Grain School

[BrewBrain]

So I've decided to put myself through grain school. I've got four 1.5 gallon fermenters on order, and I intend to brew simple one-gallon recipes, changing one grain in each.

I want to brew four recipes in a day. Here's how I intend to break them down:

Brew Day #1:
UK 2-Row + Cascade hops
US 2-Row + Cascade hops

- all other recipes add one grain to US 2-Row + Cascade:

+Vienna
+Melanoiden

Brew Day #2:
+Honey Malt
+Crystal 20
+ Crystal 60
+ Crystal 80

Brew Day #3:
+ Biscuit Malt
+ Victory Malt
+ Munich 10
+ Munich

Brew Day #4:
+ Special B
+ Light Chocolate Malt
+ Chocolate Malt
+ Roasted Barley

Brew Day #5 - Head retention/mouth feel day:
+ Cara-Pils
+ Flaked Oats
+ Flaked Wheat
+ Flaked Barley

This will take me through at least the end of the year, but I'm really looking forward to it. I can't wait to fill a notebook with geeky beer data

Look good? Anything you'd change? Add? Subtract?

Assuming I get through it I'll take one of the better simple recipes and do a hops study next

 

[anth]

Glad to see I'm not the only dork that has entertained the idea of a grain/hops school. Before the shortage, I was considering brewing a series of base beers each hopped with a different variety.

Nothing to add/subtract from your schedule.

Cheers!

 

[BrewBrain]

One thing I haven't settled on is the mash tun. I use a 50qt cooler with a braid right now, and I'm not sure it will work well for a 1-gallon batch. I'm considering mashing in smaller containers inside the cooler, possibly two batches at a time, and siphoning into the pots. I can do these small batches on the stove, so should be able to boil two at once. Any thoughts or ideas here? I would like to save as much time as possible.

The other option is to pick up and convert a smaller, probably round cooler and use it on standard batches as my HLT.

 

[WBC]

Usa a grain bag in a pot inside the cooler filled with water the same mash temperature?

 

[kenche]

A 2 gallon round beverage cooler with flyguys braided manifold would work perfectly.

If you have the cash, buy many. Otherwise stagger your mash and boils.

 

[FishinDave07]

Cool experiment. Take a look at these guys The 2 most recent video podcast are about base malt experiments and if you scroll down to January i believe they have a specialty grain experiment. You might have already seen this, but if not Cheers

 

[Hoosierbrewer]

I wish I had the ability to do 10 gallon batches so I could expiriment with yeast and hops.

 

[Yooper]

Usa a grain bag in a pot inside the cooler filled with water the same mash temperature?

I was going to suggest even simpler, a grain bag in a pot.

 

[sully]

you could go with two base mashes uk 2 row and us 2 row and steep all the other specialty grains.

 

[Ooompa Loompa]

you could go with two base mashes uk 2 row and us 2 row and steep all the other specialty grains.

I think this is the best suggestion so far.

 

[WBC]

I was going to suggest even simpler, a grain bag in a pot.

The reason for the cooler was temperature stability during mash but you could do it either way.

 

[Brewmasters Warehouse]

The reason for the cooler was temperature stability during mash but you could do it either way.

If you are only going to do 1 gallon batches you can set your oven for the mash temp and put the pot into the oven during the mash.

 

[NWernBrewer]

If you are only going to do 1 gallon batches you can set your oven for the mash temp and put the pot into the oven during the mash.

+1 - if you are quick on your feet or have over a person or two that could help you could keep your brew days pretty short and still get in 4 mashes a day.

 

[Boerderij_Kabouter]

I would buy four 6 qt. cheapo pots for target or another cheapo store. Then buy a BIG cooler that is large enough to hold all four pots. Buy four grain bags.

Then, preheat and fill your pots and cooler with the same strike water. This way all mashes will be exactly the same temp. Mash in the grain bags.

This way you can do all four mashes simultaneously.

 

[BrewBrain]

I have the 2-row only batch boiling right now. I learned I don't have what I need to do small batches. I could not get a siphon going for the life of me. If this beer turns out drinkable, hot side aeration is officially a myth