Recipe and Brew Steps Analysis

[Imburr]

I have this recipie: https://www.homebrewsupply.com/media/pdf/All_Grain_PDFs/AG_INS_TheQuadzilla.pdf

Here are my brew day notes with temps and volumes. This brew was messed up, and I ended up filling a 6.5 gallon carboy plus 20% of a 5 gallon carboy with wort after the boil. My equipment is 2 keggles, one for mashing and one for boiling.

I think the beer is going to come out amazing, but I am certain that I am not going to hit 11.6% ABV. I punched stuff into BeerSmith and they estimate my AVB to come out at 11.2% but I think thats still higher than reality.

I know this is a silly request, but can someone glance at my brew steps and maybe point out major flaws so I can correct for next time?

Brew Day - Quadzilla

Steps
Fill mash keggle with 6.03 Gal H2O
Turn on heater and heat to 164.8
Take off heater and put boil keggle on heater filled with 3.94 gallons and heat to boiling

Add grains to mash tun slowly, stir
Temp should be 152-154- add hot/cold to make up difference
Set 60m timer and cover keggle
Measure temp after 60m

Mash out, add 2 (rough) gallons of boiling water to raise temp to 170
Rest for 10m

Transfer hot water from boil keggle into 5-gallon cooler to keep hot 185 ish (I skipped this step)
Place boil keggle on floor

Vourlauf runnings until clear slowly
Run hose from mash tun to boil keggle and begin to quickly drain all wort
Once wort is in boil keggle measure wort and record
Close valve in mash tun

Add sparge water to mash tun at 185 ish
Stir mash
Vourlauf
Collect runnings, then drain mash into boil kettle

We need 7.94 g pre boil water. If we are low add more water through grain bed. If high, longer boil

Move boil kettle to burner and turn on full blast
Measure Gravity
Once boiling, set timer for 90m
After 30m, add 1.25oz Northern Brewer hops
After 45m (15m left) put immersion chiller into wort to steralize
Add 1/2 lb Maltodextrine
After timer is off, turn off heat
Add 2 lb Candi Syrup

Cool wort with chiller to 80 degrees, measure temp in tank
Stir beer to cool quicker
Drain into fermenter, use screen to catch nonsense and aerate beer
Rock/shake fermenter a bit
Measure G

Add yeast starter
Sanitize and insert airlocks, temp probe, etc
Set ferm temp to 65-66 until ferm done
Raise temp to 72 degrees and split to secondary leave behind trub

Once fermentation is done, add in 1 lb of toasted coconut in bag to 1 carboy
Once fermentation is done, add in 1 lb of rum soaked toasted coconut in bag to 1 carboy

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

Well, It sounds like you used way too much water. You mashed in with 6 gallons for your initial infusion, followed by 2 more to raise the temp for mash out. Then, after draining first runnings, you added even more (unspecified amount) for a single batch sparge.

I didn't look at the recipe, but I assume you're making a big beer with a pretty hefty grain bill. Maybe the grain absorption is high enough to support that, but the final wort volume says not.


The first thing...for a batch sparge, you really don't need to do the mash out. Since you're getting the first and second runnings into the boil kettle and heating up so quickly, it's not necessary.

How did you calculate your infusion and sparge additions? How much wort did you collect pre-boil? Do you have an known boil off rate?

I use brew365 to calculate my initial infusion volume/temp along with my sparge volumes. I usually set the batch volume, then tweak the mash thickness until the sparge volume is about half of what I expect the pre-boil volume to be. I do it that way since I've heard you get the best efficiency if the first and second runnings are pretty close in volume. Since my second runnings almost always match my sparge volume, I just make that half the pre-boil volume and I'll have matched volume in first and second runnings.

 

[Imburr]

Grain bill was 16.5 lbs.

I calculated the volume using the 1.5:1 qt./lb. equation, so roughly 6 gallons. I used a tool online actually, just some random calculator. My boil off rate is roughly 1 gallon per hour, so I estimated 1.5 gallons boil off with a 90m boil... though I do not think I achieved that.

Ill check out Brew365. I do not understand your last sentence, can you extrapolate it for me? Thanks!

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

Grain bill was 16.5 lbs.

I calculated the volume using the 1.5:1 qt./lb. equation, so roughly 6 gallons. I used a tool online actually, just some random calculator. My boil off rate is roughly 1 gallon per hour, so I estimated 1.5 gallons boil off with a 90m boil... though I do not think I achieved that.

Ill check out Brew365. I do not understand your last sentence, can you extrapolate it for me? Thanks!

Here's what I mean. I want first and second runnings to be the same size. Since I've found that my second runnings pretty much equal the sparge water added (add 3G sparge, get 3G 2nd running), all I need to do to set things up is look at what brew365 says my pre boil volume shoudl be. Then I tweak the mash thickness until the sparge water volume is half of that. Since the sparge volume equals the 2nd runnings and the total pre-boil volume is the sum of first and second runnings, that implies that my first and second runnings will be equal.


