doing my first AG batch, have a few questions

[becksbolero2]

alright guys I have done 4 or 5 extract batches and now I am going to move on to AG. I've got my turkey fryer on the way. and am still looking for the best ipa recipe ( any suggestions?)

question 1.
what are the amounts for strike and sparge water ? I know I saw them on a thread but now I can't find them it was like 1 gallon per pound of grain for the strike and then a half gallon per pound of grain for the sparge ? something like that? I know the end goal is to get about 7.5 gallons in the brew pot.

question 2.
What is the best method to sparge. I feel like I saw a video of one where there was a constant flow of water from the sparge bucket into the MLT and then from the MLT into the brew kettle. does that work well? I don't have a sparge arm.

question 3
i've seen some conflicting posts about whether or not you should stir the grains when you are sparging. I've seen a lot of people who say they do it and then a lot of people who say that they try not to disturb the grain bed because you could release tannins or some other undesirable things.

Question 4.
when I was doing my extract kits I never used my hydrometer. I just assumed that they would come out ok, and for the most part they did. but for the AG i think i'm gonna take notes ( at least for the first couple batches) so when do I want to take hydrometer readings?

question 5. So I really want to buy a wort chiller but the faucets in my apartment are new and fancy and are unable to attach to the chiller, and I don't have a outdoor faucet. So what is the next best way to chill it quickly ? I was thinking about putting the kettle in an ice bath and then sanitizing bags of ice and dipping them in .

thanks for your help everyone.

~joe

 

[VTBrewer]

1. I use 1.3 quarts per pound for strike. half gallon per pound for sparge

2. Sure, what is your setup to get this constant flow?

3. I don't touch mine.

4. Whenever you think to. Def after collecting all of wort pre boil (use for your efficiency and correct for temperatur). Def after cooling. Always take notes. You'll be thankfull when you want to tweak the same recipe a few months later.

5. I have used bags of ice, but its cleaner to fill up milk jugs and freeze them.

 

[becksbolero2]

well i'm not sure about my sparging setup because I haven't done it yet, but I was thinking of having some kind of three tiered thing sparge water on top with a racking tube slowly draining into the MLT that is at the same speed draining into the brew pot.
I think that sounds right to me.

 

[TwoHeadsBrewing]

I highly recommend you download BeerSmith. It's a free-to-try piece of software that answers many of these questions, and also prints up a "brew day sheet" that lists out the amounts of grain for your brew day, hop addition amounts and times, mash temperature, mash water volume, etc. I makes brewing MUCH easier, and helps you remember all the steps on brew day.

Question 1:
Beer smith will tell you how much water to add, based on the equipment you select, the size of your grain bill, and some other factors. 1-1.5 qts per lb. of grain is typical.

Question 2:
If you don't have a sparge arm, I'd recommend batch sparging. It requires less equipment, and is quite a bit easier when you're first starting out. BeerSmith has built in selections for batch sparging and it will tell you when and how much water to add. For more info, do a search on Batch Sparging.

Question 3:
Stir at mash-in for sure, you really need to thoroughly mix the water and grains. After you drain the mash tun the first time, and add your next batch of sparge water, mix again. I don't bother stirring again for the last batch sparge.

Question 4:
I take hydrometer readings: First runnings, pre-boil, post-boil, post-fermentation. This will give you enough information to calculate your efficiency, and estimate your final gravity.

Question 5:
An ice bath will work just fine, but is a bit of extra work IMHO. Ditto for the ice bags. An immersion chiller is really the best way to go here, if you can figure out some way to attach it to your kitchen sink faucet. If it has a spray nozzle, you might be able to replace it or tap into that line.

Hope this helps!

 

[Denny]

Consider batch sparging. It's easier and requires less equipment.

dennybrew

 

[Bobby_M]

Most importantly, if you don't have a mash/lauter tun that is appropriate for fly sparging, you're just wasting your time. Try All Grain for some high level info to get started.