First BIAB coming soon...

[TonyF]

This thing is so addictive!

Knocked out my first two kits a few months back and while waiting for it to bottle condition (and for my brew partner to come and pick up her share), I've been doing a lot of reading and watching videos and have decided stuff the kits... all grain must be where it's at

I've decided the easiest thing for me to do is go BIAB so I don't have the huge outlay for a three vessel brewing system and I can learn about all grain brewing. I've also decided to keep the batches small (10 or so L) for a quicker turnover so I can do more brews and learn more quickly. I'm going to try out this SMaSH thing so I can get a handle on the flavour the grains and various hops make to a batch of beer.

So to that end I went to LHBS and ordered 2 x 2.5kg bags of crushed Maris Otter, 100g of Fuggles, 100g of EKT and 2 packets of Danstar Nottingham yeast, along with a bag for brewing, a hop bag and a four ring burner. I'm going to use my 19L Big W pot and took superstock's advice and got a few (5 to be exact) 12L bottles of Aqua to Go from Officeworks which I'll use for my small batch fermenters.

I'm looking at doing 2 lots in the next week or two (that's why i have 2 x 2.5kg bags of Maris Otter), one will be a Maris Otter/EKT and the second ... well have a guess

Hopefully I'll get to bash the first one out tomorrow some time!

Wish me luck!!!

Here's the recipe I've picked up for the first one for those interested:

[SIZE=9pt]Recipe Specs[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]----------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Batch Size (L): 11.0[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Total Grain (kg): 2.500[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Total Hops (g): 50.00[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Original Gravity (OG): 1.050 (°P): 12.4[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Final Gravity (FG): 1.013 (°P): 3.3[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Alcohol by Volume (ABV): 4.91 %[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Colour (SRM): 6.0 (EBC): 11.8[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Bitterness (IBU): 30.0 (Average)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Brewhouse Efficiency (%): 70[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Boil Time (Minutes): 60[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Grain Bill[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]----------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]2.500 kg Maris Otter Malt (100%)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Hop Bill[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]----------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]15.0 g East Kent Golding Pellet (4.7% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil) (1.4 g/L)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]15.0 g East Kent Golding Pellet (4.7% Alpha) @ 30 Minutes (Boil) (1.4 g/L)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]20.0 g East Kent Golding Pellet (4.7% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Boil) (1.8 g/L)[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Misc Bill[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]----------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]7.0 g Irish Moss @ 15 Minutes (Boil)[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Single step Infusion at 63°C for 90 Minutes.[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Fermented at 22°C with Danstar Nottingham[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Notes[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]----------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Saccharification Rest 68C 60 min[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Mash Out 75C 15 min[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Total Water Required (L): 16.45[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Mash[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]----------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Total Grain (kg): 2.500[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Grain Temp (°C): 25.0[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Strike Water (L): 16.45[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Grain Absorbtion (L/Kg): 0.60[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Water / Grain Ratio (L/Kg): 6.58[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Desired Mash Temp (°C): 63.0[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Strike Water Temp (°C): 65.3[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Total Mash Volume (L): 18.95[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Boil[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]----------------[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Wort Volume before Boil (L): 15.0[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]SG before Boil: 1.048 (°P): 11.9[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Boil Length (Minutes): 60.0[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]% Evaporation per Hour (5-15%): 10.0[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Wort Volume after Boil (L): 13.5[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]SG after Boil: 1.050 (°P): 12.4[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Losses to Trub and Chiller: 2.0[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]Final Volume (L): 11.5[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]After Cooling (4% loss): 11.0[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Not sure the mash out is necessary ... And I got whirlfloc tablets... I heard it's one tablet per 10-15G.. Gotta try split that tablet into 4 for my piddly 11L batch [/SIZE]

 

[TonyF]

Just realised my EKT has an AA% of 5.7. so that bumps the IBU up to 36.4.
20% increase... should be ok still

 

[Judanero]

Four ring burner is good because when you upgrade in batch size (and you WILL upgrade in batch size) it'll handle the job easily.

My burner was only ever using three rings per 23L (into cube) batch and it was a fairly rigorous boil.

Assuming you have temp control but if you don't, get onto that asap and enjoy the slippery slope h34r:

 

[Judanero]

^^ initial volume was always ~ 36L

 

[TonyF]

That's what the bloke at the LHBS told me. Get the four ring as you don't have to have all four rings going at one time and it'll handle larger volumes. I was initially thinking of getting a High Pressure burner but was concerned about that with my thin walled, cheap ass Big W pot

Gotta find time to grab a fridge to do fermentation in (with a temperature controller) and a kegerator so I don't need to stuff around with the 60 bottles I have so much

 

[bevan]

all grain must be where it's at

I did about 12 Kit brews, have since done 2 AG brews and they have been my best brews yet :super: . A mate came around last night and had my last brew and said that it was the same as a commercial brew! Very happy about that

 

[bevan]

Gotta find time to grab a fridge to do fermentation in (with a temperature controller)

Doing this improved my beers massively!

