First all-grain batch coming up, last minute advice?

[whoaru99]

Picked up grains today, finished the mash tun cooler yesterday. Will be batch sparge.

Brew is 11lb grain bill for a single hop (Chinook) pale ale.

Will be brewing this next weekend and just looking for any last minute advice y'all might have.

 

[Cyclman]

Get a good digital thermometer, I really like the cheaper thermoworks.

 

[doc5md]

Take your time. Enjoy it.

 

[duboman]

Make a list of what your doing to check of as you go.

Calibrate your measuring devices and mark your volumes

Visit www.dennybrew.com for batch sparging

Take good notes, have fun and RDWHAHB!


Sent from the Commune

 

[whoaru99]

Get a good digital thermometer, I really like the cheaper thermoworks.

I have a temperature/thermocouple probe attachment for my Fluke multi meter. Based on ambient it seems right, but going to check it with boiling water and ice water just to see where it's at.

 

[tommyguner03]

have fun, be patient, and remember its your first all grain brew, anything can happen. my first was a mess but lets not go there. cheers

 

[jaydog2314]

i created a checklist that i still use and while it's redundant now i use the sheet to keep notes. mentally walk through your day/process, I still do this to make sure I have everything in place. I brew outside but store everything in my basement. I have my brewday bucket that has all the stuff I will need outside: mash paddle, stir spoon, therm, theif, hydrometer, etc. I find the checklist helps remind of what I need and then I also try to make sure my basement area is ready for cleaning as I go and use throughout my day. Good luck! And most of all, enjoy it!

 

[insanim8er]

The mash is really the most complicated aspect, and debatably the most important. So make sure you preheat your mash tun, calculate your water temp to hit your number and go little high.

So if you're target is 153 you'll need your water to be about 164 or so, if you don't preheat your tun, you'll miss your target. Heat your mash tun with a temp of about 175 or so (don't go too hot or it'll warp your tun) let that absorb for a bit with the lid closed, then open it and stir until you're a couple (3-5) degrees warmer than your target, so you'll have ample time to dough in. Stirring all the dough balls out until you're at you're proper temp. Then seal and wait. This method works for me every time.

Just make sure your pre calibrate your thermometers.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Eat before you start brewing, it can take a long time to finish a brew day and the smell of those grains mashing will make your stomach growl!

 

[hottpeper13]

He's got a fluke!

 

[Paradigm]

Get a propane burner if you don't have one. Just did my first all-grain using an electric range and immediately bought a propane burner on amazon because I am never doing that again.

 

[whoaru99]

Yes, I have a propane burner from a turkey fryer setup.

In conjunction with going to all-grain, I'm also going from a 5-6 gallon kettle to a 10 gallon kettle. I need to modify the burner frame to accept the larger diameter kettle.

 

[marckw]

Enjoy and Have fun with it!

 

[HBC]

My last minute advice.. first batch-- just get close: don't worry about details such as mash temp (get close in to the 148-156 range)--- and volumes (end with 5.25-6 gallons). Keep in mind if you start your mash at a lower temp in the 140's, you may just want to mash longer for full conversion.

I suppose I am thinking back to my first batch, and I just about forgot to enjoy myself since I was thinking too much about numbers. I hit my numbers often, and miss numbers a ton.. part of it.. just Get close and get drinking. It will be fine, and it will be beer (need a t'shirt that says this).

 

[whoaru99]

This seems like a pretty complete overall checklist.

http://cdn2.brewersfriend.com/brewersfriend_checklist_allgrain.pdf

More eyes agree?

Anything missing?

 

[cixelsyd]

Brewer's friend rules. You can also use their calculator to get volumes and temperatures for infusions and sparging and so forth. Very handy, I just wish you could integrate it into the brew day checklist it generates for you. Maybe you can, I just haven't figured out how yet.

 

[stevehardt]

Rice hulls = cheap and easy
Stuck sparge= industrial strength pita

 

[histo320]

Make sure you have a good crush. If you are crushing yourself consider conditioning your grain.

Checklist, Checklist, Checklist.

Ensure your Strike Temp and Sparge temps are correct.

Be sure to mix the grains up with your mash paddle. Your arms will be very tired but it will definitely help your conversion.

 

[tootal]

First let me congratulate you on doing a simple beer for your first one. There's enough to keep track of without dealing with a lot of different malts, hops etc.

I've been brewing for over 12 years and during that time we came up with a brewing rule that works very well.

DON'T START DRINKING UNTIL THE BOIL!

This has made a vast improvement over the years!!

 

[whoaru99]

It's done and cleaned up,

Shooting for just under 7 gallons into the boil, got about 7. Target pre-boil OG was 1.045, hit 1.042.

Going for 5g @ 1.057 into the fermenter, got somewhat close to that @ 1.054.

All in all went pretty well. Mash temp dropped a little more than I was expecting, but I did the mash outside vs my testing inside so in hindsight that makes sense and will be accounted for in the future.

I'm pleased with how the process went, cant wait to try the brew!

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Good job, fells great getting that fist one banged out eh? I just tasted the hydro sample of my first all grain that I brewed last weekend, it's gonna be hoppy

 

[whoaru99]

Bottled yesterday. Gonna be a long two-three weeks.

The gravity sample smelled and tasted so good I sampled a couple times... just to make sure.