Jordie_tackles

[Jordie_tackles]

Hello,

I have been inspired to delve into an all grain brewing journey. This website is great and the old page "how to get into all grain for 30 bucks" was really exciting.

Anyway I have my Big W pot and will head down to the home brew store and grab a fermenter, grain bag ,grains and hops this weekend. Maybe more if he is a good salesman.

What is everybody's advice for a first timer?

Should I prep my yeast the day before? Or put it in dry?

Am I fine to use my old crown seal bottles from current micro breweries or will these burst?

I tried some kits which ended up worse than I would like 5 years ago I hope it works out Better this time!

Thanks in advance JT

 

[bevan]

Yeast qu - I'm guessing your using the big w pot your doing smaller than standard (23L) brews and using dry yeast. I've chucked it in dry and I've rehydrated it before putting it in. When rehydrating it depends on the yeast, google the manufacturers instruction. From memory it only takes 30min ish.
Bottles- that's what I've used before I went to kegs.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Yeast qu - I'm guessing your using the big w pot your doing smaller than standard (23L) brews and using dry yeast. I've chucked it in dry and I've rehydrated it before putting it in. When rehydrating it depends on the yeast, google the manufacturers instruction. From memory it only takes 30min ish.
Bottles- that's what I've used before I went to kegs.

Thanks heaps

 

[Mardoo]

My advice is make a detailed running list with all the things you need to do and tick them off as you go. I did that for my first 20 brews or so and it really helped me to get the process in my head.

And no, no need to prep your yeast the day before. To rehydrate or not has long been one of the more, um, volatile discussions on here. If you choose to re-hydrate, do it day of.

 

[bradsbrew]

My advice is make a detailed running list with all the things you need to do and tick them off as you go.

Good advice, something like this would be my check list.

1. Create recipe whilst having a beer.
2. Pour a beer.
3. Weigh grain.
4. Change grain amounts and types on the run.
5. Pour another beer.
6. Mil grain whilst having a beer.
7. Pour another beer.
8. Realise that filling the HLT and turning it on should have been step 3.
9.Fill HLT and turn on, whilst having a beer.
10. Get hops ready
11. Have a few beers whilst staring at the HLT control whilst it heats up
12. Start to transfer mash in water to Mash tun.
13. Realise the false bottom is not in the mash tun.
14. Have a beer
15. Put hands in hot water to place false bottom.
16. Fill mash tun to desired level, whilst having a beer.
17. Stir in grain
18. Realise you forgot to pre heat the HERMS.
19. Have a beer.
20. Boil kettle to get Hex up to temp
21. Turn on HERMS.
22. have a beer
23. Wing it.

 

[Rocker1986]

I must be doing something wrong, my brew days run a lot smoother than that Mind you I don't have a 3V set up.

I'd agree with writing out a checklist though, it's a good idea and I had something similar when I did my first few batches. The instructions came with a recipe that was included with my equipment purchase, but it's a pretty simple process really.

As for re-hydrating yeast, yeah it is an endless debate. Personally, on the rare occasions I use it these days I always re-hydrate it. All that I've read supports the idea of re-hydration resulting in less cell death than pitching it dry straight into wort, so the minimal effort required to do it doesn't bother me. I do have equipment to test it myself though, might do that one day and see what results I get. As pointed out if you do decide to re-hydrate it, just do it about half an hour before you plan on pitching it.

 

[homebrewnewb]

While Brad'sbrew bradsbrew bradsbrew's, Brad's post is a bit of a piss take, it's very true to reality, the takeaway with AG i think, is there is always work around or corrective step you can take if you think you've messed up. Almost. Haven't encountered a stuck sparge and don't hope to. Don't forget your false bottom before you get the mash up to temp, that one's a bearch!
Good luck trying to squeeze all those beers in too! There will be plenty to keep your eye on / do, but you'll have earned them!
Oh look's like you're BIAB-ing one less thing!

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Ok this is the recipe and method i will follow which i got from Nick JD's original get into All grain thread (thanks)

Am i close to on the right track

RECIPE

Which I have scaled up by percentage from 15 litre pot and 10 litres of water to 12.66 litres of water in a 19 litre pot, is this ok?

Water = 12.66 Litres

2.5Kg Aussie All Gran Malt

125g Carapils

65g Carared

25g Carafa 3

13g Simcoe

10g Riwaka or D Saaz Hops

METHOD

Pitch yeast for later

Bring water to 70 degree Celsius strike temp

Add BIAB bag and grain which should drop temp to 67 degree Celsius

MIX WELL

Turn off heat

Put lid back on and insulate

Leave for an hour to mash

Check temp aiming for 63 Celsius or so still

Take grain bill out and into spare bucket

Squeeze, pour another litre of 70 degree water back in, and squeeze again, then let it drain.

Poor this extra liquid back into mash liquor

Measure SG using chronometer aiming for 1.50?

Boil mash liquor for another hour

Wait 20 minutes

Scape any brown crap from sides (hot break)

At this 20 minute point - add hops Simcoe variety

Wait another 20 minutes

Taste

Remove original hops if you are happy with bitterness

Add D Saaz variety hops

Wait 15 minutes

Turn off gas and chill in bathtub until 20 degrees Celsius

Measure SG using chronometer aiming for 1.50

Poor into fermenter

Add yeast

Seal up add in airlock and leave for 10-14 days

Thanks again

 

[Rocker1986]

I don't think you're gonna have much success measuring SG with a chronometer, it is a timepiece. Hydrometer I think is the word you're looking for.

Water volume and recipe sounds fine, but there should be some information on how long the hops are actually meant to be boiled for? Leave the yeast until the end of the brewing process. Remember - if re-hydrating it, it only needs half an hour, not 4 or 5 hours. It can be re-hydrated while chilling the wort after the boil.

