Not the typical first timers question

[trmarkel]

Thanks everyone again for their kind advice. I think I'm going to try deathbrew's stove-top method. It actually goes well with my apartment setup and my stove can boil 6 gallons easy. I may do a partial brew or two to get used to dealing with grain as well. Hopefully (fingers crossed) I'll have a house soon with a garage and I can get a full set up.

One last question though. I've decided to leave my first batch in primary for the entire fermentation(Thanks Jay, your advice sounded much more sound sober), the question I have is, what do I do with the 5 gallon carboy I have? Can I still make 5 gallon batches in it? Using a blow off valve of course, or should I reserve it for half batches? I'm planning on getting a 6.8 gallon carboy soon enough, just hoping the 5 gallon isn't a total waste.

 

[beerkrump]

How I use my 5 gallon carboy, in order of frequency of use...
1) Apfelwein.
2) Secondary additions to special brews. Fruit, oak, spices...
3) Bulk aging a RIS or barley wine that I'll be kegging.

 

[DrBrewDC]

Most of my "5 gallon" batches end up with 5 1/2 gallons in a 6 gallon primary and then to a 5 gallon secondary.

 

[Homercidal]

You can use that carboy for a second fermenter. That way while one is fermenting, you can brew another!

BIAB stovetop is a nice way to get started. And it fits all the other equipment sizes you have. Efficiency is a bit lower, but that's not a big deal anyway.

I highly recommend StarSan for sanitizer, +1 on the autosiphon (don't use in hot wort though. trust me), and honestly, if I had to do it all over again, I'd go IC instead of CFC. There's pros and cons to each, but after using a CFC exclusively, I really kind of want to build an IC. The CFC doesn't cool the entire volume of wort at one time, it can be hard to clean well, and there is the chance of clogging with hops and stuff. Yes, it's more efficient, but that difference is really not that much IMO.

That said, I'm not rushing to get rid of my CFC either. It still works.

 

[kapbrew13]

Thanks everyone again for their kind advice. I think I'm going to try deathbrew's stove-top method. It actually goes well with my apartment setup and my stove can boil 6 gallons easy. I may do a partial brew or two to get used to dealing with grain as well. Hopefully (fingers crossed) I'll have a house soon with a garage and I can get a full set up.

One last question though. I've decided to leave my first batch in primary for the entire fermentation(Thanks Jay, your advice sounded much more sound sober), the question I have is, what do I do with the 5 gallon carboy I have? Can I still make 5 gallon batches in it? Using a blow off valve of course, or should I reserve it for half batches? I'm planning on getting a 6.8 gallon carboy soon enough, just hoping the 5 gallon isn't a total waste.

Make two different batches at a time.

 

[bullinachinashop]

Thanks everyone again for their kind advice. I think I'm going to try deathbrew's stove-top method. It actually goes well with my apartment setup and my stove can boil 6 gallons easy. I may do a partial brew or two to get used to dealing with grain as well. Hopefully (fingers crossed) I'll have a house soon with a garage and I can get a full set up.

One last question though. I've decided to leave my first batch in primary for the entire fermentation(Thanks Jay, your advice sounded much more sound sober), the question I have is, what do I do with the 5 gallon carboy I have? Can I still make 5 gallon batches in it? Using a blow off valve of course, or should I reserve it for half batches? I'm planning on getting a 6.8 gallon carboy soon enough, just hoping the 5 gallon isn't a total waste.

Skeeter Pee

 

[trmarkel]

Skeeter Pee sounds delicious... and summer just starting hmmmm...

Turns out that my batch survived everyones ill will(so far anyway). Took my first hydrometer reading today since the start of fermentation. Smells like delicious beer, looks like delicious beer, taste like delicious beer... a bit yeasty though . Third day of fermentation and I'm at 1.022 with OG of 1.056. I can't hardly wait to drink this batch.

 

[ChandlerBang]

This thread made my day.

And check out Revvy's bottling tips sticky. It makes bottling WAAAAAAAAAAY easier than trying to just use the actual siphon.

Welcome to HBT.

