Move To All Grain For Thirty Bucks

[Nick JD]

Here's the yeast being used. Safale American Ale yeast, aka US05. I also use a lot of the much maligned "blue" packet which is an English Ale I think. They're both okay.

I pour a teaspoon into a schooner and add a teaspoon of sugar. Wrap the rest up and fridge it in a ziplock bag.

Top up with 100ml of cold tap water and stir vigorously; cover in gladwrap. Within an hour it's gone all capaccino and if you put your ear to it it's fizzing like rice bubbles and milk. The gladwrap is there to stop bugs getting in and the foamy head getting out (which it's been known to do, like magma). I usually give it an hour or two.

Then I pour 2L of boiling water into the blue fermenter. You can also use green fermenters, but I strongly advise the use of blue. I leave it on each side for a minute or two and then shake the crap out of it so a steam jet fires out the bung hole. Watch ya fingers ... that jet will remove skin in a second. I'm very happy about including the words bung, and hole into this thread - even in the same sentence.

 

[Dazza88]

I just tried my first partial mash a few weeks ago. I think i used the exact same pot (Kmart), candy thermometer, bag material and stove top.

Great post.

 

[joshuahardie]

Hmm
Coffee Grinder eh.

Never thought it would have the guts to chew through a full batch of grain.

I might have to give it a go.

 

[Nick JD]

Now the fermenter has had any bugs cooked like Chinese dumplings we can add the brown stuff.

I use a funnel because this fermenter isn't really a fermenter. Some people say to splash it around for oxygen - I don't, you can.

It's a matter of pouring much like you'd pour a homebrew in a bottle: slow and steady so as not to disturb the crud on the bottom.

This is how much crud I leave out. You can pour it in, I don't.

In with the cup 'o yeast and on with the airlock. This one's gonna sit at around 20-22C - should be done in about 5 days.

Thanks for all the positive comments. Happy homebrewing :beer: :chug:

 

[Nick JD]

Hmm
Coffee Grinder eh.

Never thought it would have the guts to chew through a full batch of grain.

I might have to give it a go.

Watch the air intake grill for cooling the motor doesn't get clogged with barley dust. It's a bit of a workout for the wee beastie, but my $20 has ground about 5kg of coffee and close to 50kg of malts ... still going strong. You'll freak out at how in 3 seconds a cup of grain is dust.

 

[MarkBastard]

Guys just another tip.

You can do pretty much exactly the same as above BUT once you've turned the stove off you dump a 1.5L can of liquid malt extract, or I think 1.2kg of dried liquid malt extract into your pot and make sure it disolves.

Then when you pour it into your fermenter you can top up with water to your usual 20 odd litres like you're used to with kits.

You may need slightly more hops if doing it this way (but NOT double the amount of hops).

This is called a partial mash, meaning part of your batch is all grain mash and part is liquid malt extract.

 

[Nick JD]

Guys just another tip.

You can do pretty much exactly the same as above BUT once you've turned the stove off you dump a 1.5L can of liquid malt extract, or I think 1.2kg of dried liquid malt extract into your pot and make sure it disolves.

Then when you pour it into your fermenter you can top up with water to your usual 20 odd litres like you're used to with kits.

You may need slightly more hops if doing it this way (but NOT double the amount of hops).

This is called a partial mash, meaning part of your batch is all grain mash and part is liquid malt extract.

For sure.

As a rough guide for my beers I do 1g of bittering hops for 1 liter of beer. So if you're doning a 20L partial ... use 20g of bittering hops instead of 10g. Hell, use 50g if you want - but less than 1g per liter can be a bit sweet with an all-malt beer.

 

[MarkBastard]

But also Nick hop utilisation changes depending on the gravity of the wort you're boiling in.

Not sure what the exact ratio is but 10g of bittering hops in 10L of beer with a 10L boil may mean something more like 15g of bittering hops in 20L of beer with a 10L boil.

Of course this is all rough as different hops have different ratings and I don't know the exact formula etc.

I guess this may be a bit over the technical level of the intended audience though.

 

[Nick JD]

But also Nick hop utilisation changes depending on the gravity of the wort you're boiling in.

