20l Stovetop All Grain Aussie Lager

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I was going to do an extract brew on saturday. I hadn't seen this thread before. Now I have completely changed my mind and I am now going to do my first AG. It's been said before but great thread Nick. The pictures tell a thousand words.
 
is there a rule of thumb to how grain and how much water you use to make a full strength beer when you are doing a high gravity stove top biab. and what is the reasons for doing a 90 min mash instead of a 60min? do you have to dilute the wort after it has cooled or can you do it straight after your finished the boil? sorry for all the questions but im going to attempt a 20l batch of beer doing the 19l stove top method getting a higher gravity and then diluting it to my desired volume.
 
craigo, the real rule of thumb for this caper is to completely fill the mash tun (i.e. the kettle) at mashing, so take the grainbill for a particular brew length, reserve some strike water and then when the grain is in to just use it to fill the kettle to the brim. Around 5kg tops in a 19L kettle is my advice, less than that should be much easier to manage.
During the boil again you want to keep the kettle full as possible until about 20 minutes from the end. Using sparge liquor for this top up has it doing something constructive rather than just a plain water addition. Sparge with about 2L/ kg of grain, if you are lucky you run out of sparge liquor to add right at that 20 minute mark.
Precise volumes don't really matter, as you'll be diluting it later, and so long as your efficiency is decent (tip- set it low to begin with, 70% is a good starting point) you should come close to the mark.
You probably want to dilute the wort once it is in the fermenter, so which ever way you end up managing it prior to going in there is up to you, I guess you could dilute it beforehand though. One thing to remember is that you are diluting to a target specific gravity, not to a target volume, and its probably most reliable to do this once the wort has cooled.
90 minute mash is mostly just a personal preference, probably more useful with drier beers, but it will ensure your mash has a chance to perform. If you want to stop at 60 minutes, by all means do!
Hope this helps! :icon_cheers:
 
Hey Nick,

My relo's should love this beer at christmas :party:

If it tastes any different to what you get served at the local, I can't tell

stovetoplagersmall.jpg


hopefully clears up a bit over the next 24hrs
 
Hey Nick,

My relo's should love this beer at christmas :party:

If it tastes any different to what you get served at the local, I can't tell

hopefully clears up a bit over the next 24hrs

Good stuff.
 
so I could do a batch of DrSmurto's Golden Ale in my 19ltr Big W pot no worries??
 
so I could do a batch of DrSmurto's Golden Ale in my 19ltr Big W pot no worries??

Easily.

Here's how to scale recipes:

if the original recipe was 25L, and you want to make a 15L batch...

divide 15 by 25.

Which gives you 0.6. This is your "scaling factor".

Now multiply all the ingredients and volumes in the original recipe by 0.6.

And make the beer.
 
The thread that got me started on AG..............brings a tear to my eye Nick. Moved on a fair bit now but I still owe you that beer. :icon_cheers:
 
Easily.
Here's how to scale recipes:
if the original recipe was 25L, and you want to make a 15L batch...
divide 15 by 25.
Which gives you 0.6. This is your "scaling factor".

Now multiply all the ingredients and volumes in the original recipe by 0.6.
And make the beer.

Nick would that include halving the yeast? in my partials I have been useing a full satchell of US-05 and sprinkling over the wort in fermenter... Somehow seems to me that half a satchell of yeast is a tad

light on?..........Thanks again for your help
 
Nick would that include halving the yeast? in my partials I have been useing a full satchell of US-05 and sprinkling over the wort in fermenter... Somehow seems to me that half a satchell of yeast is a tad

light on?..........Thanks again for your help

What's the recipe use?
 
the recipe states 11.5g for a full 20ltr wort.... that would by your calculations make it approx 8.6g.... on reflection I guess thats not to bad...

My calculations were just an example using random figures - remember to use the actual volume figures.

I'd just pitch the whole packet in 15-18L.
 
My calculations were just an example using random figures - remember to use the actual volume figures.

I'd just pitch the whole packet in 15-18L.


Thanks for that, now just one more question and I promise to stop pestering you.... I'm doing a 15ltr BIAB using a recipe based on DSGA that calls for :-

1.2 kg Weyermann Pilsner ...
600g Weyermann Pale Wheat
600g Weyermann Munich I
187g Weyermann Caramunich I .........

now the sad fact is I have only 450g munich 1 & same in Munich 2..... I have plenty of pilsner and plenty of caramunich.... you reckon I'd get awaqy with it just using what I have??
or is it asking a bit to much being so light on?
I don't wish to order more in at the moment and as the grain has been milled I want to use it up ASAP.... thanks again for your help.
cheers
 
Thanks for that, now just one more question and I promise to stop pestering you.... I'm doing a 15ltr BIAB using a recipe based on DSGA that calls for :-

1.2 kg Weyermann Pilsner ...
600g Weyermann Pale Wheat
600g Weyermann Munich I
187g Weyermann Caramunich I .........

now the sad fact is I have only 450g munich 1 & same in Munich 2..... I have plenty of pilsner and plenty of caramunich.... you reckon I'd get awaqy with it just using what I have??
or is it asking a bit to much being so light on?
I don't wish to order more in at the moment and as the grain has been milled I want to use it up ASAP.... thanks again for your help.
cheers

Make it up to be the same total grain amount. The proportions make the recipe - but you might be actually improving the recipe by tweaking it. Wouldn't be the first time adversity has improved something.

This stuff ain't set in concrete. You know what to do - trust your instincts.
 
Thanks Nick, as usual your advice is invaluable to guys like me....
cheers
 
Easily.

Here's how to scale recipes:

if the original recipe was 25L, and you want to make a 15L batch...

divide 15 by 25.

Which gives you 0.6. This is your "scaling factor".

Now multiply all the ingredients and volumes in the original recipe by 0.6.

And make the beer.


I did the Golden Ale with pretty much with the same original recipe grain amounts (total 4kg) in 12 L for a higher gravity boil. As I said in another post it was very messy sparge. Used full pack of US-05 in final diluted volume to 15L - is fermenting like a champion @15C for last 5 days. I too thought to using 1/2 a pack @15L was on the borderline. Can reuse this yeast again for next one.

With the ~2.5kg grain bill it will be a rewarding brew day - good luck
 
Hiya!

I am currently brewing my first AG following this recipe, but I have misplaced my irish moss. Am I doomed?!?

-Joel

Doesn't matter too much. Use them next time.
 
Aye I'm definitely gonna give this a go. Surprisingly though coming by a 15L stove pot round here seems to be impossible so i'm waiting for a delivery.
Gonna try 1kg Maris Otter, and I have some Phoenix hops here, not a clue what it's going to turn out like and im not entirely sure how much hops to add but i figure with this small a batch, the experience is worth more than the beer :)
Thanks nick, great guide.
 
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