First AG

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Going to attempt my first AG probably this weekend.
Wondering weather I should be trying a Single Infusion or Step Infusion for a first try.

Any settings in Promash I need to tweak for either method?

Also any AG recipes for an amber or brown ale? I was thinking of an ESB but I was thinking something a bit darker. I have about 5 oz each of Goldings and Columbus hop pellets in the freezer right now, and Wyeast 1968.

I have made contact with the brewmaster of the only brew pub in the area and he will sell me grain and hops at cost and will grind them for me too. Yay!

Really shock to my system here, I once lived where brew pubs were every few blocks! (Victora, BC)

 

[Sir Sudster]

Good to hear you have come to the dark side. But there is light at the end of this tunnel...Beer....Good Beer.

I would suggest you do an infusion mash. Step mashing is more difficult and it is best to ease into this.

Pro-Mash will give a good strike temp based on your input parameters. Take a temp reading of your grain and plug it into promash. Add your grains to your strike water as opposed to adding water to your grains. It will make a difference in hitting your final infusion temp.

Best of luck and let us know how you did..OK.

 

[Dude]

Going to attempt my first AG probably this weekend.
Wondering weather I should be trying a Single Infusion or Step Infusion for a first try.

Any settings in Promash I need to tweak for either method?

Also any AG recipes for an amber or brown ale? I was thinking of an ESB but I was thinking something a bit darker. I have about 5 oz each of Goldings and Columbus hop pellets in the freezer right now, and Wyeast 1968.

I have made contact with the brewmaster of the only brew pub in the area and he will sell me grain and hops at cost and will grind them for me too. Yay!

Really shock to my system here, I once lived where brew pubs were every few blocks! (Victora, BC)

Congrats, you'll love the finished product of AG.

Stick with a single infusion for the first one. You'll have enough to worry about trying to get your mash temp where you want it. Record everything as you go. You will thank me for this later. One other note--I don't know what you are mashing in, but if it is a cooler, have some boiling hot and cold water ready at mash-in, in case you miss your target you can correct it.

Promash has an option to do AG or extract. Up in the top right corner of the recipe.

I don't know many recipes that I'd suggest. Search on here, as many people have made browns and ambers that have been successful.

Sweet on the grains and hops from your local brewer!!!!

Good luck on your AG--post here if you have questions along the way and we will chime in!

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

sweet hook-up with the local brewer! my "local" will give me yeast slurry, but nothing else.

here's the ESB i'm brewing Saturday (Big B's ESB)
9 lbs british 2-row pale malt
1 lb crystal malt (60)
0.10 lb chocolate malt
1 cup brown sugar (last 5 min of boil)
0.66 oz Target hops @ 75
0.5 oz EK Goldings @ 15
0.5 oz EK Goldings @ 0
1300 ml starter w/ White Labs English ALe or White Labs Whitbread Ale
1 pkg Burton Water Salts (1/2 in mash, 1/2 in sparge)
mashin at 152 for 60 minutes, sparge w/ 170 water to get 6.5 - 7 gallons, boil for 90 minutes.

ferment at 66 degrees(if possible)

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Thanks guys!

I've decided to try the single infusion with a cooler as a mash tun method. I'll be putting that together over the next couple of days. Have to find a 8 gal kettle as well or I'll have to wait.. Unless I boil on two 5 gall ones?

I would eventually like to build a 3 tub system, but that will have to wait till next spring/summer.

As for straining the grains, what size should the holes of the screen be?

I've heard some people use grain bags for their grains instead of straining. Is there problems with this method? I would guess a proper strain would be best?

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

i've never used a grain bag, but i'm sure it's easier to clean up and no worries of a stuck mash or sparge.

just dive in, and make adjustments on the fly. you'll figure out a system once you get a brew or two under your belt. you'll love it!

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

As for straining the grains, what size should the holes of the screen be?

Are you buying a manifold, or making one? Does you cooler have a drain plug, and if so, are you using it or removing it and fashioning a bulkhead?

If your cooler has a drainplug and you are leaving it, the easiest way will be with the mega grain bag. If you don't have a drainplug or are anyways fashioning a bulkhead you have some other options such as the popular and easy stainless steel braided hose, or the slighly more involved copper/cpvc slotted manifold.

In any case, your screening method really only needs to be able to catch the husks of your grains. The husks then compact and form an effective wort filter.

 

[Darth Konvel]

Welcome to the dark side As far as the boil goes, I use multiple pots. I'm using an electric stove though, so I don't think that I would get a very good boil going with a single giant pot. YMMV.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

For the mean time I'm going to use a 23L bucket with a spigot added as the mash tun. I've been told that this will hold the temperature well enough. On the bottom there will be a metal screen over a spacer to raise it above the spigot.

