just dropped a wad of cash to go all grain

[legasus233]

Try to stay calm and not panic if you hit some bumps in the road. I also found it more difficult to be effective at all-grain and do it right if I enjoyed 1 too many beers before and during the process.

 

[jarnock]

Advice from my last batch (3rd all grain overall): Make sure your water softener is filled up! Hard water will have an affect on mash efficiency.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

Advice from my last batch (3rd all grain overall): Make sure your water softener is filled up! Hard water will have an affect on mash efficiency.

well i have no such device. i do have fairly hard water. I plan on adding ph stabilizer to the mash water before the dough in but is there something i should test for hardness? I dont want to get into needing a bunch of chemicals and stuff though. Maybe I should get a brita sink attachment filter or somethign like that.

 

[eric19312]

I slways measure gravity and volume pre boil and post boil ( OG) Don't forget to write down temp of gravity samples if using hydrometer.

Of course the pre boil grav sample can go into the boil, but the OG sample should be discarded.

I batch sparge and like to also record volume and gravity of each batch collected. Not necessary I guess but interesting if I ever want to think about partigyle brews.

As you progress you can reevaluate how many measurements you want to track. I like getting technical, but understand that isn't for everyone and not necessary to make good beer.

But for your early batches seems better to err on side of too many measurements and too detailed notes.

And yes a sight glass is great item. A refractometer is another bit of not too expensive gear that makes getting multiple grav samples during brew day a snap.

One final idea is a good brew day checklist. I'm assuming beer smith provides one you can print. They are helpful.

 

[eric19312]

well i have no such device. i do have fairly hard water. I plan on adding ph stabilizer to the mash water before the dough in but is there something i should test for hardness? I dont want to get into needing a bunch of chemicals and stuff though. Maybe I should get a brita sink attachment filter or somethign like that.

Water chemistry might be overkill on your first AG batch. If your water is not good to drink maybe use spring water from grocery store. Brita filter will remove chlorine but not hardness. You could just brew something that likes hard water like an ipa.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

Water chemistry might be overkill on your first AG batch. If your water is not good to drink maybe use spring water from grocery store. Brita filter will remove chlorine but not hardness. You could just brew something that likes hard water like an ipa.

my extract brews have been fine with my tap water.
I didnt know that hardness can mess with efficiency, and im not sure i care.
I will pay a little more for more grain rather than buying water.

 

[winterc]

I didn't have a refractometer for my first 2 brews. It really helps to measure your mash efficiency before you add hops. Now I keep an extra pound or two of DME on hand to hit my desired gravity. If you don't have DME on hand, plug the new efficiency into beersmith, and maybe adjust hops accordingly.

The best advice I've seen so far, if you're batch sparging, is to measure the volume of your first runnings, subtract that amount from your expected boil volume, and use the result for mashing out/second infusion. With a sight glass on my boil kettle I fly sparge until I have my desired boil volume, check SG with the refractometer, and adjust accordingly with DME.

 

[Ondori]

My advice is to physically fill your boiling kettle with water, one gallon at a time and measure the depth after each addition to determine exactly the gallons per inch in your kettle. That way if you know you need say 6.7 gallons pre-boil to boil down correctly in 60 minutes for a 5.0 gallon batch, you can simply make a mark on a stick at the proper depth in the kettle for 6.7 gallons and sparge until you reach that volume depth.

I say this because it's difficult to guesstimate your sparge water volume until you have your system dialed in. Much easier to just measure your wort depth in the kettle as you sparge.

I did this. Has worked out wonderful for me.

 

[bferullo]

I cant figure out how to enter the type of system i have into beersmith.

I have on the way the 10 gallon cooler and 10 gallon boil kettle.
I am only going to do 5 gallon batches for now. Do i want to select the 5 gallon cooler from the equipment in beersmith or the 10 gallon and then scale back to 5 gallon recipe?

When I scale back my gravity takes a nose dive.

I use the same equipment and do 5.5 gallon batches in BS to yeild 5 gallons at bottling.

Can you use the diameter of your kettle and google boil off calculators? is your cooler a rubbermaid? DO you have a false bottom?

If yes to most of the questions I can send you my profile in BS. I have it dialed in pretty tight. you would just need to measure the deadspace under the false bottom.

 

[latium]

I've used my hard (filtered) tap water to great effect. I'm thinking about, in the future, using it for porters and stouts (and maybe browns), while diluting it about 50/50 with distilled water (at least the strike water) for paler beers to see if that makes a difference.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

I use the same equipment and do 5.5 gallon batches in BS to yeild 5 gallons at bottling.

Can you use the diameter of your kettle and google boil off calculators? is your cooler a rubbermaid? DO you have a false bottom?

If yes to most of the questions I can send you my profile in BS. I have it dialed in pretty tight. you would just need to measure the deadspace under the false bottom.

cooler is rubber maid with false bottom. Its not been shipped to me yet.
boil kettle is 10 gal aluminum. I think I am going to get a metal yard stick with inch measurements and mark off the gallons and partial gallons. you can pM me if you want to tell me more about the equipment profile.

