First AG, does this all look right?

[bnutting]

This will be my first AG and I have set thing up in Beertools Pro. I think I'm all set in the software and receipe. Does all this look correct to you? Any suggestions?

Tadcaster Ordinary Bitter (All Grain)
8-A Standard/Ordinary Bitter

Size: 5.04 gal
Efficiency: 75.0%
Attenuation: 75.0%
Calories: 114.66 per 12.0 fl oz

Original Gravity: 1.035 (1.032 - 1.040)
|=============#==================|
Terminal Gravity: 1.009 (1.007 - 1.011)
|==============#=================|
Color: 9.0 (4.0 - 14.0)
|================#===============|
Alcohol: 3.4% (3.2% - 3.8%)
|=============#==================|
Bitterness: 29.01 (25.0 - 35.0)
|==============#=================|

Ingredients:
6.0 lbs Pale Ale Malt
4.0 oz Cara-Pils
4.0 oz Crystal Malt 120°L
.75 oz Challenger (8.0%) - added during boil, boiled 60.0 min
.5 oz Goldings (5.0%) - added during boil, boiled 30.0 min
.5 oz Goldings (5.0%) - added during boil, boiled 0.1 min
1 tsp Irish Moss - added during boil, boiled 15.0 min

Schedule:
00:01:56 Mash In - Liquor: 1.62 gal; Strike: 170.3 °F; Target: 152.0 °F
00:31:56 Sach Rest - Rest: 30.0 min; Final: 146.5 °F
00:32:56 Heat Infusion - Water: 0.81 gal; Temperature: 165.5 °F; Target: 152.0 °F
01:02:56 Sac Rest - Rest: 30.0 min; Final: 148.0 °F
01:07:56 Mash Out - Water: 1.62 gal; Temperature: 202.3 °F; Target: 168 °F
01:22:56 Batch Sparge - First Runnings: 0.0 gal sparge @ 170.0 °F, 2.38 gal collected, 0.0 min;
Batch 1: 4.34 gal sparge @ 170.0 °F, 3.87 gal collected, 15.0 min; Total Runoff: 6.25 gal

Results generated by BeerTools Pro 1.0.22

 

[Blender]

It looks like a good recipe. The only thing I might nitpick on is reaching 1.009 final gravity. I hope you can get it that low.

 

[Llarian]

1.009 is 74% apparent attenuation.

He didn't say what kind of yeast he was using, but that seems like a very achievable number.

-D

 

[bnutting]

1.009 is 74% apparent attenuation.

He didn't say what kind of yeast he was using, but that seems like a very achievable number.

-D

Sorry Wyeast Thames Valley Ale yeast

 

[bnutting]

You can see my recipe above..
I "calibrated" my MLT per Beertools by preheating the tun, pouring in 140F water, taking a temp reading after 5 minutes (139F) and then taking another temp reading after 60 more minutes (133F). So it looks like I will loose about 6F in an hour. My current plan is to:
1. Mash in at 152F using 1qt/lb to allow for any infusions and added water.
2. After 30 minutes do an infusion to bring the temp back up to 152F figuring that I will loose 3F in 30 minutes.
3. Wait 30 more min.
4. Do another infusion and mash out at 168F.

Do the grains help retain the heat?
Will my heat loss be different with grains in the tun?
Should I just mash in and make sure that I'm stabilized at 152F then just wait the hour?
How often should I stir the mash? I don't want to open the cooler too many times to cut down on heat loss.

I know that much of this will be answered after the brew session when I have a better idea how the tun will retain the heat. I'm trying not to screw this beer up too badly ;-)

My next AG will be a honey wheat which I know needs a protein rest, so I'm trying to do the "simpler" beer first.

Any help/advice/pointers would be much appreciated!

 

[bnutting]

Just giving this a bump.

 

[the_bird]

What are you using for a mash tun? My Coleman Xtreme doesn't lose much of anything after an hour if I preheat it with near-boiling water. I've rarely have to add much hot water to bring it back up to temp midway through.

What are your plans for next weekend? I'm brewing on Saturday (the Resurrection 777 Rye IPA), if you want to come up. I've only done six or seven mashes, but I'll help you out however I can.

 

[Blender]

I think you will find the cooler will hold temperature better when the grains are added. I always put a towel or 2 on top of my cooler to help keep the heat in better. I don't stir it anymore until the 60 minutes is up and I add some hot water for the first running. The layout of your process looks good, expect some issues to come up during the brew but then you learn after each try and it gets much easier.

