Ok, new AG system went terribly wrong!

[Kadmium]

So I brewed an AG with my new system, here is a few bullet points on the brew day from hell!


Recipe as follows

#8 pilsner malt
#.45 crystal 60L
#2 Vienna

Mashed in at 150 for an ALE... a bit low but thats ok! sparge would not clear. It would not come out a nice clear colour (like tea) came out more like hot chocolate... no visible grain pieces, but like muddy water... nothing I could do, so I siphoned anyway. Cooker would not bring wort the to boil, only a gentle boil more like an active simmer... came out almost a gallon short post boil and 2 gallons short pre boil. Got 65% efficiency.... various bits and pieces came loose, floated up etc during mash / boil. Mash was way too thick. I think I boiled some grains meaning its going to be verry tannin like... in all it was a terrible brew day...

But on the plus side, I know my system now. I have fixed up all the little problems I had with it. Know how my system works, got a better and bigger burner etc. So I think this next brew day should go down a treat. I guess it didnt help having a few too many home brews while doing it, but by that stage I was in the whole "just get it over and done with and into the fermenter allready"

On the plus side, it kicked off within 8 hours and is going strong. Smells OK, nothing terrible and the sample of wort wasnt bitter... but time shall tell!



Edit: On a side note, this was an atempt at my hause ale I usually make with extract. So for my first AG on my new system and by myself, and considering it went terribly wrong, its going to be called
"Hause burnt down ale"

 

[jagg]

lol, that is funny, wish you better luck next time, on the bright side, you still made some beer, it will prolly be good to

 

[Willsellout]

If your short pre boil, add some water in there man! All it will do is boil off, no harm done.
As far as the wort being muddy, that's fine..it isn't going to be crystal clear, but you want to minimize the big grains from getting through. I wouldn't worry about tannins, there wouldn't be enough grains to do any damage during the boil.
As far as the mash temp..you will be fine. I did my first AG at about 149 and it came out beautiful!

Congrats!


Dan

 

[Lil' Sparky]

One thing to consider - did you do a starch conversion test w/ iodine? If the conversion wasn't done, I think that can keep your wort from clearing right. Usually my runoff is pretty clear, but I wouldn't worry about it. Keep at it, and you'll get it down.

 

[Willsellout]

One thing to consider - did you do a starch conversion test w/ iodine? If the conversion wasn't done, I think that can keep your wort from clearing right. Usually my runoff is pretty clear, but I wouldn't worry about it. Keep at it, and you'll get it down.

This is something I didn't do..but need to start doing. Is it allright to use iodophor?


Dan

 

[Castawayales]

Go to the drugstore and pick up tincture of iodine (for cuts). It will expire before you use it up.

Barry

 

[GoatFarmersInternational]

Sounds like things just went a little wrong... I mean, nobody was injured, no carboys were broken, nothing caught on fire. For your first AG I'd say it went okay

 

[Kadmium]

well... there was ONE casualty... we dropped a home brew on the floor (a nice cold, 6 month old lager, one of about 10 left) needless to say it blew up all over the place... anyway, the beer is smelling, looking and well sounding? great! its a nice straw colour. Once it is kegged I will take a pic of it for y'all! thanks for the assurance. It just felt like it went so messy, not as smooth as when my mate was helping me on his old system... ohwell!

but on the bright side, I didnt have to toss it! PS, I knew all the sugars were extracted because when I tasted the left over malt, it was like poridge consistency with no flavour left... it seemed like a good enough result to me!

 

[Drunkensatyr]

It is amazing how even a bad brew day can still make GREAT beer