Brew Day - Number One.

[McFeast]

Righto. My first All Grain Brew day went down yesterday (2nd July 2011). I've included here some pictures of the process in the hope that you might be able to offer some tips on how I can improve for my next brew, which will be at some stage through the week (yep, Im on holidays!).
Some of you regulars may have read my recipe thread, asking for thoughts on the ingredients. As a recap, they were:

• 4.5kg Barrett Burston Ale Malt
• 500g Briess Caramalt 60L
• 1kg boiled to a glug supermarket rice (long grain)
• 35g Pride of Ringwood Hop Pellets
• 35 Litres water
• will pitch with US-05 at 15DegC (controlled) for 10 days or so.

So first up, As expected it took me a while (including 2 hours waiting time of course) but totalled close to 6hours including the beer time for mash and boil. I am happy that it took a while, as I have learnt alot since putting theory into practice. More later on this.

First up, I boiled the rice. here's a pic of the glug.

Next, I crushed the grain using Nick_JD's technique with the coffee grinder. We have a small one, and holy crap it does it well and quick! I think a bigger coffee grinder will be my next purchase.

35 Litres water about to heat up to 70degC for a 66degC Mash.

Mashed all the grain and rice, worked really well with the paint stirrer (I cant believe I havent used one of these for paint before actually!)

Wrapped in the old army blanket, and then I threw my Jiu Jitsu Gee over the top as well for extra insulation.

 

[McFeast]

60 minutes later, and it was time to sparge. Farrrgin hell it was hard using a flimsy rollerdoor roller overhead for leverage (have already purchased a pulley!) Friggin HOT to squeeze too, my weak office keyboard hands couldnt handle the heat so I wore gloves.

You'll see above that i've already added the hops bringing it to the boil. It took a while to get to boil.
Boiling -

Still Boiling -

at 85mins I decided stuff this, it was reducing far too slowly, so I took the hops out and added half the tablet of irish moss (whirfloc) and whirl-pooled.

Let it boil a bit longer for the steam to sterilise the lid and left it to sit and settle out into trub. below is a pic of the trub. I know there is a bit more liquid here but it was almost time to head off to a mates place to watch the Reds come home with the win!

Here's the precious wort sitting in the cube chilling overnight.

Measured SG: 1053 @ 24degC

Lessons Learnt

1. Wear gloves when Sparging, cause its Fn hot liquid.
2. Probably shouldnt add the hops to the liquid while it is coming to the boil. This part took quite a while to commence and no doubt adds to the biterness (especially considering I boiled for almost 90mins - Beersmith tells me at the top end in green for bitterness)
3. Find a better place to brew. the Garage (ontop of an old box aircon) just cant cope!

I've got an old boxing bag stand out the back that I will convert for hoisting the brew bag and I will convert this as the location to brew my beer from now on.

Looking forward to your tips and advice for next time. Thanks go to you all on this forum, especially BribieG and Nick_JD - if you're ever up here in Mackay at some stage, drop me a line. I owe you a beer!

 

[bignath]

Congrats on your maiden run mate.

Just a couple of things.

1. Don't be at all concerned with adding your hops on the way to a boil. It's called first wort hopping, and won't really extract any more bitterness in your beer. Once 60min boil time of hops ticks over, you aren't really getting any more bitterness. Have a look at the recipe in beersmith by clicking on the "increase time" button. You'll notice that by 60min you've got almost all of the bitterness you're gonna get.
For what it's worth, my house lager, which is quite similar to your recipe, is first wort hopped and it comes up a treat. (obviously, or it wouldn't be my house lager). It's a fake lager actually, as i (like you) ferment it with US-05 so i can get it done sooner than using a lager like 34/70 etc...

2. Don't put your cube in the fridge to chill. It's the extended time of being in the cube at hot temps that wards of infection problems. Either chill it then put in fermenter, or no chill it, leave it alone until it cools down naturally.

