Building a kal clone. What is the brewing process? ?

[sar_dog_1]

So I want to build a kal clone and I am very excited!

My question is about the process. Through my research, raising the temp for mash out or step mashes seems like it takes a while. I am curious how this affects the total mash time of 60 min. Do you just mash longer? Also, does the time it takes to mash out/step mash have an affect on the chemical process? For example, when I mash out in my cooler mt I add all the water at once immediately raising the temp and halting the conversion process. Does the slower mash out time have any negative consequences?

To go along with this, does anybody have a detailed list of step by step instructions for electric brewing?
I like to do my homework before I jump into something like this.

Cheers!

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[andrhamm]

step by step: http://www.theelectricbrewery.com/brew-day-step-by-step


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[sar_dog_1]

Der!! Right in front of me. Thanks!

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[kal]

Let me know if you have any questions!

So I have a question actually: I've got the site site split up into 2 main sections on the left side that hold the 'meat' of the site:

1. BUILDING YOUR BREWERY
2. USING YOUR BREWERY

The "Brew Day: Step by Step" article is in the second one along with recipes and a list of parts you'll need that aren't related to building (eventually I'll have water adjustment and cleaning articles in there too).

My question is for you usability experts: What can I do to make this easier to find? The OP isn't the first one to ask.

Cheers,

Kal

 

[sar_dog_1]

Great question. I sae the 2nd link but I thought is was about programming and such. Since I have not built mine. (Prolly over the next year or so) I wasnt worried about that.

Maby instead of calling it "using your brewry" you could call it " instructions for a typical brewday or something.
Btw. I love your system and I visit ur site a lot and drool...
Cheers!

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[everty2007]

Holy crap! So I finished and have been brewing on my Kal set up for over a year now and this is the first time looking at the step by step part.

Kal you did a great job laying out your build in a way that the average joe could figure it out. I like your step by step too, I should have explored the side bar more because I too missed it somehow.




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[chapusin]

Question, once you start recirculating, does the time it takes the grain to reach the desired temperature affect the conversion? I have read that conversion happens in the first 15 minutes or something around that, so if it takes 10 minutes to go from 140 to 150, does that mean you mash at around 145 or so?

 

[kal]

I set my HLT to my desired mash temp.

Conversion takes considerably longer at lower temps.

This quote from the step by step guide should answer the rest:

The initial mash temperature will be a few degrees below our target as the grain was cold. After a few minutes of recirculation the mash temperature will have risen back up to 149F. Having the mash a few degrees below the target mash temperature for a few minutes will not have a noticeable affect on the starch to sugar conversion. Some users may choose to set their Hot Liquor Tank a few degrees higher (such as 154F) when heating their strike water, and then lower the temperature to 149F after mashing in. This would reduce the ramp-up time but we don't bother as it does not have any adverse affects. The beer is not dryer than we expect (a lower mash temperature produces more fermentables which results in a dryer beer).

I also often do step mashes when I want the beer to be as fermentable as possible (as low FG as possible). Examples would be a light american lager, or an american IIPA.

Kal

 

[chapusin]

Got it!

This quote from the step by step guide should answer the rest:

 

[andrhamm]

Let me know if you have any questions!

So I have a question actually: I've got the site site split up into 2 main sections on the left side that hold the 'meat' of the site:

1. BUILDING YOUR BREWERY
2. USING YOUR BREWERY

The "Brew Day: Step by Step" article is in the second one along with recipes and a list of parts you'll need that aren't related to building (eventually I'll have water adjustment and cleaning articles in there too).

My question is for you usability experts: What can I do to make this easier to find? The OP isn't the first one to ask.

Cheers,

Kal

I'll chime in as a "usability expert" here I work for a company making software and apps for over 250 organizations and spend a lot of my time considering user experience challenges.

I think having a video right on the homepage would be a great way to showcase a step by step brew day as well as show newcomers exactly how awesome the system is. Just plug the step by step instructions in the youtube annotations (a link to the already available text instructions) as well as verbally letting people know where they can find the info. I think the biggest problem, why it is overlooked, is that there are 68 links on the homepage of TheElectricBrewery.com (and, no, I didn't count them manually lol) and a lot of text. I think having a video smack-dab on the homepage, above the fold, would really draw people in and call out the important stuff. If the video was the step-by-step, it would get people thinking of the brew day right off the bat.

Anyway, I'm always happy to give my feedback on this sort of thing. Hope this helps!

 

[castermmt]

+1 on what andrhamm suggested in his feedback. As much as I enjoy visiting theelectricbrewery.com forums, I love the idea of displaying as much information as possible in a video. A combination build and brew introduction so to speak right on top at the home page. Castermmt