pre-heated the tun before mashing with ~1 qt of water @ 200 F for 10 minutes. This is why I was surprised. The temperature shoulda go up and not down.

Thanks, Nil

I usually calculate what my sparge amount roughly will be and heat it up before I do my strike water. I use that to heat my tun. While the tun is preheating, I heat up my strike water. When the strike water hits temp, I pour the sparge water into my spare kettle, dough in with the strike water, and then set the sparge water back on the burner. Since it's usually already above my sparge temp, most times I just let it sit while the mash is going. After 60 min it's usually just about at the right temp for sparging. If it's a little under, I heat it, if it's a little over, I add cold water. Then sparge.