Critique my brewing method please!

[Aschecte]

Sorry if I overlooked this in the thread, but are you hitting the target OGs? The method I used to top up when I brew extract is:

1. Pour Wort in fermentor
2. Take SG reading
3. Rough calculate require volume of water to add to bring to proper SG
4. Add water, mix like crazy, take new reading
5. Repeat 3 & 4 until at proper gravity

Takes a bit more work, but also creates beer at the perscribed gravity which is much more important in my book!

+1 hit your gravity right on if you can !!!!

 

[Yooper]

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1. Wash and Sanitize the **** out of everything.
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Not necessary. Only sanitize the stuff that touches the wort after the boil is over.

2. Bring 2gals water to 150 in a stainless kettle and let the bag of grains and water salts steep in for 30 mins.
Skip the salts unless you know WHY you need them. But yes steep the bag of grains for 20-30 minutes. Make sure the grains are loose in the bag, and dunk it around a bit, like a teabag.


3. in a separate kettle, bring 3 gals to boil.

Why? I don't get this. No need to boil 3 gallons of water!

4. Remove bag of grains from kettle, put on a huge stainless strainer and let it drain for 5 mins.

Ok, that make sense, but it's not necessary. You can just lift out the grain bag and give it a squeeze or press it with a spoon.
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5. Run the 3 gallons through the bag, gently pressing down on the bag with wooden spoon until no more water is left.

What a waste of time and hot water! No need. You can do it if you don't have anything better to do, but make sure the water is cooled quite a bit first. No higher than 168 degrees!
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6. Add malt extract and bring back to boil.
Yes, but add 1/2 of the malt extract and add the other 1/2 near the end of the boil for better beer and less darkening.

*7. Once boiling is achieved boil for 5 mins. Stir
You can add the hops right away, and set the timer for 60 minutes at that point.
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8. Add bittering hops. Boil for 45 mins. Stir
See number 7.
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9. Add Flavoring hops and continue boil for 10 mins. Stir
The easiest way to do it is to set the timer for "60 minutes" when you add your first hops and then just glance at it. When there is 15 minutes left (or 10, or 5 or whatever) add the hops at that time.
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10. Add finishing hops and take off heat. Stir
See number 9.
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11. Put in wort chiller and cooling wand (prechiller in ice) and bring down to 75 degrees. Wort chiller is tap water -> copper prechiller in ice bath -> Large copper coil.* Stir
Yes cool the wort as quickly as you can.

12. Pour into fermenter. Use a plastic Funnel/Strainer to Aerate
Yes. Sanitize the funnel/strainer of course.

13. Add White labs yeast
Do this last, after topping up to 5 gallons
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14. Add water to bring volume back up to 5 gals
Yes. And stir/shake/agitate with all your worth. Then take a sanitized wine theif or turkey baster and pull out a sample for the hydrometer jar to take the OG
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15. Let sit in primary for a week with airlock.
Two weeks is better.
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16. After a week or so transfer to secondary. Add 1/2oz of crushed finishing hops.

I'd skip that transfer (too much risk of infection and oxidation and not necessary) and add the dry hops to the current fermenter after two weeks, not one.

17.[Let sit in secondary for ~2 weeks. (this is where I am now)
Leave the beer on the dry hops for 5-10 days, no more. Dryhop about a week before packaging.
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So any criticism? Glaring ommisions? How would you guys do things differently?
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Thanks!

I'll give it a shot! Answers in bold!

 

[El_Matador]

I'll give it a shot! Answers in bold!

Wow thanks a lot! Between all the answers I have a feeling that my next brew will be awesome.

Picking up Stout ingredients today or tomorrow

 

[Aschecte]

Wow thanks a lot! Between all the answers I have a feeling that my next brew will be awesome.

Picking up Stout ingredients today or tomorrow

Good luck !!!! let us know how the next one turns out.

 

[DieterVonBrauhaus]

I have a question after reading this thread. If I buy a kit with the grains in them the instructions say steep for 20 minutes, could I steep for 1 hr and have better body beer?
Or is 20-30 minutes long enough?

 

[Germelli1]

I have a question after reading this thread. If I buy a kit with the grains in them the instructions say steep for 20 minutes, could I steep for 1 hr and have better body beer?
Or is 20-30 minutes long enough?

You would get more out of the grains is you psuedo sparged them. Either pour water over the grain bag when the steep is over or dunk them in another pot of warm water and add that back to the pot!

To get more body, add a half pound of CaraPils malt to your recipes. I include a half pound to one pound in every one of my batches, with the execption being recipes I want to ferment out dry!