First all grain brew report

[rlmiller10]

Below is a brew report from my first beer brewing experience. Looking it over I think my former career in the nuclear world might be showing through.

Caramel Amber Ale brewed Nov 13, 2013
Recipe Type: All Grain
Yeast: US-05
Batch Size (Gallons): 3.25
Original Gravity: 1.050
Final Gravity: 1.010
IBU: 40
Boiling Time (Minutes): 60
Color: 16
Primary Fermentation (# of Days & Temp): 30
Tasting Notes:

Amount Item Type % or IBU
4.14 (4 lb 2 ¼ oz) lb Pale Malt (2 Row) US (1.8 SRM) Grain 73.68 %
.89 (14 ¼ oz) lb Caramel/Crystal Malt - 80L (80.0 SRM) Grain 15.79 %
.59 (9 ½ oz) lb Candi Syrup Amber* (40.0 SRM) Sugar 10.53 %

13 gram Chinook [11.60 %] (60 min) (First Wort Hop) Hops 40.2 IBU
17 gram Chinook [11.60 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
17 gram Mt Hood [5.70 %] (0 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -

1 Pkgs American Ale (Safale #S-05) Yeast-Ale

Equipment
4 qt sauce pan
8 qt stock pot
22 qt stock pot
5 gal glass carboy
20 gal tub
5 gal paint strainer bag
Colander
Wire kitchen strainer (tea strainer weave size)
70K BTU camp burner
Small pond pump for water recirc.
Kitchen electronic thermometer
5 gal rectangular Rubbermaid cooler
Wort cooler of 50 ft of 5/8 copper coil
Steps:
1. Add campdon tablets to 5 gal of water the day before.
2. Put about a quart of boiling preheat water into cooler 10 min before next step 4.
3. Heated about 7.3 qts (5.62 lb * 1.3 qt per lb) water in 8 qt stock pot to 171 degrees.
4. Dumped preheat water, put 7.3 quarts of water from stock pot into cooler. Added grain and mixed. Mixture was 154 degrees after mixing. Time: 3:21 pm.
5. At 3:50 added about 1 qt of boiling water to bring mash temp from 150 to 153 degrees.
6. Meanwhile heat 9 qts of water on stove to 180 for sparge, 7 qts on 8 qt stock pot and 2 qt on 4 qt sauce pan.
7. 4:25 pm, ended mash, temp 148 degrees
8. Dumped mash mix through paint strainer bag in colander into 22 qt kettle.
9. Sparged by dumping the 9 qts of water from the 8 qt stock pot and the sauce pan through the grain in the bag/colander. Press bag in colander to get as much sugar as possible.
10. Pulled sample and put in cold water bath to cool. 25 minutes later sample was 73 degrees and gravity of 1.030
11. Checked wort in 22 qt kettle with marked measured spoon, had 4.25 gal in kettle.
12. Put 22 qt kettle on camp burner at 4:40 pm
13. 4:58 pm kettle begins to boil, added first hops addition.
14. 5:40 dumped yeast into 1 cup of 98 degree water
15. 5:43 added candi syrup and whirlfloc to boiling kettle. Note candi syrup had been put in a jar after making it. It had hardened so I ended up dropping the entire jar in the boil. Fished it out 5 minutes later and it was cleaned out. Put copper wort cooler into boil kettle after fishing out jar.
16. 5:55, put yeast container into ice water bath
17. 6:03 pm, flame out, added other two hops.
18. Filled 20 gal tub with about 16 gal of 56 degree water.
19. 6:11 hooked up pump from tub to cooler and started circulating
20. About 6:25 removed about 4 gal of water from tub and added about 3 lb of ice.
21. 6:36 pm wort temperature reached 62 degrees and removed wort cooler
22. Gravity reading 1.050.
23. Dumped wort through strainer and funnel into 5 gal carboy. Had to stop and empty strainer of hops turb three times
24. Pitched yeast and swirled for about 2 minutes.
25. Placed carboy in tub of 62 degree water in basement.
26. Next morning checked and no sign of activity. Checked temp, had cooled to 59 degrees.
27. Still no activity so about 4:00 pm moved carboy upstairs. Over the next 15 hours the temp climbed to 66 degrees and a ¼ in Krausen developed.
28. Returned to basement and put in water bath with aquarium heater set to 66 degrees.

