Big D,s Ag Adventure Has Started

[big d]

thought i would check the mash temp.just after i took this photo the temp gauge fell into the mash.

 

[big d]

full boil

 

[big d]

wort cooling under way.tap water 30 degrees :angry:

 

[big d]

cold break forming

 

[big d]

muck left behind

 

[big d]

and finally its in the fermenter.i hope it turns out well.will find out and let all no in about 3-4 weeks.

 

[JasonY]

Well done bigd, looks like you were well prepared for the first ag run, better than I was that is for sure. Like the setup. So what gravity did you hit in the fermenter? Should be an interesting one with all chinook. (got one boiling now that I will throw a few grams in @ 10mins for a test).

So ready for number 2 tomorrow!

 

[big d]

around the 1.050-1.052 mark.
number 2 tomorrow would be great but my 2 fermenters are full.
so alas will have to wait till next week. <_<
reading the posts on this site has helped enormously.
reckon the day will come when i put down 2 brews in one day. :blink:

cheers
big d

 

[JasonY]

Yet to try two a day ... I reckon I wil need a second mash tun to make it feasible time wise. Having a brew marathon this weekend to stock up for a party late feb ... 3 brews in three days ... two a day would make it easier to build up stocks .

Sounds like you need a couple of extra fermenters.

 

[Doc]

Way to go big d.
Looks awesome.
You did a lot better for your first AG than I did.
But then I didn't have this site to help me out .

As for doing double brew days, I generally always do double brew days. I have two boilers. So when the first brew has started boiling I dough in the second brew.

That way when the first brew is chilling, I starting to sparge the second brew into the second boiler. Works well.

I currently use an esky as my MLT. When I score another keg my second boiler will become my new MLT and the new (anyone got a 50 litre keg is Sydney) keg will become my new second boiler.


Well done again big d.

Beers,
Doc

 

[THE DRUNK ARAB]

Good onya big d, great to see your first AG go relatively smoothly.
There will be no stopping you now. Make sure you save some of your first AG beer for appraisal when you come to Adelaide ( If there was a brown nose emoticon I would have put it in here! )
How much fun and enjoyment do you get out of it when you can say I made this beer? No offence meant to our newer brewers BTW.
And your equipment looks lovely (brewing equipment that is)

Cheers and bollocks
TDA

 

[Jazman]

Well done big d you betten me to an ag but when i get time and my act together to finish my equipment i willbe their then i will be asking for help but at least i have got some partial out of the way with good results

 

[big d]

thanks heaps fellas for the encouragement.i needed it.
my main hassle has been getting grain to this far flung outpost of oz.worked out pretty well in the end.
if the beer tastes ok/great i will be bottling a small portion to send around the place or take with me on next holidays.
yes i need more fermenters hoping to get a 60l like doc
jaz i really thought you would be ag before me but there ya go.you cant be to far behind.
tda i will put a few aside with your name on them.

cheers
big d

 

[GMK]

BigD

Congrats on AG...very nice effort.

One thgaing that you need not worry about is the fact taht cold break is good for the yeast cell walls and is more beneficial than harmfull - not like hot break...

Hope to taste one one day when you get to Adelaide.

Again...Well Done...

 

[Hoops]

maybe sort out some sort of trub filter as the whirl pool affect did not seem to work.

Big D

let me know if you find something suitable, I have been thinking of something along the same lines.
Also I like the thermometer. Where could I get on and how much?
Looks like a great setup, sounds like all went well. Now you just need the patients to wait till it's finished fermenting!

Hoops

 

[Trough Lolly]

Congrats BigD on a damn fine job! I'm still plugging away on my AG setup and won't be too far behind you!

Re the discussions pre-brew day on hops utilisation, you might want to have a read on Palmer's website about it - I found it helped me to understand the relationship between hops, their extraction efficiency, and the wort gravity.

Click here if you want to find out more on this subject.

Hope it helps. By the way, where did you get that damn fine thermometer from?

Cheers,
TL

 

[Goat]

'tis a good thermometer - can we have some details BigD...?

How did you put it through the kettle and get a seal around the probe?

 

[big d]

the way i seal them is the same way they do on the bazooka screen site.
coupla o-rings washers and nuts either side of boiler wall.
thermometers are american tel-tru units range from -10 to 100 degrees.

 

[Goat]

Aha ! Found the Tel Tru stuff in Adelaide and NSW - this is the sucker...

http://www.weware.com.au/productinfo.asp?ID=178

Thanks BigD

 

[Jazman]

Well big d i was part mashing before you but us southerners dont drink like u blokes plus i have a big stock pile the way im going it could be late autum or winter before i brew again

so thats why i havent done an ag but its soon plus i had heaps of work to do at work just havent had the time to get the gear together and waiting for jayse to get me some cheap coper for my imersion chiller