Do I chuck my first BIAB wort?

[abmcdonald]

So, my first BIAB in a concealed crown urn and I made a few mistakes:

1. Mistake 1: I decided rather than wrap a blanket I use my keg king temp controller. This was wrong because the flour mixture became burnt at the bottom of the concealed element. During the boil you could see some burnt stuff floating in the mixture. There is some slight residue left on the concealed element that I will need to scrub clean.

2. Mistake 2: Incorrect efficiency. This was either due to not cracked fine enough grain or incorrect efficiency in my brewsmith calculations. I have 1.041 post-boil. I am yet to check once cooled as I no-chilled cubed it and its getting ready to go into the FV. I am likely required to add DME.

3. Mistake 3: Not correctly calibrating the water gauge on my crown urn. I had about 35L pre boil and it took a long time for me to boil down to 23L (should be no issue though)

4. Mistake 4: I boiled down to the 21L Mark and when I filled up my cube i tipped some trub into my cube accidently.

So, I think my AG experience will definitely go better next time. But is it worth keeping the wort, or just try again?

 

[mstrelan]

RDWHAHB

 

[Bonenose]

I don't think there are any fatal errors, I would keep. I think you will still make beer and may well be surprised.

 

[Andy_27]

I'd keep it. But boiling from 35L to 23L??? Thats heaps! I have a crown urn and boil for 75 mins usually and get nowhere near that boil off rate! Ill boil off 5 or 6 litres including shrinkage, ending with about 30L which gives me an easy 25L in the fermenter without sucking up trub. And dont worry about trub in the cube, it does nothing detrimental to your brew. I often had some in there when I no-chilled and it was fine.

 

[mstrelan]

What temp was the wort when you took the hydrometer reading and did you adjust for temperature?

 

[Stouter]

Sounds pretty minor things for your first go.
1. Lemon juice soaked for an hour or two.
2. Just run with that reading and have low alc %.
3. Make your boil time between 60-90 minutes next time.
4. Don't stress about a little trub getting in, it'll settle out in the fermenter.
5. Chill out and enjoy. You get more than one go at this.

 

[manticle]

Chuck if it tastes ****/rotten/infected.

Otherwise no.

 

[Droopy Brew]

Yes chuck it....



In a fermenter with yeast.

It sounds like your gravity reading was at heat too so that reading will go up significantly once at 20C. You probably have 1.050+

 

[abmcdonald]

I measured with a refractometer. I thought temp didn't affect its reading?

 

[kegs23]

i all ways use a metal scoura zip tied to a long spoon to wipe off the element after the mash, and sometime if i am walking past around the 30min mark , i have never had a burnt element again.

 

[Danscraftbeer]

The usual simple verdict. See it through, even for the learning experience. Do the same beer again without the mistakes and compare.
Call it Toffee Ale. Burned sugars can be Toffee, or if its burned too far it can be an undesirable bitter flavor that will never go away.
See it through.

 

[manticle]

I measured with a refractometer. I thought temp didn't affect its reading?

Temp affects reading. It's just that the sample required for refrac is so small, it cools much more quickly than that required for hydrometer measurement.

 

[Black Devil Dog]

I remember my first biab brew, I thought I'd made so many mistakes that it would be undrinkable.

Had some mates around for a party some time later and among the beers I had on tap, was that one.

Guess which beer they liked the most.

It'll most likely be fine.

 

[manticle]

Tap not tip