1st Ag In My 26l Esky

[Margwar]

Had a ball Friday night and completed my 1st AG... Woo Hoo!!
All good I think...

5kg Pale ale
500g Crystal
500g Wheat
Safale US 05
Cascades at 60(40g) 10(30g) and 0(30g)

Really enjoyed my brew night and thanks to all the good advice here I think it was a success. OG of 1050 which I was happy about. No idea what my efficiency is though.... haven't worked out how to do that yet.

Only thing I was worried about was that I used 2.5L per Kg of grain, which left around 5L in the esky. So I only mashed out with and extra 5L of water and got the temp up to 72.... I sort of fly sparged 5 more litres in as I drained to get what BeerSmith said my mashout water should be(10L).... is this OK??











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[Siborg]

Had a ball Friday night and completed my 1st AG... Woo Hoo!!
All good I think...

5kg Pale ale
500g Crystal
500g Wheat
Safale US 05
Cascades at 60(40g) 10(30g) and 0(30g)

Really enjoyed my brew night and thanks to all the good advice here I think it was a success. OG of 1050 which I was happy about. No idea what my efficiency is though.... haven't worked out how to do that yet.

Only thing I was worried about was that I used 2.5L per Kg of grain, which left around 5L in the esky. So I only mashed out with and extra 5L of water and got the temp up to 72.... I sort of fly sparged 5 more litres in as I drained to get what BeerSmith said my mashout water should be(10L).... is this OK??











​

Not too sure about the mashout/fly sparging there, but efficiency is pretty easy to work out. Actually, beersmith does it for you. There is a field next to the OG and FG estimates to put in what you actually measured. It automatically adjusts your efficnency based on that, and you use that for your next brew based on your last brew.

 

[Cocko]

Had a ball Friday night and completed my 1st AG... Woo Hoo!!
All good I think...

5kg Pale ale
500g Crystal
500g Wheat
Safale US 05
Cascades at 60(40g) 10(30g) and 0(30g)

Really enjoyed my brew night and thanks to all the good advice here I think it was a success. OG of 1050 which I was happy about. No idea what my efficiency is though.... haven't worked out how to do that yet.

Only thing I was worried about was that I used 2.5L per Kg of grain, which left around 5L in the esky. So I only mashed out with and extra 5L of water and got the temp up to 72.... I sort of fly sparged 5 more litres in as I drained to get what BeerSmith said my mashout water should be(10L).... is this OK??



​

Good work on diving into AG!! No looking back when you taste it!

So the recipe says 6kg of grain, then you say you mashed 2.5 kg.... Did you mash twice? What did you boil in?

 

[manticle]

2.5 Litres of strike per kg is how I read that.

 

[Cocko]

2.5 Litres of strike per kg is how I read that.

Yep, a re-read and I see... My bad! <_<

First post in a couple of months and I come up with that.... maybe I should stay dormant!

Cheers and please carry on!

 

[Margwar]

I don't think I was that clear either.

I used 2.5L per kg of water to my mash. So I mashed 6kg grain with 15L of water.
When I added this all to my mash tun (26L esky) I had around 5L of space left.
When mash out time came I mashed out with 10L of water (as per brewsmiths instructions) but could only fit 5L of water. I then had to sort of fly sparge the last 5L. So this all went to the keggle and I sparged with the remaining 15L or so to get my boil volume.

I guess I was just questioning my mash out technique....
Thanks again fellars for the quick responses. You blokes are true beer gods!!

 

[Cocko]

I don't think I was that clear either.

I used 2.5L per kg of water to my mash. So I mashed 6kg grain with 15L of water.
When I added this all to my mash tun (26L esky) I had around 5L of space left.
When mash out time came I mashed out with 10L of water (as per brewsmiths instructions) but could only fit 5L of water. I then had to sort of fly sparge the last 5L. So this all went to the keggle and I sparged with the remaining 15L or so to get my boil volume.

I guess I was just questioning my mash out technique....
Thanks again fellars for the quick responses. You blokes are true beer gods!!

Hey Mate,

Mash out importance is in constant question on this forum and has such a wide range of opinions, being them based on theory or actual practice, you will need to establish your own opinion and trials to make the final judgement based on your system and experience!

Ultimately a mash out is desired to stop the enzyme activity and makes your grain and sugars musshier [for lack of a better word] so they 'rinse' or sparge better... gaining more fermentable sugars, gaining better efficiency... but does it effect flavour? Or any other aspect of the beer? I don't know BUT can say your beer will be an awesome beer without it. Or you can try similar to what I do and batch sparge a little hotter and hit temps that way...

