If Bart Simpson Helped With My First AG Batch...

[hardrain]

...that went on until 3am last night, he would probably write the following things on the blackboard:

-I will not start a wheat beer without a proper mash schedule. My efficiency was sub-par and I suspect I need more rests. It was a heavy dose of flaked wheat and I think there is a lot of room for improvement.

-I will not start brewing at 9pm on a Monday. 9pm on a Thursday, maybe, but there are just too many work days left right now.

-I will not mash without a proper volume scales on my brew pot. It was new and difficult to figure out how much each batch was pulling out.

-I will not guesstimate how many ponds of 2-row I am using. I bought my first bulk bag and didn't think to also pick up a scale.

-I will not underestimate the sheer volume of fuel it takes to boil five gal of water on a small gas stove. (And I really need some help here, I'm not even sure I could get six boiling at this point, how 'rolling' am I shooting for here?)

-(That being said) I will not move into an apartment that makes me pay my own gas bill any time soon.

-I will find a better way to use the wort chiller water. It was my first time with this tool as well and I need to figure out how to help my conscience out. I was able to clean the tun but could probably find other uses for it in my tiny apartment.

-I will not stop perfecting my AG methods. Even with the troubles, errors and disappointing efficiency, I had a blast doing and am definitely making beer that is more like what I hoped I could create when I started this whole thing.

I would love any suggestions you all have for me, thanks for your help anyway, I would have never been able to get started on this without the help of this board.

 

[IowaHarry]

As far as the chiller item goes, get/make a recirculating chiller. Which is basically two chiller coils, a pump and a pot of ice water.

And yes, starting a 9PM was a bit late if you had to work the next day.

 

[Saccharomyces]

-I will not start a wheat beer without a proper mash schedule. My efficiency was sub-par and I suspect I need more rests. It was a heavy dose of flaked wheat and I think there is a lot of room for improvement.[/QUOTE]

I lose about 5-8% efficiency with 50% flaked wheat grist without a protein rest.

[QUOTE]
-I will not mash without a proper volume scales on my brew pot. It was new and difficult to figure out how much each batch was pulling out.[/QUOTE]

[img]https://cdn.homebrewtalk.com/gallery/data/1/medium/DSC01692.JPG
and

(wish I had this for my first few AG batches)

 

[hardrain]

Nice, that's a very simple/good solution. I'll work on that tonight.

I'm looking forward to getting a second shot at this over the weekend, definitely going to write down a detailed mash schedule.

 

[vav]

At what temperature did you D'oh! in?

 

[ohiobrewtus]

and

(wish I had this for my first few AG batches)

This is what I do as well. Works like a charm.

 

[hardrain]

At what temperature did you D'oh! in?

This could mean a lot of things but for the record I used BierMuncher's blueballs schedule:

Name Description Step Temp Step Time
Mash In Add 3.50 gal of water at 165.9 F 154.0 F 60 min
Mash Out Add 3.00 gal of water at 196.6 F 168.0 F 10 min

 

[humann_brewing]

I lose about 5-8% efficiency with 50% flaked wheat grist without a protein rest.

and

(wish I had this for my first few AG batches)

Very nice site PVC!