Anyway, I think this can be simplified a bit. The process around the hops additions is bloody confusing to be honest. It sounds as if you're boiling for an hour, and adding the Simcoe hops with 40 minutes left in the boil, and the Riwaka with 15 minutes left. Which is fine, but the way it's written makes no sense.

- Bring water to 70C, put the bag in, add grain, stir well and check temperature (it should be at about 66-67C). Insulate the pot and leave to mash for an hour. Don't worry about the temperature after an hour, it doesn't matter a great deal.

- Remove grains and sparge in spare pot with your 70C water, add the resultant liquid to the wort in the 19L pot.

- Take SG reading with a hydrometer, I'm not sure what to expect but probably something between 1.035 and 1.040 (certainly nowhere near 1.50).

- Set a timer for 60 minutes, bring the wort to the boil; when the wort starts boiling start the timer. Don't scrape the brown shit off the side of the pot, just leave it there. It is not wanted in the wort or beer.

- With 40 minutes to go on the timer, add the Simcoe hops. Don't remove these. With 15 minutes to go on the timer, add the Riwaka hops. Don't remove these either. There's little point in tasting it at these points either because it's nothing like what the resultant beer will end up like once it's in the glass.

- When the timer reaches zero, turn the gas off, and proceed to chill the wort. Then take your post boil SG reading, it should be well .. mid 1.040s or so I would guess.

- Pour wort into fermenter, try to leave as much of the pale, curd looking shit behind in the pot, and pitch the yeast. Allow to ferment etc. Try to keep the ferment temp around 18-20C. Check the SG after 7 days and again two days later, chances are it will be finished fermenting by then. You can leave it for the full 14 days though, and then bottle.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Thanks heaps again! Will let you know how I got first up!

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Ok so I think the day went well all in all.

Few issues I had were the boil could only get the temp up to 95-97 and more a gentle bubble not rolling boil.

As a result I boiled longer than needed, and I guess I lost some extra liquor as a result.

Final Gravity was 1.60 so I added 1.5 litres bringing it down to 1.49.

Also my candy thermometer didn't start ready until 40 degrees Celsius and I didn't click that I had a temperature probe until to late.

I pitched the yeast at 29 degrees but it dropped quickly 2 hours down to the top of its range at 25 degrees. And was sitting at 19 by morning.

Am I in trouble?

Further note being I doubled my Saaz hops as I bought 50g to a amount of 15g with 15 minutes left I like hoppy ales so I think it will help.

All in all I learned a lot about my process and how it will all go next time if nothing else, really enjoyed the day.

 

[Jack of all biers]

I pitched the yeast at 29 degrees but it dropped quickly 2 hours down to the top of its range at 25 degrees. And was sitting at 19 by morning.

Am I in trouble?

Further note being I doubled my Saaz hops as I bought 50g to a amount of 15g with 15 minutes left I like hoppy ales so I think it will help.

All in all I learned a lot about my process and how it will all go next time if nothing else, really enjoyed the day.

No trouble, as the yeast will do fine at higher temps (they prefer it), it's us that want to keep the yeast at lower temps for flavour reasons. Many pitch their yeast at higher temps then reduce temps within the first 24hrs. The aim is to pitch sufficient healthy yeast at the temp you want to brew at, but what you've done won't be disastrous. Lessons we all learn by doing, which you've recognized. Enjoying the process is what half of it is about, so well done and let us know how your brew ends up. Welcome.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

No trouble, as the yeast will do fine at higher temps (they prefer it), it's us that want to keep the yeast at lower temps for flavour reasons. Many pitch their yeast at higher temps then reduce temps within the first 24hrs. The aim is to pitch sufficient healthy yeast at the temp you want to brew at, but what you've done won't be disastrous. Lessons we all learn by doing, which you've recognized. Enjoying the process is what half of it is about, so well done and let us know how your brew ends up. Welcome.

Thank you

 

[Rocker1986]

Final Gravity was 1.60 so I added 1.5 litres bringing it down to 1.49.

MIssing a zero in there.. the SG readings are 1.06 and 1.049

There is no Saaz mentioned in the original recipe post? Anyway, it's more of a pilsner hop than a hoppy pale ale hop. Still, you should end up with a nice beer!

 

[Jordie_tackles]

MIssing a zero in there.. the SG readings are 1.06 and 1.049

There is no Saaz mentioned in the original recipe post? Anyway, it's more of a pilsner hop than a hoppy pale ale hop. Still, you should end up with a nice beer!

Was Riwaka or D Saaz and my home brew shop only had Saaz which also seemed light compared to other brews I had read.

 

[Rocker1986]

Yeah, different hop varieties. Saaz is from the Czech Republic and used in Pilsner Urquell and Stella Artois, among others.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Ah ok se how we go then just what I read at the time.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Looking for some advice prior to bottling, just took my final gravity reading after 13 days in the fermenter.

Came out at 1.018 which is on the high side? Started at 1.060 and a brought it down to 1.049. I don't really know but thought I was aiming for 1.010 zone?

I would be really sure my fermentation has finished at this point, had the Kreusen/cake/crust which has dropped around 5-7 days ago. Seems pretty stable.

Been left at 19-20 degrees using a temp controller for these 13 days.

Any thoughts?

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Also happy with the flavour!

 

[manticle]

What was your measured mash temp?
For how long?
How much yeast?
What strain?
How was it prepared?
What was the bb or manufacture/packaging date?
How was it stored prior to purchase?
Did you shake or otherwise oxygenate the brew before pitching?

I'd also expect less than 1.018 but many possible factors at play before making an informed diagnosis.