My mash goes like this:

I have 100L esky as a mash tun and mash about 18-20kg of grain depending on desired beer.

I mash at 2.5L per Kg of grain [same as you]

NB: First couple of batches I try filling esky with boiling water to get to mash out but ran out of room [Same as you]

So now, and for 30 odd batches so far, I do this:

Mash at 2.5L per kg of grain for an hour or 90 minutes, depending on stuff... tun hold temps so no stress.

THEN: Here comes the bit you wanna hear;

After I drain my first runnings into kettle and tun is empty, ready for my first batch sparge, instead of water being at 76* sparging temp it is near boiling!

So my batch sparging volumes are about 25L, so I add 25L of near boiling water to 18 odd Kg of grain and viola! 76* = mash out! I never did a calculation or used beer smith to work this out, just pop lucked it about batch 3 and have now have it down to perfection. As in if I fill my HLT to a point and run my immersion heater for the mash/60 minutes, it just works!!

Let settle and drain again. Then sparge with water at sparge temp, as grain bed temp is up, and all is sorted!

repeat till volume/kettle full to desired volume and boil etc....

ANYWAY:

I average about 80% efficiency and I would rather drink no one else's beer!

Over spoken point is, mash out is not critical to your beer. Learn your system and try different things to achieve what you are trying to achieve.

Either way, keep brewing as I am sure if your first batch of AG isn't the best beer you have ever had... it will be your second!

Cheers

 

[Margwar]

Hey Mate,

Mash out importance is in constant question on this forum and has such a wide range of opinions, being them based on theory or actual practice, you will need to establish your own opinion and trials to make the final judgement based on your system and experience!

Ultimately a mash out is desired to stop the enzyme activity and makes your grain and sugars musshier [for lack of a better word] so they 'rinse' or sparge better... gaining more fermentable sugars, gaining better efficiency... but does it effect flavour? Or any other aspect of the beer? I don't know BUT can say your beer will be an awesome beer without it. Or you can try similar to what I do and batch sparge a little hotter and hit temps that way...

My mash goes like this:

I have 100L esky as a mash tun and mash about 18-20kg of grain depending on desired beer.

I mash at 2.5L per Kg of grain [same as you]

NB: First couple of batches I try filling esky with boiling water to get to mash out but ran out of room [Same as you]

So now, and for 30 odd batches so far, I do this:

Mash at 2.5L per kg of grain for an hour or 90 minutes, depending on stuff... tun hold temps so no stress.

THEN: Here comes the bit you wanna hear;

After I drain my first runnings into kettle and tun is empty, ready for my first batch sparge, instead of water being at 76* sparging temp it is near boiling!

So my batch sparging volumes are about 25L, so I add 25L of near boiling water to 18 odd Kg of grain and viola! 76* = mash out! I never did a calculation or used beer smith to work this out, just pop lucked it about batch 3 and have now have it down to perfection. As in if I fill my HLT to a point and run my immersion heater for the mash/60 minutes, it just works!!

Let settle and drain again. Then sparge with water at sparge temp, as grain bed temp is up, and all is sorted!

repeat till volume/kettle full to desired volume and boil etc....

ANYWAY:

I average about 80% efficiency and I would rather drink no one else's beer!

Over spoken point is, mash out is not critical to your beer. Learn your system and try different things to achieve what you are trying to achieve.

Either way, keep brewing as I am sure if your first batch of AG isn't the best beer you have ever had... it will be your second!

Cheers

Thanks heaps Cocko!

So you just run the wort from your mash straight into the kettle and then add Mashout water.... run that in.... and then add sparge water and run that in.... That sounds like a great way and would stop me running out of room.

I wonder though if there is a problem with not adding mash out water to the mash?? Would there be not as good a run off of sugars in the 1st runnings? or is it really nothing to worry about??
I will do some more searching on Mash out and see what I come up with.... Thanks Heaps! Cant wait to start my second AG!!!

 

[Cocko]

Thanks heaps Cocko!

So you just run the wort from your mash straight into the kettle and then add Mashout water.... run that in.... and then add sparge water and run that in.... That sounds like a great way and would stop me running out of room.

I wonder though if there is a problem with not adding mash out water to the mash?? Would there be not as good a run off of sugars in the 1st runnings? or is it really nothing to worry about??
I will do some more searching on Mash out and see what I come up with.... Thanks Heaps! Cant wait to start my second AG!!!

