Moving To Partials

[thanme]

Gang,

After nearly 10 extract brews, I think I'm ready to move to partials. I have an extract recipe that I'm a bit of a fan of, consisting mostly of dry amber malt, and I'm just wondering how you choose what grain and what quantity to use?? Like, how much grain to replace how much DME, and what factors effect that? I'm sure you'd need less of some grain, but more of others.

I notice grain generally has an EBC rating. Is that referring to what you'd expect if you used that grain 100%?

How important is the water content while mashing?? I think I've seen people say around 2L/kg? What effect will it have on the mash if I used more or less?

I'll be attempting partial BIAB with a 30L birko urn, so as far as equipment goes, I think I'm ready

Also, any other tips would be most appreciated.

 

[stm]

Have a read of this entire thread.

http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...showtopic=38674

It's mainly about all-grain small batches but there is some discussion about partials using the same process (where you mash as described, use twice as much hops in the boil, add the extract right at the end, and then top up with water in the fermenter) to end up with approx 23L instead of 12L. Very roughly, at say 70% efficiency, you can replace 1.5kg of LME with about 2.1 kg of pale (or pilsener) malt grain, or 1kg of DME with about 1.8kg of grain).

 

[apd]

I'll be attempting partial BIAB with a 30L birko urn, so as far as equipment goes, I think I'm ready
Also, any other tips would be most appreciated.

NME,

If you have a 30L urn, why not do a full mash? I BIAB in a 35L pot and generally get about 18-19L out of that.

Andrew

 

[thanme]

Thanks!

I guess I'd like to make sure I can do it properly with smaller amounts of grain before going all out.
Although it doesn't sound hard at all.

Slightly related question: If my urn can hold around 65 degrees quite happily (with the element coming on and off), can I just do that while mashing, or is it still better to turn it off and insulate?

 

[Gavo]

NME

Yep you will need to use specific amounts of grain and different types of grain for different beers, the choices and combinations are endless. best to try a couple of things, 1) check the type of recipe's you like in the recipe DB and check out the types of grain. 2) Get a trial copy of Beersmith , if you haven't already got it and start playing with it.

I have done the extract to partial to AG line as you are thinking. The only thing limiting you going to AG is the size of the gear. If you have the gear you can get started straight away and skip the partial bit, I would.
Others here that use urns turn them on for the strike water and then off when they mash in and just insulate the urn with a doona for the duration of the mash.

Cheers
Gavo.

 

[thanme]

Thanks Gavo,

Dunno why I didn't think of Beersmith. I'll have a play with that over the weekend. I guess I'll do some more research, and if I feel comfortable doing a whole BIAB in a 30L urn, I'll give it a crack.

Would it be ok leaving the urn on at mash temp? Or would it fluctuate too much? Mashing doesn't sound that hard, but I like to get things right the first time

 

[Gavo]

Would it be ok leaving the urn on at mash temp? Or would it fluctuate too much? Mashing doesn't sound that hard, but I like to get things right the first time

I don't have an urn as I use an esky MLT, But.... if you leave the urn on you are likely to get hot spots at the bottom and uneven temp through the mash. If you bring the strike water up to temp, dough in, then wrap it up in a doona or blanket you are likely to get a very minimal temp drop over the time of the mash. Others who do this report maybe two degrees over 60 - 90 minuts. For my money I would just turn the urn of and wrap it up.

Gavo.

 

[Nick JD]

Another thing to note is the residual heat left in electric heating elements after they are turned off. I've found when doing stovetop mashes that if I turn the element off at a strike temp of 69C, it's more like 70-71C by the time the element has cooled down. There's a lot of energy left in an OFF electric element - and this'll end up in your water. On average, I'd say to add 1 degree C to your temp at element off time.

So if I aim for a 69C strike temp, I turn the element off when the water is at 67.5. All gear is different though.

I would also not recommend adding heat to your mash. It's not needed - and the last thing you want is 75 degree water killing enzymes at the bottom of the mash where all the activity is.

And with the grain - IMO it really doesn't matter much. A bit of this and a bit of that, all good. Start with the cheap stuff - it's 99% as good and is grown here.

 

[thanme]

Awesome. Thanks guys

 

[RobboMC]

Thanks Gavo,

Dunno why I didn't think of Beersmith. I'll have a play with that over the weekend. I guess I'll do some more research, and if I feel comfortable doing a whole BIAB in a 30L urn, I'll give it a crack.

Would it be ok leaving the urn on at mash temp? Or would it fluctuate too much? Mashing doesn't sound that hard, but I like to get things right the first time

I find the problem with stove-top mashing is getting the wort out without risking splashing and oxidation.
You really need a boiler with a tap in the bottom, this is why people turn to esky's.

I have a really old esky my wife wants to go in the bin, but I have other ideas for it. It even has a threaded tap hole
in the bottom already there as most decent esky's do. I'm also working on a bucket in esky idea so I can add heat by adding boiling water to the esky.

The successful parts of mashing absorb heat so being able to add heat is helpful, but it must be very well controlled.
Oxidation free removal and sparging is probably much further up the scale of importance than heating though.

 

[Nick JD]

I find the problem with stove-top mashing is getting the wort out without risking splashing and oxidation.
You really need a boiler with a tap in the bottom, this is why people turn to esky's.

I'm not sure how much oxygen can get into a hot wort. Hot liquids are not easy to dissolve gases into.

 

[Adamt]

Nor are cold liquids (easy to dissolve oxygen into) though it is slightly easier. Oxidation of hot wort by splashing is easily done.

 

[Nick JD]

Nor are cold liquids (easy to dissolve oxygen into) though it is slightly easier. Oxidation of hot wort by splashing is easily done.

Um....

At 100C it's difficult at atmospheric pressure to keep the water in a solution of water.