 

[bnutting]

What are you using for a mash tun? My Coleman Xtreme doesn't lose much of anything after an hour if I preheat it with near-boiling water. I've rarely have to add much hot water to bring it back up to temp midway through.

What are your plans for next weekend? I'm brewing on Saturday (the Resurrection 777 Rye IPA), if you want to come up. I've only done six or seven mashes, but I'll help you out however I can.

I'm using an older Coleman 48qt rectangular cooler that I had laying around. I don't think it's an 'Extreme' or anything like that. It does not say anything on it other than the Coleman name. My 'calibration' was using 4 gallons of 140F water. I preheated the cooler using hot tap water.

Bird = Are you referring to the 7th? or the 14th? I'm sure I can swing up, I may need to see if my in-laws are available to watch the gremlins.

I'm hoping that with the grains I get better performance out of the cooler. I'll have to try to heat it with near boiling water prior to mashing to see it it works better.

 

[Glibbidy]

Do the grains help retain the heat?
Will my heat loss be different with grains in the tun?
Should I just mash in and make sure that I'm stabilized at 152F then just wait the hour?
How often should I stir the mash? I don't want to open the cooler too many times to cut down on heat loss.
Any help/advice/pointers would be much appreciated!

Yes, the grains help retain heat, the cooler is also insulated and will retain the heat very well too. Preheating the mash tun seems kinda silly, but whatever works for you.

I find that my water temp will drop ~ 11 degrees when I add the H2O to the grains in the the mash-tun. So, maybe you want to consider raising your mash temp by 11 degrees to achieve your desired mash temp. Just a thought... Then you need not fool around with any other water additions.

Mash in, give it some really good stirring to eliminate any hot/cold pockets, and walk away for an hour. Maybe throwing a beach towel on the top of your cooler will assist with keeping the your mash temp stabilized.

Good luck!

 

[bnutting]

Yes, the grains help retain heat, the cooler is also insulated and will retain the heat very well too. Preheating the mash tun seems kinda silly, but whatever works for you.

I find that my water temp will drop ~ 11 degrees when I add the H2O to the grains in the the mash-tun. So, maybe you want to consider raising your mash temp by 11 degrees to achieve your desired mash temp. Just a thought... Then you need not fool around with any other water additions.

Mash in, give it some really good stirring to eliminate any hot/cold pockets, and walk away for an hour. Maybe throwing a beach towel on the top of your cooler will assist with keeping the your mash temp stabilized.

Good luck!

Hmm...
Maybe your on to something. I think what I might do is adjust the calibration of my tun in BTP which will adjust all my strike water tempetures, I'll also get rid of the infusion at 30 minutes. Then after preheating my tun with near boiling water I'll do my mash according to schedule and see what happens. I'll also try wrapping the tun in a beach towel just to add an extra layer of security.

After this first AG brew session I'll have a better idea how the tun performs and should have an easier time when I go to brew my Honey Wheat.

 

[the_bird]

Yes, the grains help retain heat, the cooler is also insulated and will retain the heat very well too. Preheating the mash tun seems kinda silly, but whatever works for you.

For my system, if I preheat and add strike water 2° - 3° hotter than Beersmith tells me, I've been hitting my temps spot-on. I know I could just have my strike water be a bit hotter to compensate, but then I have to heat up ALL my water to a higher temp, rather than just take a little bit of boiling water from the teakettle.

 

[Glibbidy]

Hmm...
Maybe your on to something.

Trust me. Count on 11 degrees to drop. It will work. Besides if you overshoot your strike temp, you can simply use your chiller to get your temps down to the target strike temp.

take a little bit of boiling water from the teakettle.

You still using that tea kettle? Please tell me you upgraded your burner since I last saw you.

 

[the_bird]

You still using that tea kettle? Please tell me you upgraded your burner since I last saw you.

Yeah, that dinky little thing just didn't have enough output....

Actually, I usually mash in the kitchen, which makes the pre-heating approach easier (since I have four burners to play with). I should probably practice the strike-high-and-let-it-cool-down method, just so I can brew completely outside a little bit easier.

 

[evanmars]

For my system, if I preheat and add strike water 2° - 3° hotter than Beersmith tells me, I've been hitting my temps spot-on. I know I could just have my strike water be a bit hotter to compensate, but then I have to heat up ALL my water to a higher temp, rather than just take a little bit of boiling water from the teakettle.

Yeah, your xtreme even adds a couple of degrees!
(Hope this isn't too off topic:cross: )