All-Grain Brewing with Extract Brewing Equipment (pics)

[keithbeats]

Any news on this? Been waiting on some results!

 

[DRoyLenz]

Any news on this? Been waiting on some results!

It's been about 12 days in Primary, and by recommendation, I'm putting it into bottles today (usually I wait 3 weeks, but something to do with the nature of the Belgian Wit style, it's best to accelerate your fermentation schedule, or at least as I've been told.) I'll be checking the FG today (haven't opened up fermenter yet) and I'll post back with my results.

Not sure if I posted this yet, but I calculated 72% efficiency, not too bad for my first AG brew, especially on an experimental method .

 

[DRoyLenz]

Update:

Bottled this beer Monday night. I took my first SG reading since chilling the wort after the boil. It didn't ferment out as much as I would've hoped, with an FG of 1.018. I think there might be something wrong with the method of which I'm creating yeast starters, I haven't had very much luck with them.

As far as other things you may be interested in, the beer smelled DELICIOUS. Very strong citrus aroma from the orange/lemon zest, but by no means was it overpowering. The taste was a little lighter than I would've expected, but it's going to prove to be a VERY refreshing beer. Keep in mind that this tasting is done after 14 days after pitching, so it should still be pretty green. I'm very excited to see how this one turns out.

 

[keithbeats]

Exciting. I've been really following this one, can't wait to hear how it drinks. According to the OG and FG, what Abv are you looking at?

 

[DRoyLenz]

Using 1.046 and 1.018 as my respective gravities, that yields an ABV of 3.68%.

I don't even know if this is possible, but I'm hoping some additional fermentation is kick-started to lower that FG down a little bit (hopefully without over-carbing and/or creating bottle bombs).

 

[GrizlyGarou]

I don't even know if this is possible, but I'm hoping some additional fermentation is kick-started to lower that FG down a little bit (hopefully without over-carbing and/or creating bottle bombs).

It could also be that your mash temps dropped enough that you got unfermentable sugars instead of fermentable sugars.

 

[DeathBrewer]

That would be from mashing TOO high. Lower mash temperatures make a more fermentable wort...as long as you're staying in the 140s (F) or above.

 

[DRoyLenz]

I mashed in at 155F, and maintained 150F - 155F the whole time, so I don't think that is the issue.

If you're curious, I'm actually having the same discussion on a thread specifically for this topic. https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/do-non-fermentable-spices-increase-final-gravity-brew-145126/

 

[DRoyLenz]

For those of you who are interested, I just got finished with a high grav Imperial Porter (1.084) using this method, and I got 75% efficiency. I did two 2.5 gallon batches (as depicted above). Total grain bill of 16 lbs (8 lbs each batch). My mash temp was 153 for one hour. I did a grist to water ratio of 1.25 qts/lb (10 quarts strike water) and 1.5 gallon, 15 minute batch sparge.

This just goes to show you that you can produce some very good results using very simple equipment and procedures.

I tried a new method with this brew, that proved very effective. Instead of wrapping my kettle in a towel and adding hot water to it to maintain the temperature, I preheated my oven to 170F (I would've done 155F if my oven went that low) and put the kettle in there while I mashed. I only took it out a couple of times to stir. I did not lose or gain a single degree using this method. I'll make an edit to my notes above to capture this change.

 

[Saccharomyces]

Missed this thread until now... nicely done.

I have been using this method for quite awhile to do experimental batches since it is pretty much set-and-forget -- I can get a batch brewed during the day while doing other stuff. It works great, and the efficiency is very stable at around 75-80%. I use a 3 gallon pot for 2.5 gallons and add foam control drops to prevent boilovers. It's a tight squeeze but it can be done.

YMMV but I found with experimentation my oven will hold the mash at 149*F if set to 170*F, 175*F will hold at 152*F, and 180*F will hold at 155*F. 200*F for 15 minutes does a quick mash-out.

 

[DRoyLenz]

Missed this thread until now... nicely done.

I have been using this method for quite awhile to do experimental batches since it is pretty much set-and-forget -- I can get a batch brewed during the day while doing other stuff. It works great, and the efficiency is very stable at around 75-80%. I use a 3 gallon pot for 2.5 gallons and add foam control drops to prevent boilovers. It's a tight squeeze but it can be done.

