Small beer making to not waste any grain

[Mumathomebrew]

A long second mash still seems to get a good amount of sugars out of the grains even when they've been rinsed twice in a first brews mashy type sparge. I'm doing a triple small saucepan lot as we speak from our largest brew to date, a 20 Litre batch. It is a nice way to play with more adventurous recipes because it doesn't matter if it doesn't work as it's first beer waste anyway. We will then dry the grain out and use the flour for dog biscuits.

Just did a rooibos tea one and it was 1.71%, so fruity and very refreshing. I'm not sure what to do with these yet. I reckon there will be enough to make three separate gallon demis.

We save grated peels anyway from oranges and lemons as we eat them, by placing them in sugar and can use it for cakes, beers or whatever, because the smell is fabulous.

Anyone used lemon rind as a sort of late hops substitute or as well as hops? I've used orange rind before in the fursty ferret-alike.

 

[madscientist451]

I've used grapefruit peels I dried in the oven in an IPA and it works ok.
The flavor fades pretty fast though, so brewing a small batch and using it up is a good idea.

 

[Mumathomebrew]

Well this may not work as well as I'd hoped because I didn't re-mash it immediately. I left the spent grain sitting a day, so maybe the remaining amylase (if there is any left) won't work any more. It's been sitting an hour in the mash and doesn't taste very sweet. I could put some new grain in as well but I need to look up how much new amylase in what quantity of grain could 'carry' the rest. I might be beating a dead duck though.

I'll not give up yet, as it might just take a much longer while, but next time I'll do it straight away. I'm sure I left the spent grain sitting a while with the last lot but can't remember.

 

[Saunassa]

I have had grain get a slight sour smell after a day or two in the bucket when I did not feel like lugging it across the yard in the dark to dump it by the neighbors. Could it have been starting to sour? Not knowledgeable about that.

 

[Mumathomebrew]

It's ages now and none are particularly sweet. So maybe it will be a pure small beer fail this time but it has worked successfully with the last beer which was delicious for such a low abv. I will take a hydrometer reading and try sweetening a batch to see what happens. All in the name of an experiment and so as not to waste. It will be grainy flavoured alco water at worst and that could be nice too. We'll see.

 

[Dr_Jeff]

The enzymes would have converted all of the starches in the first mash, so there will be no additional conversion.. There could possibly some residual sugars in the grain, that would be the best that you could hope for if you do it right away or wait a day or longer.

Don't beat the duck.

Well this may not work as well as I'd hoped because I didn't re-mash it immediately. I left the spent grain sitting a day, so maybe the remaining amylase (if there is any left) won't work any more. It's been sitting an hour in the mash and doesn't taste very sweet. I could put some new grain in as well but I need to look up how much new amylase in what quantity of grain could 'carry' the rest. I might be beating a dead duck though.

I'll not give up yet, as it might just take a much longer while, but next time I'll do it straight away. I'm sure I left the spent grain sitting a while with the last lot but can't remember.

 

[Mumathomebrew]

I decided to spare the poor duck but persevered by leaving the mash all day. No foam, so no action but there was a little sugar left in them. The pans were 1.012, 1.014 and 1.016 so I mixed them all up and then divided it into two boils. One I've added my jam jar full of lemons peels in an undefined quantity of sugar (3/4 of a jam jar). The SG before boil was 1.026, then added 2.1g goldings @60'. The smell is lovely but it's missing something interesting (probably malt) so I've made a pot of earl grey tea and will condition with brown sugar. I may taste it and see if it needs any jaggery or molasses in to make up for the missing malt. The other one I will do the same with but use the jar full of orange rinds.

Might all be awful but might all be fab. All I hope for is drinkable and refreshing, not medals.

edit:-
Notes for No. 1
SG of base liquid 1.015
+ lemon and sugar brought SG to 1.027
@60' - 2.1g goldings
@40 - 1 to 2 oz jaggery (didn't weigh)
@30'ish - pot earl grey tea using two teabags
@10' - Irish Moss
@6.50' - 2.1g Amarillo hops
S04 yeast
FG after boil 1.035

Notes for No. 2.
Base liquid SG 1.015
@60' - 2.1g goldings + half a jam jar full of orange rind with sugar. I think there were two oranges and 200g white sugar and its been sitting about four days +.
@30' - smelled it to see what was needed. Added 100g jaggery for caramel notes
@15' - added the other half of the jar of orange sugar zest.
@10' - Irish moss
@5' - Amarillo hops 2.1g
S04 yeast
FG after boil 1.044 (probably a bit high... oops... no room for water)