Yep, I do exactly as you say.. and as I said get 80 odd % efficiency I am happy with!

Try it and see what you come up with... If you have to spend a dollar or two more on grain than the next man than so be it - it is the system you have and the system you CAN produce AG beers on with a consistency that is unique your brewery and will produce a beer you know!

Mash out with the initial mash importance will stay in question for a long time me thinks but search your ring out!

So, brew a recipe @ 65% efficiency, as per your software or spreadsheet or what ever, and measure your SG pre-boil, post Boil and post Chill - adjusting your hydrometer to temps of course, and then go from there.....

Anyway, another 2c.

AG= :super:


I hope I have helped!

Cheers

 

[Margwar]

Yep, I do exactly as you say.. and as I said get 80 odd % efficiency I am happy with!

Try it and see what you come up with... If you have to spend a dollar or two more on grain than the next man than so be it - it is the system you have and the system you CAN produce AG beers on with a consistency that is unique your brewery and will produce a beer you know!

Mash out with the initial mash importance will stay in question for a long time me thinks but search your ring out!

So, brew a recipe @ 65% efficiency, as per your software or spreadsheet or what ever, and measure your SG pre-boil, post Boil and post Chill - adjusting your hydrometer to temps of course, and then go from there.....

Anyway, another 2c.

AG= :super:


I hope I have helped!

Cheers

Any comments are a help and I appreciate them all, being the Noob I am..... thanks again mate! :icon_cheers:

 

[drew9242]

The last 2 batchs of all grain i made i didn't get my efficency. I was trying to work it out because i have done about 8 batchs and getting it right on. I now think it is because i increased the amount of litres at the end to 23l instead of 21l. This in turn increased how much grain i needed, and then ran out of room for a mashout. So i'm going to try 22l and try it with a mashout. Or try cocko ideas and see how that goes.

PS- i have a 25l esky as well.

 

[manticle]

Hey Dietz,

I use a 26 litre esky too. I mash out with most brews - anything around 5 kg of grain is no problem. My mashout is about 8-9 L of near boiling water. However when I use 6+kg grists, I can't fit that in so I just add what I can and make sure I calculate the extra volume needed into my sparge. It seems to work ok. As far as I understand mash-out is to stop enzyme activity so the wort doesn't become more fermentable than you want. It isn't strictly necessary but I like to do it. I don't know what impact (if any) it has on sugar extraction but I do know that isn't its main purpose.

Adding mashout water after draining the tun won't fix the wort that's in the kettle so it's really just an extra hot sparge. That's not to say don't do it - I think Cocko has some good advice and some good experience (more than me). Hotter sparge will release more sugar from the grain and increase efficiency. There's a supposed possibility of extracting tannins but a lot of people sparge hot with no reported tannic issues so that's not a guarantee.

 

[Margwar]

Thanks all...the best thing about all this advice is that I will have to brew more to try them all

I have seen a 33L version of the Willow esky so down the track I think that will be the go...

Cheers

 

[grod5]

Congrats on the first AG.

I also use a 26L esky. I batch sparge using the beersmith calcs and hav an efficiency of around 75%.

Generally a 5kg batch requires an initial 17 litres of strike water and 2 sparges of around 10 litres to give me my preboil volume of just over 30 litres for a 21 litre batch.

Denny Conn was my inspiration to go the batch sparge route.

http://thebrewingnetwork.com/shows/The-Sun...with-Denny-Conn

Daniel

 

[Cocko]

There's a supposed possibility of extracting tannins but a lot of people sparge hot with no reported tannic issues so that's not a guarantee.

As far as I understand tannic issues will occur when grain is heated to a certain temp, for time, and will deploy flavours that are not desired.

As with strike temp, the grain will absorb temp... SO, when raising grain bed temp, the grain even though full of absorption of water, will absorb temperature. So adding boiling or near boiling water to a grain bed will not bring it to boiling temp as you add it and extract tannins.... the 2 temperatures, that of the grain and water, will combine and find a happy medium and that is the temp you want if you do your math or simply work it out with your system!

That said and back to draining your mash tun and then sparge, 1st, hot:

I failed to mention that after I run off the first runnings into the kettle I fire up the burner [May as well get it on the heat to reach the boil ASAP]

SO; This wort probably hits 76* plus with 10-15 minutes or so.... is that doing the same thing? not being smart, actually asking?

Anyway Dietz, I think you understand enough to be able to play around with the finer details and the result of each test will be beer... mmm beer...


:beer: