Some questions for my first batch

[Spawn-Inc]

Just getting into brewing (started a 1 gallon kit a week ago) and have spent the last week reading and watching as much as i can.

My questions;

1. boil gravity vs OG vs FG The way i understand it is after mashing and sparging i can measure for OG. After the boil i then can measure the boil gravity. and then finally once it's done fermenting i will be able to measure FG is that correct more or less?

2. Can i use welding oxygen (home depot bottles) before pitching the yeast or does it need to be cleaner? if i can't i will just use my aquarium pump and filter.

3. a lot of people seem to be concerned about cooling the wort as quick as possible, does it really matter how quickly it gets cooled? i will be making an immersion chiller because i already have the pumps and copper.

4. I am planning on building a peristaltic pump and using the BIAB method until i can source some stainless steel mesh to make an internal basket like the clawhammer setup. thoughts?

Thanks for all the help!

 

[cloudybrewer]

1. OG readings are taken after the boil, after any top-up water is added, before pitching yeast. FG is a measurement of the end product, after the yeast are completely done fermenting.

2. I can't answer this.

3. You will get multiple answers to this. The short answer is it matters, to reduce the formation of DMS. Some say that today's malt results in less DMS, so it's not a concern. If time is a constraint for you like it is for me, then getting to pitching temps quickly is very helpful simply for shortening the brewday.

4. I'm no help here, sorry.

 

[RM-MN]

Just getting into brewing (started a 1 gallon kit a week ago) and have spent the last week reading and watching as much as i can.

My questions;

1. boil gravity vs OG vs FG The way i understand it is after mashing and sparging i can measure for OG. After the boil i then can measure the boil gravity. and then finally once it's done fermenting i will be able to measure FG is that correct more or less?

2. Can i use welding oxygen (home depot bottles) before pitching the yeast or does it need to be cleaner? if i can't i will just use my aquarium pump and filter.

3. a lot of people seem to be concerned about cooling the wort as quick as possible, does it really matter how quickly it gets cooled? i will be making an immersion chiller because i already have the pumps and copper.

4. I am planning on building a peristaltic pump and using the BIAB method until i can source some stainless steel mesh to make an internal basket like the clawhammer setup. thoughts?

Thanks for all the help!

1. Boil gravity (usually called pre-boil) is the gravity of the wort before it is boiled. Knowing this will give you information about how well your mash converted and extracted the sugars from the grain. It will be lower than the OG (taken just before pitching the yeast) because the boil will reduce the amount of water, concentrating the wort. FG is the reading you get when the fermentation is complete. It is often predicted but a hydrometer reading is the only way to be certain as predictions of FG are like weather predictions.

2. Welding oxygen should be fine. It will not have oils.

3. Fast cooling is needed if you have any hop additions later in the boil as these are intended to add flavor, aroma, and bitterness. The bitterness continues to go up until the wort is cooled below about 170F and the volatile oils that give you flavor and aroma continue to be driven off. If you have no hop additions except the 60 minute one, no chill works fine.

4 Before you buy any pump or mesh basket, make at least 10 batches with just a bag. By then the desire for buying either may have passed. Neither is needed for good beer. I consider them just a way to complicate a very simple and effective process. A much better use of your money is to purchase a grain mill of some kind so you can control the milling of the grain. BIAB can use a very finely milled grain and that fine milling gets you faster conversion and better efficiency. If you go on to buy a pump and recirculate you will have to do a poorer job of milling to keep the fine particles from clogging up the filter, be it a bag or basket. That will lower efficiency and take more time for conversion which then requires that you add heat to maintain the temperature.

 

[stieg000]

2. I use red oxy bottles from home depot all the time.

 

[ncbrewer]

3. Fast cooling is needed if you have any hop additions later in the boil as these are intended to add flavor, aroma, and bitterness. The bitterness continues to go up until the wort is cooled below about 170F and the volatile oils that give you flavor and aroma continue to be driven off. If you have no hop additions except the 60 minute one, no chill works fine.

I agree in principle. But hop stands (also called whirlpool hops) can be an exception. This involves adding hops at flameout, or after some cooling, and letting it stand for a while, normally covered (I think normally between 20 and 60 minutes). This can replace the additions late in the boil. The wort is chilled after the hop stand. Cooling doesn't have to be fast, as long as it's consistent - and even that isn't necessary if the hop stand is under 170F.

Although I haven't tried it, it seems that slower cooling would be ok with late boil additions as long as they are added a little later to compensate for the slower cooling.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

Thanks for all the info.

I will hold off on building/using a pump for brewing purposes for now, instead i am looking into building a grain mill. it seems straight forward enough i just need to figure out how to knurl the schedule 40 pipe i plan to use. my local brew shop seems to offer milling for free which is nice. I have the copper already to make my immersion chiller. I have built my stir plate as well, it just needs a box to put it in and make it look half decent. I'll be getting an 8 gallon pot to start (i know i should just get a 15 gallon pot but this will do until i step up production) and will add in my heating element soon after.

2. I use red oxy bottles from home depot all the time.

how many batches do you get before it's empty?

 

[RM-MN]

Thanks for all the info.

I will hold off on building/using a pump for brewing purposes for now, instead i am looking into building a grain mill. it seems straight forward enough i just need to figure out how to knurl the schedule 40 pipe i plan to use. my local brew shop seems to offer milling for free which is nice. I have the copper already to make my immersion chiller. I have built my stir plate as well, it just needs a box to put it in and make it look half decent. I'll be getting an 8 gallon pot to start (i know i should just get a 15 gallon pot but this will do until i step up production) and will add in my heating element soon after.

how many batches do you get before it's empty?

If you can build a grain mill as effective as one of these for the same money or less, have at it. These work very well for BIAB and can be set looser and do fine for a conventional tun but aren't as sexy to look at as some of the mills.

http://www.discounttommy.com/p-189-...er-for-wheat-grains-or-use-as-a-nut-mill.aspx

 

[Spawn-Inc]

If you can build a grain mill as effective as one of these for the same money or less, have at it. These work very well for BIAB and can be set looser and do fine for a conventional tun but aren't as sexy to look at as some of the mills.

http://www.discounttommy.com/p-189-...er-for-wheat-grains-or-use-as-a-nut-mill.aspx

I'll look into those but the cheapest i've seen them in Canada is $40 ish. i can definitely source the materials for a lover price but it will be more work obviously. I'm in the HVAC trade so i have access to most of the materials for free or close to it.