 

[manticle]

You very much need to have a handle on fermentation to make good beer, wort production aside.
Fridge and temp controller is not the only way but it is one of the easiest.

If you want to make good beer, you must have a handle on temperature control, whether it's a glycol jacket, fridge or water bath.

Good luck with your brews - sounds exciting.

 

[Chookers]

I was looking at used120L bar fridge on ebay, for my small batches, I measured the internal dimensions and they would fit my all my fermenters (not all at once of course) my biggest fermenter being the coopers kit, my smallest is 2 x 10L Jerry Cans which would both fit.

I would not be upgrading my equipment as I have no room to expand.

Would the 120L do the job or am I missing something?

 

[manticle]

If they fit and the fridge works, then good to go.

 

[TonyF]

I did about 12 Kit brews, have since done 2 AG brews and they have been my best brews yet :super: . A mate came around last night and had my last brew and said that it was the same as a commercial brew! Very happy about that

That would depend on the commercial beer right?

Do you have something to control fermentation temperatures?

 

[TonyF]

Doing this improved my beers massively!

I guess if mine turn out shit even after I get the fridge then I've only got one thing to blame .... me

 

[TonyF]

Good luck with your brews - sounds exciting.

Thanks Manticle!

 

[MickGC]

Awesome mate,
a fermenting fridge is def a great investment!

next thing you know you will be buying 25kg sacks of grain and wondering if the 500g pack of hops is enough or should i just get the 1kg....

 

[stewy]

I would advise against fermenting Notty at 22C....

 

[wynnum1]

Awesome mate,
a fermenting fridge is def a great investment!

next thing you know you will be buying 25kg sacks of grain and wondering if the 500g pack of hops is enough or should i just get the 1kg....

More then one 25kg sack.

 

[Siborg]

I have to echo the importance of fermentation control. My first 5 brews (coopers lager kit, coopers real ale kit, cascade pale ale clone kit, little creatures bright ale clone kit, manticles golden tett partial mash) were some of my worst. And not because of the wort production. In the partial recipe that manticle kindle shared with me, I spent a lot of time carefully mashing, boiling and adding hops. Stuff that was all new to me, so was done with such care. What let me down was sticking the fermenter in an old cupboard in the back shed during the Melbourne summer. The worst was the bright ale clone I did. From memory, it was a really great quality can of extract(s), but it was fermenting in the mid to late 20s. Fruit salad, terrible.

My point is, like so many others, no matter how good your wort is, do whatever you can do keep the ferment temps down. Using nottingham, you'll want under 20 if you don't want an estery fruit salad.

 

[TonyF]

Ah cool.. Thanks for that Stewy and Siborg.

My first two kits I managed to keep at mostly 18-20 occasionally hitting 22 by dumping a bit of ice in the water bath the fementer was sitting in and that was during the Perth summer. So hopefully with the cooler weather now it'll be quite easy to keep in under 20 the whole time.

 

[Coodgee]

looks like you've got it pretty sussed but the only suggestions I would have is change the 30 minute addition to a 20 minute addition - that's the typical timing for a flavour addition. Also you've got Single step Infusion at 63°C for 90 Minutes. and also Saccharification Rest 68C 60 min. I think 63 would result in a pretty thin beer - 68 for 60-90 minutes is probably better.

 

[TonyF]

looks like you've got it pretty sussed but the only suggestions I would have is change the 30 minute addition to a 20 minute addition - that's the typical timing for a flavour addition. Also you've got Single step Infusion at 63°C for 90 Minutes. and also Saccharification Rest 68C 60 min. I think 63 would result in a pretty thin beer - 68 for 60-90 minutes is probably better.

Ah cool. Thanks for the info Coodgee!

Saccharification Rest actually IS the mashing process right?

The Saccharification Rest bit came from the notes I added to the recipe in BrewMate, the Single Step Infusion bit is from the info i entered on the recipe screen itself. Not sure why I did that. It might be because I read it on the forum where I got the recipe and saw someone else suggested "Saccharification Rest 68C 60min" and wasn't sure what the Saccharification Rest was (so just threw it in the notes bit to check out later hehe).

Thanks for pointing that out though as I probably would have ignored the notes and followed the "Brew Day" steps (which don't include this".

Cheers,
Tony