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How is that working out for you, so far?
"incorrect" grains is only signifigant if you are brewing to style. If you are, then it is paramount. Otherwise, it is simply the "craft" of brewing.
Spinning fly sparge is awful!
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How is that working out for you, so far?
"incorrect" grains is only signifigant if you are brewing to style. If you are, then it is paramount. Otherwise, it is simply the "craft" of brewing.
It's hard to tell if you are mocking me. But it's working pretty well.
Our first batch was OK. Dry, weak body
Second, pretty decent, malty, under carbed, needs adjustment
Our third was easily within the realm of tasty IPA's out there (however I assume those are the easier beers to make since most of the subtleties are masked by the strong flavors)
Got #4 bottling today, and #5,#6 ferming. #7 being brewed Saturday.
Our first batch was OK. Dry, weak body
Second, pretty decent, malty, under carbed, needs adjustment
Our third was easily within the realm of tasty IPA's out there (however I assume those are the easier beers to make since most of the subtleties are masked by the strong flavors)
Got #4 bottling today, and #5,#6 ferming. #7 being brewed Saturday.
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In my first year of brewing nothing was very awe inspiring given the drastic changes in brewery kit and control levels. But, I tried everything. I became very adept at brewing a single large batch of wort 10-15 gallons, then splitting it off into 5 gallon batches and altering it from there. A different hop, a sugar, a spice, a steep of this or that spec grain, a yeast at this temp, the same yeast at that temp, hot ferment, cold ferment, etc... ad nauseum.
It made for leap and bounds experiences with the materials of the trade but there was not one thing I did that was anything close to original. Just when I thought I had come up with something new I found out that it had been done by the Aztecs (ex) centuries ago, etc., etc.
And, i had not used a single recipe from a book or a magazine. All were derived by my own intuition.
bja
Well-Known Member
Constructive criticism isn't the same as mocking.
When I first started brewing I bought all my stuff from Bens Homebrewing in Tarentum. Do you know him?
Yeah, understandable.
No, my family moved from the area in '96. I only go back to visit relatives from time to time.
Here, the closest home brew place is 60miles away, so most of the stuff I get is through the mail.
No, my family moved from the area in '96. I only go back to visit relatives from time to time.
Here, the closest home brew place is 60miles away, so most of the stuff I get is through the mail.
![Craft A Brew - Safale BE-256 Yeast - Fermentis - Belgian Ale Dry Yeast - For Belgian & Strong Ales - Ingredients for Home Brewing - Beer Making Supplies - [3 Pack]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51bcKEwQmWL._SL500_.jpg)
shelly_belly
Someday After A While
A friend of mine has the whirlygig thingy. It sure is fun to watch!
That it is shelly_belly, that it is!
bigbeergeek
Well-Known Member
I believe the reason the recipe censorship gets so much attention here is because this is the largest homebrewing community on the internet. We share everything here -- from our most prized (award-winning) recipes to house-ale recipes to brewing techniques to construction ideas (how many jester keezer clones are out there right now). You are likely here to learn a thing or two from more experienced brewers who circulate these parts and perhaps share some lessons of your own. That's sort of the point. If you blur out your recipes because you chose to not share your hard-earned secrets (or don't want to discuss why you made the decisions you did on a particular recipe) than that rubs some of us the wrong way. We are here to learn and to help others learn. Censorship runs against that ideal. Keep your secrets if you feel you should, but realize that if we all went the same route this forum wouldn't exist.
This thread got interesting fast.
Don't worry so much about the grain bed. I simply let my HLT trickle down into my MLT from about 6 inches above, once there is a 1 to 2 inch head space of water I'll start to vorlauf then drain.
Should I blur this out since I hope to open up a brewpub one day?
Now here is the real question, how big is your system?
Don't worry so much about the grain bed. I simply let my HLT trickle down into my MLT from about 6 inches above, once there is a 1 to 2 inch head space of water I'll start to vorlauf then drain.
Should I blur this out since I hope to open up a brewpub one day?
Now here is the real question, how big is your system?
