Analysis Requested on My First All Grain Brew Procedure

[BeerDoctor5]

After my first extract batch I decided to jump straight into all grain. My first batch went quite smoothly but I missed my gravity by a few points. I was hoping some of the more experience brewers would be generous enough to analyze my procedure and give some constructive criticism to help me improve my technique. Thanks in advance!!!!!!

Notes: I was brewing the NB Dead Ringer kit. The grain bill was 12# and I had NB crush the malt for me. I was not impressed with the crush but didn't feel like taking a bread roller to 12 # of grain. There were definitely a lot of whole grains remaining. I used the sparge pal ap on my phone to calculate temps and volumes. I have a trial of beersmith but I couldn't make heads or tails on the majority of the program.

Equipment:
36qt SS brew kettle
10 gallon Mash Tun with breaded hose (Home Depot conversion)
5 gallon HLT (Home Depot)
Used Ice Mountain Spring Water
Bayou Classic SQ14 propane burner

1.) Started heating my 3.8g strike water on my electric stove. Once that was going I added hot water from my tap to both my mash tun and my HLT. I didn't fill the coolers just added a few gallons.
2.) Once the strike water reached 170F I transferred to my empty Mash Tun. I let the water cool to 166F (Strike temp per spargepal) and added my grain. I stirred really well for a few min. The temp was 154 (goal was 152). I was fine with that so I put the top on. I stirred twice during the Mash (every 20 min).
3.) While my mash was going I got my sparge water (4.7g) heating up on my electric stove. Target temp was 170F. I heated it a little past 170 and transferred to my HLT with about 20 min left in my mash. When the temp got to 170 I closed the lid.
4.) After the mash was finished I vorlaufed. I think it took about 16 cups before it was clear. I drained it in four cup intervals and shut the valve after each time. Once it was running clear I started draining the wort. The valve was about 1/3 open to 1/2. Fast but not flying. NEXT TIME I WILL MEASURE MY FIRST RUNNINGS. I started heating my kettle after a gallon or so had drained off. I didn't have the flame very hot. After the flow stopped I closed the valve and added half of my sparge water. Mixed well and drained. Repeated. My pre-boil volume was 7g. I was worried about my pre-boil volume being too high for my 5 gallon batch. I DIDN'T TAKE A PRE-BOIL GRAVITY. I will next time. Took about 10-15 min to get volume to rolling boil. This surprised me!!!
5.) Since I thought I had too much pre-boil volume I boiled for 22 min before adding my first hop addition. I boiled for 60 min after my first hop addition. Added hops at 60, 20, and 5 min.
6.) Added my wort chiller with about 15min remaining. After boil was finished I chilled my wort to about 68. My final volume was 5g. I was happy with this until I saw the trub which I did not account for. This made me think that I should have wanted 5.5 gal after boil so I get 5 gal into my fermenter. As it turns out I got about 4.5 gallons into my fermenter. Took my OG and it was 1.058. Expected was 1.064. I was kinda bummed especially since I was low on my volume.
7.) Aerated (3-5min) and pitched my safale 05 yeast. After 24 hrs the ferm lock is bubbling away.

I think that's about it. From start to finish it took 5 hours and 45 min. Thanks in advance! Sorry it's a long read

 

[tre9er]

Definitely mark your spoon or mash paddle with gallon increments so you can tell where you are during the process and adjust accordingly. I always use my software to end up with 5 gallons when it's all said and done, which usually produces a 5.25 or so batch to begin with. You'll lose trub after the boil and some when you bottle/keg/rack to secondary. Also figure hot liquid is expanded so you're always a touch under what you read with hot wort.

 

[BeerDoctor5]

Definitely mark your spoon or mash paddle with gallon increments so you can tell where you are during the process and adjust accordingly. I always use my software to end up with 5 gallons when it's all said and done, which usually produces a 5.25 or so batch to begin with. You'll lose trub after the boil and some when you bottle/keg/rack to secondary. Also figure hot liquid is expanded so you're always a touch under what you read with hot wort.

