CHIEF4EVER said:
Chief, go with a Coopers Pale Ale or Sparkling Ale Clone. Should be able to find recipe/grain bill on here. Yeast can be propagated from a bottle if it's available where your from.
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Chief, go with a Coopers Pale Ale or Sparkling Ale Clone. Should be able to find recipe/grain bill on here. Yeast can be propagated from a bottle if it's available where your from.
I'm Excited!
Ok .. I thought I would have to go and purchase a heap of equipment before I could try a full sized AG batch, but after reading this thread I may be closer than I thought
Can some of the AG seasoned veterans help me out here. I have done 6 partials so far ranging from a 2.4kg grain bill up to a 4kg bill. I have a 20L pail that I have insulated with styrofoam and duct tape with a false bottom and tap and a 20L steel stock pot (I use the wok burner on the bbq for heat).
So far I have just been buying grain pre-crushed from my HBS. Will a "PORKERT Kitchen Grinding Mill, Type 150 " be an ok mill to start off with? will the crush be too fine?
How much grain do you typically use for a basic 23L AG 4.4%ABV brew? will my home made mash tun be ok for that much?
Usually I haven't been sparging, I have tried it once or twice but after reading into it a bit you need to sparge at a higher temp than steeping? how critical is this step (does it just improve efficiency?)
What other equip do I need? is an immersion chiller really necessary? can I just let my brew cool down overnight? I am guessing there is more chance of infection in letting it sit there for 8 hours though.
gees ... sorry for the 101 questions :blink:
Ok .. last question is: what's the deal with "3 tier systems", "Marsh pumps" etc .. are these just to make life easier but not critical?
Ok .. I thought I would have to go and purchase a heap of equipment before I could try a full sized AG batch, but after reading this thread I may be closer than I thought
Can some of the AG seasoned veterans help me out here. I have done 6 partials so far ranging from a 2.4kg grain bill up to a 4kg bill. I have a 20L pail that I have insulated with styrofoam and duct tape with a false bottom and tap and a 20L steel stock pot (I use the wok burner on the bbq for heat).
So far I have just been buying grain pre-crushed from my HBS. Will a "PORKERT Kitchen Grinding Mill, Type 150 " be an ok mill to start off with? will the crush be too fine?
How much grain do you typically use for a basic 23L AG 4.4%ABV brew? will my home made mash tun be ok for that much?
Usually I haven't been sparging, I have tried it once or twice but after reading into it a bit you need to sparge at a higher temp than steeping? how critical is this step (does it just improve efficiency?)
What other equip do I need? is an immersion chiller really necessary? can I just let my brew cool down overnight? I am guessing there is more chance of infection in letting it sit there for 8 hours though.
gees ... sorry for the 101 questions :blink:
Ok .. last question is: what's the deal with "3 tier systems", "Marsh pumps" etc .. are these just to make life easier but not critical?
CHIEF4EVER
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Thanks M8. Coopers Pale just became my next project. I reckon I'll just grab a Wyeast 1084 or 1098 to pitch unless there will be a huge flavor difference going that route. Happy Brewing!
CHIEF4EVER
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manaen said:I'm Excited!
Ok .. I thought I would have to go and purchase a heap of equipment before I could try a full sized AG batch, but after reading this thread I may be closer than I thought
Can some of the AG seasoned veterans help me out here. I have done 6 partials so far ranging from a 2.4kg grain bill up to a 4kg bill. I have a 20L pail that I have insulated with styrofoam and duct tape with a false bottom and tap and a 20L steel stock pot (I use the wok burner on the bbq for heat).
So far I have just been buying grain pre-crushed from my HBS. Will a "PORKERT Kitchen Grinding Mill, Type 150 " be an ok mill to start off with? will the crush be too fine?
How much grain do you typically use for a basic 23L AG 4.4%ABV brew? will my home made mash tun be ok for that much?
Usually I haven't been sparging, I have tried it once or twice but after reading into it a bit you need to sparge at a higher temp than steeping? how critical is this step (does it just improve efficiency?)
What other equip do I need? is an immersion chiller really necessary? can I just let my brew cool down overnight? I am guessing there is more chance of infection in letting it sit there for 8 hours though.
gees ... sorry for the 101 questions :blink:
Ok .. last question is: what's the deal with "3 tier systems", "Marsh pumps" etc .. are these just to make life easier but not critical?
[post="105086"][/post]
I'll try to offer as much help as I can.
