First AG Brew - Few Questions

[marksy]

Why are you draining slow for a batch sparge, it doesn't really make sense, once you've got the residual sugars dissolved into your sparge water what difference would it make whether you run off fast or slow?

I agree with the rest of the things you've suggested, all great advice for improving efficiency, I personally push my sparge temp pretty close to 90, the hotter you can get your sparge the easier the sugars will dissolve.

I've gone slow from fly sparging which you need to do so you don't get channeling in the grain bed. I hear what your saying, all the sugar should be mixed with the liquid, the last time I went fast I got a really bad eff. You always want to go slow to make a filter bed.

See how you go next time doing it slowly. I think I usually go 10mins for a double batch per batch sparge.

 

[Kiwifirst]

IMHO it sounds like a **** load of work for an extra few percentage points.

Me, I am trying to make my brew day efficient.
If I can run a 30 minute mash, 10 min sparge, 30 minute boil I will. Some beers like PA,s seem to go fine with that. My last APA was done that way and I think I was at 70-something efficiency. I was also out in the park with kids by 2pm!

There is an interesting thread called 10 minute IPA,s or something like that, it is worth reading.

 

[storeboughtcheeseburgers]

Hey Guys - I have discovered the elephant in the room - My thermometer!

Its some sh** ebay job that was $6 like a meat prodger thing.. I put it in a rolling boil pot and it was reading 80-90s all over the place, shocking. I reckon it mashed way too low. Anyway, cant believe I caused myself so much grief and it was just cuz i cheaped out on a therm!

I've ordered 2 mercury ones from wiltronics today as suggested by a forum member and purchased some grain for my next AG from the LHBS - Going to do the Dr Sutro Golden Ale - much more straight forward. With any luck I'll be doing it this weekend.

Thanks everyone with their patience to help, its led me to find the problem and get more obsessed and particular for my next brew, so am hoping it will be a success!

 

[Kiwifirst]

Hey Guys - I have discovered the elephant in the room - My thermometer!

I put it in a rolling boil pot and it was reading 80-90s

Thats a herd of Elephants.

 

[mofox1]

So what's the best way to check your thermometers? Slush ice/water bath? Vigorous boil? Any other known constants... maybe sticking under your arm and assume you are healthy...

Mick

 

[storeboughtcheeseburgers]

Thats a herd of Elephants.

I reckon, And a Flock of Birds !

 

[marksy]

IMHO it sounds like a **** load of work for an extra few percentage points.

Me, I am trying to make my brew day efficient.
If I can run a 30 minute mash, 10 min sparge, 30 minute boil I will. Some beers like PA,s seem to go fine with that. My last APA was done that way and I think I was at 70-something efficiency. I was also out in the park with kids by 2pm!

There is an interesting thread called 10 minute IPA,s or something like that, it is worth reading.

Turning the tap to dribble is no more work then opening up all the way. Time perhaps will be longer. It all comes down to your setup. I've been doing double batches and that's the limit of my system, I can't fly sparge with a double so I've been batch. It works well as I heate water for the next sparge while I'm sparging. Easy process collect my 45L and its done. Couldnt be simpler.

Just remember a quick shooter never satisfies anyone but himself.

 

[marksy]

And to calibrate your thermometer there are heaps of tuts online, I had two that were 5 or 6 deg apart and if u didn't use the same one each step you can imagine the confusion. So now I use one just for kettle temp and the other for samples.

 

[Kiwifirst]

Turning the tap to dribble is no more work then opening up all the way. Time perhaps will be longer. It all comes down to your setup. I've been doing double batches and that's the limit of my system, I can't fly sparge with a double so I've been batch. It works well as I heate water for the next sparge while I'm sparging. Easy process collect my 45L and its done. Couldnt be simpler.

Just remember a quick shooter never satisfies anyone but himself.

I'd like to plan a double, the time I have a day 'home alone'. Thinking about trying to get 35l out of my 45l pot, after boil, cubed and adding two different steeped brews to make up two 20l cubes. A double batch sounds like I'd have less going on all at once, which iz gut ya?!

So, as soon as you've batched sparge, do you dump the grains and just start again whilst you have the boil going?

 

[marksy]

No a double batch as in twice the size at once. I need a bigger fermenter though so I can brew it all at once.

 

[Kiwifirst]

How much head space would you think was safe to leave in the boil pot? I think my pot holds 45l. I am think starting volume could be at most 35l and I would need to watch it like a hawk. I'd probably lose 3l in a shorter boil of say 40 mins. That would leave me with around 30 odd litres.

Leaves me 10 short of a double batch for kegging.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

I sparge with boiling water, and even after the 3rd-4th sparge the mash is only at around 80*c

I also re-circ the runnings untill it becomes cleat, then drain into kettle. I use a peice of foil or a small aluminium pie tin on the mash evenly distribute the runnings and stop chaneling. This makes for clearer wort and far less trub in the kettle.

 

[marksy]

I think mine is 50L and I collect 44L for a double. Its only going to boil over when, hot break starts, and when you add hops (i use pellets). If it looks like its going to do it, turn the hear down or off. So you only have to watch it when its near boil.