All Grain Questions

[beertime]

Hi there all, I have just discovered the forum and have spent the last couple of days reading up on a lot of the topics.

After brewing for a while its long overdue. I have just started AG brewing and the more I learn the more I realise I need to learn.

My first AG brew day after building my own system went well all the components worked well, I will have to do a little redesigning on the false bottom and on the sparging arm, however all in all it was a success especially the whirlpool which I was a little afraid of because of the amount of spin I am generating in the kettle.

Just a couple of questions, I know there are a few however see how you go,

1. When using ale yeast because of its top fermentation, when it is cooled to say 4 degrees C will it fall to the bottom so it can be harvested?

2. What is the best boil time and would this vary depending on the different type of beer?

3. Should the boil time start when it is actually boiling or when the kettle is full, because at the moment I am unable to bring the kettle to a boil for 40 mins after the kettle is full.

4. I boiled for 90 mins, should the bittering hops be put in to boil at the beginning of the boil so they boil for the full time?

5. when deciding on the grist to brewing liquor ratio what is the best ratio to use?

6. Would you adjust the grist ratio depending on the type of beer to be brewed?

7. When adding the sparging water would you stop sparging when the required specific gravity has been reached in the kettle or would you keep going until the required volume is reached?

8. What is the significance of the first runnings and how does this affect the outcome of the brew?


Thanks for your help
G

 

[big d]

check some of the previous postings under the search button peter.it is there to help you so that i and others dont have to repeat ourselves.

cheers
big d

 

[bonk]

Hi Beertime,

1. with the ale yeast you can skim it during the height of fermenting as its a top fermenting yeast. however you can use the trub at the bottom.

2. not sure, some beers such as a imperial stout need a long boil.

3. the boil time should be after the wort has reached a rolling boil. well thats what i go on.

4. you can add them at the 90 mins, however 60 mins is usually long enough. the 30 mins extra can add benifits to your brew.

5. thats an open to a lot of things, i try for about 2.5L, however thats my dodgy peference.

6. yes, sometimes it needs to be adjusted. it also comes down to your mash tun size.

7. hopefully they will be at the same time. if not you can always add a little extra water or dried malt to correct any problems. over sparging can cause problems. i'll let a more experinced/learned brewer answer that.

8. first runnings are just that, the first ones out of the mash tun. they usually are stronger then following sparge runnings. you can also make two beers, one from the first runnings (will make a stronger beer) and a 'smaller' beer from the next lot.

9. someone has probably answered all this already and saved me from typing

10. see big d's post

 

[jjpalmer]

1. When using ale yeast because of its top fermentation, when it is cooled to say 4 degrees C will it fall to the bottom so it can be harvested?

Yes.

2. What is the best boil time and would this vary depending on the different type of beer?

The boil time depends on what you are trying to do: isomerize hops or increase the gravity. Once I reach boil, I start timing one hour and add my first hop addition. I usually do not need to boil longer than 1 hour because I do not need to boil to concentrate the wort to my OG because I had previously calculated my grainbill and efficiency to give me the wort strength I wanted. So, Usually you only need to boil as long as your hop additions require.

3. Should the boil time start when it is actually boiling or when the kettle is full, because at the moment I am unable to bring the kettle to a boil for 40 mins after the kettle is full.

From When it actually boils.

4. I boiled for 90 mins, should the bittering hops be put in to boil at the beginning of the boil so they boil for the full time?

Do you Want to boil the hops for 90 minutes? Did you calculate your IBUs?

5. when deciding on the grist to brewing liquor ratio what is the best ratio to use?

Usually about 3 liters/kg

6. Would you adjust the grist ratio depending on the type of beer to be brewed?

Usually not necessary, but it is a factor.

7. When adding the sparging water would you stop sparging when the required specific gravity has been reached in the kettle or would you keep going until the required volume is reached?

Hmmm, depends on how you sparge and how you boil. Usually I calculate that I will mash 5 kg of grain and collect 26 liters of 1.046 wort and boil to about 23 liters of 1.054 OG wort.

8. What is the significance of the first runnings and how does this affect the outcome of the brew?

First runnings are the initial runoff from the mash and are richer tasting than the subsequent sparged runnings (generalizing here). Depending on how you sparge (continuous or batch or no-sparge) you can improve the quality of your beer by utilizing more "first runnings" to make up your wort.


Thanks for your help
G

[post="51776"][/post]​

See Section 2 and 3 of my book for more info on All grain brewing.
Good Brewing,
John

 

[Backlane Brewery]

Beertime, there is a link to the online version of John's book in the links section- Dane whacked it in there the first day of the revamp.
Lots of good info.

 

[beertime]

Thanks all for your replys, I hope they keep comming.

I am slowley going through the other forum posts and I am sure there is a great deal of info out there and probably my questions have been answered somewhere else, however there is a lot of reading...I am getting there. I apprciate the time it takes to answer, its all about the beer.

Thanks

 

[pint of lager]

All very important questions for mashers.

Beertime, you will find that many have been answered before and by browsing and searching the forums, you will come across them. This may take some time but you will find lots of extra useful information along the way. The tangents that the threads take contain nuggets that you may not have been after but will find helpful.

If you find something unclear, by all means bring a thread back to the top with your question rather than starting a fresh thread. Or if you think of a totally new topic start up a fresh thread.

Read John Palmer's book. I wish it had been around when I first started brewing.

 

[jayse]

snipped>>>>>>

Read John Palmer's book. I wish it had been around when I first started brewing.

[post="51845"][/post]​

Back then the importance of yeast hadn't even been discovered yet had it?
did they even have paper back then?
Ha just kidding.

welcome to beertime, i think you have a good handle on things there and seem to be asking some great questions, I see you really know what seems important.
Anyway spend some time doing a little reading and come back and post in this thread how you went finding the info.
JJP book is well worth the money for the paper version as you can reference it when ever you like.
Heres a link to a little story I wrote sometime ago which you may find usefull,
I still pretty much stick to what i wrote in it exept i no longer think you should be getting less effiency with a batch sparge if your effiency is already around 75%, if its way higher than you might get a little less, it all reallly depends.
http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum/The_...uide-t1331.html

Jayse


Jayse

 

[Backlane Brewery]

Jayse's article is excellent, though I may quibble with his recommended soundtrack! I go for Hank Williams, Cramps, Flesheaters, Birdman & K Joke myself.

Attached is a doc I found somewhere on the net, which lays out batch sparging for dummies. Dunno why, but I find it easier to follow graphics sometimes, and looking at this is what made the process "click" for me. Works even if you don't have a blue mashtun!
Anyway, beertime, have a look & see what you think. It makes the whole thing very clear.

If anyone knows where this comes from, feel free to pipe up & post the link.

 

[quincy]

I'm with you BLB. A picture paints a thousand words.
Geez, it looks so simple in that graphic.

Cheers

 

[sintax69]

Hey dats my piccy I pasted it together start last year cant remeber where I got the origanal but I reto fitted it into batching. glad it helps I find piccys easier brown stuff in top OK I can do that easy

sintax