Thank you!

That's one thing I really like about this method. While I was working on my latest brew, I cleaned up my family room, did a load of laundry, talked to a friend on the phone, and smoked a cigar. All while my grains were mashing or wort boiling. Set-it-and-forget-it, the late Billy Mays himself couldn't have said it better himself.

YMMV but I found with experimentation my oven will hold the mash at 149*F if set to 170*F, 175*F will hold at 152*F, and 180*F will hold at 155*F. 200*F for 15 minutes does a quick mash-out.

When you raise your oven temp to 200F, does it really raise your wort temp to above 170F for mash-out in 15 minutes? I haven't bothered doing a mash-out, because my sparge water takes care of that for me, what advantage do you see to doing this?

 

[agusus]

I did a grist to water ratio of 1.25 qts/lb (10 quarts strike water)

That's interesting that you're using such a low water ratio and still getting good efficiency. Deathbrewer's stovetop PM tutorial said to use high water ratios (at least 1.5 qt/lb, preferably 2.0 qt/lb) because a super loose mash is needed to get decent efficiency with BIAB. (I'm not sure what the science behind it is though).
I've been getting efficiency around 50% with 2.0 qt/lb ratio, so maybe I'll try a 1.5 qt/lb or 1.25 qt/lb ratio next. I don't really care about efficiency too much - just use more grain - but being able to use less water and fit more into the pot sure would be convenient.

 

[Saccharomyces]

When you raise your oven temp to 200F, does it really raise your wort temp to above 170F for mash-out in 15 minutes? I haven't bothered doing a mash-out, because my sparge water takes care of that for me, what advantage do you see to doing this?

Gets it up in the 160's. It isn't necessary I suppose, but I mash thin (2 qt/lb) so there isn't a lot of sparge water.

 

[corvax13]

Hey - just brewed my first all grain using a slightly altered version of this method - check it out https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/brewing-all-grain-my-bottling-bucket-146175/

 

[DRoyLenz]

Just cracked open my first bottle of this brew. Now, I'm recovering from the flu, so I can't trust my sense of taste and smell too much, but wow. This is probably the "cleanest" brew I've made to date. This is the first time that I feel like I might be drinking a commercial brew, not a homebrew.

The head looks great, and I'm getting nice lacing on the glass. The color is perfect for a wit, and it has got a nice haze to it (preferable for a wit). It has less "orange" character than most wits, and more "citrus" notes (I know orange is citrus) and I think this is because I decided to add the zested lemon peel. The aroma (from what I can tell with my slight congestion) is a light, flowery, citrus smell. I am VERY pleased with the results, and I can't wait to share it with my friends and family.

EDIT: I'll post a picture up next time I get a chance to snap a pic.
EDIT #2: I just found out, the burps are quite delightful

 

[DRoyLenz]

Just mashed in on my 4th recipe using this method, BierMuncher's Centennial Blonde. It's the second installment in a series of small Pale Ale recipes. I'm on the hunt for my House Ale. When I fine tune the recipe I like, I'll be keeping it on tap (well, in bottles until I get a kegging setup) and I'll be brewing it for my friend's wedding next August. Last Monday, I brewed up EdWort's Bee Cave Brewery Haus Pale Ale.

If anyone has any recommendations on other recipes I should try, let me know!

 

[nbspindel]

This is a great, all-encompassing, write-up. I'd seen those others but still feared making the step without the extra equipment. After i use my extract kits (which i hope to get for christmas), i'll be looking at doing this. Thanks!

 

[DRoyLenz]

This is a great, all-encompassing, write-up. I'd seen those others but still feared making the step without the extra equipment. After i use my extract kits (which i hope to get for christmas), i'll be looking at doing this. Thanks!

That's great, I'm glad I could help you out. If you have any questions while planning this out, just give me a shout.

Just pitched the yeast and put it in the fermentation chamber. The hydro sample tastes great and I got 75%+ efficiency again. Had to use duct tape on the airlock because I lost the grommet, so I doubt I'm going to be seeing that satisfying bubbling when I wake up tomorrow

 

[sethga]

Just wanted to say thanks to the OP for the thread. This and the threads you derived your information are great, I'm a newer brewer with limited space so I plan on definitely trying my hand at AG and using your methods.

