So, I post so little that I might as well be a lurker still, lol, but anyways...wanted to say:
Thanks to everyone on this board (and the DIY board) for the absolute wealth of information available on this site to a budding All-Grainer. My brew day went basically about as smooth I could ask for. Only problems I had:
* Inlet on my DIY ribcage IC leaks under a heavy flow (may switch to a compression fitting, OR try to learn to do simple welding).
* While mixing grain together in my MLT I forgot about my screen (ala Palmer) and beat it up a little. However, pushing the hose back together in the crimped part more or less put it right back the way it was.
* Thought I'd get clever and add 4.5 gal of water for sparge when BeerSmith told me to do 5.33. Not a five gallon batch anymore lol.
And that was all the issues I ran into. First batch is churning up a storm in my 6.5 carboy. Actually had to buy a heating pad because my basement is sitting right around 56 F. I think it would have started, just would have been a longer wait. Anyways, I have about 4.5 ~ 4.8 gallons sitting in the carboy, will probably only get about 4 gallons or so, but still very happy.
Pre-boil gravity was 1.049, post boil was 1.054 with a target of 1.052. Pretty sure this is mostly due to the lower volume. I actually do not have a good way to measure how much volume I had. I was just guesstimating on my volumes, but I also guesstimated an efficiency of around 70% which is what I brewed for and what my grain bill was targeting. I will be figuring out a better way to measure volume before my next batch, but I'm pretty happy with it.
Also included in my first AG is a switch to kegging and a keezer to be purchased (bought the kegging system yesterday from my LHBS, much love to The Brew Hut in Denver...very helpful/friendly bunch of people).
Anyways, thanks again! Recipe follows (APA):
5lbs Belgian Castle Pale Malt
3lbs Marris Otter
3lbs Vienna
1/4 lb Crystal 40L
0.5 oz Columbus @ 60 min
0.25 oz Columbus @ 15min
0.5 oz Cascade @ 15min
0.25 oz Columbus @ 5min
0.5 oz Cascade @ 5min
1.0oz Cascade dry hop @ 7days
1 pkg White Labs American Ale
Also used some whirlfloc....holy crap I made some clear wort. Seriously, I could not believe how clear it was. It might be a bit cloudy because I ended up getting some break material in the fermentor. Not worried about that at all.
Thanks to everyone on this board (and the DIY board) for the absolute wealth of information available on this site to a budding All-Grainer. My brew day went basically about as smooth I could ask for. Only problems I had:
* Inlet on my DIY ribcage IC leaks under a heavy flow (may switch to a compression fitting, OR try to learn to do simple welding).
* While mixing grain together in my MLT I forgot about my screen (ala Palmer) and beat it up a little. However, pushing the hose back together in the crimped part more or less put it right back the way it was.
* Thought I'd get clever and add 4.5 gal of water for sparge when BeerSmith told me to do 5.33. Not a five gallon batch anymore lol.
And that was all the issues I ran into. First batch is churning up a storm in my 6.5 carboy. Actually had to buy a heating pad because my basement is sitting right around 56 F. I think it would have started, just would have been a longer wait. Anyways, I have about 4.5 ~ 4.8 gallons sitting in the carboy, will probably only get about 4 gallons or so, but still very happy.
Pre-boil gravity was 1.049, post boil was 1.054 with a target of 1.052. Pretty sure this is mostly due to the lower volume. I actually do not have a good way to measure how much volume I had. I was just guesstimating on my volumes, but I also guesstimated an efficiency of around 70% which is what I brewed for and what my grain bill was targeting. I will be figuring out a better way to measure volume before my next batch, but I'm pretty happy with it.
Also included in my first AG is a switch to kegging and a keezer to be purchased (bought the kegging system yesterday from my LHBS, much love to The Brew Hut in Denver...very helpful/friendly bunch of people).
Anyways, thanks again! Recipe follows (APA):
5lbs Belgian Castle Pale Malt
3lbs Marris Otter
3lbs Vienna
1/4 lb Crystal 40L
0.5 oz Columbus @ 60 min
0.25 oz Columbus @ 15min
0.5 oz Cascade @ 15min
0.25 oz Columbus @ 5min
0.5 oz Cascade @ 5min
1.0oz Cascade dry hop @ 7days
1 pkg White Labs American Ale
Also used some whirlfloc....holy crap I made some clear wort. Seriously, I could not believe how clear it was. It might be a bit cloudy because I ended up getting some break material in the fermentor. Not worried about that at all.