First All Grain - BIAB with Enzymes

[Stangas]

Hiya,

I have been brewing for ages now, and finally made the move to all grain brewing.

I bought some enzymes instead of malted grain.

• SEBStar-HTL
• SEBAmyl-GL

So.. my procedure

5-6kg wheat coarsely milled in a bag
35L water
5mL SEBStar

Placed all ingredients into a 50L crab cooker with low gas flow and stirred frequently. When the water reached 90degC I removed the heat, wrapped the cooker in an electric blanket and placed a small electric heater in place of the gas burner. I then maintained the wort at 90DegC for 90min.

After the 90mins, I dropped the temp to 65DegC and then put 5mL of SEBAmyl-GL and held the temp at 65 for another 90mins.

After the second 90min wait, I lowered the temp to room temperature.

I now used the gas burner again for the wort boil as per a normal brew. I used Saaz hops and boiled for an hour.

The final SG was 1.040, which will give me about 5%... she is bubbling away nicely.

Next is to get me a bag of barley and try it again.. and then corn for the moonshine.

 

[Jack of all biers]

I know many would baulk at what you have done, but to be honest, very brave for a first attempt at any all grain brewing. I'm guessing you had the unmalted wheat in a grain bag, which you heaved out before boiling the wort. What were the costs of the enzymes/grain as opposed to using malted grain?

I would not be keen to experiment with unmalted grain and enzymes, but hats off to you for trying it and let us know how the beer tastes when brewed.

 

[Stangas]

why would one baulk? am I missing something?? Your not the first to say something like that, but with no explanation.

the grain I get for free (barley and wheat).. I have a few farming mates that give the stuff to me.
I tried it with wheat this time because I feed wheat to the chooks and have a 50kg bag.

The enzymes I paid $100 for both 1L bottles... which will apparently do 75000kgs of grain.
It was that or try and malt the grain myself. Which when I looked into it, it is quite an extensive process.. Altho I will end up trying it.

Malted grain is not easy to get hold of where I live, so its a 2hr round trip to buy some, then it seems to be rather expensive ($20 for 5kg) plus fuel.

At the end of the day I bought the enzymes primarily for use with maize (cracked corn) for my whiskey.


As for the brew.. it is bubbling away nicely.. and I will probably rack it to my keg next set of days off.

 

[Killer Brew]

Given your situation this sounds like a great way for you to brew. I assume the enzymes are the equivalent of alpha and beta amalyse? Does the lack of malted grain leave you with little colour or caramel notes?

 

[MHB]

It really is a lot harder and less successful than I am sure a lot of people would like, If you want a reasonable overview (and way too much information) here is a reasonable starter document, the enzymes mentioned in the OP aren't enough to make BEER or even I believe a fair approximation - Ok for making sugar for other processes, but not for a malt replacement.
View attachment 32005mashing_unmalted_109.pdf
Mark

 

[Stangas]

I do agree with the pale colour.. but it is a wheat so it is normally that colour. As for caramel flavours.. don't know yet... only time will tell. This is only my first attempt.

I have thought about toasting the grain in the oven before I grind it?


Awesome stuff too Mark.. I will read it tonight on night shift. Hopefully it will clear up a few of the concerns.
Again though.. if it doesn't work I will only use it for whiskey

 

[sp0rk]

Just a pointer, spirits/moonshining discussion is against the site rules

 

[Stangas]

there has not been any discussion regarding spirits.. with the exception of the fact they are made the same way in the beginning.. even that would be a stretch to what actually was said.

In fact, I think I am going to bail with this forum period.. there does not seem to be much in the way of positive reinforcement or direction.. just shouldn't do this, cant do that, Enzymes are the devil..

So I will keep my experiments to myself from now on and will not be posting any further results.
Moderators feel free to delete my account.

Thanks for all the fish!

 

[sponge]

I think you'll find this is a great resource for all levels of brewing. Maybe you're just taking some of the advice personally but most of the advice from members on AHB are highly supportive of experimentation - after all, that's what brewing is all about.

Many experienced brewers may outline possible concerns from personal experience and research which should be taken on board when 'experimenting'.. a lot of it has been done before with proven results (being good or bad). Not necessarily related to this particular thread, but why waste time brewing something seen as 'experimental' when it has been tried and (dis)proved before?

If you look into many existing threads on AHB regarding 'new ideas' for the time (No-chill and BIAB come to mind), yes you'll have naysayers, non-believers, kitten stuffers and botulism heroes, but a much larger proportion of brewers will be supportive and give very good advice.

Take the advice you receive on board. 99% of it will be honest and informative. If you still want to use a 15 year old packet of dried yeast found behind an oven, fermented in a dusty fermenter at 35'C until the bubbles stop, knock yourself out, but don't be surprised if it turns out exactly how you were warned it would.

2c.

And no, that last sentence was not directed at you, just an imaginary scenario for arguments sake.

 

[indica86]

Interesting reaction Stangas. MHB actually provided a document for your perusal and he is very knowledgeable. And then you bail?

 

[Jack of all biers]

why would one baulk? am I missing something?? Your not the first to say something like that, but with no explanation.

the grain I get for free (barley and wheat).. I have a few farming mates that give the stuff to me.
I tried it with wheat this time because I feed wheat to the chooks and have a 50kg bag.

The enzymes I paid $100 for both 1L bottles... which will apparently do 75000kgs of grain.
It was that or try and malt the grain myself. Which when I looked into it, it is quite an extensive process.. Altho I will end up trying it.

Malted grain is not easy to get hold of where I live, so its a 2hr round trip to buy some, then it seems to be rather expensive ($20 for 5kg) plus fuel.

At the end of the day I bought the enzymes primarily for use with maize (cracked corn) for my whiskey.


As for the brew.. it is bubbling away nicely.. and I will probably rack it to my keg next set of days off.

Whoa, I never said it was a bad thing. Quite the contrary, I aplaud your experimentation for a first ever All Grain brew. I was trying to be encouraging, but can't comment on the enzymes cause I have never been ballsy enough to experiment with unmalted grain. I mentioned that most would baulk, because it is out of most of our comfort zone (if we're honest). Again I take my hat off to you, but if you see criticisism in what those above (including me) have written, I do think you are being a touch sensitive and reading something between the lines that is just not there. I for one would still be interested in how your beer tastes after it is done fermenting.

 

[manticle]

Big sooky la la

 

[timmyg]

That escalated quickly

 

[sp0rk]

there has not been any discussion regarding spirits..
...
Again though.. if it doesn't work I will only use it for whiskey
...
Next is to get me a bag of barley and try it again.. and then corn for the moonshine.

Hmm, funny that
I always thought moonshine and whiskey were spirits...