I have access to the restaurant depot so going to go pick up some nice big pots

Sorry to be a little but if your electric stove will fit a canning element you could try that to improve your boil. I purchased one for my stove off ebay for 22.58 shipped. I also only have a 20qt kettle but I was able to get that to boil about an inch from the top without too much trouble when I installed it. The one I purchased is a 2600 watt element http://cgi.ebay.com/MP26KA-Electric...emQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item5ad43a073e

My electric stove has 1 big burner and 3 little ones... does this replace the big burner or can I replace a little one too? I can't tell from the pics if it will stick up higher than the stock burner

 

[jjones17]

I must ask the OP a question. First though, great post and thank you for the pictures. I too am a stovetop brewer, and I do mostly 2.5 gallon batches AG. I have a flattop stove, but if I split the boil into 2 pots its no problem.

I want to ask you why you do not put the mash in your oven? I have found that if I preheat my oven to about 180 or so, and turn it off just before I mash in, even with the crappy pots and no towel my temperature does not move even a little bit after 60 mins.

I have yet to test my efficiency, though.

Does your temp budge much (sorry if you already said so?)?

 

[DRoyLenz]

I must ask the OP a question. First though, great post and thank you for the pictures. I too am a stovetop brewer, and I do mostly 2.5 gallon batches AG. I have a flattop stove, but if I split the boil into 2 pots its no problem.

I want to ask you why you do not put the mash in your oven? I have found that if I preheat my oven to about 180 or so, and turn it off just before I mash in, even with the crappy pots and no towel my temperature does not move even a little bit after 60 mins.

I have yet to test my efficiency, though.

Does your temp budge much (sorry if you already said so?)?

I'm not sure if I mentioned this in an earlier post, but yes, I do use my oven now. This was something someone had recommended to me, and it is working great for me.

However, even using the towel method described, I still maintained a pretty good temperature. I might have to pour a quart or two of hot water in the kettle somewhere throughout the hour to maintain the temps, but it works for you average economy brewer. I definitely recommend setting your oven to 170-180 if possible though, that works even better.

 

[DRoyLenz]

Just wanted to say thanks to the OP for the thread. This and the threads you derived your information are great, I'm a newer brewer with limited space so I plan on definitely trying my hand at AG and using your methods.

I have access to the restaurant depot so going to go pick up some nice big pots

Oh, and I'm very glad to help you out. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.

 

[Cheaton]

Just remember, if you want to do a 5 gallon fermentation, just rinse and repeat. Inefficient, yes, but if you don't have a big pot or don't have the BTU's to boil a big pot why not? It just means drinking a few more, right? 2x Mash, sparg, boil, cool, dump. Then pitch. Viola! 5 gallons fermenting.

 

[DeathBrewer]

I must ask the OP a question. First though, great post and thank you for the pictures. I too am a stovetop brewer, and I do mostly 2.5 gallon batches AG. I have a flattop stove, but if I split the boil into 2 pots its no problem.

I want to ask you why you do not put the mash in your oven? I have found that if I preheat my oven to about 180 or so, and turn it off just before I mash in, even with the crappy pots and no towel my temperature does not move even a little bit after 60 mins.

I have yet to test my efficiency, though.

Does your temp budge much (sorry if you already said so?)?

My oven doesn't have a setting for 150°F. I'm hesitant to put it in the oven where it starts (200°F, I think.) But mainly, I don't need it *shrug*...I've never have a problem with maintaining the temp with just a little insulation (blankets, towels, bungee cords) and even when I didn't use that stuff and the temp dropped, it made awesome beer.

I'm glad it works for some people, but with all the different ovens and variation, I'd be concerned about heating the mash up above my target gravity. I'd much rather let it drop then have it rise.

EDIT: lol, I thought this was my thread for some reason. Oh well...opinion still stands

 

[forcera]

My ten gallon pot would not fit in my oven. I just cover it and put it down in an old sleeping bag. Last brew I did this way I lost 1* over a hour, it was around 50* outside that day too.

