Brewing as I type, need some immediate advice..

[Daffypuck]

OK, Ill try to make this easy. Myself and my nrew buddy are brewing today. Its her turn to be the brewmaster, so Im just her lackey for the day. We have reached an ambiguous point in the process and i need advice. here's the recipe instructions verbatim:

"To collect wort from mash, recirculate about 2.5 qts of wort, then add 180 water to cooler until its full. Draw off wort and add to brew pot until the liquid level inj the cooler is just above the grain bed. Add 180 water to fill cooler again. Repeat this proccess untill you have ciollected 2 gal of wort."

Ok, First question is this, The guy at the brew store said "cooler" refers to the brew pot. Yet in the same sentence, the two are differentiated. Could some one please explain this part of the process in laymens terms? I know, Im a newb to brewing, but thanx.

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

are you doing extract, mini-mash, or all grain?

 

[Yooper]

Those directions are for an all-grain batch, using a cooler for a mash tun.

You don't want to "fill it to the top" anyway- those are bad directions!

What's the recipe?

 

[jd3]

It sounds as if you have direction for all grain, but are doing something different....

 

[chriswilkes33]

The cooler he is talking about your mash tun, he is telling you to drain wort from your mash tun to your boil kettle until the water level is just above the grain bed and then add more water to the top and keep doing that until you collect your boil volume.

Sounds like a cross between a hybrid fly sparge and batch sparging. Your probably better off to drain your mash tun completely and then batch sparge by adding whatever volume of water you need to finish getting to your boil volume. Be sure to vorlauf until your wort is clear either way.

 

[Daffypuck]

Its a mini-mash. Its a Extra Export Stout.(De Dolle clone)

 

[beowulf]

My interpretation of "recirculate" in this context is called "vorlauf". So, vorlauf then do 2 batch sparges. It does look like instructions for a batch sparge but without mixing the water with the grain each time, just pouring it on top. So, just like chriswilkes33 indicated, it's almost like a hybrid sparge technique. Doesn't appear to be very beginner-friendly.

My interpretation is that the cooler is the mash tun (certainly not the brew kettle) and that these are instructions for an all-grain recipe. If that's the intent, there are much better instructions on all-grain mashing/brewing here on the site than what I can come up with in a few minutes. Like Yooper indicated, perhaps a good starting place is to provide us with recipe details...rather difficult to assist without those.

 

[Daffypuck]

Yeh, We/"she" delfed into a tough recipe for only our second brew. But, however it turns out, we'll learn. I think Im gonna go for a "Hefe" next weekend. A bit easier.

 

[jaycount]

The style isn't necessarily what makes it difficult. It's extract vs mini-mash/partial mash vs all-grain.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-partial-mash-brewing-pics-75231/

here's a good thread on partial mash brewing (assuming you don't have an MLT and are doing this stove-top).

 

[Daffypuck]

Thanx yall. We're doing our best. We used propane stoves and stove top for the smaller aspects of the brewing. I truly have no idea what Im doing, but I guess Ill learn via "trial by fire". Ill let ya know in...say.. a month or so if its even drinkable.

 

[Daffypuck]

Sorry for the abiguity, what I meant was, for the main brew aspect we used a brew pot on a propane "turkey fryer style" and a stove for the smaller parts of the recipe.

 

[Daffypuck]

Wow! The guy at the brew store made it sound easy. I think we opened a can of worms way too much for our newby brewing hind ends! Six hours later we have the batch in the fermenter. Only time and wishful thinking will tell the tale of our endeavour. Last weekend I was the brew master. This weekend I let her choose the style and be the main brewer. What a damn mess we made in the kitchen! We have our first batch 1 week into the fermentation process. It bubbled for about 24-48 hours before it subided. So all seems to be well. hopefully our second batch will fare as well. Again, thanx to of of yall for being patient and giving us quick advice!!

 

[passedpawn]

It gets easier. Really.