Newb question

[Pomylka22]

I have a question for you all.....how long did it take before you had "figured out" all grain brewing? I just finished my 3rd all grain batch and while I feel comfortable with all of the steps and process I just can't seem to hit all my numbers or be as efficient as I need/want to be. I know that practice makes perfect but I'm ready to start drinking good beer again!! )

 

[Sadu]

My first AG batch was excellent. Blew me away actually.

I chose a simple APA recipe with just cascade, not too big. Good instructions and no sparge biab, us05 yeast which is pretty reliable.

I think keeping it simple is pretty important initially, aim for 70% efficiency and pick a recipe that will work fine if you miss your gravity. Pale ales seem good, I have missed gravity on those by over 10 points and they are still good.

Plenty of good folk here who can help diagnose issues if you post more detail.

 

[Jaxmickey]

I only know all grain. I had issues in the beginning hitting my #s, but narrowed it down to the drain in my mash tun was too high and I left a lot of good wart in the bottom. I moved my ball valve down to about 1/2" above the bottom and it seems to help a lot. The other issue was my crush. I don't have a mill, but my LBS does it for free. I didn't know the mill gap until I asked one day. It was way over, and I asked if I could get it reduced to 1.035. they said sure, and I don't have any issues now unless I forget to ask.

As far as FG, you want to make sure you're pitching the right amount of yeast. Under pitching will probably be the #1 reason that you're not hitting FG

Hope this helps.

Hope this helps.

 

[h22lude]

What are you using to calculate volumes and gravity? Any software/calculator you use will take a few batches to dial in your system. I use BeerSmith (and recommend it to everyone). Other calculators are good but don't have the same features as BeerSmith. What is nice about BS is you save your equipment profile so once you dial it in, you enter your recipe you found online and BeerSmith with adjust it to your system. So if the recipe is a 5.5 gallon batch with OG of 1.054 at 78% efficiency but you do 5 gallon batches and your efficiency is only 67%, BeerSmith will adjust that recipe to your 5 gallon batches and 67% efficiency. You will be using a little more grains and hops than the 78% recipe but it will come out close to as what the recipe is as possible.

You also need to take very very good notes when brewing. Take down all volumes and all gravity readings. This will help you dial in your system. You need your grain absorption (depending on if you squeeze the grains, let them drip or drain your tun and leave whatever water the grains absorbed in there. You need boil off which is easy. Put in a certain amount of water, boil for an hour and measure the difference. You can boil for 30 minutes and multiple by 2. Then you need trub left in the kettle. So basically the volume you have after boiling minus what you put into the fermentor. I'd say typically .5 gallons. After a few batches or measuring all those, you will getting your volumes and gravity pretty damn close to estimated.

 

[kh54s10]

I would guess it took between batch 5 and 10 to nail the numbers. Batches 1-10 were very good beers though. At batch ~80, I still miss the numbers occasionally, not sure why. but past experience tells me - What the heck, it'll be good...

Temperatures and volumes are the most important to work on. I have a braid in my mash tun. I tilt it to get most of the wort out. I measure the volume going into the boil kettle and adjust my sparge amounts to collect as close to my preboil need without leaving a lot of wort in the tun. My numbers are fairly consistent at ~70% efficiency.

 

[mongoose33]

I follow the continuous quality improvement approach--every time I try to do something just a little bit better. It works, at least for me.

I did three extract brews before I switched to all-grain (mash tun, not BIAB). The first and second AG brews were drinkable but there were recipe issues. I suspect I also had some other issues but over time I've corrected them.

I think it was the 3rd AG brew were I said "Wow!" Might have been the 4th, I'd have to consult my notebook.

I just did my 16th AG brew on Saturday. Each one has been good, I've had others asking for more. It's that second one that counts, when they want to go back for more.

There was only one blip along the way where I changed four things in the brew (I knew better but I did it anyway). I'd read that first-wort hopping produced a smoother bitterness which sounded good to me. It also upped the IBUs, which I hadn't anticipated. That beer came in harsh, so much so that I considered dumping it. But over time it's mellowed and become drinkable. I no longer do first-wort hopping; if I try it again I'll read up more on it and correct the recipe.

 

[h22lude]

I measure the volume going into the boil kettle and adjust my sparge amounts to collect as close to my preboil need without leaving a lot of wort in the tun. My numbers are fairly consistent at ~70% efficiency.

This is a good point for newer brewers. Calculators are great may nothing is better than real time measurements. If the software says 2 gallons of sparge but you are still short, pour some more water through the grains to get your volume. If you start sparging and it looks like you may end up with too much, stop sparging.

 

[kh54s10]

This is a good point for newer brewers. Calculators are great may nothing is better than real time measurements. If the software says 2 gallons of sparge but you are still short, pour some more water through the grains to get your volume. If you start sparging and it looks like you may end up with too much, stop sparging.

I batch sparge and aim to leave very little behind in the tun for two reasons. One is that what is left has some sugars in it which I would rather have in my BK. Second is that water is heavy. I want the tun as light a possible when I carry it to the compost pile to dump.

So, I usually sparge in 2 additions, I do the first, after measuring the first runnings, with a little over half of what I need for my preboil amount. I then measure my volume again and do a second sparge with only a tiny bit more than I need to get to my preboil volume.

I don't even look at what the program says I need for sparge water. I just use my measurements.

