Are Your First Running Clear Or Cloudy?

[Steve]

Woohoo - my first post in the AG and Partials section......

Did my mash yesterday with 2.5kg of grains and 7litres of water in my new mash/lauter tun. (Cheers manean). Rigged up a tube to the tap, had the boil pot on the kitchen floor, other end of tube in pot - you get the jist. Crouching there clutching my jug to catch the first runnings to re-circulate....its started to trickle, it started to pour and it was the beautifullest clear chocolatey/caremmelly brown. No cloudiness at all? Did I just fluke it or do yours run clear or cloudy? I was under the impression that they were always cloudy? The grains were Barret & Burston Ale and Caramunich Type 2.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Trough Lolly]

Hey Steve, have you been reading Cat in the Hat again?!?!

...its started to trickle, it started to pour and it was the beautifullest clear chocolatey/caremmelly brown ((I ever did saw))

h34r:

Congrats mate - looking forward to a sample one day!!

TL

 

[Steve]

Hey Steve, have you been reading Cat in the Hat again?!?!

...its started to trickle, it started to pour and it was the beautifullest clear chocolatey/caremmelly brown ((I ever did saw))

h34r:

Congrats mate - looking forward to a sample one day!!

TL

Cheers TL will definately let you have a sample or two :beer:
Steve

 

[Justin]

Quite often it will run cloudy for the first 30 secs or so then it will clear up pretty quick. It's mostly sediment and particles of grain rather than unconverted starch that cause the cloudiness. Once your grainbed sets and starts acting as a filter you trap those particles in your filter bed and you get that crystal clear (most of the time), beautiful smelling, sweet tasting wort. Yum.

You can't beat the smell of it.

Cheers, Justin

 

[Steve]

Quite often it will run cloudy for the first 30 secs or so then it will clear up pretty quick. It's mostly sediment and particles of grain rather than unconverted starch that cause the cloudiness. Once your grainbed sets and starts acting as a filter you trap those particles in your filter bed and you get that crystal clear (most of the time), beautiful smelling, sweet tasting wort. Yum.

You can't beat the smell of it.

Cheers, Justin

My less than appreciative wife just couldnt understand why I was so excited about some brown liquid and that I was on my knees on the kitchen floor sniffing the boil pot :lol: I must have just got lucky then if its usually cloudy.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Justin]

You usually collect the first running (maybe the first 500ml-1L, often less) in a jug or something and pour that back onto the top of the mash so that it clears up before you start collecting in your boil pot. It just stops you boiling any husks and grain pieces. Glad it went ok.

Next time just run a bit off into a jug before you move the hose over to the kettle and then pour it onto the mash again. Collect as necessary until it clears.

Cheers, Justin

 

[Screwtop]

I find it depends on the crush, on how much I have stirred the grain bed and also the water to grain ratio. Sometimes next to no cloudiness and other times 2 - 3 litres before it runs clear.

 

[Pumpy]

You usually collect the first running (maybe the first 500ml-1L, often less) in a jug or something and pour that back onto the top of the mash so that it clears up before you start collecting in your boil pot. It just stops you boiling any husks and grain pieces. Glad it went ok.

Next time just run a bit off into a jug before you move the hose over to the kettle and then pour it onto the mash again. Collect as necessary until it clears.

Cheers, Justin

Hey Justin are you not recirulating uour mash with thatMarch Pump whats this with the jug bit ???

Pumpy

 

[Justin]

Your right Pumpy, that's how I do it now but when I still had my three tier set up (which I assume most people have some sort of variation of) I used to run off into two jugs before I connected the hose that ran to the kettle.

Your right though in that now I just switch the pump on and let it recirculate for 5 mins before transfering the pipe over to the kettle.

However, I haven't brewed for a while now. Had to send my brewery up to my parents place for storage as I moved out of my old house and have no room in my new place. Plus I have to finish my thesis before the money runs out. I also sold my keg fridge so home brew is in a bad state at my place these days. If I can scrounge enough bottles together I might do a shared batch with a mate but we'll have to see.

I'm supposed to be heading to the US to live so when I return to Aus I'll be setting up my brewery in a new location. It will be an absolute necessity that the new house has a dedicated brewery. It's more essential than any of those other luxuries like kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms and all that fancy, nancy stuff You know how it is.

Cheers mate, Justin

 

[Steve]

Thanks Justin....I was stood there ready with my jug to do what you mentioned to catch the cloudy wort to pour back in. I just didnt need to - I was impressed.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Trough Lolly]

Steve, in addition to some good fortune, I'd guess that you've got a pretty well built manifold helping you too!

 

[Steve]

Steve, in addition to some good fortune, I'd guess that you've got a pretty well built manifold helping you too!

Its just a big white bucket with insulation, a perfectly fitting plastic false bottom and tap...kindly donated by manean (Jay) from the club. Cheerin.
Steve