 

[JOHN51277]

Looks like there are about 9 empty bottles on the counter where you brew. I wanna come brew with you, fun............but dangerous!

 

[Chuckus95]

I did my first AG (a 2.5 gal. batch of a Simcoe/Citra IPA) this weekend using this method. Things went pretty well. The only problem that I had was keeping the mash water at my target temperature of 155 the whole hour. My brew kettle will not fit in my oven so I had to wrap my kettle in towels, blankets, etc. I warmed my water to 165 (expecting a loss of temp when adding the grains), put my grains in, stirred and took the temp, only to find that it was 152. So, I had to add some hot water a couple of times through the mashing process, and was never able to keep it at a constant 155. Unfortunately, I forgot to account for the water I added to my mash and had a little over the 2.5 gallons that I intended, and my OG was off a little.

So, things did not go as well as I wished. However, one thing that I have learned in the short time that I have been homebrewing is to not get too worked up over what you are brewing. I checked this morning, and it is bubbling away so I know that I made beer. I will just have to wait to see what the finished product is.

 

[l1ranger]

brewing right now.
just a plain ol bitter

 

[DRoyLenz]

I did my first AG (a 2.5 gal. batch of a Simcoe/Citra IPA) this weekend using this method. Things went pretty well. The only problem that I had was keeping the mash water at my target temperature of 155 the whole hour. My brew kettle will not fit in my oven so I had to wrap my kettle in towels, blankets, etc. I warmed my water to 165 (expecting a loss of temp when adding the grains), put my grains in, stirred and took the temp, only to find that it was 152. So, I had to add some hot water a couple of times through the mashing process, and was never able to keep it at a constant 155. Unfortunately, I forgot to account for the water I added to my mash and had a little over the 2.5 gallons that I intended, and my OG was off a little.

So, things did not go as well as I wished. However, one thing that I have learned in the short time that I have been homebrewing is to not get too worked up over what you are brewing. I checked this morning, and it is bubbling away so I know that I made beer. I will just have to wait to see what the finished product is.

One thing that I've learned about with this method (and pretty much most basic AG methods) is that the temperature you read right after mash in is very unreliable. You really have to give it a few minutes for the grains to mix in and the temperatures to even out. I've taken readings right after mash in to find that my temperature dropped 10 more degrees than it should've, started freaking and heating up a bunch more strike water to raise the temp, only to go back and find out that after 5 minutes, the temperature was right on. I've found that if you do the calculations correct, you'll come out close enough (usually right on).

That being said, I won't presume to say that was your issue. Like you said, it was happening throughout the hour. I had moderately good success with a tightly wrapped towel, and much better success in a low-heated oven. But, for the purposes of a somebody new to AG brewing, adding hot water will do the trick, just take that into consideration and do a longer boil (which you admittedly didn't do).

I'm guessing you're going to come out with a great beer (unless yo uscrewed the pooch on other parts of the brew process).

 

[Chuckus95]

Thanks for the advice DRoy and for the original post.

When I got home from work yesterday, my Simcoe/Citra was still bubbling away. However, I was still a little upset with myself, so I decided to brew an AG Bitter. I used Brew365 to calculate the temp of my strike water, and, after adding the grains, I waited 15 minutes, checked the temp of the mash, only to find that I was off 2 degrees again (152 instead of 154). I added a little water, stirred and check the temp again. However, when I checked the temp, I, for some reason, grabbed a different thermometer. The second thermometer measured 154 degrees. Out of curiosity, I put my original thermometer in, and it still measured 152. My conclusion is that my original thermometer (which I used on my first batch) was the culprit.

After the initial addition of water, the mash stayed at 154 degrees the rest of the way. I think that my problem is now solved.

The rest of the second AG experience went pretty well. Although my hops additions were supposed to be at 60, 20 and 10, with irish moss at 15. However, when I put my irish moss in, I, inexplicably, grabbed my last hop addition, and put it in as well. I know that the 5 extra minutes probably won't affect the beer that much, but I am still very irritated that I made that mistake.

Oh well, I checked this morning and the bitter is bubbling away. Now, I just have to wait a month or so to taste the final product.

Thanks again DRoy for the advice and for the original post.