Not sure what the exact ratio is but 10g of bittering hops in 10L of beer with a 10L boil may mean something more like 15g of bittering hops in 20L of beer with a 10L boil.

Of course this is all rough as different hops have different ratings and I don't know the exact formula etc.

I guess this may be a bit over the technical level of the intended audience though.

True. If you are going to add more malt, add it after you've boiled your hops.

 

[tdh]

Hi Nick JD. You're tips are a bit 'loose'.

A gram per litre can have wildly different results if you're using 7% Cluster or 17% Zeus!!!

tdh

 

[MarkBastard]

Hi Nick JD. You're tips are a bit 'loose'.

A gram per litre can have wildly different results if you're using 7% Cluster or 17% Zeus!!!

tdh

The point is for this to be loose. It's designed to be about real trial and error so the new AG brewer can get a true appreciation of cause and affect, and not completely inundated with acronyms and terms that create a massive barrier to entry.

Because the process is easy and the batches are small they can say "hmm I'll add more hops next time I reckon". Also because they're half batches you could make a really bitter brew and then correct it by next time making a quite weak brew and then combining them together in a jug or keg.

Personally I like this fresh approach.

 

[tdh]

And strike a light, what a shabby way to rehydrate yeast!!!

A teaspoon of yeast and a teaspoon of sugar. Phaaaaark me...

tdh

 

[Nick JD]

Phaaaaark me...

Someone needs to. You're stressed.

I've found little difference between rehydrating the yeast and then proofing it with some sugar. 1 teaspoon in half a schooner is not enough to disturb the passage of water across the rehydrating yeast cell.

But you probably knew that, because you are an expert.

 

[tdh]

Nope, not stressed. Just laughable what is regarded as acceptable brewing techniques.
The AHB is a font of knowledge but still daggy techniques keep spewing forth and are rewarded and applauded.

tdh

 

[CDJ]

Guys just another tip.

You can do pretty much exactly the same as above BUT once you've turned the stove off you dump a 1.5L can of liquid malt extract, or I think 1.2kg of dried liquid malt extract into your pot and make sure it disolves.

Then when you pour it into your fermenter you can top up with water to your usual 20 odd litres like you're used to with kits.

You may need slightly more hops if doing it this way (but NOT double the amount of hops).

This is called a partial mash, meaning part of your batch is all grain mash and part is liquid malt extract.

Hey Mark, great tip.

Is there any way to estimate beforehand how much LME or DME would be needed to achieve specific OGs? Is there any formula or linky that would be useful for this?

Cheers

 

[Nick JD]

Nope, not stressed. Just laughable what is regarded as acceptable brewing techniques.
The AHB is a font of knowledge but still daggy techniques keep spewing forth and are rewarded and applauded.

tdh

Re-hydrating Dry Yeast
1. Put 1 cup of warm (95-105F, 35-40C) boiled water into a sanitized jar and stir in the yeast. Cover with Saran Wrap and wait 15 minutes.
2. "Proof" the yeast by adding one teaspoon of extract or sugar that has been boiled in a small amount of water. Allow the sugar solution to cool before adding it to the jar.
3. Cover and place in a warm area out of direct sunlight.
4. After 30 minutes or so the yeast should be visibly churning and/or foaming, and is ready to pitch.

Edit: Palmer's Image of proofed rehydrated yeast from his website.

 

[manticle]

Hey Mark, great tip.

Is there any way to estimate beforehand how much LME or DME would be needed to achieve specific OGs? Is there any formula or linky that would be useful for this?

Cheers

Basically 100g DME: 1 L water =~1040

 

[Steve]

But you probably knew that, because you are an expert.

Actually tdh did brew thousands of litres at a time for a commercial enterprise.

Great posts and pics Nick. Its threads like these that get people brewing better beer. I was the same when I started brewing AG, I used a step by step guide from the net. Thanks for the time you put into it.
Cheers
Steve

P.S. I prefer red buckets

 

[rackemup]

In about three or four weeks.

Ok, cheers and +1 on what everyone else has said - great thread :icon_cheers:

 

[Nick JD]

Actually tdh did brew thousands of litres at a time for a commercial enterprise.

Is this you, tdh?