Hey guys, Ive just completed my second AG brewday and all I can say is that Im hooked.
It took me about a year to study, buy and finally make the plunge to AG. My first brewday was great just before I let the SS bucket valve open and had all my wort in the floor.
This time around I have almost 5 gallons of pale ale in my SS bucket. I was running around all the time, either preparing sparge water, getting the hops or simply reminding myself to close all valves before tragedy struck again. So now I have some questions I know many of you can answer in flash.
First of all, I did not get the FG correct. I was shooting for 1.056 and got 1.044 instead. Since I wanted to cool the wort rapidly I figured for my second try that would be it. So my first question is, was my preboil wort to diluted? I did a batch sparge. First runnings where great, but I had to do 2 more sparges to complete my 6 gallons before boiling. I noticed the last runnings where very thin. I drained my first running after an hour, and the second and third just 15 minutes after (maybe I should have let that sparge water sit for more time in the grain bed)
So I boiled the wort, but since I use a converted keg, and my valve is not at the bottom, I tilted the keg at the end to get more wort. I know I dragged a lot of trub and stuff to the fermenter. Is this common practice? Is it advisable or should I target more than 6 gallons accounting for that wasted wort that will not be collected?
I pitched my wyeast starter, gave it a 1 1/2 min pure oxygen aeration and sent the bucket to my fridge to 68f. Airlock activity began less than 10 hours. Five days later no airlock activity and I collected some beer to test for FG. I got 1.009. Was shooting for 1.014. Will the beer have more alchohol? that was 2 days ago, I checked an hour ago and still 1.009. So I guess fermentation is done. My question is why did I get a lower FG. Should I had to check sooner and when getting 1.014 just drop the temp so fermentation stops? or should it go all the way?
I tasted the beer and it actually tastes great, I know its still green and has no CO2, but I was amazed that it did not taste bad. Recipe calls for secondary ferm in other vessel and dry hopping. So I have to wait a couple of days and do the transfer.
Anyhow, thanks for all your help. this forum has been my school for the past year. Happy brewing!!!
It took me about a year to study, buy and finally make the plunge to AG. My first brewday was great just before I let the SS bucket valve open and had all my wort in the floor.
This time around I have almost 5 gallons of pale ale in my SS bucket. I was running around all the time, either preparing sparge water, getting the hops or simply reminding myself to close all valves before tragedy struck again. So now I have some questions I know many of you can answer in flash.
First of all, I did not get the FG correct. I was shooting for 1.056 and got 1.044 instead. Since I wanted to cool the wort rapidly I figured for my second try that would be it. So my first question is, was my preboil wort to diluted? I did a batch sparge. First runnings where great, but I had to do 2 more sparges to complete my 6 gallons before boiling. I noticed the last runnings where very thin. I drained my first running after an hour, and the second and third just 15 minutes after (maybe I should have let that sparge water sit for more time in the grain bed)
So I boiled the wort, but since I use a converted keg, and my valve is not at the bottom, I tilted the keg at the end to get more wort. I know I dragged a lot of trub and stuff to the fermenter. Is this common practice? Is it advisable or should I target more than 6 gallons accounting for that wasted wort that will not be collected?
I pitched my wyeast starter, gave it a 1 1/2 min pure oxygen aeration and sent the bucket to my fridge to 68f. Airlock activity began less than 10 hours. Five days later no airlock activity and I collected some beer to test for FG. I got 1.009. Was shooting for 1.014. Will the beer have more alchohol? that was 2 days ago, I checked an hour ago and still 1.009. So I guess fermentation is done. My question is why did I get a lower FG. Should I had to check sooner and when getting 1.014 just drop the temp so fermentation stops? or should it go all the way?
I tasted the beer and it actually tastes great, I know its still green and has no CO2, but I was amazed that it did not taste bad. Recipe calls for secondary ferm in other vessel and dry hopping. So I have to wait a couple of days and do the transfer.
Anyhow, thanks for all your help. this forum has been my school for the past year. Happy brewing!!!