20l Stovetop All Grain Aussie Lager

[Ade42]

See if the bloke cracks the grain for you and you can save the money on the kmart coffee grinder.

I personally have never purchased a coffee grinder and with my 2 pot system (I managed to get a 2nd pot at big w on special for $11) and vege strainer/pasta pot sparge, got fantastic efficiencies.

Had this thought yesterday - the biggest jump from unhopped extract polus hops plus grains plus yeast t AG is the number of grains and the flexiblity of what you make jumps incredibly.

Goomba

Funny thing is, one of the LHBS (I spend my Saturdays driving all over town, yeast best at this one, tins best here.. etc) Does crack grain, As i was waiting in line (its the first Saturday ive ever had to wait?, in all of em, result of fathers day? ) The shop owners was telling the customer in front of me all bout how he needs 24 hours notice for a grain order, then they talked about biag, and i wandered off looking at tins and didn't hear anything else! so at least he does crack the grain.

Ive only just realized that the sugar component of the beer is extracted from the grain, call me stupid but i had NO IDEA that all grain was what it said on the box.. ALL grain. so therfore a simple version of AG like this MUST produce better results than kits and addins.

How long can you keep cracked grain for unused?

 

[argon]

You can keep cracked grain for a reasonable amount if time... I wouldn't exceed a month only if it's in a vacuum sealed bag and kept in q dry cool place.

I recently did a batch with 15kg of grain I bought, milled and mixed, about 3 or 4 weeks ago. Bags were still airtight and had munch on some if the grain and was crunchy and fresh.

Sponsor's above will mill and mix for no extra charge and delivery cost is quite small. Just order it up when you need to. Up to about batch 30 or so in AG and always had it done for me.

 

[Nick JD]

The main reason I grind mine in a coffee grinder is it means I can buy base malt for $2.20 a kg instead of $4.00.

That's almost half price, and why I don't mind spending 15 minutes gristificating.

Most people will probably find that the difference between paying $4 a kg and milling at home will pay for a mill (a real one) in a year.

Milling kgs of grain by being an organ grinder monkey is working for bananas though. Get some electricity onto it.

 

[flano]

I am wondering how I am going to fit 4 kg' of grain and 12 ltrs of water into this 19 litr Big W pot.

It fits on a dry run...when the water added I reckon I could be in for trouble.

also ...Have I got the hottest water around...66dgrs straight from the tap...is this normal?

 

[Nick JD]

I am wondering how I am going to fit 4 kg' of grain and 12 ltrs of water into this 19 litr Big W pot.

It fits on a dry run...when the water added I reckon I could be in for trouble.

also ...Have I got the hottest water around...66dgrs straight from the tap...is this normal?

That 4kg of grain is largely air - and that air is replaced with water. You'll fit it no worries. Add it a kg at a time and break up the bigger lumps with your mash paddle.

Calculate your strike temperature accurately - it's really important. Check out Grain and Grape's strike temp calculator:

http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/articles_o..._StrikeTemp.htm

If you have 12L of water and 4kg of grain that's 25C and you want a 65C mash ... you need the 12L of water to be 70.3C.

 

[beerdrinkingbob]

I am wondering how I am going to fit 4 kg' of grain and 12 ltrs of water into this 19 litr Big W pot.

It fits on a dry run...when the water added I reckon I could be in for trouble.

also ...Have I got the hottest water around...66dgrs straight from the tap...is this normal?

Yeah no probs, I add 13 ltrs of water and 4.9 kilos of grain :beerbang:

That is pretty hot, but don't forget to heat your water to about 72 so you hit stike temp after a bit of a stir.

 

[flano]

That 4kg of grain is largely air - and that air is replaced with water. You'll fit it no worries. Add it a kg at a time and break up the bigger lumps with your mash paddle.

