My 1st Ag

[Jase]

Hi All,

Just a quick post to thank all of the guys that I've pestered over the years in regards to going to AG.

The good news is I'm finally there.

This morning I did my first AG!!!!! What a great experience. I can not believe how easy it was! Just under four hours from start to finish (clean up included).

Unfortuntaley I did not take photos of the maiden brew, from all the years of reading about AG, I took particular note of the fact everyone mentions to take it easy and enjoy the process. So I did.

Not real sure about how to calculate efficiencies. The recipe called for a pre-boil gravity of 1.044, my reading was 1.041, and an OG of 1.052, my reading was 1.053. Not too sure what differences this will result in. Is someone able to assist in determining what my efficiency was?

The only thing that did not work so well was the kettle volume. The 10 year old assistant brewer and I measure the volumes yesterday using a rule, today, when I measured the pre-boil volume it was over 30 litres, which is not right as I only used 30 litres in total. The post-boil volume measured at 24 litres, the volume in the cube was just over 20 litres, and the dead space is my kettle is under a litre. I'm not overly concerned, just thought I should mention it.

I did manage to take a picture of the end result!!!!!



Cheers,
Jase

 

[brendo]

Well done Jase!!! you will never look back now that you have made it over to the dark side!! :beerbang:

Cheers,

Brendo

 

[gava]

nice work! welcome to the dark side of AG'ing

I see you've been to ray's? I got the same water storage..

I dont do the no chill but I've read that your suppose to have it on its side so the wort has contact with the handle/lids.. not sure why but thought I'd mention it..

 

[brendo]

I dont do the no chill but I've read that your suppose to have it on its side so the wort has contact with the handle/lids.. not sure why but thought I'd mention it..

15 minutes contact time with the wort will help to ensure that the surface gets pasturised.

My usual routine is to cube the wort, tip it on it's side to make sure the handle and cap get a hit of hot wort, clean the kettle out and then right the cube one again.

Brendo

 

[Jase]

nice work! welcome to the dark side of AG'ing

I see you've been to ray's? I got the same water storage..

I dont do the no chill but I've read that your suppose to have it on its side so the wort has contact with the handle/lids.. not sure why but thought I'd mention it..

Thanks Gava,

I actually got my cube from Bunnings!

15 minutes contact time with the wort will help to ensure that the surface gets pasturised.

My usual routine is to cube the wort, tip it on it's side to make sure the handle and cap get a hit of hot wort, clean the kettle out and then right the cube one again.

Brendo

Thanks Brendo,

I had the cube on it's side for about 10-15 minutes. So hopefully all good!

Cheers,
Jase

 

[MCT]

Nice work J. How'd she turn out?

 

[Pumpy]

Hi All,

Just a quick post to thank all of the guys that I've pestered over the years in regards to going to AG.

The good news is I'm finally there.

This morning I did my first AG!!!!! What a great experience. I can not believe how easy it was! Just under four hours from start to finish (clean up included).

Unfortuntaley I did not take photos of the maiden brew, from all the years of reading about AG, I took particular note of the fact everyone mentions to take it easy and enjoy the process. So I did.

Not real sure about how to calculate efficiencies. The recipe called for a pre-boil gravity of 1.044, my reading was 1.041, and an OG of 1.052, my reading was 1.053. Not too sure what differences this will result in. Is someone able to assist in determining what my efficiency was?

The only thing that did not work so well was the kettle volume. The 10 year old assistant brewer and I measure the volumes yesterday using a rule, today, when I measured the pre-boil volume it was over 30 litres, which is not right as I only used 30 litres in total. The post-boil volume measured at 24 litres, the volume in the cube was just over 20 litres, and the dead space is my kettle is under a litre. I'm not overly concerned, just thought I should mention it.

I did manage to take a picture of the end result!!!!!

View attachment 28894

Cheers,
Jase

Yay ! Thank God for that


Pumpy

 

[Wisey]

Is it drinkable yet Jase?

This AG has got me bi-curious.

And BIAB looks damn interesting/ Easy for a noob like me.

 

[breadenhound]

There really is no comparison when you move to all grain - I had a glass of my first all grain batch last night and I still cannot get over just how fresh and clean it tastes :lol: Plus I have found it is pretty much ready to drink out of the fermenter, not sure why I even bottled it!?

