Please help me perfect this SOP!!

[alee]

Since I am going all grain tomorrow, I put togther this SOP/help sheet to make sure I don't skrew up too bad.
Could you experienced folk please look it over and help perfect it. I am using a 10gal converted rubbermaid water cooler with false bottom, a 9gal stainless pot as a kettle, a 5gal stainless pot for strike water, a barley crusher and a false bottom. My main concern is what temperature I need my strike and mash water to hit my target temps???? Thanks again, I'm a little nervous.

1) PREPARATION
a. CHECK PROPANE LEVEL.

b. Make sure false bottom is in cooler and attached with tubing to cooler tap.

c. Heat strike water to 160-165°F → Approximately 1.25 quarts of water per pound of grain (+ extra in case needed).

d. Heat 1 gallon of water to boiling and add to cooler (mashtun) and swirl to condition cooler. Pour out.

2) MASH
a. Add Grain to cooler.

b. Add 1 gallon of 160-165°F strike water at a time to grain and stir between each addition. TARGET TEMP 152°F or per recipe.

c. Stir every 15 to 20 minutes and check temperature
IF TEMP IS < 145°F WITHIN 30 MINUTES ADD HOT WATER

d. HEAT SPARGE WATER WHILE GRAIN IS MASHING – about 4 gallons heated to 180°F

e. Mash for 60 minutes or per recipe.


3) LAUTER
a. Drain wort from cooler into pitcher until it runs clear (approx 2 quarts). OPEN VALVE ONLY PARTIALLY AT FIRST

b. Add wort gently back to the top of the mash.

c. Begin draining wort into kettle. OPEN VALVE ONLY PARTIALLY TO PREVENT STUCK SPARGE.

d. When wort if flowing clear gradually open tap fully. KEEP THE TUBE BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE WORT IN THE BREWPOT TO PREVENT OXIDIDATION.

4) SPARGE
a. CLOSE TAP
b. Add 1st part of sparge water to cooler.
MAKE SURE SPARGE WATER IS AT CORRECT TEMPERATURE
c. Thoroughly stir grist.
d. Allow to stand for 15 minutes.
e. Re-circulate until clear and drain to brewpot.
f. Repeat with 2nd part of sparge water per recipe to collect required volume of wort.

 

[Coastarine]

I would put in another stir before 3a and after 4d. Basically stir after adding anything to the tun and before vorlaufing/draining. Stirring every 15-20 is optional as far as I'm concerned, and I don't do it. I stir at dough-in, and just before vourlaufing.

Don't stress too much about HSA.

Here's an EP for you:

IN CASE OF STUCK SPARGE
A stuck sparge will be indicated by an abrupt or gradual stop in wort flow from the MLT, with wort still visible on the grain.
a. Close valve
b. Stir mash
c. Vorlauf
d. Continue draining with the valve opened less than before.

 

[alee]

Thanks for the quick response. What did you mean by HSA?

 

[Coastarine]

Hot side aeration, 3d.

 

[flyangler18]

One suggestion that I would offer would be how you preheat the tun. Heat your strike water to 10° over target, dump into the tun and allow the temp to drop target.

As far as calculating strike temps, software is indispensable. Beersmith gets lots of good reviews, although I use Beer Tools Pro since I'm on a Mac.

 

[Coastarine]

He's using boiling water to preheat the tun. I prefer the strike temp + 10 method too but that should work.

 

[flyangler18]

He's using boiling water to preheat the tun. I prefer the strike temp + 10 method too but that should work.

Yeah I saw that, just trying to help him trim down to a streamlined process.

 

[wilserbrewer]

He's using boiling water to preheat the tun. I prefer the strike temp + 10 method too but that should work.

+1, Adding a gallon of boiling water to a plastic cooler can be a bit hard on the cooler. Plus I feel that this basicly overheats the bottom of the cooler.

Never made any sense to me to add hot preheat water only to empty it prior to adding the strike water.

 

[bamadoh]

He's using boiling water to preheat the tun. I prefer the strike temp + 10 method too but that should work.

I used the boiling water method on my first two mashes in a 5 gallon MLT and I only used a gallon of water which wasn't enough to get it up to temp. I still ended up losing 5-8 degrees when I added strike water and then grain. Last time I used the +10 method and didn't loose any temp during the 60 minute mash. I would suggest using more boiling water or just go with the +10 method.

 

[alee]

So, are you saying that if I have a target mash temp of 152deg to add 162deg water? Or am I to add 10deg to the 160 to 165deg water I had originally planned on using. If I add 10deg hotter water as you suggested, I assume you mean to add the strike water to the cooler then add the grains and mash in?
Also, is 180deg a good temp for batch sparge water?
Thanks so much for all the help. Hopefully things will go smoothly tomorrow.

 

[Coastarine]

So, are you saying that if I have a target mash temp of 152deg to add 162deg water?

No.

Or am I to add 10deg to the 160 to 165deg water I had originally planned on using. If I add 10deg hotter water as you suggested, I assume you mean to add the strike water to the cooler then add the grains and mash in?

Yes. Whatever your strike water temp, add ten degrees, and put that in the cooler. Allow the water to cool (preheating the tun) to your strike temp, then add your grain.

Also, is 180deg a good temp for batch sparge water?

Yes.

 

[flyangler18]

So, are you saying that if I have a target mash temp of 152deg to add 162deg water? Or am I to add 10deg to the 160 to 165deg water I had originally planned on using. If I add 10deg hotter water as you suggested, I assume you mean to add the strike water to the cooler then add the grains and mash in?

Kinda. Rather than preheating with a gallon of boiling hot water, preheat the tun with strike water + 10°. The cooler is going to suck heat, so if you let the temps equalize and drop down to your 160ish strike temp and then dough in, you'll be rewarded with far more stable mash temps. Do you have any brewing software or used one of the free calculators online? The temperature of the strike water is based on the temp of the grain and your intended mash temp. For example, if your grain is 50° and you want to mash at 152°, you will need a hotter strike water to have the temps settle at 152° compared to grain that is sitting at 70°. Make sense? Likewise, your sparge water temp is relative to the temperature of the grainbed. You should aim for a grain bed temp of 168°, and adjust the temp of the sparge water based on that figure. 180° is a good number to aim for.

 

[Blender]

I do think you will need strike water closer to 170 to get to 152 in the end. If your grain is a bit cold it may be more. It is far easier to cool the grain with some ice cubes a few degrees than to heat it up a few degrees.

I add all the water then the grain and stir it for 5 minutes.

You don't need to stir the mash every 15 minutes. Just wait until you are ready to drain off. Each time you open the lid you will loose heat.

I don't wait 15 minutes after adding sparge water. I stir it really well and drain.

Have fun.

 

[alee]

Kinda. Do you have any brewing software or used one of the free calculators online?

Yes, I am using beersmith. Hopefully just doing the process will help me learn for next time. I am not counting on great efficiency or getting everything right the first time.
Thanks again