The issue may not be the arm but your processes. What are you using as a filter in your MLT? False bottom, manifold, braid?
Are you preheating the tun? Is it direct fire? If you could give me us a better idea of your setup and processes we could help better.
The two 15g pots are blickman. So it's that perforated false bottom. I've been heating the water in the HLT and then pumping the needed amount into the mash tun. Using recirculating/vorlauf to maintain temp. Direct heat only on HLT and boil kettle.
The grain crush seems ok, not undercrushed.
I suspected the mash pH.
The highest efficiency came from dark brown ale, which may have been dark enough to acidify the water down to around 5 something. I tried using the 5.2 mash stabilizer, it seemed ok, however I don't like all the stuff that is floating in the water when using it.
The latest batch I used Gypsum and Calcium Chloride since my local water is very high in carbonates but low in sulfates and chlorides. This seemed to work a little but not a huge difference.
We are getting close to good numbers but it seems very hard to achieve above 70% efficiency. When we are sparging, we run out probably 18 gallons and down to 1.007 gravity and then boil for a long time (down to 8-10 gallons). It seems like we shouldn't have to boil off almost 50% of the water to reach below 75%. Actually, sometimes the first runoff is at a lower gravity than what we are shooting for, this can't be right.
The grain crush seems ok, not undercrushed.
I suspected the mash pH.
The highest efficiency came from dark brown ale, which may have been dark enough to acidify the water down to around 5 something. I tried using the 5.2 mash stabilizer, it seemed ok, however I don't like all the stuff that is floating in the water when using it.
The latest batch I used Gypsum and Calcium Chloride since my local water is very high in carbonates but low in sulfates and chlorides. This seemed to work a little but not a huge difference.
We are getting close to good numbers but it seems very hard to achieve above 70% efficiency. When we are sparging, we run out probably 18 gallons and down to 1.007 gravity and then boil for a long time (down to 8-10 gallons). It seems like we shouldn't have to boil off almost 50% of the water to reach below 75%. Actually, sometimes the first runoff is at a lower gravity than what we are shooting for, this can't be right.
how are you heating the mash water? Herms/Rims or decoction method?
What temps are you striving for during your mash?
What is the grist ratio? Are you calculating the dead space of the false bottom when you mash?
What temp is the water preheated at?
What temps are you striving for during your mash?
What is the grist ratio? Are you calculating the dead space of the false bottom when you mash?
What temp is the water preheated at?
Mash water is heated by RIMS method, i think. If that's where you run the wort out, through a heat exchanger in the HLT and back on top of the mash.
We tried 154° a few times.
When we did a rye ale, we cooked at 104°-30min/140°-40min/158°-20min
Also, tried a two-step mash at 150° then 160°
Grist is 1.5 qt/lb.
Dead space is .19 gallons. I'm not calculating that, what is the relevance of it.
Pre-heated water is 165° to achieve the 154° after mash in.
We tried 154° a few times.
When we did a rye ale, we cooked at 104°-30min/140°-40min/158°-20min
Also, tried a two-step mash at 150° then 160°
Grist is 1.5 qt/lb.
Dead space is .19 gallons. I'm not calculating that, what is the relevance of it.
Pre-heated water is 165° to achieve the 154° after mash in.
If your grist is 1.5 it's a little over what I tend to do and that does make up for the deadspace in the MLT. Why you have to worry about that is because that water that's not in there isn't going to be in contact with the grain bed. Now you're recirculating so it shouldn't be an issue.
Do you stir during the mash?
Also, how are you taking temp readings?
Lastly, what you measuring your Gravity with? First Runnings Method? Preboil?
Do you stir during the mash?
Also, how are you taking temp readings?
Lastly, what you measuring your Gravity with? First Runnings Method? Preboil?
I stir the mash to break things up when we mash in, but that's it.
The pots have thermometers on them. I have occasionally dropped a second thermometer in the mash to be sure they are accurate. Also so I get an idea of what temp the recirculated mash in coming back in at. I don't use an inline thermometer so it's not perfect.
