My first AG batch

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Orfy

Orfy

For the love of beer!
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Thanks guys for all the support, help and info.
Couldn't of done it without you.

I put the hot water boiler on then went to weigh all the grain and hops.
ingriedients.jpg

Set the mash tun up. Water was at 77c.
spargewater.jpg

I added 5l water and a 3rd grain (3times)
15L and around 5kg grain and I got the target 68c spot on. :)
Left for 90 minutes and finished setting up my brew kettle and made an aerator.
The mash dropped 1c over the 90 minutes.
I drew 5l and added it back, same for the next 5L.
First run of was spot on to calculation at 8.6L
firstrunwort.jpg

I then added a sparge of 17.3L at 77c mixed and left for 5 minutes.
Run of from this was on 15.3L so I added another 2L to get to my target of 25.9L in total.
 
I added to the brew kettle and hit a roiling boil in 30 minutes.
flame.jpg

I added the wort chiller before the boil and left it in.
Hop additions went fine.
 
I used the time to clean the mash tun, sanitise the carboy and make my aerator, which seemed to do a good job. The hot break seemed to do its job as well.
The wort chilled to 25c in 15 minutes.
chiller.jpg

I saved the hot water to soak the wort chiller, hop screen and aerator in. I just added oxyclean and left for 10 minutes. SG was 1059 at 23c (Spot on)
I pitched the dry yeast (I'll do the fancy starter next time I want to see what it's like with just the aerator first).
All I had to do was rinse the keg and pour a home brew.


Problems.

I lost hell of a lot on the boil. Estimated about 3L to the boil and 4L left in kettle so the 26L should have left 19L but I only got 16L :(
Don't let anything touch the keg, I melted my wort chiller feed pipe! and the water out of the chiller got me bbq wheel!
 
Looks like a good batch. I like to do an an additional run after I've hit my target. I'll use hotter water and stir it a bit, then let it sit while I'm waiting for the boil to start. This run gets drained to a separate kettle and boiled. I use it to make up any shortage. Even though it may only be 1010-1015, it's better than straight water.
 
Wow... great job! Good pics, too.

Did you top off with some water to get the 16L to get back to where you wanted to be?
 
Orfy, there's only one thing I see that you may want to change. When draining from your mash tun to the boil kettle, you don't want to aerate then. Hot side aeration can cause your beer to stale long term. Aerate only after it's cool.

Looks like a success. Good Job!
 
David Thanks for the tip.

I think I'll let this go through as it is so I can taste an Unadultered brew.
Next time I'll Mash then take the run off, sparge and run off, then do a third!

Scott Gotcha.

A longer pipe or lift the tub!
Cheers.

LL, no I got the target OG to with in 1 so I didn't want to sacrifice it.
 
I see you are in the UK...
Where did you buy the picnic cooler/mash tun?
I'm looking for a cheap way to start AG.

Mike
 
mike004 said:
Yes. They are reasonably priced. Though the postal charge is quite steep, obviously due to the bulk.
I am based in Yorkshire. Preferably I would like something I could pick up in my car.

Mike
Click to expand...

I found a Thermos cooler for £14.99 in Argos. It is the same picnic cooler that Brupaks use for their Mash Tun (to which they add a bit of copper pipe and a tap and charge 40 odd quid for!!)

BB
 
orfy said:
Thanks,

I took my time getting the bits and made everything I could. Total cost of the set up was £68 including £32 for the burner.
Click to expand...

Orfy, you've really inspired me to go AG soon. Thanks for all the info and pics, it has helped me a lot to understand what is involved.

Hope the inaugral AG brew turns out well!
 
No probs.
I've done a lot of head scratching and asking questions tho get here.

The kegs have arrived BYW! :D

I'd think twice about the argos coolers. They probably just do the job but they aren't the largest or best insulated. The Igloo ones cost a little more but are better.
 
orfy said:
No probs.
I've done a lot of head scratching and asking questions tho get here.

The kegs have arrived BYW! :D
Click to expand...

Are they the ones sourced through KegWatch?

orfy said:
I'd think twice about the argos coolers. They probably just do the job but they aren't the largest or best insulated. The Igloo ones cost a little more but are better.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that info.
 
Nice job, Orfy- I am starting on that path you are on now..I am acquiring the bits and pieces. Hope to do my first AG run in Jan/Feb. Want to have the beer ready for St. Patrick's Day.
 
Yes it seem much easier to get in the US, we have very few good HBS and good equipment is normally inported and expensive. 99% of the shops use the same wholesaler so if you go in 5 different shops you have no real extra choise.

I've had to make my own stuff. If I wanted a 30qt brew pot it would cost me over $100, we can't get anything like the turkey fryers. Igloo cool boxes are hard to find. Carboys are all imports at around $35 each.
Very few if any of the shops do boxed kits for all grain. Corny kegs alone go for around $70-$80 each. Brewery kegs are illegal to own. None of the CO2 dealers will refill private owned bottles. If we want any smaller bits importing from the states it's at least $45 and a lot of retailers wont do it.
I'd start a shop my self if I thought there was a market. I guess I can count myself lucky I can get bulk grain at a reasonable price within 25 miles.

I'm guessing most of the UK brewers use Extract due to the cost/hassle of getting a AG set up.

I hope my experiment helpsshow it can be done.
 
orfy said:
Yes it seem much easier to get in the US, we have very few good HBS and good equipment is normally inported and expensive. 99% of the shops use the same wholesaler so if you go in 5 different shops you have no real extra choise.

I've had to make my own stuff. If I wanted a 30qt brew pot it would cost me over $100, we can't get anything like the turkey fryers. Igloo cool boxes are hard to find. Carboys are all imports at around $35 each.
Very few if any of the shops do boxed kits for all grain. Corny kegs alone go for around $70-$80 each. Brewery kegs are illegal to own. None of the CO2 dealers will refill private owned bottles. If we want any smaller bits importing from the states it's at least $45 and a lot of retailers wont do it.
I'd start a shop my self if I thought there was a market. I guess I can count myself lucky I can get bulk grain at a reasonable price within 25 miles.

I'm guessing most of the UK brewers use Extract due to the cost/hassle of getting a AG set up.

I hope my experiment helpsshow it can be done.
Click to expand...

It is very frustrating over here, but if I was to look at it from the "glass is half full" point of view, it's a challenge, and a chance to exercise the British flare for inventiveness...
 
I racked it to Secondary today, boy it tastes good.

1058 - 1010 = 6.25% ABV.

Click my link below and click brew spread log for the spec. (exel)
 
Looks very good, indeed. Thanks for the pics earlier in the thread, too. It's nice to see how things are done on the other side of the Atlantic!
 

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