Regarding this sentence: "We need 7.94 g pre boil water. If we are low add more water through grain bed. If high, longer boil". If you're preboild volume is basically 8G, with 1.5G boil off you should get 6.5G to the fermentor (minus any lost to trub).

Was you pre-boil volume around 8G? You got 7.5G into the fermenter(s), so I'm guessing your pre-boil volume was closer to 9G?

I don't know how many times you've brewed, but I recommend keeping stats on everything. The things I record that are related to volume, abv etc:

Volume/temp into strike
mash temp (start and end since I mash in a cooler)
first runnings volume and gravity
sparge volume (I don't get worked up about temp, usually about 175)
Second runnings gravity and volume
pre boil volume and gravity
post boil gravity and volume
volume to the fermenter.


You can use this to calculate efficiency, so you can better nail your recipes. You can also use it to determine the numbers that should go into the water calculators.

 

[chickypad]

I assume you didn't fill your carboy to the rim, so sounds like your post boil volume was likely 7 gals or under. Did you actually measure the volume before putting it in the carboys? As detailed above, you just need to take really good measurements on one batch then you can dial it in.

The problem with this batch is it looks like it's designed for 10% at 5 gals, if you were up around 7 gals you're not going to be close. Even with pretty good efficiency you would likely be in the 1.070's so probably more like 7%+. Did you take an OG reading?

 

[Imburr]

I assume you didn't fill your carboy to the rim, so sounds like your post boil volume was likely 7 gals or under. Did you actually measure the volume before putting it in the carboys? As detailed above, you just need to take really good measurements on one batch then you can dial it in.

The problem with this batch is it looks like it's designed for 10% at 5 gals, if you were up around 7 gals you're not going to be close. Even with pretty good efficiency you would likely be in the 1.070's so probably more like 7%+. Did you take an OG reading?

Because I am using Keggles which someone else made, I have a very hard time tracking volumes once they are in the kegs. I have a sight glass on one, but it is high enough to only register at 3 gallons. The BigMouth carboy I used is 6.5 gallons, and I filled up to the top of the pattern where it turns to slope inward. I measured 5 + close to 2 gallons pre boil if I remember correctly.

I think my volumes got messed up in Beersmith, I was messing with my EQ profiles a lot and the values changes significantly with what I originally estimated.

Should I move my sight glass down, or is there another better way to measure? I tried a marked yard stick, but with the darkness/steam its very difficult to use.

 

[chickypad]

The sight glass starts at 3 gals, but post boil weren't you up around 7 gals? You didn't note that volume?

In kettles without a sight glass I have done the marking on a plastic spoon or stick. You won't see the markings below the wort line but you can go from the first one above and estimate down.

 

[Imburr]

Here's what I mean. I want first and second runnings to be the same size. Since I've found that my second runnings pretty much equal the sparge water added (add 3G sparge, get 3G 2nd running), all I need to do to set things up is look at what brew365 says my pre boil volume shoudl be. Then I tweak the mash thickness until the sparge water volume is half of that. Since the sparge volume equals the 2nd runnings and the total pre-boil volume is the sum of first and second runnings, that implies that my first and second runnings will be equal.


Regarding this sentence: "We need 7.94 g pre boil water. If we are low add more water through grain bed. If high, longer boil". If you're preboild volume is basically 8G, with 1.5G boil off you should get 6.5G to the fermentor (minus any lost to trub).

Was you pre-boil volume around 8G? You got 7.5G into the fermenter(s), so I'm guessing your pre-boil volume was closer to 9G?

I don't know how many times you've brewed, but I recommend keeping stats on everything. The things I record that are related to volume, abv etc:

Volume/temp into strike
mash temp (start and end since I mash in a cooler)
first runnings volume and gravity
sparge volume (I don't get worked up about temp, usually about 175)
Second runnings gravity and volume
pre boil volume and gravity
post boil gravity and volume
volume to the fermenter.


You can use this to calculate efficiency, so you can better nail your recipes. You can also use it to determine the numbers that should go into the water calculators.

Yeah I record everything, just gets hazy once I get into the process since I dont have an efficient means of measuring. After I mashed, I needed to know how much pre-boil word I had to I pumped it out of the boil kettle into a brew bucket which has volume markings on it. It was 5-gal, then I eye balled the rest in the keggle, which was 2 gallons roughly- I know this because of the location of my thermometer post.

Pre boil was between 7 and 8 for sure.

Sounds like I need to figure out a way to mark all carboys/keggles/coolers with graduated volume markings somehow so I can accurately record volumes at every stage instead of depending on assumed equipment mesurements such as 1.5g loss during boil.

 

[Imburr]

The sight glass starts at 3 gals, but post boil weren't you up around 7 gals? You didn't note that volume?

In kettles without a sight glass I have done the marking on a plastic spoon or stick. You won't see the markings below the wort line but you can go from the first one above and estimate down.

The sight glass is in my mash tun, not in my boil keggle. I can add one in before next brew day- how low in the keggle should it go?

 

[Imburr]

Pre Boil gravity was 1.048, after boil once cooled it was 1.068. Target OG: 1.094 ouch! Here are pictures for reference, can you guesstimate how much this is in volume? Also, the yeast went bonkers last night as you can see and exploded all over everything.

