Did my first ever partial mash today

[kombat]

I've done extract kits in the past, but today I did my very first partial mash. I followed Charles Papazian's recipe for "Laughing Heart India Pale Ale", from "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, Third Edition."

Overall, I think it went well. The only thing that concerns me was my mash temperature. I heated my strike water to 170 F and transfered 8 qts. to my mash tun, but when I measured the temperature in the mash tun, it only read 150 F. So I boiled some water and transferred over another quart of (boiling) water. It still read 150 F. So I mashed anyway, assuming the thermometer was inaccurate.

I mashed for an hour, vorlaufed, drained, then sparged with 8 qts of 170 F water (though again, when I measured it in the mash tun, it only read 150 F). Stirred up the grains, waited 10 minutes, vorlaufed and drained again.

I brought to a boil, waited for the hot break, then mixed in my light LME and 2 oz. Centennial bittering hops. I boiled for an hour. With 10 minutes left in the boil, I introduced the chiller coil (to sanitize it), a paint mixing bit, 1 oz. Cascades hops, and 1/4 tsp Irish moss. Then I cut the heat, added a couple more gallons of spring water, and mixed the wort with the paint mixing bit on a drill to aerate it. I then fired up the chiller and brought it down to 70 F in about 25 minutes. I rehydrated a packet of Safale 05 while the wort chilled.

I transferred the wort to a sanitized carboy (splashing as much as possible), collected a sample for O.G. measurement, topped it up to 5 gallons with some more spring water, pitched the yeast and affixed an airlock.

My O.G. was 1.061, and the recipe called for it to be between 1.058 and 1.066, so I think I was right on. However, that was before topping up with a gallon or so of spring water, so I'm assuming my actual O.G. was a little lower than that.

I tasted the sample after I checked the O.G., and it was sweet, with a bitter, hoppy finish, which I'm hoping is exactly what it's supposed to be.

I can't wait to see how this turns out! I'm excited to see fermentation kick off in the next day or so.

 

[Yooper]

Sounds great!

At the risk of sounding stupid, what is a paint mixing bit, and why did you use it before chilling the wort?

 

[kombat]

Things I learned:

• I need to get a better thermometer. The one from my turkey fryer kit appears to be unreliable.
• I should probably be doing double batches. My boil kettle is a beautiful stainless 15 gallon pot with thermometer and ball valve drain. The problem is that a 5 gallon batch doesn't even reach the thermometer probe, rendering it useless.
• I should probably have checked the O.G. after topping it up to 5 gallons, not before.

Anyone see anything I missed? Any suggestions for next time, so I can do it better?

 

[kombat]

Sounds great!

At the risk of sounding stupid, what is a paint mixing bit, and why did you use it before chilling the wort?

It's a long, stainless steel bit you attach to your drill for mixing up paint. I read a tip somewhere that recommended using one (brand new, of course) for mixing up your wort, to aerate it. It basically just stirs it up really well and causes a lot of foaming. I'm hoping it re-introduced enough oxygen for the yeast, so we'll see how fermentation goes.

 

[Yooper]

It's a long, stainless steel bit you attach to your drill for mixing up paint. I read a tip somewhere that recommended using one (brand new, of course) for mixing up your wort, to aerate it. It basically just stirs it up really well and causes a lot of foaming. I'm hoping it re-introduced enough oxygen for the yeast, so we'll see how fermentation goes.

Ah. I know what it is now, thanks! I've never heard of using it prechilling, so I wondered what purpose it had. Normally, you chill, then top up and aerate.

 

[kombat]

Ah. I know what it is now, thanks! I've never heard of using it prechilling, so I wondered what purpose it had. Normally, you chill, then top up and aerate.

Yah, that's how I read it too. I did it this way because I added it into the pot with 10 minutes left in the boil to sanitize it, then didn't have anywhere sanitized to set it while the wort cooled. I figured once it stops boiling, it should aerate just as well whether warm or tepid, so I just aerated before I chilled it. Do you think it will make a difference? Does the wort still lose oxygen while it's cooling, if it's not boiling?