 

[h22lude]

I batch sparge and aim to leave very little behind in the tun for two reasons. One is that what is left has some sugars in it which I would rather have in my BK. Second is that water is heavy. I want the tun as light a possible when I carry it to the compost pile to dump.

So, I usually sparge in 2 additions, I do the first, after measuring the first runnings, with a little over half of what I need for my preboil amount. I then measure my volume again and do a second sparge with only a tiny bit more than I need to get to my preboil volume.

I don't even look at what the program says I need for sparge water. I just use my measurements.

Excellent idea. I have been doing full volume mashing for a couple years now but I was doing 1 batch sparge when I first started AG and would use BeerSmith too much. I like BeerSmith but real time measuring is needed. Your process is a great way to get the boil full you need.

 

[Pomylka22]

What are you using to calculate volumes and gravity? Any software/calculator you use will take a few batches to dial in your system. I use BeerSmith (and recommend it to everyone). Other calculators are good but don't have the same features as BeerSmith. What is nice about BS is you save your equipment profile so once you dial it in, you enter your recipe you found online and BeerSmith with adjust it to your system. So if the recipe is a 5.5 gallon batch with OG of 1.054 at 78% efficiency but you do 5 gallon batches and your efficiency is only 67%, BeerSmith will adjust that recipe to your 5 gallon batches and 67% efficiency. You will be using a little more grains and hops than the 78% recipe but it will come out close to as what the recipe is as possible.

You also need to take very very good notes when brewing. Take down all volumes and all gravity readings. This will help you dial in your system. You need your grain absorption (depending on if you squeeze the grains, let them drip or drain your tun and leave whatever water the grains absorbed in there. You need boil off which is easy. Put in a certain amount of water, boil for an hour and measure the difference. You can boil for 30 minutes and multiple by 2. Then you need trub left in the kettle. So basically the volume you have after boiling minus what you put into the fermentor. I'd say typically .5 gallons. After a few batches or measuring all those, you will getting your volumes and gravity pretty damn close to estimated.

I use BeerSmith for brewing software. I haven't played around with it too much yet though. I have been taking notes along the way in my Brewers spiral. I know that I will get it all down. I think I'm still figuring out equipment and boil off rates but confident I'll hammer it out!! Thank you for your advice!!

 

[Pomylka22]

What are you using to calculate volumes and gravity? Any software/calculator you use will take a few batches to dial in your system. I use BeerSmith (and recommend it to everyone). Other calculators are good but don't have the same features as BeerSmith. What is nice about BS is you save your equipment profile so once you dial it in, you enter your recipe you found online and BeerSmith with adjust it to your system. So if the recipe is a 5.5 gallon batch with OG of 1.054 at 78% efficiency but you do 5 gallon batches and your efficiency is only 67%, BeerSmith will adjust that recipe to your 5 gallon batches and 67% efficiency. You will be using a little more grains and hops than the 78% recipe but it will come out close to as what the recipe is as possible.

You also need to take very very good notes when brewing. Take down all volumes and all gravity readings. This will help you dial in your system. You need your grain absorption (depending on if you squeeze the grains, let them drip or drain your tun and leave whatever water the grains absorbed in there. You need boil off which is easy. Put in a certain amount of water, boil for an hour and measure the difference. You can boil for 30 minutes and multiple by 2. Then you need trub left in the kettle. So basically the volume you have after boiling minus what you put into the fermentor. I'd say typically .5 gallons. After a few batches or measuring all those, you will getting your volumes and gravity pretty damn close to estimated.

I use BeerSmith for brewing software. I haven't played around with it too much yet though. I have been taking notes along the way in my Brewers spiral. I know that I will get it all down. I think I'm still figuring out equipment and boil off rates but confident I'll hammer it out!! Thank you for your advice!!

I would guess it took between batch 5 and 10 to nail the numbers. Batches 1-10 were very good beers though. At batch ~80, I still miss the numbers occasionally, not sure why. but past experience tells me - What the heck, it'll be good...

Temperatures and volumes are the most important to work on. I have a braid in my mash tun. I tilt it to get most of the wort out. I measure the volume going into the boil kettle and adjust my sparge amounts to collect as close to my preboil need without leaving a lot of wort in the tun. My numbers are fairly consistent at ~70% efficiency.

I paid a lot closer attention to temperatures throughout the whole process this time. I did get 5 gallons out of the boil kettle but I am still trying to perfect the volume side of things.

KH do you batch sparge?

 

[GHBWNY]

My first AG batch was excellent. Blew me away actually. ...I chose a simple APA recipe with just cascade, not too big. Good instructions and no sparge biab, us05 yeast which is pretty reliable.

Not to downplay your brewing skills by any means, but I think one could boil dirty socks in Cascade and S-05 and end up with a good brew.

 

[ExperimentalMental]

KH I hear ya man. I got a compost pile for my other hobby, and that mash tun is heavy. If you make starters for your yeast, I have a solution. Add water to mash tun to extract all the sugars, then freeze the wort and use for yeast starters.

 

[user 141939]

Boil off rate has always been the hardest thing for me to pin down. I feel like it changes with the seasons, or of there is a slight breeze.

I try to measure halfway through the boil, if I'm losing to much will add a little water. If not enough I will increase the heat.

 

[helibrewer]

Boil off rate has always been the hardest thing for me to pin down. I feel like it changes with the seasons, or of there is a slight breeze.

I try to measure halfway through the boil, if I'm losing to much will add a little water. If not enough I will increase the heat.

Yes. I finally setup summer and winter equipment profiles in BeerSmith for this reason.