Croyzen
Well-Known Member
Craig, I have some advice about your all grain video. Although I enjoyed watching it and think it's great you had the balls to post your first (and only?) experience with it. Here are some simple things that will make your next all grain on the stove so much more easier. Maybe it will help you do more all grain on your channel.
1. Preheat the mash tun. If your strike is say 168, pour in 180 water and let the temp fall to 168. Let it preheat for about 10 minutes should be just fine.
2. Mash in a degree or two high. It's easier to stir out a couple of degrees in a cooler than it is add heat as you know. After stirring if you are still a couple degrees hot you can add a few ice cubes to bring it down.
3. Batch Sparge! If you have properly milled grains don't sweat efficiency. Mash at 1.25-2.00 qts/lb, add some mash infusion water before draining the first runnings and then sparge with 180-190 degree water needed to come up to preboil. I'd never want to make another batch again if I was fly sparging with a spaghetti strainer.
4. If you split the boil use equal gravity in each pot AND equal volumes. Add equal hops to BOTH pots. Don't leave 1/3 of your wort boiling with no hops if you want to stay true to the recipe.
5. Get your volumes right. Beersmith and knowing your boil off rates in the pots. This is to avoid topping up that hard work with the garden hose. Full boil, don't dilute. If you must dilute (because of a concentrated boil rather than split pot for instance) plan for it ahead of time and use Beersmith's dilution tool.
6. Use campden tablets and filter your water if you have ANY trace of chlorine. Water is important it's most of the beer!
I've noticed you doing mini mashes for a while. I'm of the opinion that if you're going to mini mash might as well do all grain. The time is about the same. Also consider BIAB, no mash tun to clean. Think of it as a mini mash without the extract.
1. Preheat the mash tun. If your strike is say 168, pour in 180 water and let the temp fall to 168. Let it preheat for about 10 minutes should be just fine.
2. Mash in a degree or two high. It's easier to stir out a couple of degrees in a cooler than it is add heat as you know. After stirring if you are still a couple degrees hot you can add a few ice cubes to bring it down.
3. Batch Sparge! If you have properly milled grains don't sweat efficiency. Mash at 1.25-2.00 qts/lb, add some mash infusion water before draining the first runnings and then sparge with 180-190 degree water needed to come up to preboil. I'd never want to make another batch again if I was fly sparging with a spaghetti strainer.
4. If you split the boil use equal gravity in each pot AND equal volumes. Add equal hops to BOTH pots. Don't leave 1/3 of your wort boiling with no hops if you want to stay true to the recipe.
5. Get your volumes right. Beersmith and knowing your boil off rates in the pots. This is to avoid topping up that hard work with the garden hose. Full boil, don't dilute. If you must dilute (because of a concentrated boil rather than split pot for instance) plan for it ahead of time and use Beersmith's dilution tool.
6. Use campden tablets and filter your water if you have ANY trace of chlorine. Water is important it's most of the beer!
I've noticed you doing mini mashes for a while. I'm of the opinion that if you're going to mini mash might as well do all grain. The time is about the same. Also consider BIAB, no mash tun to clean. Think of it as a mini mash without the extract.
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Craig...keep on keeping on. Your videos helped me get off my rear end and start brewing...
