Duffer
Well-Known Member
Sunday NorWa brew meet was great! Lots of folks, lots of BBQ, me running the new stand and another running his extract-plus. For me, first run with electronic controlled RIMS, first with crush @ 0.035", first with mid-mash stirring (trying to improve efficiency), first 90 minute mash. My iodine may be old. Conversion didn't seem complete at 60 mins. Really hard to read too with such a dark wort.
Did my 'biggest' beer yet. A strong Scotch Ale. 10 gal batch, 30# grain bill. Target O.G. 1.082
Some of the probs: I used Brewblogger for my water amounts calcs. Target boil volume 12gals, 1.33qts/lb (default), assumed 6gal grain absorption (also default). = 10gal strike & 10.5gal sparge.
That ended up being way too much water! Strike water was a good 2" above the grain once the RIMS started and everything settled. I did a fly-sparge and in 45 mins had to stop cuz I had 12.7 gallons in the BK and still had sparge water left! That boil was right at the top! Had to boil an extra 20mins to get the volume down.
Maybe the grain absorption was less cuz the grain had been crushed weeks ago? (in paper bags in house) Maybe 1.33qts/lb is too wet? (three-keggle system btw) Maybe I 'calibrated' my sight tubes wrong!?
So the kicker was: I pulled an S.G. from what was left in the mash and it was still 1.040! I threw the rest of the sparge water in, drained it all and boiled it seperately with some scrounged Chinook hops on a seperate kettle as its own mystery brew! Ended up with 3 gallons of 1.035
Everything is fermenting nicely now.
Seems like I read somewhere that this '2nd run' is not uncommon for high O.G. beers in the commercial world?
oh, and the 1st run efficiency was right at 70%. Boy if I could have squeezed it all into one batch.
It was challenging, but lots of fun!
Did my 'biggest' beer yet. A strong Scotch Ale. 10 gal batch, 30# grain bill. Target O.G. 1.082
Some of the probs: I used Brewblogger for my water amounts calcs. Target boil volume 12gals, 1.33qts/lb (default), assumed 6gal grain absorption (also default). = 10gal strike & 10.5gal sparge.
That ended up being way too much water! Strike water was a good 2" above the grain once the RIMS started and everything settled. I did a fly-sparge and in 45 mins had to stop cuz I had 12.7 gallons in the BK and still had sparge water left! That boil was right at the top! Had to boil an extra 20mins to get the volume down.
Maybe the grain absorption was less cuz the grain had been crushed weeks ago? (in paper bags in house) Maybe 1.33qts/lb is too wet? (three-keggle system btw) Maybe I 'calibrated' my sight tubes wrong!?
So the kicker was: I pulled an S.G. from what was left in the mash and it was still 1.040! I threw the rest of the sparge water in, drained it all and boiled it seperately with some scrounged Chinook hops on a seperate kettle as its own mystery brew! Ended up with 3 gallons of 1.035
Everything is fermenting nicely now.
Seems like I read somewhere that this '2nd run' is not uncommon for high O.G. beers in the commercial world?
oh, and the 1st run efficiency was right at 70%. Boy if I could have squeezed it all into one batch.
It was challenging, but lots of fun!
Hahaha
