First all-grain: Any advice?

[VolDoc]

Hey all, I contemplated posting this in the All-grain forum, but thought I would post here since I am a relatively new brewer.

I have brewed 5 extract batches so far, but this weekend I will be brewing my first all-grain. The recipe includes 6.5 lbs of pilsner malt and 5.0 lbs of munich with some other specialty grains in smaller quantities. I figured I would ask other, more experienced brewers, what things I should look out for during my first all-grain brew day? Any tips or words of wisdom would be great!

Cheers!

 

[theseeker4]

Hey all, I contemplated posting this in the All-grain forum, but thought I would post here since I am a relatively new brewer.

I have brewed 5 extract batches so far, but this weekend I will be brewing my first all-grain. The recipe includes 6.5 lbs of pilsner malt and 5.0 lbs of munich with some other specialty grains in smaller quantities. I figured I would ask other, more experienced brewers, what things I should look out for during my first all-grain brew day? Any tips or words of wisdom would be great!

Cheers!

What is your setup? Are you doing BIAB or do you have a cooler mash tun, or something else? What is your kettle size? Have you tested your boil-off rate so you have an idea of your target pre-boil volume so you have your expected post-boil amount of wort? What efficiency are you estimating that you will get?

 

[mongoose33]

I'm only barely (barley? ) more experienced than you (4 AG batches) but here's what I've discovered:

1. Consider batch sparging.

2. Stir a couple times during mash and sparge; it helped me increase my efficiency a lot.

3. Sparge with RO water.

4. Pay attention to mash PH. Get it right, and it's hard to screw it up.

5. Check the gravity of first runnings and then the second runnings, and then the overall gravity of the entire batch from the boil kettle.

My 2 cents.

 

[carvetop]

Plan as thoroughly as you possibly can. Think the process through from start to finish so you always know what your next step is. I would recommend paying close attention to the following details:
- preheating mash tun (boiling water, 1 gallon at most while your strike water heats up. Dump before adding strike water)
- amount and temp of strike water (depending on your tun, at 1.25 to 1.5 qts water/lb of grist you'll lose 10-12F)
- water absorbed by grain (lbs of grain/8.33) and lost to mash tun deadspace
- amount of sparge water needed to reach pre-boil volume and the time required to heat
- losses to boiling and evap.
- controlling run off to prevent a stuck sparge (I'd recommend going slowly for your first batch; you'll figure out the ideal rate as you go along)

There is much more but the water calcs are generally the most confusing thing when switching from extract to AG. Good luck!

 

[charliehorse]

For a first time AG brewer, the advice that I'd give is hold off on the RDWHAHB until AFTER everything is cleaned up. You'll have a lot of moving parts that you'll want to keep track of. Go to the drug store and get a thing of Iodine and use that to see if conversion is complete for your first couple of batches (google "Iodine test") until you have a good picture in your mind of what's going on inside of your mash tun.

Leave the lid closed on your mash tun. Resist that temptation. If you know somebody in your area who already brews AG, ask them to come over to keep you from doing anything wrong (hint: you probably won't do anything wrong). In spite of what a previous poster said about RO water, you live in Virginia and unless you live on the Eastern Shore, nearly all the water in Virginia is good for brewing (which is why we have so many breweries and wineries)... do NOT use RO water.

Take your time and take notes of things like your strike water temperature, mash temperature and sparge water temperature. This data can help you dial in on problems and it can also help your repeat a particularly good beer.

 

[VolDoc]

What is your setup? Are you doing BIAB or do you have a cooler mash tun, or something else? What is your kettle size? Have you tested your boil-off rate so you have an idea of your target pre-boil volume so you have your expected post-boil amount of wort? What efficiency are you estimating that you will get?

I am using a 48 qt Igloo rectangular cooler with a bazooka tube and ball valve. I have estimated my cooler loses about 1-2 degrees over an hour. There is also about 1.5 quarts left behind in the cooler after draining. My kettle is just a shade over 10 gallons (AMCYL). My boil-off rate is right at a gallon an hour. I am hoping to get 70-75% efficiency for my first batch. I used this past weekend to test all the above.

