Critique My Process - Photos Inside

[syl]

Put this brew down yesterday - it's been nicknamed the Shane Macgowan's Teeth American Brown Ale

cheers manticle!

I have got photos of the process, I realised that I haven't had anyone look over my shoulder in a couple of years. It would be nice if people could critique it and let me know if there are thing I could or should be doing differently. Cheers!

Recipe: Shane Macgowan's Teeth
Style: American Brown Ale

Malts:
1 x TCS Coopers Sparkling Ale
1.5KG Briess CBW Munich Malt Extract LME
0.25KG Light DME

Grains:
Medium Crystal 120 250g
Carafa 2 1100 200g

Amarillo 20g 5 minutes
Cascade 20g 5 minutes
Amarillo 10g dry hopped
Cascade 10g dry hopped

OG 1.053
IBU 33.3
EBC 48.2



Hose attachment for my kitchen tap and other post boil items sanitising:

Ingredients good to go:

Grain steeped for 30 minutes in 3L @ 65-70

While that was on I got another 3L of water to 70 for sparging

Quite sure this is how breweries do it - sparging:

250g DME and 300mL Munich LME to bring the gravity up to 1040:

The mini 5 minute boil! The hop bags are in this pic somewhere, also had whirfloc added:

Flameout, adding the rest of the ingredients to the pot:

 

[syl]

Filling the fermenter in it's resting place, the cling wrap on the tap is to stop my inquisitive cats nuzzling it!

Only came down to 35degrees as I didn't let it rest in the pot long enough before adding the water, I will pitch tonight as it is down to 23 already, will be 18 tonight as the ambient temp is 15-16.

What can I change folks? I have an aerator to go on the end of that hose for my next batch.

Be brutal, any critiquing appreciated!

 

[glenwal]

the cling wrap on the tap is to stop my inquisitive cats nuzzling it!

Love it.

 

[drew9242]

The big thing i would change is the stocking holding the grain. You want he grain loose so that you can give it a nice stir and get all the goodness out of the whole lot. When I steeped i just put the grain and water together and the put it through the sieve at the end. Put some sparge water through it and it was all good. If still like the bag method i would try to get it as loose as posible to get it swimming in the water. Otherwise it looks good to me should make a good beer.

 

[RdeVjun]

Looks to be quite OK on the whole for extract brewing! :icon_cheers:
However, I would open up the bag of grain while it is in the pot. I would combine the sparge step with the steep too, that's really not required for extract. When/ if you start to brew all- grain and mash base malt it will become much more important to get those steps right, for extract it is just a case of soaking the grain to dissolve the colour, flavour and aroma components.

 

[mxd]

I didn't see any beer being drunk through the process ?

 

[tricache]

I didn't see any beer being drunk through the process ?

Same here...beginners mistake :lol:

 

[donburke]

try to avoid using a wooden spoon, especially at flame out or anytime thereafter

they are quite porous and can harbour plenty of bacteria, bits of onion, tomato, basil etc

use instead a stainless spoon that has been sanitised if used during the cooling process of your wort

 

[syl]

Cheers Don, was actually thinking that last night when we were taking the photos. I will get a new spoon this week.

P.S: Love the brewery build. Was drooling over that on the weekend! I would love to have a proper system, damn apartment living!!

 

[syl]

The big thing i would change is the stocking holding the grain. You want he grain loose so that you can give it a nice stir and get all the goodness out of the whole lot. When I steeped i just put the grain and water together and the put it through the sieve at the end. Put some sparge water through it and it was all good. If still like the bag method i would try to get it as loose as posible to get it swimming in the water. Otherwise it looks good to me should make a good beer.

I will get a bigger re-usable grain bag when I am at the LHBS next to get it much more free. Cheers!

Looks to be quite OK on the whole for extract brewing! :icon_cheers:
However, I would open up the bag of grain while it is in the pot. I would combine the sparge step with the steep too, that's really not required for extract. When/ if you start to brew all- grain and mash base malt it will become much more important to get those steps right, for extract it is just a case of soaking the grain to dissolve the colour, flavour and aroma components.

No all grain or BIAB for me. ****** electric stove can only boild 6 litres, my old brew buddy moved away to the UK - used to brew in his backyard! If I win the lottery I will get a Braumeister

I didn't see any beer being drunk through the process ?

As per my sig - my brew fermentation room is a contruction site at the moment so I have nothing in my kegs! ****** if I am buying any beer at the moment either, was costing me a fortune!

Same here...beginners mistake :lol:

As above!


Cheers everyone so far!

 

[syl]

Love it.

The cats go straight to them. I think because it comes from the kitchen they think it is food!

 

[QldKev]

The cats go straight to them. I think because it comes from the kitchen they think it is food!

it's hard to get a good brew assistant these days :lol:




Get rid of the wooden spoon from the process
Get a bigger bag for the grain to help with extraction, I would get one like a BIAB setup that is fully open
Is that plastic hose heat rated for food? if not a meter of silicone hose is about $10 and will last years.

 

[JaseH]

...err how were you taking these photos?!? :huh:

 

[mwd]

Looks like a "Coopers" mixing spoon in picture 1 use that instead of your wooden spoon.

Grab some muslin, swiss voile or net curtain material for your grain steeping you can squeeze an amazing amount of liquid from the grain bag. Wear rubber gloves 65C is a bit warm on bare hands.

 

[syl]

it's hard to get a good brew assistant these days :lol:

Their santisation methods aren't the best.

...err how were you taking these photos?!? :huh:

The missus took the shots for me - then she made me pizza for dinner. Did alright

Looks like a "Coopers" mixing spoon in picture 1 use that instead of your wooden spoon.

Grab some muslin, swiss voile or net curtain material for your grain steeping you can squeeze an amazing amount of liquid from the grain bag. Wear rubber gloves 65C is a bit warm on bare hands.

I wasn't sure about the plastic spoon in the boil. I will just get a metal one anywho and keep the Coopers one for stirring in the fermenter.

Getting a better grain bag - have no idea why I have been using stockings for 3 years when a decent grain bag is $6.95!

 

[syl]

Get rid of the wooden spoon from the process
Get a bigger bag for the grain to help with extraction, I would get one like a BIAB setup that is fully open
Is that plastic hose heat rated for food? if not a meter of silicone hose is about $10 and will last years.

Wooden spoon = gone.
BIAB grain bag = purchased.
The hose is a kitchen hose from bunnings, not sure if it is heat rated for food, but it is only pumping out 13 degree tap water to the fermenter, not doing transfers of wort at all.

Cheers everyone so far!

 

[Bizier]

Modern paisley cups are a typical noob process error.

 

[syl]

Modern paisley cups are a typical noob process error.

I'll be sure to let the missus know of your critiquing! I personally couldn't give a rats what kitchen crap we have Got my BIAB bag today and a new hop bag, will do another batch of this with the grains loose and a hop spider in play.