Calculate your strike temperature accurately - it's really important. Check out Grain and Grape's strike temp calculator:

http://www.grainandgrape.com.au/articles_o..._StrikeTemp.htm

If you have 12L of water and 4kg of grain that's 25C and you want a 65C mash ... you need the 12L of water to be 70.3C.

thanks mate.

I will be reffering ( maybe even posting ) to this thread while doing it tomorrow morning.

 

[thylacine]

I am wondering how I am going to fit 4 kg' of grain and 12 ltrs of water into this 19 litr Big W pot.

It fits on a dry run...when the water added I reckon I could be in for trouble.

My current process is to BIAB 3.1-3.2kg base grains with 200-300g Spec grains into 14L water. Big W pot. Mash-out to 78c, rest ten minutes. Pull bag and immerse in a second Big W pot with 8L @ 78c. Bring both pots to boil and transfer sparge pot into main kettle ASAP. After boil (evaporation & trub) I get 15L into my 16.5L fermenters. 1050-1060 OG. ie ex-fresh wort kit containers. Fermentation at the yeast's 'low-end' of its' recommended temperature range has prevented 'overflows'.

 

[RdeVjun]

My 2c for making this a breeze with the 19L stockpot and spill- prevention:
1) Calculate your strike water volume and grain mass to completely fill it.
2) When your water has reached strike temp, pull out a couple of litres into a jug and reserve.
3) Add the bag and grain, stir and measure the mash temperature- if it is high, add a bit of cold and some of the reserved water, if low then add some boiling water from the kettle and some the reserved, if just right... I think you know what to do! Obviously, at this point you'd want the stockpot full to the brim.

That way, you haven't overfilled the kettle for the given grain mass PLUS you get to adjust the mash temp if your calculations weren't quite right AND you don't have spousie screaming blue murder when grain and stuff spills all over her nice shiny cooktop! For once, he/ she'll think you're just so considerate! B)
(Then don't mess up with the dunk sparge- its more likely to overflow than the mash... :angry: )

I wouldn't sweat over a degree or two mash temp early on, it really isn't that critical and you'll still make some fabulous beer regardless! :icon_cheers:

Edit: Clarity.

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

Funny thing is, one of the LHBS (I spend my Saturdays driving all over town, yeast best at this one, tins best here.. etc) Does crack grain, As i was waiting in line (its the first Saturday ive ever had to wait?, in all of em, result of fathers day? ) The shop owners was telling the customer in front of me all bout how he needs 24 hours notice for a grain order, then they talked about biag, and i wandered off looking at tins and didn't hear anything else! so at least he does crack the grain.

Ive only just realized that the sugar component of the beer is extracted from the grain, call me stupid but i had NO IDEA that all grain was what it said on the box.. ALL grain. so therfore a simple version of AG like this MUST produce better results than kits and addins.

How long can you keep cracked grain for unused?

If you want, you can make the evolution by moving on to unhopped malt extract, plus hops, plus yeast (and maybe some specialty grains, mash (soak) at 68 degrees C for an hour). This will give you the ability to flexibly formulate recipes, with the unhopped extract is a concentrate of what comes from the grain. But you don't have any hops in the extract (and it hasn't been stored for months or years), so you can work out how hopping affects flavour, bitterness and aroma. Working with yeast (and researching it) helps figure out how the yeast eats up the sugaz from the malt.

Hope this helps you out.

Goomba

 

[Lord Raja Goomba I]

My 2c for making this a breeze with the 19L stockpot and spill- prevention:
1) Calculate your strike water volume and grain mass to completely fill it.
2) When your water has reached strike temp, pull out a couple of litres into a jug and reserve.
3) Add the bag and grain, stir and measure the mash temperature- if it is high, add a bit of cold and some of the reserved water, if low then add some boiling water from the kettle and some the reserved, if just right... I think you know what to do! Obviously, at this point you'd want the stockpot full to the brim.