We used a hydrometer for a while but with the temp adjustments it became tedious. For the last couple brews I've been using a Hanna refractometer.
The pots have thermometers on them. I have occasionally dropped a second thermometer in the mash to be sure they are accurate. Also so I get an idea of what temp the recirculated mash in coming back in at. I don't use an inline thermometer so it's not perfect.
We used a hydrometer for a while but with the temp adjustments it became tedious. For the last couple brews I've been using a Hanna refractometer.
Try stirring your mash a little more, if you have a pump to recirc then stirring through out will only help. If the water coming in is too hot and is sitting on top of the grain bed it may halt your conversions so you should stir. Is the refractometer auto temp correcting?
What's your first running gravity at compared to your calculated post boil gravity?
What's your first running gravity at compared to your calculated post boil gravity?
I will definitely try stirring. Yes it's auto temp adjusting.
Our last brew I got a reading of about 1.066 on the first running. This was promising since we were shooting for 1.060. It quickly dropped and we had a 1.038 at the start of the boil and a 1.052 at the end of the boil.
Our last brew I got a reading of about 1.066 on the first running. This was promising since we were shooting for 1.060. It quickly dropped and we had a 1.038 at the start of the boil and a 1.052 at the end of the boil.
Very sneaky. Anxious to see if it works.
Just need someone to follow up by asking what his hop schedule is, just in case that may be the issue.
bja
Well-Known Member
What are you using to crunch those numbers?
Also, we've been using a ton of sparge water. I'd say we mashed with something close to your suggested 8.26, but we must have sparged with 20 gallons of water. If we were to use 4 or 5 gallons sparge we would end up with a very low gravity. As I was saying earlier we probably fill the pot up with 18 gallons then boil down to 9 or 10 to achieve our still-low gravities. (it must take an hour or two boil time to cut it down, not including the hour for hops)
Let me also mention, when we sparge, we continuously run sparge water until the wort coming out is below 1.008. So, when we finally call it enough and close the valve on the mash tun, it still has many gallons of water in it that didn't get through. Is it in any way better to let the mash compact as you get to the end of your runoff?
Also, we've been using a ton of sparge water. I'd say we mashed with something close to your suggested 8.26, but we must have sparged with 20 gallons of water. If we were to use 4 or 5 gallons sparge we would end up with a very low gravity. As I was saying earlier we probably fill the pot up with 18 gallons then boil down to 9 or 10 to achieve our still-low gravities. (it must take an hour or two boil time to cut it down, not including the hour for hops)
Let me also mention, when we sparge, we continuously run sparge water until the wort coming out is below 1.008. So, when we finally call it enough and close the valve on the mash tun, it still has many gallons of water in it that didn't get through. Is it in any way better to let the mash compact as you get to the end of your runoff?
Why are you sparging so much?
For a 10 gallon batch that's way overkill especially on such a light recipe. Here is my process:
1) Heat up 10 gallons of water to about 180F then empty my mash volume into MLT. ****I use 1.25 or 1.15qt/lb.
2) Let MLT preheat and temp come down to Strike Temps. Then Dough in. For most beers with similar grain bills I'll dough in roughly between 170 and 163 depending on the temp of the day/grain. I'll stir thoroughly for about 10 mins then let it rest for 15.
3) After 15 mins I'll take another temp reading and if it's good I'll stir a little more.
3)30 mins later I'll stir more and start to raise the temp to 160 for a mash-out. I use a HERMS coil in my HLT to do this. So at this point my HLT is heating up the sparge water as well. i'll keep stirring to ensure the temp raises properly and doesn't go over as my water is roughly 180 at this point.
4) Once my mash out is achieved I'll do a quick vorlauf and while it's still pumping start to fill my BK.
5) as MLT is starting to drain I'll gravity feed in my sparge water that's at about 180 and let it drop onto the top of my MLT. The grain bed gets disturbed a little but because it's a tall vessel it doesn't impact much.
6) after about 30 mins or so I light up my BK and get that rolling while the sparge finishes up.
7) bring to boil and start hopping.
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