Dedicated Braumeister Guide, Problems & Solution Thread

[razz]

How are BB's (Brau Brewers) doing high gravity beers. I want to do a 16% stout. I have a 50L

A couple of things B&P's.
1. The max in the 50lt malt pipe is about 13kgs. You can sparge this and get about 65lts pre-boil and then boil down for minimum 2, maybe 3 hours to get a fairly high gravity. (50lts after 3 hour boil?) You would need to do an hydrometer reading to see where it is at and then adjust with malt extract (maybe some sugar) to get your starting gravity. Putting the numbers through software would be essential. I haven't done this, I'm pulling this stuff out of my head as to how I would do it.

 

[Beerandpies]

A couple of things B&P's.
1. The max in the 50lt malt pipe is about 13kgs. You can sparge this and get about 65lts pre-boil and then boil down for minimum 2, maybe 3 hours to get a fairly high gravity. (50lts after 3 hour boil?) You would need to do an hydrometer reading to see where it is at and then adjust with malt extract (maybe some sugar) to get your starting gravity. Putting the numbers through software would be essential. I haven't done this, I'm pulling this stuff out of my head as to how I would do it.

I thought a similar process. I've done 13kg before and the basket is tight.

 

[Talnoy]

How are BB's (Brau Brewers) doing high gravity beers

How about double, or triple, mashing to get real high OG

 

[Beerandpies]

How about double, or triple, mashing to get real high OG

I thought about it but I wasn't sure if there were issues mashing new grain in wort from the last mash.

 

[Talnoy]

I thought about it but I wasn't sure if there were issues mashing new grain in wort from the last mash.

Did it a couple of days ago, went well, ended up with OG 1094

 

[Beerandpies]

Did it a couple of days ago, went well, ended up with OG 1094
View attachment 111900

Awesome. Can you give me details of how you did it

 

[Talnoy]

Awesome. Can you give me details of how you did it

Sure. Divide the grain bill in two parts, they don’t need to be the same size. Start the program and begin mash the first part, when the saccarisation rests are done you abort the program (don’t do the mash-out), raise the malt pipe and, drain and sparge so that you restore the lost liquid due to grain absorption. Wait until temp has fallen down to your dough-in temp. Start the brewing program again, this time with the second part and let it run to completion. Easy-peasy! It will be a loooooong brew day

 

[f00b4r]

Did you take pH readings at each stage? Did you move the dark and crystal grains to the first mash only or split them evenly?

 

[Beerandpies]

Sure. Divide the grain bill in two parts, they don’t need to be the same size. Start the program and begin mash the first part, when the saccarisation rests are done you abort the program (don’t do the mash-out), raise the malt pipe and, drain and sparge so that you restore the lost liquid due to grain absorption. Wait until temp has fallen down to your dough-in temp. Start the brewing program again, this time with the second part and let it run to completion. Easy-peasy! It will be a loooooong brew day

Beauty. Thanks for the info. [emoji16][emoji16]

 

[Talnoy]

Did you take pH readings at each stage? Did you move the dark and crystal grains to the first mash only or split them evenly?

Yes I did. I start with my total water volume in the kettle and adjust pH with lactic acid, at dough-in I tap off all my sparge water to an insulated bucket. In the first mash I had only base malt, this was a mistake, next time I will have all the specialty malts in the first mash. I would need the pH drop from the specialty malts from the beginning

 

[Talnoy]

Did you take pH readings at each stage? Did you move the dark and crystal grains to the first mash only or split them evenly?

Sorry, not very clear answer from me. Yes I did measure pH at every step, no I didn’t start with the dark grains (which was a mistake)

 

[f00b4r]

Sorry, not very clear answer from me. Yes I did measure pH at every step, no I didn’t start with the dark grains (which was a mistake)

No worries, I got what you were trying to convey. I actually did a triple mash a couple of weeks ago and moved all the dark and crystal grains to the first mash, leaving just pale malt in the second and third. Unfortunately I didn't realise beforehand that I had mixed in starsan with my dionised water so didn't take pH reading at the time so was curious to see how it buffered for you and how much you had to adjust the second and third mash. I did however freeze the samples so plan to take measurements in the next couple of days and will post the results.
It's definitely ready to do in the BM, if a little more time consuming and requires a bit of forward thinking with relation to buckets needed to empty the grain etc.

 

[Talnoy]

was curious to see how it buffered for you and how much you had to adjust the second and third mash

I'm on a BM20, sparging rate 1 liter/kg:

Mash 1 (6 kg base malt, post mash, pre sparge): pH 5.9 and SG 1044
Mash 1 (6 kg base malt, post mash, post sparge): pH 5.9 and SG 1042
Mash 2 (5 kg base/dark malt, post mash, pre sparge): pH 5.6 and SG 1087
Mash 2 (5 kg base/dark malt, post mash, post sparge): pH 5.5 and SG 1084
Post boil and chill (90 minute boil, 2,7 l/h boil-off): pH 5.5 and SG 1094

I'm with you, definitely ready to do in BM. I wonder how many mash iterations are possible before some kind of solubility limit is reached

 

[Beerandpies]

I'm on a BM20, sparging rate 1 liter/kg:

Mash 1 (6 kg base malt, post mash, pre sparge): pH 5.9 and SG 1044
Mash 1 (6 kg base malt, post mash, post sparge): pH 5.9 and SG 1042
Mash 2 (5 kg base/dark malt, post mash, pre sparge): pH 5.6 and SG 1087
Mash 2 (5 kg base/dark malt, post mash, post sparge): pH 5.5 and SG 1084
Post boil and chill (90 minute boil, 2,7 l/h boil-off): pH 5.5 and SG 1094

I'm with you, definitely ready to do in BM. I wonder how many mash iterations are possible before some kind of solubility limit is reached

Thank you for sharing. I've only done a few on the 50L and still tuning into how it runs.

 

[EalingDrop]

Hi BMsters,

Is there a way to pause a mash schedule?
Apart from the abort option there's not much else I can do. Is that how everyone does it? Press the abort button and resume when they've done what they need to?

Cheers
Aziz

 

[awfulknauful]

Yes you can pause, have you got the manual, haven't had to pause mine for a while, when I used to get dough balls I used to pause it.

 

[EalingDrop]

Just downloaded the 2017 manual and read chapter 11 on settings, can't find anything about pausing.

However I came across a Reddit forum and the poster said by pressing the start and stop button it would work. I'm assuming it's the far left and far right button.

 

[Dan Pratt]

Yeah press them both at the same time and it will pause with options to abort or continue.

 

[Talnoy]

Anyone’s tried the delayed start function in fw 1.26 yet?

 

[EalingDrop]

Anyone’s tried the delayed start function in fw 1.26 yet?
View attachment 111984

Have not been keen on updates from all the issues that come with it, but this functionality might tempt me into doing it. Apparently I need a special cable and a PC to do it? I've got the 2015 edition. Anyone know how to do it?