First partial mash. Little creatures pale

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danbrain

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So last night I tried my hand at a partial mash, using a clone recipe I found for the Little Creatures pale ale. I only had a 15L pot which sucked, but I ended up with something resembling the beginnings of beer, so I'm happy. I used the recipe below....

1.10 kg Munich I Malt (Weyermann�) (14.5 EBC) Grain 19.30 %
0.30 kg Carapils� Malt (Weyermann�) (4.0 EBC) Grain 5.26 %
0.30 kg Wheat Malt Pale (Weyermann�) (4.0 EBC) Grain 5.26 %

30.00 gm East Kent Goldings [4.80 %] (60 min) Hops 14.9 IBU
5.00 gm Chinook [11.40 %] (60 min) Hops 5.9 IBU
10.00 gm Cascade [5.00 %] (20 min) Hops 2.8 IBU
10.00 gm Chinook [11.40 %] (20 min) Hops 7.1 IBU
15.00 gm Cascade [5.00 %] (10 min) Hops 2.5 IBU
15.00 gm Chinook [11.40 %] (10 min) Hops 6.4 IBU
0.5 whirlfloc tab (10 min)
25.00 gm Cascade [5.00 %] (5 min) Hops 2.3 IBU
25.00 gm Chinook [11.40 %] (5 min) Hops 5.9 IBU
20.00 gm Cascade [5.00 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -
20.00 gm Chinook [11.40 %] (Dry Hop 5 days) Hops -

I used 2kg of malt extract at 10 mins, threw wort into fermenter with a teaspoon of nutrient. I let it sit overnight in the ferment fridge to cool (I wasn't waiting up on a school night) and pitched sc05 yeast in the morning @ 22c. Will ferment at 18c.

It was a mission using such a small pot. I mashed 7L for 45mins@ 68c. Drained that wort into a bucket and squeezed out the sick I had the grain in then did a second mash of 7L for 30mins, starting at around 78c (which was hard because the digital thermometer I was using had a range up to 70c) and ending at 68c.

Was aiming for 1.053 OG and when I took a reading this morning before pitching it was 1047, which is surprising close, all things considered.

Please discuss my noobish mistakes so I can be a better human. Thanks!

Oh this is only my 6th brew. I've been having only average luck previously, with my best effort being a ginger beer.
 
One not-so-cool thing was the amount if sediment in the fermenter this morning. It's up over the tap outlet, which is going to make taking readings a but if a bitch. Any suggestions for this problem?
 
I'm up to Brew 16, just done a partial similar to yours. I wouldn't worry about the sediment I trust it will settle. Not sure why you started your second mash at 78c? I'd improve your thermometer. Also seems like a lot of water/mash. I normally work on 2.3L water / 1.0kg grain therfore 6.2L of water would of been fine to mash all your grains in one hit. I currently mash in a 10L esky but would of struggled to fit your amount of grain into. Other's have since suggested that I mash in the pot and cover in towels to maintain mash temp. Get yourself a 19L BigW pot for $20 and your woes should be over. Moving onto partials your beers will improve. I can give you a couple of simple recipes if you like with partial instructions. I'm partial to my partials and they are better than 1/2 the commercial beers I've been drinking.
 
Yeah some recipes would be great! I'm definitely going to invest in a thermometer. As to why I started the second mash high, I'm not sure and any remember the logic behind it. I used as much water as I could to try to extract the most amount of sugars, at least that what I was thinking I was doing.

I've got a 50L stainless keg and big 3-ring burner that I want to turn into a kettle to do BIAB. I bought all the grains to do a biab but didn't have time to grind the top of the keg out and put the tap in the bottom.
 
danbrain said:
. Drained that wort into a bucket and squeezed out the sick.
You hard up for buckets mate?

Look at getting a second one and keeping your sick bucket separate from your brewing one.

Can you explain your mashing process a bit further?
7 L of water with half your grain each time? In a bag?

Was 78 the strike water temp or the actual mash temp? If so, it's way too high. Or do you mean you sparged the same grains with 78 degree water?

Next time I would look at a lower mash temp in either case (63-65). Since you are using 2 kg malt extract, you will get plenty of sweetness and body so a drier mash will help balance.
 
danbrain said:
One not-so-cool thing was the amount if sediment in the fermenter this morning. It's up over the tap outlet, which is going to make taking readings a but if a bitch. Any suggestions for this problem?
Just run a little wort/beer out through the tap to clear the yeast out, the take your sample. It will be fine.
 
Manticle... That's meant to be 'sock' but stoopid iPhone changes it to 'sick'. I was using a huge nylon sock (the ones you buy for hops) to mash my grain.

Basically the strike water was around 70c then when the grain hit it, dropped to 65ish so I tickled it with some heat til it was at 68c, then wrapped the pot in a blanket. Temp stayed stable for 45 mins, at which point I emptied the water into a bucket and squeezed the SOCK out as well. Then mashed again for 30 mins (would you call this a sparge?)

Will I extract the same amount of sugars from the grains at a lower temp?
 
If you soaked the same grain in water to rinse the sugars off it is a sparge (dunk sparge in your case). The mash converts the starch to sugar.

A sparge in mid 70s is fine. Don't go above 80 - I prefer 74.
 
Damn said:
I'm up to Brew 16, just done a partial similar to yours. I wouldn't worry about the sediment I trust it will settle. Not sure why you started your second mash at 78c? I'd improve your thermometer. Also seems like a lot of water/mash. I normally work on 2.3L water / 1.0kg grain therfore 6.2L of water would of been fine to mash all your grains in one hit. I currently mash in a 10L esky but would of struggled to fit your amount of grain into. Other's have since suggested that I mash in the pot and cover in towels to maintain mash temp. Get yourself a 19L BigW pot for $20 and your woes should be over. Moving onto partials your beers will improve. I can give you a couple of simple recipes if you like with partial instructions. I'm partial to my partials and they are better than 1/2 the commercial beers I've been drinking.
Hi, I would be very interested in getting those recipes and instructions from you, I'm just about to try my first partial mash this weekend and have been looking for some instructions and recipes to try.
 
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