First AG Batch Steps and Clarification

[Boston85]

About to do my first AG batch this weekend, but want to make sure I know what I am doing before going about it. I am going to do the Haus Pale Ale, as it seems like a very straight forward recipe that would be difficult to screw up.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/bee-cave-brewery-haus-pale-ale-31793/

Since it is my first time, I just want to walk through exactly what I am going to do, to ensure that I am not leaving anything out. I am going to sanitize everything up front so it is good to go. Will have about 8 gallons of water on hand in case I need some extra. I am going to be using a Colemans Xtreme 70Q (i know its a bit large but it was the cheapest one I could fine). Then I will follow the process below.

First bring about 1.5 gallons of water to a warm temp to put in cooler to preheat it so I don't lose as much heat. Dump this water out after 10 minutes. Then bring 3.5 gallons (14 quarts) to around 168 degrees and add to cooler. The 168 degrees is calculated from beer smith based on target mash temp of 152, adding 14 qt, and weight of grain of 10.5 and weight of cooler 16.2 lbs.

Then gradually add all grain and stir for a minute or two to ensure it is all wet and covered. Close lid of cooler and let sit for an hour. After 60 minutes, bring 1.25 gallons (4qts) to 175 degrees and add to cooler. Begin vorlauf and drain wort into a carboy so it is easy to measure how much I have. While that is going on, bring another 3.25 gallons (13 quarts) to 175 degrees and lightly add to grain bed after first run is complete. Stir it around again and let sit for a few minutes. Begin second vorlauf and runoff. Collect remaining wort in carboy until I have about 6.5 gallons. Then dump all wort into brew kettle and continue with the rest of the brew.

Is there anything I seem to be missing there? A few questions I have/want to verify are:

1.) I should add the water to the cooler first, then the grain correct?
2.) What exactly is the reason to add 4 quarts water before beginnig vorlauf? Is this to ensure that the level of water does not go below the grain bed and ensure that it does not dry out as much? I am assuming it is also to ensure you dont get a stuck sparge.
3.) The recipe calls for getting around 6.5 gallons, but I have seen other places where they say collect until gravity in the brew pot is around 1.01. Is there a correct amount to collect?

Sorry for the long rambling of what I am sure are really basics of AG, but I want to make sure I get this correct so I dont have a wasted brew day. Thanks for any info and insight you have!

 

[mlg5039]

A tip I have is to preheat the cooler with the strike water. Just heat those 3.5 gallons a few degrees warmer than you need, add that to the cooler, and then stir in the grain when the desired strike temperature has been reached.

 

[ThePearsonFam]

The 4 quarts at 175 is (I'm assuming) to 'mash-out'. Mash-out is optional but the intent is to completely denature any of the remaining enzymes to halt conversion. When you add the 4 quarts of 175 degree water, it should bring your mash temp up to ~ 168 degrees (that's mash-out temp). Does the recipe state that you should hold that temp for 15 to 20 minutes or just do it and drain?
--or--
It could be to get the mash temp to ~168 degrees to lossen the sugars to facilitate sparging.

as for the volume to collect, there's a lot that goes into it... you kind-of need to work backwards to determine how much you'd need. I do a 5 gallon batch and need ~6.3 gallons to boil due to boil-off/shrinkage (from chilling)/trub & break that I leave in the BK. You probably already know your boil off if you've done full boils already. Now, the other factor is your mash efficiency... how well you can get the sugars out of the grain. The 1010 issue is to reduce the likelihood of extracting tannins. Depending on your water, that may not be an issue. I never check my gravity and just sparge until I have the volume I require, but that's just me. If you're really concerned about the post-boil OG and the final volume being spot on, then I would recommend having some style appropriate DME on hand to make adjustments. If you're not concerned about it, then just enjoy yuor brew day and look forward to drinking some great beer...

 

[Boston85]

Thanks for the tips. I may just heat the strike water a little hotter than expected like you said. That seems easier than the other way.

Does the rest of the steps look pretty accurate though? Nothing else major that I am missing?

 

[pkeeler]

First bring about 1.5 gallons of water to a warm temp to put in cooler to preheat it so I don't lose as much heat. Dump this water out after 10 minutes. Then bring 3.5 gallons (14 quarts) to around 168 degrees and add to cooler. The 168 degrees is calculated from beer smith based on target mash temp of 152, adding 14 qt, and weight of grain of 10.5 and weight of cooler 16.2 lbs.

I think it is easier to just heat all your strike water 4-5 deg. hotter. Put that into the MLT, take the temp, and adjust to strike temp.

