Newbee All Grain Checklist / Process Help

[RavensSRQ]

Hi all,

I am making my first attempt at an all grain CA. Common this weekend. If you wouldn't mind reviewing my process checklist and offer suggestions, I would greatly appreciate it. The bold highlights are statements I don't know to be true so feel free to correct them and or offer suggestions. This is for a 5.5 gallon to fermenter batch. Thanks in advance... Cheers

Brew Day Check List
Clean Equipment and Sanitized Equipment
Sanitization before each step as well
8 Gallon Boil Kettle- 5 Gallon Batch (5.5 to fermenter)
1)***** Prepare strike water @ 4.72 gallons
a.***** Preheat mash tun with 1 gallon of water- discard into bucket for cleaning water later
b.***** Preheat 4.72 gallons of water to about 170 in order to get to about 165 once this water is put into cooler (monitor this so you know exactly for next brew)
c.****** Mash in, add minerals for mash amounts (see bru’n water), stir very well and check temp. Settle temp should be 152 – Compensate with more stirring to cool or add hot water to raise.
d.***** Mash for 60 minutes - while preparing for step 2 / 2a
2)***** Prepare 5 gallons of 185 degree water for batch sparging
a.***** Iodine test @ 60 minutes. If more mash time is needed let sit for 15 minute intervals.
3)***** Drain mash tun
a.***** Vourlof- add runnings back to mash tun then drain as fast as your system allows, into boil kettle.
b.****** Measure boil kettle volume and subtract from preboil volume to get your sparge amount from kettle
4)***** Batch Sparge
a.***** Add minerals to mash, then predetermined amount of sparge water (mash runnings – preboil volume = sparge water)
b.***** Add 185 degree sparge water to mash tun, stir well, vourlof and drain as fast as your system will allow.
c.****** Should now have 7.24 gallons of wort
5)***** Preboil Gravity check- target 1.045 or 11.5 brix
a.***** If adjustments are needed now is the time to do so by adding dme to raise preboil gravity or water to lower preboil gravity- see beersmith calculator for adjustments
6)***** Bring Wort to a boil
a.***** May need to start out with 2 pots until hot break passes
b.***** Have spray bottle close for hot break
c.****** If 2 pots are needed add pot 2 to boil kettle after hot break passes
7)***** Start hop additions (after hot break) and start clock for 60 minute boil
a.***** 60 minute hop addition
b.***** 15 minute hop addition
c.****** 15 minute whirlfloc tablet addition
d.***** 15 minute (add chiller to boil, to sanitize)
e.***** 1 minute hop addition
8)***** Post Boil Volume- 6.24 Gallons Target (Sanitize measurement stick)
9)***** Sanitization now becomes extremely important
10)* Connect chiller to hose and outlet to bucket for cleaning water later (monitor bucket)
a.***** Chill as fast as possible to get down to 62 degrees using boil kettle lid as best as possible. May need tub of ice water. Have that on stand by
11)* Take OG reading- target 1.054 or 13.7 brix- Nothing clean can be done about this now. We hope it’s fairly close but it’s not the end of the world if it’s not. We Could potentially dilute or add dme but that would be a re-cooling process and a potential sanitization nightmare
12)* Whirlpool boil kettle being careful about it (Sanitize spoon)
13)* Transfer to Fermenter until we reach 5.5 gallons or less if that’s the case. Leave whirlpool trub in boil kettle. (sanitize tubing and primary Fermenter)
14)* Aerate wort with lid for about 20 minutes- (sanitize tubing and stone) Do not touch stone with bare hands (clogs the pores)
15)* Pitch yeast
a.***** Shake can, sanitize can and open very slowly as to not have non non non all over the place. Imperial cable car yeast. 200 billion No starter needed.
b.***** Place lid on fermenter, airlock with sanitizer
16)* Ferment in garage- Temp needs to be 62 degrees for 14 or so days.
a.***** After 12, 13 and 14 days take a gravity reading. If it doesn’t change it’s time to bottle
b.***** Final Gravity Target- 1.017 target

 

[smitty8202]

Brewersfriend.com has some pretty good checklists as well as brew day sheets. As far as yours goes it's pretty good and very in depth. I try not to overthink things too much. But as a new brewer it's good you have a process down.

 

[cowger]

Looks good. Just a couple comments from me:

When adding salts, I generally do the first addition directly to the dry grains (post crush); this could even be done the night before so you have one less step to deal with on brew day.

