Tips and tricks for a beginner brewer

[RM-MN]

Just started my first ever brew day and so far so good got the mash ph to 5.3 I’m so excited no over flow and it was a big batch 8.5 gals of water plus 12lbs of grain it’s going good 32 min left in the mash

How long does it have yet until full conversion? That's the whole point of the mash, to get conversion of starches to sugars. Depending on the milling of the grain, it might be complete already or it might need another hour.

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

It reach target mash ph about 20 minutes I’m up to the boil phase now

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

How long does it have yet until full conversion? That's the whole point of the mash, to get conversion of starches to sugars. Depending on the milling of the grain, it might be complete already or it might need another hour.

I crushed it twice and added the lactic acid after 20 minutes the ph was 5.4 after mash out its 5.3 and that’s what it calls for

 

[mac_1103]

Correct pH important, but it doesn't tell you that conversion is complete. Did you check your pre-boil specific gravity?

 

[mac_1103]

added the lactic acid after 20 minutes

Why didn't you add the acid at the start?

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

Why didn't you add the acid at the start?

I didn’t write that correctly I added it at the start of mash and I checked it at around 15 to 20 minutes and and I got 5.4 also I checked pre boil ph it’s correct at 5.3

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

I didn’t write that correctly I added it at the start of mash and I checked it at around 15 to 20 minutes and and I got 5.4 also I checked pre boil ph it’s correct at 5.3

10.30 pre boil gravity

 

[mac_1103]

10.30 pre boil gravity

I assume you mean 1.030; what was the target?

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

I assume you mean 1.030; what was the target?

I didn’t have a target for the pre boil the target for the post boil is 1.064

 

[mac_1103]

You probably should have been over 1.040 pre-boil if you're looking for 5+ gallons of 1.064 post-boil. Maybe gelatinization/conversion but more likely you just left a lot of sugar in the grain. Did you sparge? Squeeze the bag?

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

You probably should have been over 1.040 pre-boil if you're looking for 5+ gallons of 1.064 post-boil. Maybe gelatinization/conversion but more likely you just left a lot of sugar in the grain. Did you sparge? Squeeze the bag?

Yea probably trial and error I guess I did squeeze out the grain for 15 minutes i didn’t do a sparge but I did crush it twice so I thought a sparge wasn’t necessary also maybe I didn’t read the the gravity right this is my first time I’m hoping it was I didn’t read it right lol

 

[doug293cz]

Just started my first ever brew day and so far so good got the mash ph to 5.3 I’m so excited no over flow and it was a big batch 8.5 gals of water plus 12lbs of grain it’s going good 32 min left in the mash

10.30 pre boil gravity

You probably should have been over 1.040 pre-boil if you're looking for 5+ gallons of 1.064 post-boil. Maybe gelatinization/conversion but more likely you just left a lot of sugar in the grain. Did you sparge? Squeeze the bag?

With 12 lbs of grain and 8.5 gal of strike water, your end-of-mash/pre-boil SG should have been about 1.046, if you got 100% conversion of starch to sugars and dextrins. Your value of 1.030 works out to a conversion efficiency of about 63%, which is quite low. If you had errors in your grain weight, strike volume, and/or pre-boil SG measurements, then these calculations will also be inaccurate. But in any case, it looks like your mash was nowhere near long enough to get complete conversion for your level of crush and mash temp (your pH was in the good range, so no issue there.) If you had dough balls in the mash, this could also lead to low conversion efficiency. Did you stir the mash well prior to lifting and draining the bag? If not, then wort stratification could have affected the pre-boil SG measurement.

End of mash target SGs can be accurately predicted just using the grain weight, weighted average grain potential, weighted average grain moisture content, and strike water volume. (If you don't have detailed potential and moisture data for the grain, just using the typical 1.037 [80%] and 4% should not cause too much error, as the most important variables are grain weight and strike water volume.) The reference uses metric units, but you can do equivalent calculations using imperial units. I have a spreadsheet that you can access here, that does all of the related calculations, and more. To use this spreadsheet, you should download a copy as either an Excel or LibreOffice spreadsheet, and work with it locally.

Brew on

 

[mac_1103]

If you had dough balls in the mash, this could also lead to low conversion efficiency.

QFT

 

[doug293cz]

QFT

Quantum Field Theory?

Brew on

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

With 12 lbs of grain and 8.5 gal of strike water, your end-of-mash/pre-boil SG should have been about 1.046, if you got 100% conversion of starch to sugars and dextrins. Your value of 1.030 works out to a conversion efficiency of about 63%, which is quite low. If you had errors in your grain weight, strike volume, and/or pre-boil SG measurements, then these calculations will also be inaccurate. But in any case, it looks like your mash was nowhere near long enough to get complete conversion for your level of crush and mash temp (your pH was in the good range, so no issue there.) If you had dough balls in the mash, this could also lead to low conversion efficiency. Did you stir the mash well prior to lifting and draining the bag? If not, then wort stratification could have affected the pre-boil SG measurement.