 

[brent77]

Very through, haha. Wish I was as meticulous. Let us know how it turns out.

 

[RM-MN]

Love it! Now lets get down to reality. This mix of grains is a recipe, not a chemical formula. 4 pounds, 2 1/4 ounces of pale malt could easily become 4 pounds and you won't notice the difference in the finished beer. You might not be able to measure the difference in OG even because there are so many other factors that play into getting the OG you want.

Raising the temperature of the mash 30 minutes in by adding water may not make much difference either. Depending on the crush of the grain, your conversion may have been completed before you added the hotter water. Iodine makes an easy way to check for conversion.

The fact that you had no activity showing the next morning should not have worried you. The yeast might prefer a warmer temperature but they will work at 59 too. You were just experiencing what is called "lag time" where the yeast are using the dissolved oxygen to multiply before they get down to the work of fermenting. You might make a cleaner tasting beer if you can set your aquarium heater a little lower, say perhaps at 62 to 64 but 66 will make a pretty decent beer too.

Also, you need to RDWHAHB. Making beer should be fun too as well as a mental exercise.

 

[tooblue02]

Were you a Submarine Nuke?

 

[SEndorf]

Lemme guess....
You just bought a new digital scale and are having fun with it?

Seriously, you can round your larger quantities in your grain bill.
Fun, ain't it?

 

[rlmiller10]

Were you a Submarine Nuke?

Yes, I was a sub-nuke - USS Alabama Blue

No, no new scale, just like accuracy. I also reload ammo which deals in grains and needs to be exact.

66 degrees is as low as the heater will go. In fact is says 68 but the measured temp is 66. I am looking at temp controllers so I can get down to that 63 or 64 degree range.

And yes, it is great fun, love it and even find the measuring and recording very relaxing.

PS: you should see the maintenance schedules and recording for my motorized vehicles and implements.

 

[rlmiller10]

Love it! Now lets get down to reality. This mix of grains is a recipe, not a chemical formula. 4 pounds, 2 1/4 ounces of pale malt could easily become 4 pounds and you won't notice the difference in the finished beer. You might not be able to measure the difference in OG even because there are so many other factors that play into getting the OG you want.

Raising the temperature of the mash 30 minutes in by adding water may not make much difference either. Depending on the crush of the grain, your conversion may have been completed before you added the hotter water. Iodine makes an easy way to check for conversion.

The fact that you had no activity showing the next morning should not have worried you. The yeast might prefer a warmer temperature but they will work at 59 too. You were just experiencing what is called "lag time" where the yeast are using the dissolved oxygen to multiply before they get down to the work of fermenting. You might make a cleaner tasting beer if you can set your aquarium heater a little lower, say perhaps at 62 to 64 but 66 will make a pretty decent beer too.

Also, you need to RDWHAHB. Making beer should be fun too as well as a mental exercise.

RM - thanks for the comments. I agree I got a little anxious on the fermentation starting.

And I had a couple of beers after brewing was done. Commercial of course as this is my first brew so don't have homebrew yet.

 

[SEndorf]

....And yes, it is great fun, love it and even find the measuring and recording very relaxing.

PS: you should see the maintenance schedules and recording for my motorized vehicles and implements.

I read here somewhere that attention to detail, sanitation, etc.. means the difference between a mediocre homebrew and a stunning beer.
I have a feeling you're gonna make some tremendous brews...

 

[tooblue02]

Yes, I was a sub-nuke - USS Alabama Blue No, no new scale, just like accuracy. I also reload ammo which deals in grains and needs to be exact. 66 degrees is as low as the heater will go. In fact is says 68 but the measured temp is 66. I am looking at temp controllers so I can get down to that 63 or 64 degree range. And yes, it is great fun, love it and even find the measuring and recording very relaxing. PS: you should see the maintenance schedules and recording for my motorized vehicles and implements.

Nice, when did you get out? I was Eng on USS ASHEVILLE. Brewing is a great way to relax after that tour!

 

[sessalee]

This reads like my lab notebook/brewing notebook. I came from a science background so I love the detail!

 

[rlmiller10]

Nice, when did you get out? I was Eng on USS ASHEVILLE. Brewing is a great way to relax after that tour!

I left in 91. Never went for Eng. Did reserves after active and left that in 98 as Lt Commander..