How Close Am I to AG? New Equipment.

[silentmike]

all you need is a coleman extreme 52 qt cooler and some harware. Check out youtube for all the stuff you need. I think i got my coleman for $30, hardware+SS dishwasher braided hose for $15 or so. Really easy to convert! Also you wont need a 2nd burner or propane tank just a 2nd kettle maybe. You will heat up water for mash on your 1 burner and you wont have to add any as the coleman extreme doesnt lose temp for an hour. You can use the same burner to heat up sparge, then drain into your brew kettle!

 

[BeerKillLogic]

Thanks for the information though, man. Just on the last page I posted how I took care of the situation!


If my calculations are correct in figuring out my efficiency, then my first AG brew day turned out to be 66%

 

[CGVT]

My first all grain batches were lower than I expected. I tried fly sparging and it got a little better, but I really dialed in after I got a mill and started conditioning and grinding my own grain. I went back to batch sparging and make better beer than I did fly sparging.

TL:dr version?

Check your crush.

 

[silentmike]

Thanks for the information though, man. Just on the last page I posted how I took care of the situation!


If my calculations are correct in figuring out my efficiency, then my first AG brew day turned out to be 66%

just read, nice!! thats a good lookin mash tun you got there

 

[BeerKillLogic]

Thanks. So glad I just went for it.

I have been trying to recalculate my efficiency due to taking a hydrometer reading at about 148F. My initial result from 12.56 of grains reaching a pre boil amount of about 6.5 gallons was 1.033, so with temp correction calculators at first I thought was 1.047, and repunched the numbers today and got 72% using other sources.

Who really knows. I supposed I need a refectometer at this point?

 

[CGVT]

Do you use BeerSmith? If not, it is well worth the $20. You just plug in your numbers and it does all of the calcs for you. It also has some conversion tools, including a hydrometer temperature adjust. You can plug all of your recipes in and keep notes etc etc. It's a great tool.

 

[BeerKillLogic]

Yeah I do use beersmith. With allgrain and the equipment used for it being so new to me, I still haven't figured out how to set up the equipment on beer smith as what I actually am using.

I'll play around with it more when I get some time.

Will my regular old cheapo hydrometer cut it for measuring pre-boil gravity as long as I do temp correction, or am I going to need to purchase a refractometer because of the temp of the liquid?

 

[CGVT]

I just use my hydrometer. I will probably get a refractometer sometime down the line when I have some spare cash, but it is not real high on my need/want to buy list.

I have found that the adjust tool is pretty accurate. I have read my hydrometer with hot wort and adjusted for temp and then allowed it to cool and the adjustment is pretty much spot on.

Make an equipment profile for your tun in BeerSmith. You will probably have to play around with it a bit to dial in what is really happening, but once you get it right, it will be solid. I think one of the most important thing in getting accurate data is to make sure that you are entering the actual amounts of liquids. If your volume entries are off it throws everything off.

 

[silentmike]

I would spend the $30 on amazon and get yourself a refractometer. I did and its so much easier. These things take 1 drop of wort or beer to get a reading.

 

[Darwin18]

Yeah I do use beersmith. With allgrain and the equipment used for it being so new to me, I still haven't figured out how to set up the equipment on beer smith as what I actually am using.

I'll play around with it more when I get some time.

Will my regular old cheapo hydrometer cut it for measuring pre-boil gravity as long as I do temp correction, or am I going to need to purchase a refractometer because of the temp of the liquid?

I use the original BeerSmith, not BeerSmith 2, but there were lots of tutorial videos on their website that helped me to set up an equipment profile and get a lot out of the program.

 

[BeerKillLogic]

O'rite, today was my second AG brew day. Irish ale. I over shot my numbers this time! Not a bad thing. Just have to note that for next time.



One ******* thing I did was leave the valve open while pouring in my sparge water! ******* it.



If I am calculating my efficiency correctly using a standard hydrometer calibrated to 60 degrees I measured 7 gallon pre-boil gravity at 1.032 at 145 degrees F. I'm not sure these type of hydrometers can even accurately measure at that high of a temp but with the temp correction I get - 1.049. Target pre-boil OG was 1.046



Post boil OG = 1.062



Target OG = 1.057



efficiency = 73-74% I set up my brewing software for 68% so wooooo!

Was about a 5 hour brew day with cleanup and all included.

It was 178 degrees outside today. I'm beat.

 

[glugglug]

Man, 178 degrees out, I would be beat too! glad it was a good brew day!

 

[Darwin18]

Good job!

 

[silentmike]

i think leaving the valve open was okay, you just did a fly sparge

 

[BeerKillLogic]

Yeah I'm not too worried about it. All in all it was better than the first AG brew day, so I am happy.

Todays project.... Build a stir plate!


Them gonna be some happy yeast now >

 

[glugglug]

Stir plate's a nice addition