14 Things I Learned - First All Grain

[Nerdie]

I wrote this down for my own reference for my next brew but I thought it was worth sharing.

14 Things I Learned from first All grain (Step Mash)

1. Don’t run Little Giant PUMP Dry! Open valves even if pump is not turned on so water can prime.

2. Take out liquid yeast (white lab) when brewing to equalize temperature.

3. Can’t use cheap black and decker drill , not enough power, have to use Milwaukee drill to grind barley.

4. Default setting on Barley Crusher is supposedly .039 inch. I measured .85 mm about .035 inch which looks like a great crush to me. Use a standard 5 gallon bucket since the mill fits perfectly in it!

5. 16 lbs of grain fills up a whole bucket. I needed 2 buckets for the 10 gallon batches.

6. Use carbon filtered water, it is fast and easy by taking out the pressure regulator in RO system it should go through sediment and two carbon filters.

7. Water drains out completely from HLT due to dip tube. Great for controlling water volumes and temperature.

8. If target temperature is 145* and you transfer 145* from HLT to MLT it will be 140*. Instead try 150* from HLT (ambient thermometer read 80* on keggle).

9. The thermometer in MLT doesn’t reach the strike water but measures the mash temperature once grains are mashed. I needed another portable thermometer to make sure temperature was 145* in the MLT. I may want to get another thermometer in a “T” in the drain valve.

10. I don’t need an insulator on my MLT the temperature didn’t even change (also 80* outside)! I have a beautiful cut bubble foil insulator but won’t use it since it is an extra step to remove while fire is lit.

11. Cover lid on BK (Boiling Kettle) to bring to a boiler a lot faster, especially at higher volumes.

12. Need two pumps to fly sparge – and probably not worth it at this point.

13. Batch sparging seems great and fast as the grain didn’t taste like it had any sugar left afterwards! Don’t mash out (That is, don’t bring mash temperature up to high 160*F by adding boiling water). Next time vorlauf and completely drain first runnings. Then try to get temperature of mash to 170* when batch sparging so sugars run off easier by using hot sparge water which is 180-185*. Do an equal volume double sparge to reach target volume. Stir for a couple minutes, vorlauf – no need to wait.

14. Whirlpool while chilling to cool faster then remove chiller when target temperature is reached. Continue to whirlpool for 5 mins slightly higher in order to aerate the wort. Remove whirlpool arm and let sit for 20-30 minutes so trub (hops and cold break) can settle.

 

[Hello]

Sounds like the first time went wonderful! Congrats!

#8 is definitely necessary. In fact, my brew software tells me to heat strike water to one temp based on data I've I putted about grain temp, dead space, and mash tun temp.

#9 always have another thermometer handy if relying on one just inside your Mt or kettle.

#11 totally.

#13 is a matter of preference mostly. I mash out using BIAB but not traditional all grain. I've never fly sparged.

 

[Nerdie]

I have a single-tier, propane powered, 3 keggle system - HLT (thermometer, drain valve, dip tube, sight glass), MLT (false bottom, dip tube, drain valve, thermometer), BK (drain valve, thermometer, side dip tube)

Using silicone tubing with quick disconnects, 50 ft , ½” copper recirculation arm immersion chiller, Little Giant Pump, Barley Crusher.

I had my system made 2 years ago but haven’t had time to brew!

Failed at whirlpooling, just have more trub in the fermenters. I thought I was going to fly sparge but couldn’t so I didn’t really implement batch sparge correctly. I think I got a good efficiency either way. Tried to do starch test with Iodophor but didn't work.

Here is the recipe:

August 20, 2014
Silver Dollar Porter (FIRST ALL GRAIN!) pg 311
10 gallons (38l)

16 lbs. pale malted barley (Organic Briess)
2 lbs. Dark Munich Malt
1 lb. Crystal malt (I had already for a while)
1 lb. Black (patent) malt (I had already for a while)
1 lb. chocolate malt (I had already for a while)
2 tsp. gypsum
2 oz. Northern Brewer hops (boiling) Alpha 12.3%
1 oz. Cascade hops (boiling) Alpha 4.0%
1 oz. Cascade hops (aroma) Apha 4.0%
1 tsp. Irish Moss leaves
2 viles Liquid American Ale Yeast

Use 5 gallon carbon filtered water with 1 tsp of gypsum water at 145* and added grains crushed at default settings on Barley Crusher - supposedly .039 inch (.85 mm with feeler gauge which is .033?). Mixed grains and water, stabilized at 136* for 30 minutes. Add 2.5 gallons of boiling water to raised temperature to 155*, stabilized for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Added heat to raise temperature to 158* for 20 minutes. (Then I think I added more heat to raise temperature to 168*, not sure though). Vorlauf and took first runnings - I didn’t empty all liquid completely- I should have but left water at the top because I thought I could fly sparge. Batch sparged 6 gallons of 170* water with 1 tsp of gypsum doing 3 gallons at a time. Mixed 3 gallons, let sit for 5 mins, vorlauf, drain and then repeat for third runnings. Added boiling hops and boiled for 50 minutes. Added 1 tsp of Irish Moss and added chiller to sanitize and then boiled 8 more minutes. Then added aroma hops and boiled for 2 minutes. Cooled the wort

Problems: Only had two 5 gallon batches. I really wanted two 5.5 gallon batches. Whirlpooling really didn’t work for me. Didn’t measure SG.

8/20/2014 Pitched yeast at 80*. Started fermented the next day.

 

[passedpawn]

You'll need 2 pumps if you want to use a HERMS or RIMS, because at the same time you need a pump on the HLT to circulate the water there. You say the temps didn't change, but in my experience hitting the initial mash temps isn't always possible, and the HERMS/RIMS fixes that quickly.

So, even if you are batch- and not fly-sparging, that second pump will come in handy.

I'd like to see more post from you Nerdie. See you round the forum.

 

[Hello]

You'll need 2 pumps if you want to use a HERMS or RIMS, because at the same time you need a pump on the HLT to circulate the water there. You say the temps didn't change, but in my experience hitting the initial mash temps isn't always possible, and the HERMS/RIMS fixes that quickly.

So, even if you are batch- and not fly-sparging, that second pump will come in handy.

I'd like to see more post from you Nerdie. See you round the forum.

Agreed. Can't wait to see more posts from you. That's quite a setup.

 

[Nerdie]

Oh thanks you guys are so experienced, informed, great and so welcoming. I learned so much from you guys even though I am/was a lurker. You know you can read and read but you always need the experience of actually doing an all grain. I made a list of over 10 things to complete before my next brew this week.

All I know about home brewing is from reading Charlie Papazian's two books and mainly this forum. I never brewed with anyone with experience but the forums a good replacement, looking at the pictures I feel like I was there and I could learn some stuff. I still get nervous that I am doing something completely wrong and don't even know it.

On another note:
1.) I was looking for the hose in my picture for like 1 hour. I never found it until just now looking at the picture of my set up!

2.) BTW, the stand is stainless steel even though it doesn't look like it.

3.) Reminded me, I have to post on "Show us your Sculpture Brew Rig"

 

[Bamsdealer]

Nice write up. I'm laughing at the black and decker drill. My 12v bd caught on fire 8lbs into the crush. Lol.

I have an old corded drill that's now my dedicated crush drill.