Help diagnose my abortion of a brewing day

[truebe]

This was the first time doing AG. I think the mash went successfully. I had the grains at 144F for 30 min then 158F for another 30min. I did forget to Varlauf(sp) but it doesn't look like my tun allows that much grain through.

I put the wort in a very thin aluminum pot from walmart and put the pot on a turkey fryer and put in on full blast. Also I had the hops in tea bags and a strainer wrapped in cheesecloth positioned near the bottom of the pot. Once it came to a boil I turned the flame down a little bit but probably not enough. But anyways everything was looking good. This is where it all hits the fan:

Halfway through the boil I hear a small explosion. I become terrified and turn off the propane. I investigate and think the rubber on the pot's valve handle had air under it that expanded because it looked like a mess so I decided to finish the brew. I was wrong however. I was able to finish the boil and when I emptied the pot, I saw that the entire bottom was dented upwards. I have no idea what caused this (some small explosion around the flame or an implosion in the pot?). Also the bottom of the pot was covered with a thick ash, the wort smelled burnt, and behind the sweetness was a burnt taste.

I decided to ferment it and tasting it a week later I realize that without the sweetness from the grains it is undrinkable. Tastes like how I would imagine bong water to taste.

Thoughts.

 

[frazier]

My thought: flame was too high. You burned the wort to the bottom of the pot. Charred sugar = bad. But I think you already know all that.

You can get flame-diffusing pads (kind of a metal woven mesh) that helps prevent that kind of problem.

 

[beersydoesit]

What is different from your extract batches, when it comes to the boil? Is it a new pot? New burner? Did you do the hops the same?

At a first glance a wild guess would be that the pot bottom expanded and "popped" into the concave bottom you found. I think the burning is a second symptom of too much heat too fast w/o enough stirring. BUT I could be all wet. Aluminum doesn't spread heat as well as steel, it conducts it better so if you're not used to aluminum perhaps that is it.

 

[truebe]

I'm using a much thinner aluminum pot and a much larger heat source with the turkey fryer instead of a stove top, so I'd imagine thats what caused it. I just dont understand why the pot deformed. Also I didn't realize you could build up enough heat to burn dissolved sugar .

 

[strat_thru_marshall]

Tastes like how I would imagine bong water to taste.

Thoughts.

Dont drink bong water dude. Trust me.

 

[HSB]

Dont drink bong water dude. Trust me.

Amen! Back in the day, when I was allowed to be cool, I had a few unfortunate incidents....ugh.

SWMBO domesticated me, though. So no worries on repeat offenses.

 

[BillTheSlink]

The problem with the shape of the pot is too much heat. I have had both a stainless steel frying pan and kettle ruined this way by family members over the years and was quite angry, as they were my Great-Grandmother's. Some times they will poke outward too.

As far as the sugar I think you scorched the extract you made in the mash. After you mash what you basically have is the same as extract and should be treated just the same. Just as you've learned in extract brewing, extract can scorch on the pot and that is bad.

I am also not sure about the mash schedule, as I only do single infusion mash, which is most common with todays highly and well modified grains. Some people do due multiple rests though and they can address that better than I.

 

[shelly_belly]

Week old beer always taste like bong water to me. Finish it up. I bet it'll be good. Cheech and Chong Ale

 

[BillTheSlink]

I'm using a much thinner aluminum pot and a much larger heat source with the turkey fryer instead of a stove top, so I'd imagine thats what caused it. I just dont understand why the pot deformed. Also I didn't realize you could build up enough heat to burn dissolved sugar .

It deformed because metal expands as it heats. Once it gets so hot something has to give. There is only so much room to expand and stay in shape. Once it pops to relieve pressure it will not go back into shape because it is like it has been put through a press. Think of the pressed sheet metal on your car. Your fender was once a flat flimsy pice of sheet metal, but they pressed it into a shape and now it will not come out of that shape.

 

[beersydoesit]

I don't know from bong water but, I don't hold out much hope for this beer. I scorched
my first batch in the turkey fried too. 18 months and still waiting for it to mellow.
Some folks like smokey beers maybe your can palm this off on one.

 

[truebe]

Yeah I think you guys would laugh if you really saw how much ash was caked along the bottom. There was damn near a pound of it and I was scooping it out in handfuls. I don't have much hope for it either. I think the biggest problem was that the walmart pot was so ridiculously thin that the flame would direct all the heat straight into the bottom of the wort. Also probably why it deformed so easily. I bought the 8 gal pot for $25 so I figured it come back to haunt me.

 

[JeepDiver]

Yeah I think you guys would laugh if you really saw how much ash was caked along the bottom. There was damn near a pound of it and I was scooping it out in handfuls. I don't have much hope for it either. I think the biggest problem was that the walmart pot was so ridiculously thin that the flame would direct all the heat straight into the bottom of the wort. Also probably why it deformed so easily. I bought the 8 gal pot for $25 so I figured it come back to haunt me.

If you've got that much ash on the bottom of the pot you need to adjust your fire. You want the flame on your burner to be a blue color not Yellow. You need to adjust the air vents on the burner. And as has been stated, the pot deformed because you had the heat too high for it.

 

[KayaBrew]

Dont drink bong water dude. Trust me.

I wouldn't trust anyone who drinks bong water.

 

[Hang Glider]

Time for a "real" brewpot, thick gauge Stainless (or aluminum). Then, when using the turkey fryer (I do the same), adjust the flame to get a nice rolling boil. Once it boils, back it down as low as you can go and still keep a nice rolling boil.

your rate of propane usage will also improve -

You should have no ash on the bottom, not even a "layer" of carmelized wort. Maybe a spot or two, the kind that you could wipe out with a damp paper towel...no more than that.

Good lulck with your next brew, in your new brewpot.

 

[DaveMcPhee]

My cheap brew pot does the same thing. By now I know at what fill level it happens, so I'm super careful when the wort if hot. solution: higher quality brew pot