Collect remaining wort in carboy until I have about 6.5 gallons. Then dump all wort into brew kettle and continue with the rest of the brew.

I've never heard of collecting in a carboy. Is it glass? I always get jittery thinking about pouring hot liquid into a glass carboy. Why not just use your brew pot? Put 6.5 gal. of water in the brew pot, measure the level with a ruler (to be thorough you can heat it to 155 deg.).

1.) I should add the water to the cooler first, then the grain correct?
2.) What exactly is the reason to add 4 quarts water before beginnig vorlauf? Is this to ensure that the level of water does not go below the grain bed and ensure that it does not dry out as much? I am assuming it is also to ensure you dont get a stuck sparge.
3.) The recipe calls for getting around 6.5 gallons, but I have seen other places where they say collect until gravity in the brew pot is around 1.01. Is there a correct amount to collect?

Putting the water in first lets you get your strike temp. perfect. Unless you think you won't have enough room, it is preferable for that reason. You don't have to add the 4 qts in that way. But if you don't, add it to the mash or sparge, or split the volume between the two. The gravity of the sparge is probably not a good thing for an end point. Never heard that one before either.

 

[mrk305]

You don't add more water and then vorlauf. You vorlauf drain and add more water. I think you are confused a little.

First you add the mash water. I use 173 with 13 pounds of grains in an unheated cooler. Stir a lot and check the temp after 10 minutes. Should be about 152. Let it sit for 60 minutes. That is the mash.

Drain time. Start draining the first quart or two into a pitcher, then put the drain hose in your boil kettle. That is your first runnings. As the mash tun is empty or almost empty, slowly pour the pitcher back into the grain bed. That will filter out any bits of grains that come out when you first start draining. That is vorlaufing.

Then you add the first hotter sparge water. Stir a lot and let it sit 15, 20 minutes. Again, drain the first quart or two into a pitcher and the rest into the boil kettle. vorlauf again by filtering the pitcher thru the grains as the mast tun is almost empty or empty. That is your second runnings.

Third water addition. Same as before, except your grain bed now should be about 170. After you drain the third runnings completely you should have aboout 6.5 gallons. I like to have more and do a 90 minute boil, but that's just me.

 

[pkeeler]

You don't add more water and then vorlauf. You vorlauf drain and add more water. I think you are confused a little.

If you want to step the mash or mash out you would. Which is what the OP was doing.

Drain time. Start draining the first quart or two into a pitcher, then put the drain hose in your boil kettle. That is your first runnings. As the mash tun is empty or almost empty, slowly pour the pitcher back into the grain bed. That will filter out any bits of grains that come out when you first start draining. That is vorlaufing.

This is wrong. You drain 1-4 qts into a pitcher. But then you put that back into the mash tun. When it clears a bit and no more pieces, then you are ready to drain. The vorlauf sets the mash tun. I guess, you could wait and pour it at the end, but that gets you nothing but colder runnings and more time wasted.

Then you add the first hotter sparge water. Stir a lot and let it sit 15, 20 minutes.

There is no reason to wait any length of time.

Again, drain the first quart or two into a pitcher and the rest into the boil kettle. vorlauf again by filtering the pitcher thru the grains as the mast tun is almost empty or empty. That is your second runnings.

Third water addition. Same as before, except your grain bed now should be about 170. After you drain the third runnings completely you should have aboout 6.5 gallons. I like to have more and do a 90 minute boil, but that's just me.

Again, the vorlauf is pouring the runnings back into the grain to set the grain bed. It is not reserving liquid until the grain bed is almost empty and then sparging with it.

You can do just one sparge, or two, or three. Just determine what you want and make sure your software (since you say you are using software) is correctly calculating the water volumes needed.

 

[mrk305]

I wouldn't say my way is wrong, it is just different than what you do. I find that when the mash ton is drained or almost drained the grain bed more compact and is less disturbed and works better as a filter when I pour in the vorlauf pitcher.

When I add my sparge water I stir for about 5 minutes. I like my grain bed to completely settle after that. Maybe 15 minutes is overkill, but I am not in a hurry. I am usually reading on HBT waiting for the buzzer to go off.

Sometimes, when I don't have anything better to do, I will vorlauf over and over again to completely rinse the grains. It's not how fast I can make it, but how good I can make it, right?

Most people mash for 60 minutes. Some people mash for 90 minutes. A few mash overnight. None of them are wrong, that is just what they do. You can't argue with the results. Stop by for a cold one some time. See what beer tastes like when I make it the wrong way.