20l Stovetop All Grain Aussie Lager

[DJ_L3ThAL]

http://aussiehomebrewer.com/topic/73150-why-has-nick-jd-got-the-arse/page-3?hl=%2Bnickjd+%2Bbanned#entry1051210

Theres even a thread for that!

 

[laxation]

Don't mind me, just reviving a long dead thread ... I had a read through this and will give it a go on the weekend.

While going through it, I was copying the bits I thought were interesting and came up with this summary. Thought be good to post it in case anyone else is interested, but also be keen to know if people have come up with new ideas/innovations in the last 4 years.


BIAB

1. 12L of hot water, warm to 70 degrees.

2. 6L of hot water in second pot.

3. Add grains (4 - 4.5kg)

4. Add water from second pot until mash pot is at the brim.

5. Insulate.

6. Start timer from when insulated – 90 minutes.

7. After 90 min mash, lift up grain bag and drain for as long as you can hold it.

8. 6L of water to 75 degrees in separate pot.

9. Move grain bag to 6L pot, open it up and let it sit there for a few minutes, stirring.

10. Take out bag and squeeze it, pour sparge water into boil pot.

11. Add more water to sparge pot for topping up the boil if needed. Top up small amounts (500ml)

12. Hops into hop bag (loose packed) and put in when pot is boiling.

13. 25% more hops because boiling in stronger OG?

14. Whirlfloc tab with 10min left in boil.

15. Measure Gravity and top up with water to desired OG.



To figure the water amount

For your first go, fill the 19L pot up to half full - 9.5L (write all these volumes and weights down so you'll have it perfect next time) and bring that water up to strike temperature.

In another pot on another element, bring maybe 4-6L up to the same strike temperature.

Bang your grain in the 19L pot and stir - break up the lumps so none of the grain is floating.

Add as much hot water from your smaller pot as you need to bring it up to a safe level, noting how much water in total you've added with your 4kg of grain.

Next time round you'll be able to get it exactly right - with as little freeboard in the pot as you dare. You only need that extra pot of strike water to get your volume correct the first time. Measure the water accurately for your second batch, and scratch a mark on the outside of the pot and you can forget about it.

 

[RdeVjun]

Pretty much captures the essence. The second pot should be 12L or more, 15 is fine but these days I use a second 19L stockpot from the collection.
FWIW here's another quite similar guide penned about the same time as Nick's: http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?t=352

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Where are you located? I have a spare 19L big W pot, from converting to using an urn.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

And search 2 pot stovetop AG with lauter. I put videos on how I adapted this system to what I had.

 

[laxation]

Thanks for the offer but my stove wouldn't fit two big pots, it's just a 60cm one. I've got a 10l pot I'll use for the sparge, so hopefully that does the trick

 

[laxation]

https://aussiehomebrewer.com/threads/2-pot-stovetop-ag-with-lauter.60922/

Looks good. Does the bucket lauter make it more efficient?
I'vegot a few buckets but left them at a mates house, might give that a go if the one pot doesn't work tomorrow

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

https://aussiehomebrewer.com/threads/2-pot-stovetop-ag-with-lauter.60922/

Looks good. Does the bucket lauter make it more efficient?
I'vegot a few buckets but left them at a mates house, might give that a go if the one pot doesn't work tomorrow

I found I got the best efficiency with the lauter.

I have a portable electric stovetop you can have. Not pretty but does the job. It'll do the 2nd pot.

 

[laxation]

Just made 21l of dr Smurtos at 5%! (if my calculations were ok). It was 18l of 1.060 then watered down to fit in the cubes. 80 something% efficiency?? Seems super high so dunno if I messed up somewhere
Very happy with that for a first go!

Really looking forward to fermenting this one

Thanks for offering (again!) But my stove was able to boil the pot, so no need for a second pot at the moment. Thank you though I appreciate the offer

 

[RdeVjun]

Glad to hear that, happy days!

Just on the watering down part, at what point did you do that and with what sort of water? I hope both the wort and the water that went into the cubes was boiling? No biggie if the water was not boiling, but probably should be pitched immediately if that was the case. FWIW, I water down my MaxiBIABs in the fermenter.

 

[laxation]

Just used tap water... And some leftover sparge water :/ I figured I use tap water to ferment, what's the difference?

I'll be fermenting it within a week, reckon that'll be ok?

I did it now instead of in the fermenter to get rid of the head space In the cube

 

[RdeVjun]

With plain tap water you might get away with it, OTOH might not, I wouldn't risk it. Sparge liquor is probably loaded with largely undesirable bugs, if that's not been boiled then you're really asking for infection trouble.
Put simply, No Chill works by 'sterilising' the cube contents, its not unlike like UHT milk, whereas if you just pasteurise it then shelf life is very limited, bound to grow bugs after a week, even a few days. I'd be pitching that cube ASAP but re- boiling it would be better.
Don't fear headspace in the No Chill cube, its harmless.

 

[laxation]

I'd boiled the sparge water but it had cooled.. If I boiled it all tomorrow night reckon that'd be ok? How long would I need to boil it for

 

[laxation]

Just thinking though won't boiling it be bad for the hops?

 

[RdeVjun]

Ah, that's better, if the sparge was reasonably sanitary from being boiled already then you may be able to wing it. If you wished to reboil, it wouldn't need long at all, simply to re- cube with near- boiling wort and seal it up.

Reboiling would alter the late hops character, perhaps add some bitterness and detract from the flavour and aroma character, but seeing as it is No Chill already then there would probably be negligible impact.

FWIW, brewing is often quite forgiving and you might get away with doing nothing at all, if its clean then the gods smiled upon you, if not then chalk it up to experience, no biggie.

 

[laxation]

Cheers I figured last night I'll borrow another fermenter and just get it going tonight. Im pretty excited to try it so that works anyway...

 

[laxation]

FWIW, brewing is often quite forgiving and you might get away with doing nothing at all, if its clean then the gods smiled upon you, if not then chalk it up to experience, no biggie.

Gods were not forgiving... it's **** lol.

On the plus side, now I have an extra keg to fill with the beers that are fermenting!

 

[Lachlan Helbig]

Wow... Moved from partial mashes but was inspired by your post Nick. This beer was beautiful, the only modification I made was 200g of Carapils which made for a magnificent, creamy white head. It tastes like megaswill except well... It tastes. Really easy drinker and with gelatin and polyclar, it is absolutely crystal clear. When this beer gets my mates into brewing, I'll be putting them straight onto this. Cheers!