End of mash target SGs can be accurately predicted just using the grain weight, weighted average grain potential, weighted average grain moisture content, and strike water volume. (If you don't have detailed potential and moisture data for the grain, just using the typical 1.037 [80%] and 4% should not cause too much error, as the most important variables are grain weight and strike water volume.) The reference uses metric units, but you can do equivalent calculations using imperial units. I have a spreadsheet that you can access here, that does all of the related calculations, and more. To use this spreadsheet, you should download a copy as either an Excel or LibreOffice spreadsheet, and work with it locally.

Brew on

I might have read the gravity wrong will know when I’m done… also the started with 8.5gals I’m down to about 6.5 right now I added more boil time because there was way too much water after the mash so I’ll check again and see if it was a reading error on my part. I didn’t really expect a good first brew so my hopes aren’t up right now,just getting my bearings on what to watch out for next time. I probably did mess up the squeezing part after the mash out.

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

I might have read the gravity wrong will know when I’m done… also the started with 8.5gals I’m down to about 6.5 right now I added more boil time because there was way too much water after the mash so I’ll check again and see if it was a reading error on my part. I didn’t really expect a good first brew so my hopes aren’t up right now,just getting my bearings on what to watch out for next time. I probably did mess up the squeezing part after the mash out.

It’s about 1.054

 

[doug293cz]

It’s about 1.054

Assuming a post-boil volume of 6.5 gal at an SG of 1.054 with a 12 lb grain bill puts your mash efficiency at about 82%, which would be very good for full volume, no-sparge process.

Your pre-boil SG measurement would have been way off, as it would more likely have been about 1.048, again assuming 6.5 gal at 1.054.

Brew on

 

[redrocker652002]

While not a pro in any sense of the imagination, I will just add what I learned. The numbers, while they give you an idea of what you got going, don't always tell the whole story. I have had brew days where I missed the OG and FG by more than a few points, both low and high. After a while, I simply finished the process. If the beer tastes good, as some have said here, nobody is to notice if you are 5 or 6 points off on your gravity numbers. Finish it out, let it ferment and take your time. If the beer is good, then it was a success. Notes will help you try and replicate it next time, but even that doesn't seem to happen to me. Same recipe done the exact same way will still throw OG and FG numbers that are a few points off of each other. So, my point is, these guys are giving you some great info, but don't get so hung up on the numbers you forget the end process, good beer. Rock On!!!!!!

 

[Bassman2003]

Keep on learning with the fermentation phase. A lot to go before the beer is complete! The forum will help you land this plane even if it only has one wheel! Should be a good first brew.

 

[Ramjet]

How are you checking the gravity? And did you calibrate what you are using

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

Thanks for all the great feedback.. I’m at the fermentation stage I have a chest freezer hooked up to a inkbird and a construction shop light and it’s set at about 69 degrees also have a dry hop on Friday to drop they’re being held with magnets I know it’s not good to have high expectations and you just have to follow through I’m bad at taking notes but it’s a good idea it also helps

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

How are you checking the gravity? And did you calibrate what you are using

Hydrometer

How are you checking the gravity? And did you calibrate what you are using

hydrometer

 

[Ramjet]

You can calibrate your hydrometer in distilled water.

 

[redrocker652002]

What yeast are you using? 69 seems kinda high

Edit:
If you are using Safale S05 you are ok. I checked cause I could not remember.

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

What yeast are you using? 69 seems kinda high

Edit:
If you are using Safale S05 you are ok. I checked cause I could not remember.

That’s what I’m using this is a Kona big wave clone

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

You can calibrate your hydrometer in distilled water.

Ok good to know

 

[mac_1103]

Many people will tell you to ferment at the very bottom of the yeast manufacturer's recommended temperature range, which is 64.4F for US-05. But I think 69F should be just fine as long as that's the beer temperature (as opposed to the air temperature).

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

Many people will tell you to ferment at the very bottom of the yeast manufacturer's recommended temperature range, which is 64.4F for US-05. But I think 69F should be just fine as long as that's the beer temperature (as opposed to the air temperature).

So I think I figured out what was wrong the dry hop mesh bag I had at the top of the keg lid hanging with a magnet fell in and I think it’s been in the wort since I closed it and didn’t notice. so I took it out and added more yeast and agitatated it. I know the flavor might be off when it finally choose to ferment but at least I know why it wasn’t fermenting. also the hops were mushy so they definite extracted all the oils idk what to do, but do you guys think it’ll still be fine? it was basically in there for 2 days

 

[mac_1103]

I think I figured out what was wrong... but at least I know why it wasn’t fermenting...

The hop bag dropping too early shouldn't stop it from fermenting. Dry hopping at the same time as pitching is almost a thing.

BTW, the hardest thing for a beginning brewer to learn might be to just leave your beer alone.

 

[Man_the_Dan28]

The hop bag dropping too early shouldn't stop it from fermenting. Dry hopping at the same time as pitching is almost a thing.

BTW, the hardest thing for a beginning brewer to learn might be to just leave your beer alone.

lol I believe you