1) Grinding. If your HBS has been grinding your grain acceptably and it doesn't cost any extra, I say let them do it.
2) Sparging. Yes, you are going to need to sparge to get the required wort volume with an AG mash. Remember that all your wort is coming from the grain. Do you have a hydrometer? Your sparge temp should be at least 76C (170F). My sparge water is generally a bit hotter (85C/185F) as it cools a bit upon contact/mixing with the grain. I like to batch sparge as it is the simplest way to do it and my efficiency don't suffer. Just sparge until you obtain the required amount of wort but take a hydrometer reading every once in awhile. The gravity should be 1.012 or better at all times.
3) Cooling. You want to cool the wort as quickly as possible to get the "cold break" and avoid cloudiness in your beer. Is an immersion cooler absolutely necessary? No but it helps a great deal. In the interim, you can surround the vessel with ice and it should cool rapidly enough to get the cold break. I wouldn't risk leaving it for 8 hours just because of infection possibility. Would be a shame to do all that work and have sour beer at the end.
I hope this helps. Happy Brewing M8!
Jye
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You could use the "no sparge method"; a quick search will bring up a few results. This is less efficient since you will not be rinsing sugars from the grain, so your grain bill could be 7-8Kg. If you have the equipment to heat some more water I would try batch sparging as it is dead easy. I have to disagree with CHIEF4EVER about taking gravity readings while batch sparging, since you are only rinsing the grain and dissolving the sugars then draining as fast as possible the sparge gravity will not change. This is only required when fly sparging.
Try and make an immersion chiller, very easy and a good workout. I have seen at Bunnings lately 15m of 1/2' (?) copper tubing for $45. But in this current heat it is hard to get it down past 30ish degrees so I have been placing it into a fridge until the temp is low enough (you could use a bucket of ice, or make a prechiller). Letting it sit is a bit of a risk but as long as your sanitation is good there should be no problems.
Now get all graining :beer:
The simplest method I have come across to do all grain, and the one that I am using until I build my all stainless setup this year is as follows:
2 x 25 litre flour pails from Bunnings @ $25ea
1 x 4 ring LPG burner @ ~$80
1 x Robinox stainless 36lt stock pot @ ~$180 (because of heavy bottom to prevent burning)
Other things you will need:
Gas bottle - can probably be swiped from the bar-b
Pyrex jug - at least 1 litre but 2 is better
Bench or table to perform the mash on and so that runnings can flow into the stock pot
Piece of fibreglass fly screen and thick wire
Few other buckets or pails to hold hot & cold water etc.
Method:
One of the pails fits inside the other and becomes the filter. Drill some large holes in this one. Then make a circle of the thick wire so that it fits tightly. Fold the fly screen over and place in the pail. Ensure that your outer pail has a tap on it as you need to be able to drain your wort into the kettle.
Mashing - Boil up enough water for your strike - usually about 2.5 to 3 litres per kilo of grain. I use an urn for convenience, but this is not necessary. You could use your kettle to boil up enough water. You will probably need another pail to hold your sparge water however, as you are going to need the kettle for the first runnings. I normally make the strike water about 80 - 90 degrees and then remove a litre of hot and add a litre of cold until I get to my desired strike temperature.
When you mash your grain, wrap a towel around the setup. I mash for 90 minutes and the temperature rarely drops more than 1 or 2 degrees over this time. While you are mashing, boil up your sparge water and transfer to another bucket. Use the jug to pour off some of the runnings and recirculate it back to the top of the grain bed. I do this at mash in, and generally make sure that all runnings have passed over the grain bed again prior to running them off to the kettle.
After taking first runnings, you are ready to sparge. You can gently mix up the grain bed if you wish prior to sparging. Generally you need about 18 - 21 litres of sparge water. Treat it as a second and third mash, but only for about 15 to 30 minutes each time (you will probably need to batch sparge twice). At the end of the sparge your wort should be maybe 1 to 2 cm from the top. Boil and hop as required usually uncovered.
Next, I use a wort chiller connected to a garden hose. I have never NOT used it so don't know how it would go cooling overnight. That is something you might like to experiment with.
For 23 litres @ 4.4% you will need about 5kg of grain.
