Please help, first partial mash brew/a couple questions

[earwig]

I'm brewing my first partial mash, this brew from Austin home brew:

http://www.austinhomebrew.com/product_info.php?cPath=178_452_610&products_id=12511

The instructions say to only boil for 30 minutes... could that be right? Most other instructions always say to boil for 1 hour.

Also, they say to mash for 45 minutes, and then pour 1 quart of water for every 2 pounds of grains, over the grains before the boil... will this method work ok?

Thank you!

 

[marubozo]

What is the hop schedule it lists? It's true that most recipes call for a 1 hour boil, but if it's a low gravity-low hop recipe it may not need the full hour to achieve the required bitterness.

The 45 minute mash and water amounts for the grains sound right.

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

60 minute boils are typical, but not neccesary. If you don't intend on using a bittering hop, there's no reason to boil that long. As long as you boil long enough to get a good hot break and get your gravity where it's needed, it'll be fine. I'd trust AHS's instructions, they make good kits.

 

[viking73]

Check out this post by Deathbrewer: https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/easy-partial-mash-brewing-pics-75231/. It helped me out alot.

 

[earwig]

Yes, I'm going to use the Death's method next time. These instructions have me mashing in 2.5 gallons of water for 2.75lb of grain... that seems odd to me also, I guess it isn't much grain since they are calling it mini-mash... is that why it is using so much water? OG should be 1.050.

30min 1oz Hallertau
15min 4oz Hisbiscus petals, 1/2oz cracked coriander seed, 1/2oz Bitter Orange Peel
5min 1oz Hallertau.

It just seems odd they are saying to boil for only 30 min and mashing in 2.5 gallons of water for 2.75oz of grain (1.75 Belgian Pils Malt and 1lb White Wheat).

Thanks again for any input anyone has!

 

[earwig]

Well this was a failure, OG was only 1.041, supposed to be 1.050.

 

[Suthrncomfrt1884]

Well this was a failure, OG was only 1.041, supposed to be 1.050.

I wouldn't call that a failure. It just means your efficiency was a bit off. After you figure out the ins and outs of your system, you'll be able to fix that.

 

[earwig]

I wouldn't call that a failure. It just means your efficiency was a bit off. After you figure out the ins and outs of your system, you'll be able to fix that.

Yeah, I need to get another partial mash recipe and give it a try. This is the first time I've been unsuccessful and it is driving me insane. I wish I knew what went wrong so I could fix it... mash temp, mash water volume... I just don't know.

 

[ReverseApacheMaster]

It will probably still turn out very tasty.

 

[demonrichie]

hey mistakes=learning learning= kicka$$beer

 

[earwig]

hey mistakes=learning learning= kicka$$beer

Yes I agree and thank you. I just wish I knew how to correct this so I don't do the same thing next time without knowing what went wrong!

 

[ToddO]

Dont be so sure that you weren't closer to you OG. Topping up with water at the end and mixing up right and measuring OG isn't real exact IME. Dont sweat it too much.

 

[Justibone]

I have found in the past that my brews are more alcoholic than they should be. Maybe my hydrometer is wacky -- I've never calibrated it. Unless you 1) have calibrated yours and 2) were absolutely sure that the temperature was correct (for your hydrometer) when you took the reading, then don't sweat it. Hydrometers just measure density, and water changes density A LOT if you heat it up or cool it down... so don't be down on yourself quite yet.

Also, I'm not entirely sure they advised you to use the proper amount of water for the grains. I've not done much in the way of grains up until now, but if your efficiency is low that'd be the first thing/easiest thing to check.

 

[WickedLB]

+1 on too much water. I think my partial-mash was too thin and that is what lead to my low efficiency.

For my next attempt I am going to pick up a package of pH paper from my LHBS to make sure I am mashing in the 5s. Too much water could cause the pH to drift up over 6 reducing enzyme activity.

Thanks for your post, it has helped with my troubleshooting too!

 

[earwig]

If I use less water for my mash I would end up boiling under 2 gallons of water, that seems very low for a 5 gallon batch. Would I add more water to the pot after mashing/before boiling? I am so confused haha.

 

[Yooper]

If I use less water for my mash I would end up boiling under 2 gallons of water, that seems very low for a 5 gallon batch. Would I add more water to the pot after mashing/before boiling? I am so confused haha.

Yep. After mashing and sparging, you can add water to get to your boil volume.

 

[earwig]

Yep. After mashing and sparging, you can add water to get to your boil volume.

Sweet, this helps a lot. Would the mash calculators for all grain work for partial mash? Is there a general rule of thumb of how much water to use per pound of grain for mashing?

Thanks again.

 

[viking73]

1.25 to 2 quarts water per pound of grain.

 

[Yooper]

1.25 to 2 quarts water per pound of grain.

Yep. I like 1.5 quarts per pound- it's not too thick, and it's not too thin. Like Goldilocks said, "This one is just right!". Others use 1.25 quarts per pound, but as long as you're in the 1.25-2 quarts per pound you'll be fine. I used to go with 1.25 quarts per pound, to give me "room" to add more hot or cold water if I missed my temperatures but I'm pretty consistent after all this time.

Then you want to sparge with up to .5 gallons of water per pound of grain. Or up to your boil volume, whichever comes first.

 

[ChshreCat]

On my PM's I plan closer to the 1.25 quarts per pound because I usually have to add a bit of hot or cold water to adjust the temperature so that thins it out a touch. I still haven't managed to hit my mash temp on the first try.