About to start my third partial mash

[TheLodger]

My second (Smuttynose Old Dog Clone) is in the fermenter, my first (Fat Tire Clone) is ready to drink and I just cracked open my first.

Not bad, but tasted almost watered down, which got me asking a couple of questions going into my next batch.

I'm using the Austin Home Brew instructions which essentially has me taking 2 1/2 gallons of water to 155 for steeping, and taking 1 quart of 170 degree water for ever 2lb of grain to pour over bag into wort.

Now, I took a gander at Death Brewers magnificant Partial mash thread, going to try his steeping into the sparge, rather than pour the sparge over the grains, but my questions is, should I use more water for the wort? I mean I've got a 20 qt kettle, but do I have enough grain (3 1/2 pounds of grain, 5lbs of extract) to justify more wort for the fermenter?

If so, what's the best equation/ratio to use to figure out how much water?

Also, any addl tips in this whole mini mash deal would be very welcome.

 

[Shooter]

Is this a steeping kit or a mini-mash?!?! The Austin Home Brew instructions sound like more like instructions for steeping. However, that's a lot of grain for steeping. That's almost three quarts of water per pound. Most mashing is done with less water than that. I normally go with 1.25 quarts per pound. I'm assuming with that much grain part of it is a base grain. If you really do need to do a partial mash I would do something along the lines of Death Brewer's method.

EDIT: If you've been steeping this whole time, when you should have been mashing, it could explain why the beers taste watered down. Not enough fermentables made it into the wort.

 

[TheLodger]

Ah, that makes sense, these are mini mash kits, that would also explain why I'm missing my OG targets by a lot. So if we're talking in terms of pots, the first pot (strike?) should be about 1.25 per pound, the second pot (sparge?) should be about the same?

 

[McGarnigle]

The AHS instructions are having you mash. You mention 155 degrees, which is right for a mash. I do think 'dunk sparging' works better than pouring water over the bag.

 

[Shooter]

I think that would probably work. However, having a couple quarts per pound for the sparge water might work a little better, just to have enough water to rinse through the grains.

DB's method is sound. If you follow that, you'll be on your way to making good beer and you should see gravity numbers closer to what you were expecting.

 

[Shooter]

The AHS instructions are having you mash. You mention 155 degrees, which is right for a mash. I do think 'dunk sparging' works better than pouring water over the bag.

That's true and it does sound like they're having him sparge the grains, but it seems like quite a bit of water to start with. Not saying it still wouldn't work, but it seems thin. Also, if the temp is 155 before adding 3.5 pounds of grain it certainly won't be 155 afterwards. I'm not clear when AHS is having him add the grains.