bobbyshambo21
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- Jan 16, 2013
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I need some help here guys and gals. I've been brewing for a little over a year and have recently made the jump to AG. I've been really hit and miss with my OG's and I'm not sure what to do. It's a total bummer to hugely miss your OG. Maybe I'm missing something... Below is some info on my setup/ recipes.
10 gallon AG round igloo cooler system
5 gallon batches
AG "kits from NB- so I have some tried and true recipes
Single infusion recipes
I start my brew day by preheating my MLT. When I mash in, I add the grain in 2-3 pours, stir til I get a homogenous mixture. Check the mash temp.- I'm always within a couple of degrees. (I always shoot a bit high because it's easier to cool the mash down than warm it up). Mash for 60 Min- as per recipe. Stir every 20 min. and check temp. to assure homogenous mixture/ prevent cold spots. My mash usually only drops a degree at most.
I've changed up whether or not I do a mash out. A guy at the home brew shop said it wasn't necessary, but as I was missing my original gravities, I brought it back into the process. Even if I do a mash out, my temp never gets high enough. Last batch I added 2 gallons of boiling water to a 4.25 gallon mash at 152F and it only pushed it up to 164.5F. I then collect first runnings, recirculate until fairly clear. (I may recirculate too long causing my temps. to drop?). Begin fly sparging/ draining into BK. About 1" of water above grain bed. Sparge water at 175F.
Collect runnings until I reach pre-boil-volume necessary. I check the runnings periodically with my refractometer to make sure I'm getting extraction and that the runnings are not going below 1.010 towards the end.
Boil, chill, etc. etc.
Recipes
Brickwarmer Holiday Red: OG- 1.064: Can't remember if I used a mash out for this one. OG was something like 1.052-56- Can't find my notes on this one....
Chocolate Milk Stout: OG 1.049: grist ratio 1.33, No mash out, actual OG 1:048
Waldo Lake Amber: OG- 1.063: grist ratio 1.33, No mash out, Volume ended low (just over 4 gallons), actual OG 1.056
Jamil's Evil twin: OG- 1.064: grist ratio 1.33, Mash out (see above), volume a bit high, actual OG 1.050
I use brew365.com for water calculations. I have done some research on OG's being low. Everybody points to the crush first, I don't think that is my problem here, I just use the LHBS's mill. I do not do an iodine test for conversion (I don't fully understand what it does/ means). I've read up on other types of mash outs, i.e. decoction mashing. Any help would greatly be appreciated....
10 gallon AG round igloo cooler system
5 gallon batches
AG "kits from NB- so I have some tried and true recipes
Single infusion recipes
I start my brew day by preheating my MLT. When I mash in, I add the grain in 2-3 pours, stir til I get a homogenous mixture. Check the mash temp.- I'm always within a couple of degrees. (I always shoot a bit high because it's easier to cool the mash down than warm it up). Mash for 60 Min- as per recipe. Stir every 20 min. and check temp. to assure homogenous mixture/ prevent cold spots. My mash usually only drops a degree at most.
I've changed up whether or not I do a mash out. A guy at the home brew shop said it wasn't necessary, but as I was missing my original gravities, I brought it back into the process. Even if I do a mash out, my temp never gets high enough. Last batch I added 2 gallons of boiling water to a 4.25 gallon mash at 152F and it only pushed it up to 164.5F. I then collect first runnings, recirculate until fairly clear. (I may recirculate too long causing my temps. to drop?). Begin fly sparging/ draining into BK. About 1" of water above grain bed. Sparge water at 175F.
Collect runnings until I reach pre-boil-volume necessary. I check the runnings periodically with my refractometer to make sure I'm getting extraction and that the runnings are not going below 1.010 towards the end.
Boil, chill, etc. etc.
Recipes
Brickwarmer Holiday Red: OG- 1.064: Can't remember if I used a mash out for this one. OG was something like 1.052-56- Can't find my notes on this one....
Chocolate Milk Stout: OG 1.049: grist ratio 1.33, No mash out, actual OG 1:048
Waldo Lake Amber: OG- 1.063: grist ratio 1.33, No mash out, Volume ended low (just over 4 gallons), actual OG 1.056
Jamil's Evil twin: OG- 1.064: grist ratio 1.33, Mash out (see above), volume a bit high, actual OG 1.050
I use brew365.com for water calculations. I have done some research on OG's being low. Everybody points to the crush first, I don't think that is my problem here, I just use the LHBS's mill. I do not do an iodine test for conversion (I don't fully understand what it does/ means). I've read up on other types of mash outs, i.e. decoction mashing. Any help would greatly be appreciated....