 

[bchurch]

Pre heat your mash tun, or at least I do and I pretty much hit my desired temp. Just a little bit of the mash water boiled up and dumped in ahead of time.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

Pre heat your mash tun, or at least I do and I pretty much hit my desired temp. Just a little bit of the mash water boiled up and dumped in ahead of time.

Should it be boiling water just very hot water.
I dont want to warp the plastic or anything like that?

 

[Doongie]

I recently made the jump to AG brewing, there is a sticky in this forum that is very helpful. One of the most hepful suggestions was:

If I may I would like to add. I would suggest have a game plan on paper the day before you mash in, with all your math calculated. and all your targets calculated also a game plan for "what to do if you dont hit those targets" this has helped me more than anything with a smooth running brewday.

 

[bchurch]

Should it be boiling water just very hot water.
I dont want to warp the plastic or anything like that?

Just about a quart or two of very hot water, aka almost boiling water is what I do and it works for me.

 

[Doongie]

Just about a quart or two of very hot water, aka almost boiling water is what I do and it works for me.

I add the full amount of strike water, at about 5 degrees more than required for dough-in, let it settle to strike temp, and add grains. Works pretty well. Your setup may need more or less than 5 degrees...

 

[nachotime]

approach your first all grain as an attempt at a new process, not an attempt to make perfect beer. If you don't hit your target, don't stress. the point of the first AG is to simply make beer from grain and learn the steps. also, have fun...

also, don't get drunk... drunk all grain is a mess and leads to unwashed MLT's and BK's...... or so i've heard......

 

[PastorofMuppets]

I add the full amount of strike water, at about 5 degrees more than required for dough-in, let it settle to strike temp, and add grains. Works pretty well. Your setup may need more or less than 5 degrees...

The videos i have watched on youtube followed this approach. I think that is what I will do. I am most comfortable doing what I have actually watched done. Im sure many methods work but having a video reference helps me.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

Here is a list of my steps on brew day. I would LOVE any tips tweaks or other info that might make it go smoothly. I will be batch sparging. I have a 10 gal rubbermaid cooler with false bottom all stainless.

Grain bill is 12.25 lbs expected gravity according to beersmith is 1.058

Irish Red

1st all grain batch brew day instructions.
Prior Day Steps
1. Day before begin yeast starter. 2 cups water. 1 cup DME on stir plate. 1084 smack pack.
2. Bring all items needed inside from cold garage. Kettles, grain, cooler etc.

Brew Day Steps
3. Heat 5 gallons water in main kettle to 166 -168 degrees.
4. Also heat to boiling other pot full.
5. Add grain to large bowl.
6. Take temp of grain and record.
7. Preheat MLT with 1 gallon of really hot water.
8. Add remaining strike water to MLT
9. Add 5.2 PH stabilizer to strike water
10. Dough in Grain stirring to prevent dough balls.
11. Check temp and adjust if necessary.
12. Make notes as to temp drop.
13. When temp is stable at 152 begin 1 hour mash.
14. During mash heat 4 gallons sparge water to 180 degrees.
15. Begin vorlouf step draining until wort runnings are clear. May be 3-8 quarts
16. Take hydrometer reading once wort runs clear
17. Slowly lauter runnings into boil kettle.
18. Once 1st runnings complete add strike water.
19. Check temperature and hope for 168-170 degrees
20. Wait 15-20 minutes then vorlouf until clear again drain 2nd runnings into boil kettle.
21. Measure volume and sparge until 6.5 gallons is reached in boil kettle.
22. Take 6.5 gallons of wort and take pre boil gravity reading
23. Bring wort to boil and adjust wort with DME if necessary.
24. Add 1.5 ounces Northern Brewer Hops at 60 min mark of boil.
25. Add whirlfloc tablet 15 min remaining.
26. Add copper chiller 15 min remaining.
27. Add 2 oz Williamette Hops 1 minute remaining.
28. Chill wort to 65 degrees.
29. Take gravity reading
30. Siphon into fermenter
31. Pitch yeast
32. Add airlock
33. Move to fermentation closet.
34. Clean up mess

 

[eric19312]

Step 7 & 8. You need to use other water (maybe just some hot tap water) to preheat the MLT, not part of your measured strike water. Then you dump that other water out before adding all your strike water to the MLT.

Step 18. You need to know volume of first runnings. Then 6.5 gal minus first runnings volume is volume of sparge water.

Step 24. If your pre oil gravity is 1.044 or higher, and you boil 6.5 gal down to 5.5 gal, your post boil grav will be 1.052 or higher. I picked 1.052 which is about 10% below planned gravity. I wouldn't add DME unless you are going to be further off than this. I used the brewer's friend boil off calculator here for the math... Made up the 10% variance but feels right. http://www.brewersfriend.com/dilution-and-boiloff-gravity-calculator/


Have fun! He I get to brew this weekend but doesn't look likely.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

Step 7 & 8


You need to use other water (maybe just some hot tap water) to preheat the MLT, not part of your measured strike water. Then you dump that other water out before adding all your strike water to the MLT.