Looks like I might have to wait till next week since I can't get my grains this weekend. I'm also trying to find an 8 gallon kettle. Though I do have a few 20qt canning pots I could use.

Might do a extarct brew this weekend at a friends house. I'm trying to slowly convert him from budweiser to better beer. Althgough I'm almost tempted to just ferment some corn sugar with one hop pellet in it....haha

As for my first AG, hopefully by next weekend, I'm trying to decide between an amber/brown ale or a Czechvar (budvar) clone. (but with Nottingham ale yeast).

 

[BlightyBrewer]

Best of British (luck)!

I will soon be making the journey to the dark side in a few months...

Brew kits lead to extract brewing, extract brewing leads to extract with grains, extract with grains leads to the dark side of the brew...

 

[3rd and Long]

The first AG I did was with some layered cheescloth as opposed to a proper manifold, the batch turned out beautifully. Good luck with the endeavor!!

 

[Orfy]

Good luck,

I'll be joining you in a week or two.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Denny, personally I'd go with the brown ale. I don't know why, but I'm always amazed to see dark wort coming out of my MLT! I just never have faith it's going to happen with so few dark grains and so much 2-row.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Would the Rye IPA recipe I posted here: rye ipa

be to aggressive for a first try?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

I don't think so...it's actually a relatively straightforward recipe with the exception of the rye. I don't have any rye experience, so I can't speak to how much it actually gums up a mash, but I've mashed a fair amount of wheat without any problems. I think if you have a halfway decent manifold setup you won't have any problems.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

Is a manifold any more or less effective than a screen (false bottom)? I've been thinking of building a slotted manifold out of 3/4 inch irrigation plastic tubing.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Not that I know of...I've never used a screen false bottom, but I think they work equally as well. I used copper for my manifold in my new coolertun (as yet untested). If you're going plastic, I think I would go with CPVC which is rated for higher temperatures...I'm not too sure about irrigation tubing handling the higher temperatures as well as being okay for contact with food?

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

It's the same grade as the house hold water system stuff.

Do you put the slots facing up, down or sideways, or does it matter. Any concernes with channeling other than being to close to the sides?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Tomorrow I'll try to find the article on manifold design I used when making mine. It indicated that slots facing up was the way to go, but every manifold I've seen had the slots facing down so I went with that. The slots up theory was because with the slots down water channel along the bottom of the tun (smooth laminar flow), but it still has to pass through the grainbed to get there, doesn't it? Anyways, the article still has lots of information on dimensions and how close to the walls is advisable.

 

[ScottT]

You did right to put the slots on the bottom side.

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

Denny, here is the article I was referring to:
http://brewingtechniques.com/library/backissues/issue5.4/palmer_sb.html
Good information on manifold design.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

I built a screen using copper and window screen.. Probably try the manifold system when I build a diff. mash tun.

I'm finaley getting my grains next monday! Only 10 bucks canadian for all the ground grains. Brewpub guy is doing it for $5 for grains and $5 for grinding. (I'm goingto have to invest in a grinder).

He did'nt have any Rye Malt so I'll have to use flake.

Is it best to just add the rye flake or should it be broken down smaller?

 

[Dude]

Is it best to just add the rye flake or should it be broken down smaller?

Add it to the mash just the way it is!

 

[DeRoux's Broux]

yep, just add it with the rest of the grains like it is. sounds like a good gig you have going w/ the brewer up there. nice job!

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

I just need to get my own mill. Have the reason it's taking so long to get the grains is he can only mill them for me when he's not busy and the mill is empty. With hockey back this year, bear is flowing pretty quick at ye ol' brew pub.

What's a decent price for a used flour mill?

 

[Baron von BeeGee]

ORRELSE posted a deal on one (in the States) for US$15 + shipping. I got in on it for $26 to my door, though I have yet to put it through the paces. It's the Corona type mill that you can usually find in the ~$40 range. You can remove the handle and rig it up so that you can attach a power drill if you don't want the exercise.

 

[Denny's Evil Concoctions]

ORRELSE posted a deal on one (in the States) for US$15 + shipping. I got in on it for $26 to my door, though I have yet to put it through the paces. It's the Corona type mill that you can usually find in the ~$40 range. You can remove the handle and rig it up so that you can attach a power drill if you don't want the exercise.

Thanks, I'll look around locally first. I was actually thinking of starting a dog walking/grain milling service.
A tread mill, some pullies and a grain mill....