3. Whatever you do about the gloves, make sure you don't buy pink ones. I BIAB'd a couple of times before moving to 3V, and i had pink ones. Really looks stupid. Buy some more manly coloured ones. Girls can brew in pink gloves though....I no longer have my pink ones...

Seriously though, you'll make a kick ass beer with a recipe like that.

Well done,

Nath

 

[McFeast]

Congrats on your maiden run mate.

2. Don't put your cube in the fridge to chill. It's the extended time of being in the cube at hot temps that wards of infection problems. Either chill it then put in fermenter, or no chill it, leave it alone until it cools down naturally.

Seriously though, you'll make a kick ass beer with a recipe like that.

Well done,

Nath

Cheers Nath. I've got it in the fridge to drop the temp quickly, as I'll be putting it into the fermenter in the morning. Can you please expand on your point 2 above? Im a little bit lost. whats wrong with putting it in the fridge?

 

[bignath]

Sure mate, i am assuming that you are "no chilling" (like me).

The idea behind no chilling is to NOT drop the temp too quickly.

Here's why it works as it was intended.

When you transfer your boiled wort from you boiling vessel (regardless of brewing method, 3V or BIAB) into the cube, the longer the wort can stay at hot temperatures, the more effective it will be at killing or minimising infection risks from your no chill cube.
Bacteria that could potentially cause problems, are less likely to be an issue the longer they are subjected to really hot temps.
If you transfer to your cube, and then cool it rapidly (fridge, freezer, swimming pool etc.) you are removing this ability to ward of potential problems.

I used to transfer to cube, and then throw cube in the kiddie pool, until i was informed of the info i've written above. Now, i transfer to cubes, and leave outside overnight under my patio. It's at pitching temp when i wake up in the morning.

There are however no guarantees regarding infection in brewing, only ways to minimise it, and keeping it in the cube hot for longer is one of those ways - as is good sanitation practises which i'm assuming your already doing.

No stress this time, i'm sure the beer will be an absolute cracker! I never had a problem when i used to chill the no chill cube, but the potential for one is increased.

Hope this makes sense!

Cheers,

Nath

 

[milob40]

nice! let us know how it turns out.
mines been fermenting for a week now and from the tastes and smells from the fv, i doubt i'll go back to k&k.
where did you score your urn from? i'm still strugglin with a 20ltr pot.
maybe we can organise a grain bulk buy if we can get the numbers? :icon_cheers:

 

[Thirsty Boy]

The main reason to not put it in the idge to cool, is that it works the snot out of your fridge and actually doesn't cool it all that much faster.

12 hrs cooling at ambient will get your wort down to virtually room temp... In the fridge from there (or maybe a bit warmer) is OK.

Give yourself 24hrs from brew to pitch and save the fridge.... Shoving it in there hot will only save a few hours anyway. If you really really want to pitch fast... Chill. You can do that effectively by throwing the cube into the pool/spa/tank/bath until its down to something like room temp and adjust with the fridge from there. BUT... If you do that, remember - its not no-chill, its chilling the same as all the other methods of chilling. Definitely including the attention you need to pay to cold side sanitation. Nothing wrong with it at all.... But you cant rely on the cubes lasting unfermented and uninfected like you can when they are actually no-chilled. So not only can you pitch quickly, you must pitch quickly.

 

[warra48]

Congratulations, and well done. Here's hoping your beer will turns out great!

Instead of a bigger coffee grinder for your next purchase, why not save your pennies, and buy a proper mill.
A decent mill should be a once in a lifetime investment, and will give you a better crush than a coffee grinder ever will.

 

[Bizier]

I have to agree with Warra there, keep an appropriately designed coffee grinder in the kitchen to match your needs there. Keep an appropriately designed roller mill in your brewhouse (wherever that is) to meet your malt crushing needs. Basic model roller mills are available quite cheap from the states and will work a treat.

 

[McFeast]

Thanks guys. All your points and tips are noted down.
I pitched today. Will let you know how it goes in two weeks or so.