Mashing help

[brewingbro12]

So i've been doing extract brewing for a while and I think i'm reading for my first full mash (maybe partial mash) but I have no idea where to start.
Help please?

Tom

 

[earwig]

I learned by watching YouTube videos and doing 100 different web searches. After seeing so many different methods I just chose what looked/sounded best for each part and went with it.

 

[frankstoneline]

I'd start by determining if you'd like to do brew in a bag or build a mash tun. If you have a pot sizeable for full boils, I'd suggest looking into a big paint strainer bag/mesh bag for brew in a bag. You could do a partial or full mash with little to no outlay.
If you decide you want to build a mash tun, search one of the plethora of threads on cooler mash tuns and go to town!

 

[Northcalais40]

Check out Dennybrew.com. He has a clear one page step by step explanation with photos. I would get a cooler mashtun again and a ball valve from a kit (I made 10 trips to the hardware store).

Get a good waterproof themometer from a cooking store (I got a taylor digital for $15).

Godspeed

 

[brewingbro12]

So if i decided to do the paint strainer bag for the grain what would be the difference from extract brewing?

Sorry if this is an obvious answer.

Also I've been looking up videos and what not about all this and i've noticed people grind their barely before the mash. I usually just crack it then steep. Would I have to grind it? and would a blender work?

Tom

 

[TopherM]

Here's great instructions on partial mash brewing:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-partial-mash-brewing-pics-75231/

If you have a propane burner and big pot, just follow the same procedure with your propane burner and big pot.

Here's great instructions on All Grain BIAB brewing:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/biab-brewing-pics-233289/

And here's great instructions on traditional All Grain methods:

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/all-grain-pictorial-video-tutorials-78963/

In the future, if you have a common topic question, you can't go wrong with a forum search!

 

[cadarnell]

So if i decided to do the paint strainer bag for the grain what would be the difference from extract brewing?

Sorry if this is an obvious answer.

Also I've been looking up videos and what not about all this and i've noticed people grind their barely before the mash. I usually just crack it then steep. Would I have to grind it? and would a blender work?

Tom

buy the grain already crushed ... read deathbrewers stove top brewing post ... good luck

 

[brewingbro12]

This is all very helpful, along with all the other forums.

Thanks again! But I think i'll do a couple more extracts before I move to a partial mash. Better not try to be better than I am.

Tom

 

[Northcalais40]

Better not try to be better than I am.

Tom

This is best said to yourself in private, in front of a mirror after having overslept for work, wedding etc...

Seriously, trying to be better than you are couldn't hurt . Try all grain, it'll work, I swear.

 

[StanJohnson]

Brewingbro,

My first brew was an all-grain. I looked into extract but all the kits were fro 5 gallon batches. I'm the only beer drinker in my house, so I didn't want to brew that much. After much searching, I found this video:



I said, that's it. That's what I'll do. The only thing I do different is I do a sparge step because my cooler is only 3 gallons. I also bought a corona grain mill and grind my own grain. I watched a bunch of other videos and read tons of stuff on this forum. I also downloaded and use Brewtarget.

http://brewtarget.sourceforge.net/

It really isn't hard at all.

Good luck.

 

[H-ost]

aside from reading, reading, watching videos, reading... I would hop on down to the state forums and see if there isn't an AG brewer in your area that wouldn't mind you sitting in on a session.

Seeing it first hand answers ALL questions.

 

[brewingbro12]

You're right i'm doing it. not for a few weeks though.

 

[StanJohnson]

aside from reading, reading, watching videos, reading... I would hop on down to the state forums and see if there isn't an AG brewer in your area that wouldn't mind you sitting in on a session.

Seeing it first hand answers ALL questions.

Also, check and see if your LHBS is having a brewing demo. I went to one. Lot's of good info, tips and tricks.

 

[BrewinHooligan]

Just brewed my first 5 gallon AG over the weekend after doing a whopping total of 4 extract Mr Beer batches. It really is not difficult, it is a ton of fun, and all I did was buy a 6.5 gallon bucket w/airlock and converted a cooler I had laying around unused following the instructions here: http://www.donosborn.com/homebrew/mashtun.htm. Due to budget and SWMBO I was limited on budget and between my fermenter and mash tun I spent less than $30 and it worked PERFECT!

 

[brewingbro12]

Okay so the past few days i've been doing my homework but I still have one question. I think I have the answer but just want to double check. 1.25 quarts of water for every lb of grain during the mash, then .5gallons of water for every lb of grain for the sparge? and also i'd collect both the mash water and the sparge water for the boil?