2 x 25 litre flour pails from Bunnings @ $25ea
1 x 4 ring LPG burner @ ~$80
1 x Robinox stainless 36lt stock pot @ ~$180 (because of heavy bottom to prevent burning)
Other things you will need:
Gas bottle - can probably be swiped from the bar-b
Pyrex jug - at least 1 litre but 2 is better
Bench or table to perform the mash on and so that runnings can flow into the stock pot
Piece of fibreglass fly screen and thick wire
Few other buckets or pails to hold hot & cold water etc.
Method:
One of the pails fits inside the other and becomes the filter. Drill some large holes in this one. Then make a circle of the thick wire so that it fits tightly. Fold the fly screen over and place in the pail. Ensure that your outer pail has a tap on it as you need to be able to drain your wort into the kettle.
Mashing - Boil up enough water for your strike - usually about 2.5 to 3 litres per kilo of grain. I use an urn for convenience, but this is not necessary. You could use your kettle to boil up enough water. You will probably need another pail to hold your sparge water however, as you are going to need the kettle for the first runnings. I normally make the strike water about 80 - 90 degrees and then remove a litre of hot and add a litre of cold until I get to my desired strike temperature.
When you mash your grain, wrap a towel around the setup. I mash for 90 minutes and the temperature rarely drops more than 1 or 2 degrees over this time. While you are mashing, boil up your sparge water and transfer to another bucket. Use the jug to pour off some of the runnings and recirculate it back to the top of the grain bed. I do this at mash in, and generally make sure that all runnings have passed over the grain bed again prior to running them off to the kettle.
After taking first runnings, you are ready to sparge. You can gently mix up the grain bed if you wish prior to sparging. Generally you need about 18 - 21 litres of sparge water. Treat it as a second and third mash, but only for about 15 to 30 minutes each time (you will probably need to batch sparge twice). At the end of the sparge your wort should be maybe 1 to 2 cm from the top. Boil and hop as required usually uncovered.
Next, I use a wort chiller connected to a garden hose. I have never NOT used it so don't know how it would go cooling overnight. That is something you might like to experiment with.
For 23 litres @ 4.4% you will need about 5kg of grain.
Manaen
What you have will work, but if possible try to get a bigger pot for your boiling so that you can do a bigger sparge. (40l is ideal)
I imagine it will work something like this.
5kg of grain mashing in the bucket with 15l of water.
At the end of the mash, approx 10l will drain into your boiler, 5l litres will stay behind in abosrbed in the grain.
Add another 6 or 7 litres of water (I use 77C water but that's another debate - let's just say hotter than the grain but don't let the grain temp when the water is added go above 77C). Give it a really good stir and let it stand for 10 - 15 mins. Open the tap and another 6 or 7 litres will drain into the boiler.
Watch it carefully as it starts to boil in case if boils over. You might want to add a bit more water to the pot as it evaporates during the boil.
Have fun, give it a try and see how you go.
Will
What you have will work, but if possible try to get a bigger pot for your boiling so that you can do a bigger sparge. (40l is ideal)
I imagine it will work something like this.
5kg of grain mashing in the bucket with 15l of water.
At the end of the mash, approx 10l will drain into your boiler, 5l litres will stay behind in abosrbed in the grain.
Add another 6 or 7 litres of water (I use 77C water but that's another debate - let's just say hotter than the grain but don't let the grain temp when the water is added go above 77C). Give it a really good stir and let it stand for 10 - 15 mins. Open the tap and another 6 or 7 litres will drain into the boiler.
Watch it carefully as it starts to boil in case if boils over. You might want to add a bit more water to the pot as it evaporates during the boil.
Have fun, give it a try and see how you go.
Will
CHIEF4EVER
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Tony said:mmmmmmmmmmmm a 1084 or a 1098 might be a bit much for a coopers pale ale
id recomend a 1318 or a 1275 brewed ar 18 deg.
and lots of POR
cheers
[post="105183"][/post]
Thanks for the tip M8. I'll try the 1318 or 1275 first. Happy Brewing! :beer:
CHIEF4EVER
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Just a quick question. What sort of water do you have where Coopers is brewed? Is it hard or soft? My water is fairly hard and approximates what one would find in Munich or Dortmund. Do I need to treat my brew water prior to brewing to make a decent Coopers? Thanks in advance.
Robert
Robert
berto said:
greetings,
I could use a good Kolsch recipe. I have a bottle of German Ale/Kolsch yeast I'll likely be using for my next brew..I've never even tasted a Kolsch brew.(having said that, i've never met a well-made beer I didn't like or at least appreciate the taste of.)