 

[RdeVjun]

There really is no comparison when you move to all grain - I had a glass of my first all grain batch last night and I still cannot get over just how fresh and clean it tastes :lol: Plus I have found it is pretty much ready to drink out of the fermenter, not sure why I even bottled it!?

Excellent point, I've found it doesn't hurt to leave it in the fermenter/ secondary a bit longer though and not be in such a hurry to bottle it. The time it spends in there after fermentation is complete at least partly counts towards 'conditioning' time too (not carbonation obviously). I've found many AGs treated to an extra week or two in the fermenter like this to be drinkable within days of bottling, I just sit them on top of our electric hot water system where they remain at 20C for a few days and then another couple of days later I'll chill and crack a stubbie tester to see how it went. That's usually the thin edge of the wedge and some more go into the fridge right then and there, promptly followed by the rest a few at a time.

There would be some objections I'm sure to leaving it on trub, but in my own experience its no biggie to do so. I don't get much these days. Trub that is...

You're quite right though, there's just no comparison once you crack a few of your own AGs. I wonder how on earth I ever drank some of my K&Bs and extracts, I keep a few samples from most batches in the pantry and every so often I open one, sometimes its not finished and just tipped out. Its just embarrassing to think I gave that stuff to other people to drink plus they weren't rude to me in return.

Wisey, if you have a stockpot (even a 19L will do a 2/3- sized batch) and get a BIAB bag (less than 10 clams will get you one) its a piece of cake, honestly. I was reluctant to move over to the 'dark side' (lol...), but once I did it I was kicking myself for not doing so sooner. Takes a bit longer, but its worth the effort in spades. I'm that pleased with BIABing results that I am now in no real rush to finish my keggle/mush tun setup.
:beer:

 

[Bribie G]

Especially if you are doing UK style ales, they are 'designed' to be fined, racked into casks, served after just a few days and drunk within a week or so. When I have cold conditioned a brew prior to bottling, so it's got plenty of CO2 already dissolved, my bottling kit consists of:

Bottles
bottling cane
priming sugaz
pint glass so I can drink along at the same time :icon_drunk:

 

[Gavo]

Now that I have got kegs it's even better, drop the beer into the keg, fill up a few bottles with the remainder, put the keg on gas and get drinking. 10 - 14 days from grain to brain is not unreasonable although they do get a bit better over time, if they last that long.

Once you go AG there is no looking back, tins of goop in the supermarket are looked at with disdain and bitter memories. Like Ralf I still have some bottles of K&K left over that I just can't bring myself to drink (anyone want four cartons of coopers draft?).

Jase, as others have said good work on the AG, you will see there is no black magic to it just a love for good beer. Oh and I have the same cubes, my four year old brew assistant has relocated the seals to one of them though. <_<

BribieG, did you learn that bottling trick from Butters. :lol:

Cheers
Gavo.

 

[Thirsty Boy]

Not real sure about how to calculate efficiencies. The recipe called for a pre-boil gravity of 1.044, my reading was 1.041, and an OG of 1.052, my reading was 1.053. Not too sure what differences this will result in. Is someone able to assist in determining what my efficiency was?

In your case - calculating your efficiency couldn't be easier. You were looking for a cube full of wort at 1.052 .... and you got a cube full of wort at 1.053. So your efficiency is pretty much spot on what ever it was set to in beersmith when you typed in the recipe.

Lesson learned for next time? ..... you hit your numbers smack on the head, don't change a thing.

Well done

TB

 

[Jase]

Yay ! Thank God for that


Pumpy

Thanks Pumpy! Should have a bottle for the September meet!!!

Is it drinkable yet Jase?

This AG has got me bi-curious.

And BIAB looks damn interesting/ Easy for a noob like me.

Hi Wisey,

I kegged the Porter on Tuesday, then realised it was a little underdone. (Not enough time fermenting). I plan on conditioning for four weeks. So should be ready end of August. I'll post some results when done.

In your case - calculating your efficiency couldn't be easier. You were looking for a cube full of wort at 1.052 .... and you got a cube full of wort at 1.053. So your efficiency is pretty much spot on what ever it was set to in beersmith when you typed in the recipe.

Lesson learned for next time? ..... you hit your numbers smack on the head, don't change a thing.

Well done

TB

Thanks Thirsty Boy, great to hear !!!!

Cheers,
Jase