 

[mongoose33]

I'm a little confused on something--it looks like you're making a yeast starter in...something like 5 hours?

I begin my starters 12-18 hours before I expect to pitch. A starter is supposed to improve the viability of the yeast and allow for the number of yeast cells to increase. That's not going to happen in 5 hours.

 

[Imburr]

I'm a little confused on something--it looks like you're making a yeast starter in...something like 5 hours?

I begin my starters 12-18 hours before I expect to pitch. A starter is supposed to improve the viability of the yeast and allow for the number of yeast cells to increase. That's not going to happen in 5 hours.

It was almost 24 hours prior to brew, maybe 22.5 or so.

 

[HopHeavy]

Pre Boil gravity was 1.048, after boil once cooled it was 1.068. Target OG: 1.094 ouch! Here are pictures for reference, can you guesstimate how much this is in volume? Also, the yeast went bonkers last night as you can see and exploded all over everything.
View attachment 548561 View attachment 548562

Why guesstimate? Do you have an empty carboy you can weigh? If so, weigh the full ones and subtract the weight of the empty carboy(s). Since your fermentation is underway, you can weigh it at your next gravity reading and multiply the reading by 8.35 (the weight of one gallon of pure 1.000 water). For example, at your starting OG, 1.068 x 8.35 = 8.91 pounds should have been about one gallon. Should get you close.

 

[Imburr]

I do not have an empty carboy of either of those types, I only have extra plastic 5 gallon bucket ones. The mostly empty carboy is glass, and the full one is a BigMouth Bubbler. The BigMouth spec says its weight is 4 lb. and forums say the glass carboy is 13 lb. I still don't understand the computation though!

 

[mongoose33]

It was almost 24 hours prior to brew, maybe 22.5 or so.

You may want to edit your original post then, as it indicates you made the starter on "brew day."

 

[HopHeavy]

I do not have an empty carboy of either of those types, I only have extra plastic 5 gallon bucket ones. The mostly empty carboy is glass, and the full one is a BigMouth Bubbler. The BigMouth spec says its weight is 4 lb. and forums say the glass carboy is 13 lb. I still don't understand the computation though!

We can determine the volume of a liquid if we know its weight and gravity. Pure water has an SG of 1.000 at 60°. One gallon of that pure water should weigh ~8.35 pounds. Dissolved salts/sugars change the density of the liquid, as well as the volume. The weight of a fixed volume increases a bit dependent upon that density. With a fixed volume, the higher the SG, the heavier the liquid. So, from this concept we could get a fair estimate if you knew the weights of the carboys and airlocks, which appears to be a moot point. This is a Rube Goldberg method of figuring this out, but onto the math anyway!

An example: I want to know the volume of fermenting beer inside two soda kegs. Pretty much your scenario.
Lets pretend I know the aggregate weight of both soda kegs is 10 pounds. Pretend I also just took a gravity reading and determined the present SG is 1.037. Before I do anything else I can find out how much each gallon weighs at this SG. That would be 8.35 x 1.037 = 8.66. (Weight of 1 gallon pure water x SG of your present sample = weight of 1 gallon of your beer) One keg weighs 45 pounds while the other weighs 47.25 pounds, a total of 92.25 pounds. First, ditch the weight of the kegs, 10 pounds, leaving 82.25 pounds. Divide this by 8.66 we know how many gallons are inside the kegs... ~9.5 gallons.

 

[newkirk]

Sounds like I need to figure out a way to mark all carboys/keggles/coolers with graduated volume markings somehow so I can accurately record volumes at every stage instead of depending on assumed equipment mesurements such as 1.5g loss during boil.

For (empty) carboys I use a simple approach: fill a 1gallon jug (spring water, milk, whatever) from the faucet and pour it in. Mark the 1 gallon line (I use a p-touch labeller, permanent marker or tape will do) then add another gallon, label, repeat. For my brewpots, I did the same with the jugs of water and noted the depths on an aluminum yardstick per gallon for each pot. I can pretty easily eyeball 1/4 gallon increments on my 7 gallon carboys and guesstimate 1/10 gallon, easier on smaller fermenters.

j

 

[Hwk-I-St8]

For (empty) carboys I use a simple approach: fill a 1gallon jug (spring water, milk, whatever) from the faucet and pour it in. Mark the 1 gallon line (I use a p-touch labeller, permanent marker or tape will do) then add another gallon, label, repeat. For my brewpots, I did the same with the jugs of water and noted the depths on an aluminum yardstick per gallon for each pot. I can pretty easily eyeball 1/4 gallon increments on my 7 gallon carboys and guesstimate 1/10 gallon, easier on smaller fermenters.

j

Also, for kettles...I'm assuming this would work for a keggle, but there's a cool thread on how to etch a SS kettle with volume markings.

 

[Imburr]

Also, for kettles...I'm assuming this would work for a keggle, but there's a cool thread on how to etch a SS kettle with volume markings.

The only problem with keggle marking or even a spoon dip is that once anything is boiling it generates enough steam so that seeing anything inside is impossible.