I add the 2nd set of salts directly to the sparge water (rather than to the mash) -- I'm thinking this gets them better mixed in, though with batch sparging, it's probably not that big of a difference.

In your step 7, I like to take some gravity readings at various times during the boil -- this gives me an idea of how it's progressing and I'll shorten / lengthen the boil a bit, as needed.

Looking forward to hearing how it goes!

 

[whip]

Brewersfriend.com has some pretty good checklists as well as brew day sheets. As far as yours goes it's pretty good and very in depth. I try not to overthink things too much. But as a new brewer it's good you have a process down.

I'm in complete agreement with smitty on this one. You got a good checklist and process in the works. I'm new to brewing and, in point of fact, using my new mashton tomorrow for the first time. I was doing BIAB prior to tomorrow, just have to pick up some iodine tomorrow morning when I run for coffee!

smitty8202 - Thanks for the tips about the brew day sheets, I'm going to check them out right now for tomorrow!

 

[Kampenken]

That's some list!! And I also agree with Smitty, go to BF and get their list.

Clean your equipment beforehand, do not be concerned with sterilization. Rule of thumb, no need to sterilize anything until you're down to the last minutes of the boil- any issues will get sterilized in the boiling wort. Of course maintain cleanliness, ideally with a product like PBW, never soap.

I assume your gallon calcs are based on a calculator like 365brew, if not go there and get them, no need to make any other measurements, but that's just me, I've not had issues with OG or leftover sparge water, and I hit my fermenter gallons, good move on aiming for 5.5g . I use a 8gal kettle, never start more than 6.5-7, I just add further in the boil and all is fine.

I don't get step 8. It is what it is at this point. DWRHAHB! Step 9, yes! Step 11, yes, relax, its ok, do not fuss with it. Step 12, not sure why, unless you're adding whirlpool hops, or you're just trying to collect trub and not add to fermenter (which I think you are). It appears you are using an IC and at this point will be chilling, to me its very important to move the IC around to speed up cooling process, constantly (not violent, just move, up/down, left/right, and if/when you insert a thermometer, stop moving, don't hit it- my brother did and broke his in the wort. Had to toss, ouch!). In 10-11 min you will be cooled to 90' or lower and can recirc with an ice bath (but you didn't mention this, so will need to continue on with the hose).

There are a few other things, if you're milling your own grains (and I'm imagining not) then do this the night before. Also clean night before. During the boil weigh out and number the hop additions. Record observations. And prepare your hose for cooling, get buckets ready if you wish to capture the hot exit water for cleaning.

I never bother with FG readings on the last 3 days as you noted. You're likely going to be close after about 4 days. The rest is yeast clean up time. I take FG when I'm bottling. Also, are you controlling temps? If not read into threads here, building a fermentation chamber (easy and can easily be <100) as well as the STC 1000+ thread- very good.

Last bit of advice. Don't drink while brewing, and of course enjoy!! With all your prep work and considerations you have here, I'm sure you're going to create good beer!

Cheers!

 

[suckerpunchltd]

Wow that's more detailed than my first all grain day (which was also my first ever brew day) checklist. I know now for certain I didn't aerate my wort enough prior to pitching yeast, but seemed to be ok because it fermented fast in about 4-5 days and I was bottling on day 7.

 

[RavensSRQ]

Brewersfriend.com has some pretty good checklists as well as brew day sheets. As far as yours goes it's pretty good and very in depth. I try not to overthink things too much. But as a new brewer it's good you have a process down.

Good point. Thank you for your input.

 

[RavensSRQ]

Thanks much. I'll try not to drink too much... Ha, ha...

 

[wilserbrewer]

I wouldn't bother with the one gallon preheat of your MT. 170 is too low if you want to strike at 165.

I would overheat my strike water to 180-185 and let that preheat the tun. Stir or add a few ice cubes if too hot.

6c - Rather than using 2 pots, reserve a gallon or so and slowly add that in once your boiling. Easier than using 2 pots.

 

[RavensSRQ]

I wanted to thank you all for your help and input. Everything went great this weekend. My pre-boil gravity and OG were spot on. The only two minor glitches- we forgot the whirlfloc and we ended up with about a half gallon of too much pre boil wort. Just enough for a good taste by myself, my bro and my dog. All in all, a great first brew- so far.