We must have started about the same time. I am 30 minutes into the mash. I have already filled up a keg and a few bottles and I have my sparge water heating on the stove.
After the boil starts I am going to sample a new keg.
Had a small leak, hopefully the only "snafu" today. It was a loose valve so i'm mashing now about 10 mins in. Was shooting for 154, got a 155.2 R.E.M playing. Going to measure my sparge salts now.
Got a pretty massive dose of gypsum on this IIPA, conferred with Martin Brungard that I was on the right track. Damn its nice to have experts on here to bounce ideas off of, I thought for sure I was way off on additions. But I got my 2 thumbs up after his advise to raise the mash water volume. Huge thanks Martin!!
Sparge pretty much over, just got to let it drain. Holding 168 very well. NIN playing.
Ron ar, its an old stool I got from grannys house, who would have guessed eh? After the mash is done I move it on top of my HLT, it works really well for me.
What I really need to do is add a sight glass to the HLT (still have to peek there), and put a "T" with a thermowell before the ball valve to get better temperatures after the water level falls below the thermometer. I'm just guessing at that point.
Patiently waiting for the MLT to finish draining, about 2 gallons left. Once I start the boil I'll be rewarding myself with some nugget nectar I picked up last night. Smash Mouth rocking :rockin:
Rocking the #'s so far. Pre boil gravity was estimated .050 and I came in at .052 A little heavy on preboil volumes, but still dialing in the system with all the changes. About 3/4 gal too much but so far 90% efficiency. OMG, UB40 playing....lol Showing the age. First runnings stopped at .009 not .010 like I was shooting for.
All done, the extra volumes gave me a efficiency hit, coulda boiled it out longer, but im happy the way it came.out. system is now dialed in, and actual losses recorded. Anyone else still going?
Nothing for me today. Ill hopefully get either a Pale Ale or Vanilla Porter going Monday. If I am feeling froggy I might break out the other fermenter and get both going
ooooo, vanilla porter sounds good. I have to do something fizzy and yellow for SHMBO next, but after that I think I may try the Banana foster thats all the rage right now. Sounds good at least.