Help! I can't remember how to brew!

[braufrau]

Hello All,

its been about 5 years since I made beer, but this easter HWMBO and I are planning to do a brew togethor. (Awww, how romantic!)

But I can't remember how to do it!!! Here's what I remember and questions in bold. Please help!

First of all, I used to get those packets of live yeast. Wyeast. And I used to breed it up in a 2l bottle on a heated stir plate so....
How many days in advance do I start that?
Was it 100g of malt extract in 1l of water for the wort? And 20C
And if I get the wyeast days in advance and buy cracked malt...
how many days will cracked malt stay good?

What is the name of that beer calculator application I used to use? It gives you a nice brewing sheet. It was called beerbuddy or beercalc or something.

Ok, mashing.... I have a beerbelly converted esky with a stainless steel filter-like thing at the bottom. This is the bit I'm most vague on...
So I preheat the mashtun. How hot should the water be and how much to preheat the tun?
So I use the computer program whose name I can't remember to tell me how much and how hot the water is for the mash.
So if my recipe says
Add 17.82l at 73C (step T 65C, time 90min)
Add 10l at 99.6C (step T 76C, time 20min)
Does that mean
put 73C water in the tun, add the mash and stir until everything is moist and then stir some more until the T drops to 65C mash temperature.
Wait 90min, add 10l at 99.6 stir and wait 20min.
This is where I can't remember. I remember using alfoil on top of the mash when I recirculated.
But when do I recirculate and how much do I recirculate?

Then I transfer it all to the kettle and start boiling. I seem to remember that putting the lid on to boil is bad, but can I leave the lid on while it comes to the boil so it boils faster?
Once its boiling I add the hops at the times in the recipe.
And I have to put the cooling coil in before the end to sterilise it don't I? What time do i put the cooler in?

Then I cool it using way more water than is environmentally friendly. What temperature do I cool it to? Then transfer to the fermenter and add the yeast and ferment it at the T and for the time in the recipe. I seem to recall that transferred it before the fermentation T was reached and then cooled it some more with frozen milk bottles of water (on the outside) before adding the yeast.

Hope you can help me. Sorry to be such a ditz.

BF

 

[wereprawn]

Reading this should refresh your memory. http://www.howtobrew.com/

 

[manticle]

Smack the pack and leave 1/2 a day for each month passed since manufacture daye (printed on pack). Then make your starter - those proportions are fine. How long depends on a few things. Active starter? Slurry pitch? Oxygenated/stir plate? High gravity beer? Lager or ale?

How are you chilling? Is no chill a possibility? If so, the timing in relation to when you brew is less critical.

Cracked malt will stay fresh for quite some time if kept cool and airtight. Several weeks at least but a taste test is always the best indicator. You can taste when something is stale.

No idea what beer calc you used as there are many. I use beer recipator, there is brewer's friend, brewmate, beersmith and a host of others.

Preheating the tun depends a bit on your system and if you have the means to step. When I did it in a 26L esky, I used 1-2L boiling water, stand for 5 mins before doughing in.

Recirculate before draining to kettle for boil, depending on system and sparge technique. Recirculate till the wort is clear of identifiable bits at least (grain husks, etc) and till clear if you have the time, patience and appropriate system.

Chiller should be clean and sanitised. Putting it in at boil end/flame out will be enough to add extra heat sanitation.

Cool to fermentation temp or as close to as possible. If worried about water usage, research no chill.

Welcome back.

 

[warra48]

What manticle said.
I use an immersion chiller, and put mine into the kettle about 15 minutes before flame out. Then after it comes back to the boil, it doesn't interfere with my late hopping schedule.

Welcome back, by the way, always good to see a blast from the past back on here.

 

[braufrau]

Thanks Manticle,


I think an APA or IPA would be a good place to start. How long to start the yeast for that?

I'm chilling with a big copper coil. No chill... I think that was causing mad debate about 5 years ago. What conditions make no-chill a possibility? I'll research, as you suggest.
I vaguely remember people putting wort in a plastic jerry can and throwing it in the pool.

Beersmith! Thankyou!

Recirculating! Thanks again! Now I remember.

Ok. Feeling more confident now.

Thanks.

Smack the pack and leave 1/2 a day for each month passed since manufacture daye (printed on pack). Then make your starter - those proportions are fine. How long depends on a few things. Active starter? Slurry pitch? Oxygenated/stir plate? High gravity beer? Lager or ale?


How are you chilling? Is no chill a possibility? If so, the timing in relation to when you brew is less critical.

Cracked malt will stay fresh for quite some time if kept cool and airtight. Several weeks at least but a taste test is always the best indicator. You can taste when something is stale.

No idea what beer calc you used as there are many. I use beer recipator, there is brewer's friend, brewmate, beersmith and a host of others.

Preheating the tun depends a bit on your system and if you have the means to step. When I did it in a 26L esky, I used 1-2L boiling water, stand for 5 mins before doughing in.

Recirculate before draining to kettle for boil, depending on system and sparge technique. Recirculate till the wort is clear of identifiable bits at least (grain husks, etc) and till clear if you have the time, patience and appropriate system.

Chiller should be clean and sanitised. Putting it in at boil end/flame out will be enough to add extra heat sanitation.

Cool to fermentation temp or as close to as possible. If worried about water usage, research no chill.

Welcome back.

 

[braufrau]

Thanks Warra,

15 mins! Got it!

ta muchly
BF

 

[braufrau]

Oh sparging! How do I do that?

Recirculate the mash,
drain
and then add sparge water,
let it settle,
recirculate again
and drain?

Is that right?

 

[manticle]

If batch sparging - yes. That's pretty much it.
For a smack pack - if your gravity is 1050ish, just smack the pack and let it swell and add the lot to the cooled wort.

Lots of info around on building starters but it really will depend on how big the beer is. 1050ish apa would be fine with straight pitch or pitch pack into 1-2L wort and pitch that when starter is active (visible bubbles). Also are you using a stirplate or pure oxygen in your starter?

No chill is possible in all situations, no pool necessary, may affect late hop additions.

 

[Barge]

I used to use boiling water from the kettle (as manticle suggested) to preheat the mash tun, then discard. Then fill the empty mash tun with water at 73C (strike temp) for example. If you've done it right, the grain will bring the temp down to 65C (mash temp).

Beersmith will want to know what your tun is made from, the size (or mass, can't remember which) of your tun, if it has been preheated, and the amount and temp of your grain. Knowing that and your mash temp, beersmith will calculate your strike temp. I found it pretty accurate but always handy to have some ice bricks or boiling water on hand to adjust.

Welcome back.

 

[braufrau]

Thanks everyone. I started the yeast a bit early, but it is going round happily on the stir plate. Well it looks as happy as yeast can look, I guess.

HWMBO is busily cleaning the equipment! That's a first!

But one more question.. mash out. The recipe I have has a mash out step.
I don't drain before the mash out do I? Just add the water on top of the existing water, stir, wait, recirculate, drain.
And then sparge???

sorry to be so slow
bf

 

[manticle]

Mashout before draining but if you miss it, it won't be the end of the world.

 

[braufrau]

Thanks. I think I've got it now. :unsure:

 

[manticle]

Remember the first time you did it and how complicated, touchy and stressful it all seemed?
Then subsequent times were relaxing and fun and problems weren't really problems?

This stuff virtually makes itself.