Damoxemus
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- Jul 7, 2012
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So yeah, gonna do my first AG this weekend. Probably a Porter from the Recipe section.
I've read Hot To Brew, did an assist on an AG batch a few months ago and have read through quite a bit of the stickies and other threads. I still have a couple questions though.
I have a new 9 gallon kettle with temp probe and 3 piece Ball lock valve, and a 10 gallon Igloo MT (Round). I plan on doing a 5 gallon batch.
First Question: I've read that putting only 10-15lbs. of grain in a such a big cooler can lead to it losing temp during the mash. Should I get the water a bit hotter, or put some aluminum foil over the grain bed while it's mashing. Can't remember where I heard about the latter but seems worth a shot.
Second Question: Determining Efficiency - Before I start the boil f I'd like to know what the efficiency of the mash is. That way if it comes up short I can add some DME at the end of the boil. We did this on my first day with a refractometer, which I do not have. Should I just cool some to room temp and check with my hydrometer? If so, are there any tips on how to do this quickly/efficiently?
Any other tips would also be great appreciated.
Thanks!
I've read Hot To Brew, did an assist on an AG batch a few months ago and have read through quite a bit of the stickies and other threads. I still have a couple questions though.
I have a new 9 gallon kettle with temp probe and 3 piece Ball lock valve, and a 10 gallon Igloo MT (Round). I plan on doing a 5 gallon batch.
First Question: I've read that putting only 10-15lbs. of grain in a such a big cooler can lead to it losing temp during the mash. Should I get the water a bit hotter, or put some aluminum foil over the grain bed while it's mashing. Can't remember where I heard about the latter but seems worth a shot.
Second Question: Determining Efficiency - Before I start the boil f I'd like to know what the efficiency of the mash is. That way if it comes up short I can add some DME at the end of the boil. We did this on my first day with a refractometer, which I do not have. Should I just cool some to room temp and check with my hydrometer? If so, are there any tips on how to do this quickly/efficiently?
Any other tips would also be great appreciated.
Thanks!