 

[VolDoc]

I'm only barely (barley? ) more experienced than you (4 AG batches) but here's what I've discovered:

1. Consider batch sparging.

2. Stir a couple times during mash and sparge; it helped me increase my efficiency a lot.

3. Sparge with RO water.

4. Pay attention to mash PH. Get it right, and it's hard to screw it up.

5. Check the gravity of first runnings and then the second runnings, and then the overall gravity of the entire batch from the boil kettle.

My 2 cents.

Yup, I will be batch sparging. Luckily, my science background has helped with brewing so I planned to adjust my pH already. My tap water has a pH of 7.8 and I threw in my water profile to EZ calc with my grain bill and have adjusted my pH down to ~5.5 using CaCl and CaSO4 (my tap water is unGodly low in calcium).

 

[VolDoc]

For a first time AG brewer, the advice that I'd give is hold off on the RDWHAHB until AFTER everything is cleaned up. You'll have a lot of moving parts that you'll want to keep track of. Go to the drug store and get a thing of Iodine and use that to see if conversion is complete for your first couple of batches (google "Iodine test") until you have a good picture in your mind of what's going on inside of your mash tun.

Leave the lid closed on your mash tun. Resist that temptation. If you know somebody in your area who already brews AG, ask them to come over to keep you from doing anything wrong (hint: you probably won't do anything wrong). In spite of what a previous poster said about RO water, you live in Virginia and unless you live on the Eastern Shore, nearly all the water in Virginia is good for brewing (which is why we have so many breweries and wineries)... do NOT use RO water.

Take your time and take notes of things like your strike water temperature, mash temperature and sparge water temperature. This data can help you dial in on problems and it can also help your repeat a particularly good beer.

I went to the local drug store two days ago and picked up a bottle of Iodine Tincture (2%) for testing starch conversion. I have noticed that we have pretty good water here in northern Virginia which is great! However, my tap water is a little low in calcium so I have adjusted for that. Thanks for the tips!

 

[Build]

Plan and make an exact list of the steps you will take, and plan B if any of them go wrong or aren't on schedule.

I would do a SMASH with 2 row or pale ale malt for a first all grain batch. If something does go wrong with it, it will be easier to figure out why and what to do about it. Good luck with it.

 

[VolDoc]

Plan as thoroughly as you possibly can. Think the process through from start to finish so you always know what your next step is. I would recommend paying close attention to the following details:
- preheating mash tun (boiling water, 1 gallon at most while your strike water heats up. Dump before adding strike water)
- amount and temp of strike water (depending on your tun, at 1.25 to 1.5 qts water/lb of grist you'll lose 10-12F)
- water absorbed by grain (lbs of grain/8.33) and lost to mash tun deadspace
- amount of sparge water needed to reach pre-boil volume and the time required to heat
- losses to boiling and evap.
- controlling run off to prevent a stuck sparge (I'd recommend going slowly for your first batch; you'll figure out the ideal rate as you go along)

There is much more but the water calcs are generally the most confusing thing when switching from extract to AG. Good luck!

Thanks for the solid info! I see the common theme of pre-heating the mash tun. I probably would not have thought about that before asking for advice. Good stuff!

 

[VolDoc]

Plan and make an exact list of the steps you will take, and plan B if any of them go wrong or aren't on schedule.

I would do a SMASH with 2 row or pale ale malt for a first all grain batch. If something does go wrong with it, it will be easier to figure out why and what to do about it. Good luck with it.

I like the idea of making an exact list. It definitely will help making the brewing process more efficient.

Sorry for my newb-ness, but what exactly is a SMASH?

 

[MarkZ56]

I like the idea of making an exact list. It definitely will help making the brewing process more efficient.

Sorry for my newb-ness, but what exactly is a SMASH?

I'm still a noob but I know this one! Single Malt and Single Hop. Beers made from one malt and one type of hops to help isolate and understand the flavors of ingredients and their input to beer flavor.

 

[charliehorse]

Plan and make an exact list of the steps you will take, and plan B if any of them go wrong or aren't on schedule.