Step 18. You need to know volume of first runnings. Then 6.5 gal minus first runnings volume is volume of sparge water.

Step 24. If your pre oil gravity is 1.044 or higher, and you boil 6.5 gal down to 5.5 gal, your post boil grav will be 1.052 or higher. I picked 1.052 which is about 10% below planned gravity. I wouldn't add DME unless you are going to be further off than this. I used the brewer's friend boil off calculator here for the math... Made up the 10% variance but feels right. http://www.brewersfriend.com/dilution-and-boiloff-gravity-calculator/

Thanks. Is it true then that after the mash no more water will be absorbed by the grain so i can measure exactly how much more water I need for the batch sparge.

How much water does it take to preheat the MLT?

 

[eric19312]

Actually some people report getting a bit more out in the sparge run off than they put in due to volume of dissolved sugar they are collecting. It is small amount but I normally find I end up with about 7.2 gal when I aim to collect 7 gal. When that happens I boil for a few extra min and add my 60 min hops when kettle volume hits 7 gal.

 

[eric19312]

I preheat tank with 1 gal hot tap water for 30 min. This is not necessary but you need to pick a method and do it that way all the time. If you don't preheat the tun you will compensate by using somewhat higher temp strike water. I believe preheating the tun helps me reach a stable mash temp faster and more reliably but that could just be imagination.

 

[Bamsdealer]

If you're batch sparging, you won't need a HLT. Just a pot of water. You can use one of your pots if it has a valve for fly sparging. Likewise, you can fly sparge with a measuring cup if you really want to be hands on...

 

[PastorofMuppets]

If you're batch sparging, you won't need a HLT. Just a pot of water. You can use one of your pots if it has a valve for fly sparging. Likewise, you can fly sparge with a measuring cup if you really want to be hands on...

Isnt there a method where you just measure the sparge water and pour it into a colander and let it sprinkle into the mlt.

I wont be doing that. I dont understand it enough.

 

[eric19312]

Sorry I said preheat tank when I meant preheat mash tun. I use a cooler mash tun. Preheating allows me to use somewhat cooler strike water and reach stable mash temp faster. Maybe.

The water temp adjustment shows up in my software as using a smaller thermal mass for the tun than I used without pre heating. I believe i used #4.5 without preheating and #2 with oreheating. That is by preheating my tun with warm tap water I don't need to use so much of the heat energy stored in my strike water to raise the temp of the cooler up to 150. In reality it is probably a pretty small adjustment in the strike water temp, but my mash does seem to reach stable temp faster with preheating.

 

[old_tx_kbb]

There's a lot about the mashing process here in these posts....read them all

Water chemistry is not rocket science...research it...learn about your water and how you can adjust it based on dark beers, pale ales and IPA's, and lagers. RO water is a good thing. There are great posts on HBT about water chemistry

Grain mills can save you $$$ if you can get on a group buy...my last 55# sack of maris Otter was $34....run your grain thru your mill twice at a .035 gap

Yeast....re-use it....wash it...and use a yeast starter and stir plate

Oxygen....research it an d use it for your big beers with a good stone.....


Those are some things I wish I knew before my first all grain batch.....but the coolest thing was....my 1st AG batch tasted better than any extract batch I'd ever made.

Good Luck brother...congrats on going AG !

 

[matt2778]

I've never really understood the point of preheating my cooler mash tun as I find easy enough to just bump my strike temp two or three degrees. One thing that can be issue though (something I learned the hard way) is equipment and grain temps. As you learn your system store your equipment and grain at a consistent temp. If you leave your cooler and your grain in an icy cold garage and attempt to brew using your notes and recipe from a July brew your temps will way off. I simply leave my grain and mash tun in the basement and find all my numbers play happily.

 

[PastorofMuppets]

I've never really understood the point of preheating my cooler mash tun as I find easy enough to just bump my strike temp two or three degrees. One thing that can be issue though (something I learned the hard way) is equipment and grain temps. As you learn your system store your equipment and grain at a consistent temp. If you leave your cooler and your grain in an icy cold garage and attempt to brew using your notes and recipe from a July brew your temps will way off. I simply leave my grain and mash tun in the basement and find all my numbers play happily.

I understand what you are saying. I have no other place but my garage for stuff. Thats why I bring it all inside so it will be inside temp which is fairly constant year round. i wish i had a freakin basement.

 

[eric19312]

I understand what you are saying. I have no other place but my garage for stuff. Thats why I bring it all inside so it will be inside temp which is fairly constant year round. i wish i had a freakin basement.

I bring mine inside night before brewing and still pre warm. Pre warming is easy step, do it at same time I'm confirming my tun is clean.

Other pre warm advantage is that sometimes I do back to back batches. Probably 30 min after one batch is done running off I'm dumping grain and adding strike water for next batch. I just dump the grain, don't aggressively rinse between batches. Works out that batch 1 pre warms for batch 2.