 

[Yooper]

Yah, that's how I read it too. I did it this way because I added it into the pot with 10 minutes left in the boil to sanitize it, then didn't have anywhere sanitized to set it while the wort cooled. I figured once it stops boiling, it should aerate just as well whether warm or tepid, so I just aerated before I chilled it. Do you think it will make a difference? Does the wort still lose oxygen while it's cooling, if it's not boiling?

The theory is you want to avoid hot-side aeration, aerating the wort before it's cooled. But I don't think it'll be a problem for you.

 

[kombat]

Well, I didn't start aerating until after I'd added a gallon or so of room temperature water (to both start bringing the temperature down, and give me more volume of liquid to work with), so it had already started cooling - I'm hoping I didn't ruin it!

 

[Yooper]

Well, I didn't start aerating until after I'd added a gallon or so of room temperature water (to both start bringing the temperature down, and give me more volume of liquid to work with), so it had already started cooling - I'm hoping I didn't ruin it!

Oh, no, I'm sure you didn't. I think the whole premise of HSA is overstated. But that is why chilling happens first, then aerating.

 

[kombat]

• I need to get a better thermometer. The one from my turkey fryer kit appears to be unreliable.

OK, I just ordered this (Traceable® Waterproof Thermometer from ScienceLab.com), so hopefully my next batch, I'll have a much better idea of what exactly is going on in my mash tun.

 

[william_shakes_beer]

I've done extract kits in the past, but today I did my very first partial mash. I followed Charles Papazian's recipe for "Laughing Heart India Pale Ale", from "The Complete Joy of Homebrewing, Third Edition."

Overall, I think it went well. The only thing that concerns me was my mash temperature. I heated my strike water to 170 F and transfered 8 qts. to my mash tun, but when I measured the temperature in the mash tun, it only read 150 F. So I boiled some water and transferred over another quart of (boiling) water. It still read 150 F. So I mashed anyway, assuming the thermometer was inaccurate.

I mashed for an hour, vorlaufed, drained, then sparged with 8 qts of 170 F water (though again, when I measured it in the mash tun, it only read 150 F). Stirred up the grains, waited 10 minutes, vorlaufed and drained again.

I brought to a boil, waited for the hot break, then mixed in my light LME and 2 oz. Centennial bittering hops. I boiled for an hour. With 10 minutes left in the boil, I introduced the chiller coil (to sanitize it), a paint mixing bit, 1 oz. Cascades hops, and 1/4 tsp Irish moss. Then I cut the heat, added a couple more gallons of spring water, and mixed the wort with the paint mixing bit on a drill to aerate it. I then fired up the chiller and brought it down to 70 F in about 25 minutes. I rehydrated a packet of Safale 05 while the wort chilled.

I transferred the wort to a sanitized carboy (splashing as much as possible), collected a sample for O.G. measurement, topped it up to 5 gallons with some more spring water, pitched the yeast and affixed an airlock.

My O.G. was 1.061, and the recipe called for it to be between 1.058 and 1.066, so I think I was right on. However, that was before topping up with a gallon or so of spring water, so I'm assuming my actual O.G. was a little lower than that.

I tasted the sample after I checked the O.G., and it was sweet, with a bitter, hoppy finish, which I'm hoping is exactly what it's supposed to be.

I can't wait to see how this turns out! I'm excited to see fermentation kick off in the next day or so.

according to the numbers you gave, the OG for a 5 gallon batch was 1.049. Very respectable for your first mash. Congrats.

 

[lindenboy]

Wow, that's a nice thermometer! You can also get by with a floating thermometer for much less money ($12.50 + shipping). These therms in particular have always been very closely calibrated (within a couple degrees), more so than any other floaters we've purchased for re-sale. The good news is that with your scientific therm, you can now calibrate other people's cheapy thermometers!

@Yooper: We don't give hot side aeration much thought either, although I do try to avoid it because it's been talked about so much in a negative fashion. Sounds like more research is needed on that subject, whether experiential or scientific (or both). I still don't see the point of aerating nearly boiling wort though -- why not wait until it's through the chiller, just before you pitch the yeast? To each there own : )

Good luck, sounds like you'll be pleased!