 

[trmarkel]

I'm checking in after a long while. I have successfully brewed bottled and currently enjoying my first batch and have a Magic Hat #9 clone close to bottling and a pumpkin beer that I plan on aging until october, both all grain. Going fairly well. I was closer to 65% on my efficiency. So I have another question.

I am using a 10 gal mash tun for my mashing, 1.25 quarts per pound water, hitting a perfect 152 and 150 respectively for my batches, and batch sparging at 170, yet I have the terrible efficiency. Could it be the fact both of the grains were crushed at a HBS and therefore not crushed properly? or should I just be patient and wait for practice to make perfect?

 

[mrk305]

It could be your crush. That was the case with my local HBS. I just bought more grains to compensate. It was still cheaper to buy local than to have it shipped. Are you doing a double sparge with two equal amounts of water? That is what I do and I stir like crazy for about 5 minutes.

I also run off 8 gallons total and boil for 90 minutes to end up with just short of 6 gallons. Really I boil for longer than that because I do a two pot boil and don't start timing until the second pot starts boiling. The first pot boils for maybe 110 minutes.

Great thread by the way. Classic! I missed the beginning until today.

 

[trmarkel]

Haha, glad to entertain. I actually did do the double sparge on the second one and got the exact same efficiency. I did a 7 gallon boil (fun to say the least in a 7.5 gallon boil pot). i boiled down to 5 gallons. In the end it's not too big a deal, but I would like to be closer to 75% eventually.

 

[heferly]

Haha, glad to entertain. I actually did do the double sparge on the second one and got the exact same efficiency. I did a 7 gallon boil (fun to say the least in a 7.5 gallon boil pot). i boiled down to 5 gallons. In the end it's not too big a deal, but I would like to be closer to 75% eventually.

I would double crush at lhbs, or grab a crusher...efficiency will probably go way up...welcome back!

 

[trmarkel]

I was thinking about getting a crusher, is the Barley Crusher the best available?

 

[heferly]

I was thinking about getting a crusher, is the Barley Crusher the best available?

So many opinions on hbt about different mills...i love my barley crusher, but others like the monster mill, etc...i'd search, and know nothing beats your own crush, and being able to adjust it, condition the grain...basically have total control. Just skip the corona mills

 

[emjay]

I was thinking about getting a crusher, is the Barley Crusher the best available?

Best crusher? Not by a long shot.

Best bang-for-the-buck? Without a doubt.

 

[trmarkel]

Thank you for your suggestions, I haven't even seen the monster mill. I'll have to check it out. I like the looks of the barley crusher and not a bad price tag.

 

[mrk305]

My HBS recently got a barley crusher to replace their really old crusher. It works great!

They bought a Crankenstein and they were not happy with it at all.

Their old crusher was so worn out that the gap in the middle was much larger than the gap at the ends. The rollers were like bowlegged.

 

[heferly]

Thank you for your suggestions, I haven't even seen the monster mill. I'll have to check it out. I like the looks of the barley crusher and not a bad price tag.

Price is what pulled me in...and it's complete and ready to roll

 

[mrk305]

How many pounds of grains are you using per batch and what kind of gravity are you getting after the boil? I guess you shoud post yor recipe.

 

[trmarkel]

I figured it out! and I feel stupid. First batch I figure had bad efficiency due to a lot of factors, mostly poor temp control. The second batch i wasn't able to figure out until I opened my cabinet the other day and saw the candy sugar that was suposed to go in with the boil... looking at promash, the addition of the candy sugar would have brought me up to the gravity I was looking for, and a 75% efficiency, which i can live with.

I do have a question though, if i wanted to go ahead and add the candy sugar late, should I add it now, or in a few days when i transfer to secondary. It is a high gravity pumpkin beer that has been going for about 2 weeks and I plan on leaving it in secondary for at least another month before bottling.

 

[mrk305]

The sugar should have been boiled. I guess if you want to boil it now and make a syrup you should add it to the primary. After that settles down in a week or so secondary if you want.

 

[emjay]

It's really not that important to boil it, especially candi sugar, since it's already inverted.

 

[trmarkel]

Thanks again for the suggestions, I think I'll add it tonight and then rack when it seems to slow down... or wait a few more weeks. I figure it doesn't matter much as I'm not planning on opening my first pumpkin brew until late october anyway.