Matts First Ag Adventure

[Borret]

Got a summer thirst you say.....

"No point cryin'
Call Wit biers Mo'brien."



Boom, Boom

Borret :blink:

 

[mobrien]

Righto - its all done bar the fermenting and kegging!

2:45 wort at 22 degrees, so into the fermenter. Halfway through the chill I put the boiler up on another custom brew stand. (righto, its a washing machine).



The wort settled out nicely and was clear(ish) coming out into the fermenter.



Target SG was 1.046; actual was 1.042 - not bad I say. Target volume was 22.5L, actual volume was 22.5L. I'm happy with that.

Pitched the randy yeast, and put them on the shelf to go to work. Even held the lid down with some custom hold downs as it wasn't sealing properly (even though its a new o-ring).

 

[mobrien]

Linz: The wort was boiling - turned it off, picked it up, poured it in. OHS all the way

Borret: LOL! Lets make sure it ferments out first

 

[mobrien]

The wrap:

Now that was a heap of fun, and thanks to all the help here, John Palmers book/website, Beersmith and Batz for an awesome AG setup; all in all I found it easy and enjoyable. There was minimal stress, and enough time to take photos and post my ramblings here - all in all a good day!

Having done it, my immediate feelings are:

1. Get a brew stand built as soon as I move. Carrying boiling wort sucks.
2. Get some more hoses made up - one transfer hose wasn't enough.
3. Get a spare spoon
4. Get purpose thermometers for the HLT and mash tun; keep my nice scientific thermometer as a backup to check things out.
5. I had excess boiling water from the HLT all day - that was great for cleaning and rinsing - definitley worth it
6. Get a timer for the HLT so I can fill it and have it come on early - that held me up.
7. Get a printer cartridge - having to come back to the comp to check each temp/volume from Beersmith sucked
8. While a wit may not be an ideal "beginner" AG beer, I didn't find it hard - the research payed off, and hopefully (touch wood) it will ferment out!
9. Can't wait for the next one!

With that, I think I'll sacrifice a beer to the beer gods

 

[PeterS]

Righto - its all done bar the fermenting and kegging!

2:45 wort at 22 degrees, so into the fermenter. Halfway through the chill I put the boiler up on another custom brew stand. (righto, its a washing machine).

View attachment 3370

The wort settled out nicely and was clear(ish) coming out into the fermenter.

View attachment 3371

Target SG was 1.046; actual was 1.042 - not bad I say. Target volume was 22.5L, actual volume was 22.5L. I'm happy with that.

Pitched the randy yeast, and put them on the shelf to go to work. Even held the lid down with some custom hold downs as it wasn't sealing properly (even though its a new o-ring).
View attachment 3372

[post="70323"][/post]​

Good on you Matt. Looks like all the hard work is over bar the waiting. You did better than my first effort. I wish I was as strong as you though...

:beer: :beer:
PeterS....

 

[warrenlw63]

Good effort Matt, welcome to the club. :beerbang:

Thanks for all the pics too. You'll help a lot of aspiring all-grainers.


Borretus-ad-jingleus-John-Singletonus.

Your talents are wasted in model making :lol: You should be copy-writing.

Warren -

 

[Borret]

:unsure:

 

[Scotty]

Well done mobrian, my first AG day is looming soon when i get all the gear together.... You have inspired some confidence in me.

 

[Brizbrew]

Nice job Matt!!

I only hope my first effort goes as smoothly, all I need now is for my tel-tru's to turn up from the US and I am on, hopefully next weekend...Or earlier :beerbang:

Hope your beer turns out Ok.

 

[Darren]

It looks like the pre boil gravity is actuall 1.035, I don't think I waited for the temp to cool enough for the first reading...

View attachment 3364



MOB,
Be careful. Putting a hydrometer into warm/hot wort will mean you need to buy another one.
If you hear a "click" you had better hope your wife/car is home .
I think those hydometers **** them selves above about 40 degrees C

 

[mobrien]

MOB,
Be careful. Putting a hydrometer into warm/hot wort will mean you need to buy another one.
If you hear a "click" you had better hope your wife/car is home .
I think those hydometers **** them selves above about 40 degrees C

[post="70381"][/post]​

Oh yeah - I know that one - I'm currently on hydro number 3, but touch wood, this one has been with me for 4 years now.

Hydro one: Washed and sterilised in the fermenter - just pull it out *snap* - its bigger than the gap!

Hydro two: I'll just stick this in the hot wort and it canall cool down together.... * snap*

We should have a how many and how did you break your hydro thread

Matt

 

[mobrien]

6:35am day 2 - approx 18 hours after pitching. The Randy little yeast have gone crazy, and while they aren't crawling out the airlock, there is a good 50mm of foam on top and crazy bubbling happening.

When I went to bed last night, there were very little signs of fermentation occuring, and I have to admit I was worried. To bubbles on the surface with a fine white froth around them was the only indication, and these were small - aroun 5mm or so. No bubbles from the airlock.

I dreamt about infected wort, and got up to see it screaming. yay!

Still no airlock activity, looks like my new oring is a dud. I'll bring out the heavy weights today - literally - I'll stack diving weights on top to enforce the seal. With the volume of bubbling occuring right now, I really doubt its an issue, but I *like* to hear and see the bubbles!

 

[Batz]

The mash tun is leaking!! :angry:

Who's the #&*+<#! you bought that from :blink:

I had a digital temp. gauge from 'ibrew' in there , now it's in my other tun , perhaps you can buy one of these.
A little food grade silicon will fix the leak.

Glad to see it all went well , looking forward the the big taste session

Temp. gauge here

http://www.ibrew.com.au/html/equipment/beerequipmentset.html

Batz

 

[big d]

faulty equipment <_<
no warranty ?
whats going on batz :lol:

big d h34r:

 

[mobrien]

LOL - I think I'll cope!

Although, I love the fact it happened. Now if the brew fails, its obviously Batz's fault because I got faulty equipment. If it works, its obviously my skill while working against huge adversity!



Thanks for the tip on the probe Batz - I'll get one of those for sure - I need something to fill the hole I think the mounting bracket for it may even still be on the tun!

Matt

 

[mobrien]

OK - my profile says I'm a "mini mash" - but damn it, I'm an AGer now!



M

 

[Doc]

OK - my profile says I'm a "mini mash" - but damn it, I'm an AGer now!



M

[post="70415"][/post]​

Keep posting all the pics from your AG brew days and you'll be there in no time

Looks like you had a great brewday. Looks to have gone a lot smoother than my first AG did.
I think you have the bug now, so no looking back.

Beers,
Doc

 

[mobrien]

righto - I guess I'll just keep posting then

Bubbling is now at 2/second which is twice as fast as any other brew I have ever done! Through the opaque lid of the fermenter you can see some action...


We're in the process of moving, so I couldn't access my diving weights - so in my wifes words I "made a modern sculpture instead"!!


On the left is the wit (you can see the froth ring) and on the right is my "last blast" modified kit beer in secondary. That one will be kegged this afternoon.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Well done, you will never look back. There is nothing quite like your first AG.

Andrew

 

[mobrien]

I was about to agree with you, then I read the signature of your post

Your stand looks pretty cool, glad it all worked out! I'm in the process of moving and then will be building a shed.... something like that is on the cards for me too

M