I would do a SMASH with 2 row or pale ale malt for a first all grain batch. If something does go wrong with it, it will be easier to figure out why and what to do about it. Good luck with it.

Generally, if you get software like Brew Target (free download) and input your recipe, it'll output step by step instructions.

As for the idea of doing a SMASH, it doesn't matter which recipe you use since every all grain brewing operations are exactly the same. Sure, you might change mash temperatures or your hop schedule, but every single time you brew, you're going to be following exactly the same steps. Also, FWIW, using 2-Row for a SMASH will leave you an IPA with no malt flavor and you'll taste nothing but hops. If you want to do a SMASH, wait until you have a handle on which malts you like and which hops you like. For instance, I would find a 2-Row/Cascade SMASH completely undrinkable and I would probably pour the whole thing out.

 

[DudleyDoLeft]

I wouldn't worry any recipe from simple to complex will give you experience. I started out trying more complex things and then came to enjoy more of the beauty of simplicity. I like the idea of jumping in as any changes you make will become trajectories in your brewing.
-Rye and some other types of grain additions will surely teach you more with sparging as higher amounts gum up
-specialty malt to improve head is likely not very necessary. Don't forget where the advantages of all-grain exist in the first place.
-heavier darker beers using multiple grains can benifit from irish moss at the last 10mins of boil. where as lighter ones the irish moss is not needed or could strip out flavors.
getting clarity is something that will take more time and should have a focus on technique .. later fine tuning it with looking further into the topic and using different clarifying steps will make more sense.

When starting out Sparging can take some experience to get a good flow or reduce a stuck sparge. It is about becoming familiar with equipment.

After the boil it can be helpful to try out whirlpooling. It is a very easy technique that after waiting a bit all the hop material will be in a big pile in the center and siphoning off from the side easily yields a debris free liquid going into the carboy.

It can be helpful to take gravity readings at multiple points, Pre-Boil, Boil + in conjunction with or helping to determine boil off, after boil .. where I often will add some water to meet my Starting Gravity Target.

If the gravity is not way off you know that you are doing everything right. If it is far off. It can be due to the enzymatic reactions not happening correctly due to pH .. or perhaps not stirring enough.
The point is that if it is not way off than it will be a smaller % change in efficiency that you can strive for in the future.

When sparging use extra water but don't use sparge water that is much over 170F. I try to have extra water approaching the temp as I sparge.

Experience will come from using your equipment and making minor mistakes.

 

[WarmGas]

Sparging is where you will find the greatest difference, I suspect. Give the grain bed time to let the water work it way through. Depending on your grain bill this can vary. I sometimes find using my sanitized paddle to push through the bed to the bottom and twist it around a little can help flow if things are just dripping too slowly.

Also, keep an eye on your sparge water temp. I use a cheap digital thermometer with a probe on the end of a wire. I try and keep the sparge water the same temp as the mash. If your sparge water is too hot you will be leaching unwanted tannins out of the grain husks. This may lead to unpleasant off-flavors and will lead to haze issues as the tannins and proteins combine and precipitate in the beer.

Finally, wear an apron or some old jeans. Pouring the grain out (slowly and stirring well) makes a lot of dust.

Cheers.

 

[chickypad]

It actually sounds like you are ahead of the game - way more prepared than I was on my first batch anyway. For example you seem to have a handle on your volume losses already, paying attention to pH, etc. Since you are batch sparging you don't have to worry really about sparge temp and you can just let it rip wide open for draining. I'd say try to keep good notes and measurements but don't stress, and have fun!!

 

[chickypad]

One other thing, are you planning to treat with campden? Many city water supplies have chloramine.

 

[VolDoc]

Bump..

Just reporting that the first all-grain turned out to be a success! Everything went fairly smoothly, although the only hiccup was not having hot enough water for the infusion. I didn't want to add the grains so I dumped the water back into the kettle and brought it up to temp. Other than that things went very well, and from my calculations, I hit 74% efficiency! Can't complain about it at all and I loved it! I cannot wait to taste it. Cheers everyone and thanks for the advice.