I've been reading and some things i've read have said its normally a longer boil to boil off the extra water to get your batch size down to 5.5 or 5 gallons, but how long would i know to boil for?

 

[StanJohnson]

1.25 is probably going to be good. Here's a discussion on that very topic.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f36/1-25-qt-lb-1-5-qt-lb-219612/

Yes, you need both the mash and sparge water.

You're going to need enough sparge water to get your pre-boil volume. I use Brewtarget software and it calculates that for me. Try using this calculator.

http://www.brew365.com/mash_sparge_water_calculator.php

You need some sort of measuring device so you know the volume of your wort in the brew kettle. I marked my long white stirring spoon. Others have marked a wooden dowel. You can also mark your brew kettle.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/making-measuring-stick-178578/

Good luck.

 

[TopherM]

If you are going to do BIAB batches like you previously indicated, you don't need to do the 1.25qts/gallon water and you don't need to sparge.

With BIAB, you start with your full water volume (about 6.9-7.2 gallons to yield a 5.0 gallon batch). You mash in the full volume, lose a bit of volume to grain absorbsion, a good bit during the boil, a bit during cooldown, and a bit to trub to end up at your 5.0 gallon aggregate yield.

 

[Ultra-Medic]

I've only done partial-mash BIAB in my kettle but I'll measure 1.25-1.5 qt/lb and mash for an hour, pull the bag and rest it on a grate over the brew kettle and then pour 170-180 degree water through the grains to sparge & hit my target pre-boil volume. I imagine I'd do a all grain BIBA somewhat the same.

 

[TopherM]

You certainly CAN sparge a BIAB batch, it just isn't required. I just do my full water volumes, mash, mashout, squeeze the crap out of the bag, then do my boil. K.I.S.S.

 

[Ultra-Medic]

To me, sparging BIBA is keeping it simple. Squeezing a hot bulky bag of grains was too sticky and tedious. Pouring hot water over it to extract all the sugars and simultaneously reach preboil volume required little effort and maximum sugar extraction IMO & experience. The runnings tend to begin clearing by the time I finish. Each to their own though, thus the beauty of home brewing.

 

[afr0byte]

Check out Dennybrew.com. He has a clear one page step by step explanation with photos. I would get a cooler mashtun again and a ball valve from a kit (I made 10 trips to the hardware store).

Get a good waterproof themometer from a cooking store (I got a taylor digital for $15).

Godspeed

Was it from the cooking store on State St. in Montpelier?

 

[CidahMastah]

To me, sparging BIBA is keeping it simple. Squeezing a hot bulky bag of grains was too sticky and tedious. Pouring hot water over it to extract all the sugars and simultaneously reach preboil volume required little effort and maximum sugar extraction IMO & experience. The runnings tend to begin clearing by the time I finish. Each to their own though, thus the beauty of home brewing.

+1

When I did my first BIAB I treated it like AG batch sparging. Difference was that I was pulling the grain out of the water in the sparge bag, putting the bag into a strainer and rinsing the grains with 180F sparge water to get to full preboil volume.

To the poster.

If you have done extract with specialty grain steeping, you have *almost* done all grain brewing. AG is simple, and tough to screw up. If you plan to do BIAB you simply pull the bag out after 60 minutes of mashing vs. draining it through a false bottom as I have described below.

I would first choose a proven recipe.

1. Use brewsmith or online calculators to determine your strike water temp (i.e. 20qts of 163F strike water added to grain will yield 154F).
2. Add strike water to crushed grains as per your recipe and stir in to make sure no dough balls. Make sure your mash temp is in the range as indicated by your brew (i.e. 154F). If it is wrap it up with some towels or blankets and leave it alone for 60 minutes.

You just made wort (first runnings).

3. open your ball valve and drain quickly
4. close ball valve and add sparge water to the tun to make up your preboil volume, stir briefly, let sit a minute, then drain quickly.

Now you have your total amount of beer.

If you don't know what your preboil volume is, estimate it. Shoot for the low side so your will have less wort than you need, then top it up with water at the end.

My boil off is a little over a gallon per 30 minutes. I would estimate yours at 3/4 gallon per hour and go from there.

Keep it simple the first time. you WILL have an "ah ha" moment where you realize how simple it is to make beer from grain.

 

[StanJohnson]

+1 "Ah ha" moments are a beautiful thing.

 

[Ultra-Medic]

Cheers to that.

 

[Northcalais40]

Was it from the cooking store on State St. in Montpelier?

Yeah, 2 years ago