What would be a good water-to-grain ratio for this recipe?

[neb_brewer]

I'm contemplating switching to All Grain for my next batch. The batch is going to be Northern Brewer's Black IPA. The recipe is:

MASH INGREDIENTS
-- 11.5 lbs. Rahr 2-row pale
--.5 lbs. Briess Caramel 80L
--.25 lbs. Weyermann Dehusked Carafa III
--.25 lbs. Simpsons Chocolate malt

BOIL ADDITIONS & TIMES
-- 1 oz. Summit (60 min)
-- 1 oz. Simcoe (15 min)
-- 1 oz. Centennial (10 min)
-- 1 oz. Cascade (5 min)
-- 1 oz. Amarillo (0 min)
-- 1 lb Corn sugar (0 min)
--
-- DRY HOPS – add to secondary fermenter
one week before packaging:
-- 1 oz. Ahtanum

MASH SCHEDULE: SINGLE INFUSION

Sacch’ Rest: 152° F for 60 minutes
Mashout: 170° F for 10 minutes


BOIL ADDITIONS & TIMES
1 oz. Summit (60 min)
1 oz. Simcoe (15 min)
1 oz. Centennial (10 min)
1 oz. Cascade (5 min)
1 oz. Amarillo (0 min)
1 lb Corn sugar (0 min)
Dry Hops – add to secondary fermenter one week before
packaging:
1 oz. Ahtanum

With 12.5 lbs of grain is it better to go with more water per pound of grain?

 

[VTBrewer]

Well, you're limited by your equipment sometimes. If you have a 10 gallon mashtun you'll have to account for extra headspace and what that does to the temp when you mash in. If you're using a 5 gallon mashtun, at 12.5 lbs of grain you're basically going to do a 1 lb to 1 qt ratio and make the rest up in your sparge.

 

[neb_brewer]

I was planning getting a 6 gallon mash tun for my 5 gallon batches if that would be adequate.

 

[neb_brewer]

I emailed NB and they recommended 1.3-1.5 so I'll go with that. At that ratio do you guys think I'd be ok skipping on the mashout?

I don't know if I'll be able to do that.

 

[BendBrewer]

For what it's worth a very successful professional brewer who started as a home brewer suggested to me that I use 1 qt per pound and that has always worked well for me. I was using 1.25 qts and he suggested that I change. A thick mash tends to holds it temp better too.

But, to each his own.

 

[VTBrewer]

You don't want to skip the mashout. Raising the temparature of the graing bed is an important step of the process. I also went from 1.25 to 1 qt and ahve had better luck

 

[neb_brewer]

What's the best way to raise the temps to 170 using a cooler for my mash tun? Heat up water in my 7.5 gal kettle and pour it in?

 

[Randar]

I aim for 1-1.1 qt/lb for English styles or high gravity styles that I will heavily fly sparge to try to get as much extract from the grain as possible. I go for ~1.25 qt/lb for most standard beers.

 

[Randar]

You don't want to skip the mashout. Raising the temparature of the graing bed is an important step of the process. I also went from 1.25 to 1 qt and ahve had better luck

I have done with and without the mashout. but it does help me get a couple extra pts and no worries about stuck sparges. If you don't have the room for it in your equipement, you could drain a few qts and then bring the temp up with whatever boiling water addition you would need to get to 168-170...

 

[neb_brewer]

When you say drain a few qts, do you mean train some of the wort from the mash tune? I assume I'd do this after recirculating a few times. I'd then drain those few qts into my brew kettle? Then add some hot water to the mash tun, say 180ish, until I reach 170 for 10 minutes?

 

[Randar]

You could drain off a few quarts from the MT and later volauf it back into the MT after you have added hot water and raised temp, vorlaufed again and collected a few qts to clear head space in the MT.

Or vorlauf first and then collect a few qts, add hot water and vorlauf again and carry on with your sparge.

Hopefully not confusing you any further...

 

[neb_brewer]

I see what you're saying. If I have the room in the MT could I just add the water to bring temps up to 170 without draining anything out?