1st All Grain brew day

[Infantryjared1]

Assembled, cleaned and brewed in my Grainfather today! Went with a amber ale recipe from Palmer's How to brew book. Punched in the recipe on the app and hit all the numbers to the tee. Also learned quite a few things that will speed my time for the next one. Planned on brewing in the kitchen, but faucet wasnt compatible so wound up in the basement using the utility tub faucet for water and cooling. Will be getting a hot plate for sparge water and a big kettle, 3 trips up to the kitchen and back for sparge water. All in all was very enjoyable and am very glad I made the switch. Thanks to everyone for the advice along my journey! I look forward to many more, and learning all i can. Cheers!

 

[RM-MN]

Assembled, cleaned and brewed in my Grainfather today! Went with a amber ale recipe from Palmer's How to brew book. Punched in the recipe on the app and hit all the numbers to the tee. Also learned quite a few things that will speed my time for the next one. Planned on brewing in the kitchen, but faucet wasnt compatible so wound up in the basement using the utility tub faucet for water and cooling. Will be getting a hot plate for sparge water and a big kettle, 3 trips up to the kitchen and back for sparge water. All in all was very enjoyable and am very glad I made the switch. Thanks to everyone for the advice along my journey! I look forward to many more, and learning all i can. Cheers!

With your own mill and tight adjustment it wouldn't be uncommon to exceed the expected numbers. You have to decide if the finer grain particles will work with your Grainfather.

Sparging with cool water is approximately as efficient in extracting the sugars as with hot water and much easier to deal with. No hot plate, no big kettle, no handling hot water to pour over the grain.

 

[Infantryjared1]

With your own mill and tight adjustment it wouldn't be uncommon to exceed the expected numbers. You have to decide if the finer grain particles will work with your Grainfather.

Sparging with cool water is approximately as efficient in extracting the sugars as with hot water and much easier to deal with. No hot plate, no big kettle, no handling hot water to pour over the grain.

I've heard that hot tap water would work but never had a full explanation of why it is you're supposed to sparge around 165-170. My only guess was help not thicken the grains and prevent a stuck sparge

 

[BrewInspector]

The 170 or so sparge temp is really for fly sparge. The temp stops processes of conversion that would continue over the lengthy period of time required to complete a fly sparge. If you batch sparge or similar the process of sparging is so much quicker that it doesn't matter.

 

[Infantryjared1]

Thanks for the info, saves me fom getting my cardio! I was pretty wore out from doing the stairmaster lol

 

[McKnuckle]

170° for a short period guarantees that both alpha and beta amylase are denatured and can no longer continue to work. This is done traditionally because in a brewery setting, it can take a long time to run off the large volume of mash. This is not usually the case in a home setting.