That way, you haven't overfilled the kettle for the given grain mass PLUS you get to adjust the mash temp if your calculations weren't quite right AND you don't have spousie screaming blue murder when grain and stuff spills all over her nice shiny cooktop! For once, he/ she'll think you're just so considerate! B)
(Then don't mess up with the dunk sparge- its more likely to overflow than the mash... :angry: )

I wouldn't sweat over a degree or two mash temp early on, it really isn't that critical and you'll still make some fabulous beer regardless! :icon_cheers:

Edit: Clarity.

Got my 2nd big w pot by accident on special for $11. I now split the grain bill in 2 and mash it in the 2 pots I own. Makes it lots easier, because:

1. No overflows.
2. Easier to lift 2 x 2kg of wet grain bags (and if you choose to sparge, easier to sparge) than 1 x 4kg plus water wet grain bag.
3. Easier to avoid boil overs
4. Less watering down which means overall efficiency is far better.

Goomba

 

[Acasta]

I know its crazy, but theres an easy way to sparge/drain only using 1 pot and bucket. Just tie the bag around a stick and put the stick across 2 chairs or something, with the bucket underneath. This way you don't have to hold, and its cheaper then a hoist. When you wanna sparge, just pick the bag up, put it into bucket, untie and sparge then repeat

 

[RdeVjun]

Yep Lord Raja, different strokes for different folks, no doubt! I'm just sold on this OP/ MaxiBIAB for simple, low- risk, low- cost entry into AG, just one of everything and its all commonly available, has trivial volume calculations but it still yields full- sized batches- its just one way and I realise there's others which are just as attractive, each has it features and failings. :icon_cheers:

 

[flano]

ok am in deep right now.

mid boil...all seems ok.

Did the messy stuff on the BBQ sideburner ...beam dircetly above me to hang the bag.

Got the pot on the boil ( inside the house on the stovetop )right now....was worried it was never going to boil.
All good now though.


The missus will be happy when she smells the house.



will give stats when finished.

 

[Fents]

+4 for Dave.

+ ten housand million times a squillion.

 

[flano]

update...
the missus came home with about 15 to go of the boil and freaked out from the smell.
I knew she would .

anyway ...I have no idea how I went with efficiency.
this is what I got.
hope my terminology is correct here
71 dgrs mash in for 90 mins
66 dgrs mash out

did the extra sparge with another pot ...lots of squeezing ...hung it over a "green" brewers bucket.
1045 @ 60 dgrs probably about 18 ltrs.

60 min boil ..27 grms hops for half an hour... whilfloc for last 15 mins.

tasted it but Geeze I dunno what it should taste like toward the end of the boil.
sweet but bitter ..if that can be.

Stuck it in a laundry tub in an ice slurry .

gonna whack it in the fermenter a bit later .

I used 4 kgs of JW traditional ale and POR pellets.
I have 2 dif yeasts..safale s-04 and us-05
any tips for which one I should use???



oh and I'm banned from doing it in the house again.

 

[MarkBastard]

US05 at 16 degrees will make a decent fake lager.

Yep post boil wort tastes sweet and bitter.

 

[MarkBastard]

The main reason I grind mine in a coffee grinder is it means I can buy base malt for $2.20 a kg instead of $4.00.

That's almost half price, and why I don't mind spending 15 minutes gristificating.

Most people will probably find that the difference between paying $4 a kg and milling at home will pay for a mill (a real one) in a year.

Milling kgs of grain by being an organ grinder monkey is working for bananas though. Get some electricity onto it.

If you buy more than 5kg of the same malt from craft brewer you get a discount of $1 per kg.

So if people just order two batches at a time it'll be $3 per kg for BB ale malt.

Could be handy for beginners as it cuts out the need to use a grinder.

 

[Nick JD]

Could be handy for beginners as it cuts out the need to use a grinder.

Excellent point.

 

[Nick JD]

1045 @ 60 dgrs probably about 18 ltrs.

That's 18L of 1.061 ... which is outstanding for 4kg of grain.

+1 on the US05, although S189 (Swiss Lager) is the stuff if you can keep the temp between 10 and 14C.