I marked my spoon with gallon increments. However, I didn't really take into account trub loss and the hot wort will read a higher volume than reality. Thanks!

So if I read you correctly if I want 5 gallons in my fermenter I'll probably have 5.25g of cooled wort in my kettle before transfer to primary?

Apparently my title was not very stimulating as I've only had two views in a few hours. I'll have to work on my creativity

 

[Sideways]

You may have overshot your mash temp becasue you pre-heated the mash tun. I have never pre-heated and I am pretty much dead on using an app called Brewzor Calculator for android.

In step 3 you heat your sparge water to 170 °F on the stove. The goal is that when you add your sparge water to your mash the temperature evens out at about 170 °F. So, you need to heat your sparge water on the stove to roughly 193 °F. You also performed two sparges. You can get away with only one in a 10 gallon cooler and it will save you time.

3-5 minutes of aeration will work, but you should spend more time shaking the carboy if you can stand it. I didn't realize how much work you need to put into aeration until I bought an oxygen meter. Based on readings I got using it the first time I realized that I had been under-aerating all of my other beers, even thought they still turned out great.

All things considered, pretty good job for your second beer and first all grain. You'll learn new things everyday you stick with it.

 

[BeerDoctor5]

In step 3 you heat your sparge water to 170 °F on the stove. The goal is that when you add your sparge water to your mash the temperature evens out at about 170 °F. So, you need to heat your sparge water on the stove to roughly 193 °F. You also performed two sparges. You can get away with only one in a 10 gallon cooler and it will save you time.

All things considered, pretty good job for your second beer and first all grain. You'll learn new things everyday you stick with it.

Messed up the sparge. I figured I'd do something wrong In retrospect, the target temp from Sparge Pal (iPhone app) was 170F and should've been a red light. I wish I understood BeerSmith

Thanks for the advice and encouragement Can't wait for my next brew day!

 

[mike20793]

Seems like you have a good understanding of the process, you just need to calibrate your equipment. After that, you will find it is a lot easier to brew. It usually takes 3-4 brews before you know how to hit your temps right on. It never hurts to have some boiling water and cool water handy. It does not take much either way to adjust the temps if needed. Keep up the good work. Cheers :rockin:

 

[doublehaul]

I marked my spoon with gallon increments. However, I didn't really take into account trub loss and the hot wort will read a higher volume than reality. Thanks! D

I just brewed my first AG and did the same thing. I thought I was way over but not as bad as I thought once transferred to the fermenter. I also made the same mistake with sparge temp. Definitely am learning alot!

 

[maiker]

It does not take much either way to adj

ust the temps if needed. Keep up the good work.

 

[wetzie]

This is almost dead on the same procedure I use except I do evrything outside. My effiency has been in the low 80% with this method. I use the calculation of post boil reading verses the grain bill.

 

[BeerDoctor5]

This is almost dead on the same procedure I use except I do evrything outside. My effiency has been in the low 80% with this method. I use the calculation of post boil reading verses the grain bill.

I did mine outside as well. Technically at the edge of my garage. I just heated up my strike and sparge water on my stove to save propane. Borrowed that idea from a since forgotten member on homebrewtalk.

Using Daniels' book I calculated my mashing efficiency to 60-62% depending on whether I use the low end or the middle of the extract potential. I'm assuming I would have bumped up my efficiency if I'd used the correct temperature of sparge water. Thanks for all the replies! It has helped me. Can't wait to plan my next brew day!!!

 

[HDChef]

It looks to me like you are doing a batch sparge. After you vorlauf, you want to open the valve all the way and drain as fast as possible. It also read to me like you added sparge water, stirred, vorlaufed and drained. If you let the sparge sit about 15 minutes, it will help settle everything and help dissolve some of the sugars, increasing your efficiency. Keep working and tweaking your system until it's right for you .