All Is In Readiness

[Whistlingjack]

I have all the equipment now.

Just did a "test boil" in the HLT. 38litres to 68 degrees in 90 minutes, with a low pressure gas burner. Should get a strike temp of 65 degrees. Next time I'll fill with hot water from the tap.

Mash tun loses 2 degrees over 60 minutes (water only)

I'll be using a simple hefeweizen recipe with a single infusion mash. Zwickel kindly gave me the details of a stepped mash, but I'll start with a simple method and progress from there.

So, next monday is set aside for the big event, provided I can reculture the Paulaner yeast.

Stay tuned for updates.

 

[bindi]

I have all the equipment now.

Just did a "test boil" in the HLT. 38litres to 68 degrees in 90 minutes, with a low pressure gas burner. Should get a strike temp of 65 degrees. Next time I'll fill with hot water from the tap.

Mash tun loses 2 degrees over 60 minutes (water only)

I'll be using a simple hefeweizen recipe with a single infusion mash. Zwickel kindly gave me the details of a stepped mash, but I'll start with a simple method and progress from there.

So, next monday is set aside for the big event, provided I can reculture the Paulaner yeast.

Stay tuned for updates.

Take photos and record the day please, just love to seeing how others 'pop their cherry' AG No I am not dinky
OK I am <_< .

 

[Guest Lurker]

WJ

I guess that was a large test run with the HLT and you will need a smaller volume for strike water? I ask because 90 mins from tap to 68 is not such a big deal, but quite long, and it might be hard work getting a similar volume to the boil. There are much bigger losses of energy going from 60 to 100 degrees as you lose latent heat in evaporation etc. Could be worth a test to make sure you can hit a rolling boil with your expected volume.

 

[Whistlingjack]

Yes GL

I will boil less for my strike water. I thought about it after reading your post and realised I only need to heat around 3 litres per kilo initially, then heat the sparge water while the mash is happening.

Thanks for picking that up.

Nothing lost, though. If I do larger batches in the future then at least I have this info.

 

[Jazman]

or get a 4 ring burner or better still a nasa burner

 

[berazafi]

3 degrees above you stike temp seems low, i use around 70-75 deg water for a stike of about 64, thats with an esky and grain at around 14degC

You may want to have a lower ratio 2.5l per kilo and have some boiling water handy, i think you are going to be a little low in your stike temp

BTW a three ring burner will bring a 45l wort to the boil no problems, and i actully found putting a bit of thin metal under the burner reduced my boiling times, and created boilovers for the first time

dave

 

[Whistlingjack]

Good points, berazafi

I have a 3-ring burner, and my initial worts will be around 28 litres, for a batch size of 23 litres (factoring in evaporation and losses to tubing, etc)

So if I get the HL temp to 70 degrees, I can expect a temperature decrease of 5 degrees from adding 5kg of grain at room temperature (say 15 degrees)

 

[Stuster]

I agree with Berazafi, that strike temp seems a bit low. You could download the Promash or Beersmith demos, which work out all that for you based on a 'standard' system. Record all your temps and then you can adjust various factors in the programs to fit for your system. My normal strike water temp is around 9 degrees above the temp I am aiming for.

 

[Whistlingjack]

Thanks Stuster

Getting more confident now.

 

[Trent]

WJ
Have you factored in any losses to hop trub and hot break, both of which are best left in the kettle? I leave about 2.5L to trub in the bottom of the kettle, and lose 4L per hour evaporation, and a little in the tubes, so to end up with 23L in the fermenter, I have to boil 30L. Just a point, as you didnt note losses to trub, but it could be a moot point. Anyway, best of luck with it, I hope it goes smoothly, and I am sure you will find it much easier than expected. Let us know how it turned out
All the best
Trent

 

[Whistlingjack]

Thanks, Trent

In testing, the amount of liquid left in the kettle is about one litre.

Is this enough to account for the break?

I could increase this by lifting the pickup tube, if you think its necessary.

 

[Guest Lurker]

Thanks, Trent

Is this enough to account for the break?

With hop residue and break in there, if you can get the loss down to 1 l, I suspect you are doing better than most people. Mine is more like 3 or 4, but I have a wide flattish kettle so I would be at the upper end.

 

[Whistlingjack]

Thanks GL

So I should lift my pickup tube so 3 to 4 litres are left behind?

Is this the minimum to account for the break?

 

[berazafi]

Thanks GL

So I should lift my pickup tube so 3 to 4 litres are left behind?

Is this the minimum to account for the break?

You dont need you pick up tube raised to compensate you just need a bigger boil volume so you get the volume you need in the end.

 

[Millet Man]

Thanks GL

So I should lift my pickup tube so 3 to 4 litres are left behind?

Is this the minimum to account for the break?

Your 1 litre is fine, thats the most I have left over after a good whirlpool to concentrate the trub, but I use a CFWC so cold break ends up in the fermenter.

Cheers, Andrew.

 

[Whistlingjack]

Thanks Andrew

I will be whirlpooling, so I hope this will concentrate the sediment.

I've seen pictures of the sediment in the bottom of the kettle after whirlpooling, couldn't be more than one litre.

I also have a CFC.

 

[Millet Man]

Mate, it will.

As your signature says - if only the air was as pure as the beer. :beer:

Cheers, Andrew.

 

[Whistlingjack]

Mate, it will.

As your signature says - if only the air was as pure as the beer. :beer:

Cheers, Andrew.

Well done on the translation.

The air is pretty good where I live though.

 

[Millet Man]

Mate, it will.

As your signature says - if only the air was as pure as the beer. :beer:

Cheers, Andrew.

Well done on the translation.

The air is pretty good where I live though.

The air's good here too, I get to see the brown layer of sludge on my drive to the big city though, hard to miss about 50 kms out.

Frischluft, frisches Bier. Hirsebier das beste.

Cheers, Andrew.

 

[Whistlingjack]

Opened the bottle of Paulaner hefeweizen last night and carefully poured it into a weissbier glass.

Tipped the dregs into a previously prepared wort.

Now waiting for the yeast to get lively.