My First Ag Attempt

[jimmyjack]

Whats with all the yank bashing? Not all of us are so bad. We have started the Australian take over. If we cant take it by force we start from within and work our way out. It all starts with Mcdonalds and Nike then progresses with Costco and Mega hardware. Pretty soon we will have guns shops on every corner!!! :excl:

Bd, well done on your first attempt. You are a brave man brewing in that kind of temp and humidity we had yesterday. I am puttin one down this avro and hope to god its not as hot as yesterday. That beer will be a dandy if you keep the ferm temps stable and low.


Cheers,

JJ

 

[Jye]

Nice one browndog :beer:

I bet you have a list of things to do... improvements... new gadgets... future recipes... :lol:

 

[browndog]

That's right Jye, looking at the notes on the back of my brew sheet, I can see that I have to
Make a holder for the temp guage.
Fit 90deg elbows to the ball valves so the plastic tubes don't collapse.
Hot dip gal the metal kettle base.
Sort the fittings for the wort chiller out.
Buy a high pressure burner and reg.

I'd like to hear know a bit about losses though the boil. I lost 10L in the 90min boil, is this about right ?

JJ, unfortunately I have about 20 Sq M of paving to do now before new years so I might look back on the brew day as a walk in the park hehe.

cheers

Browndog

edit spelling

 

[Jye]

I'd like to hear know a bit about losses though the boil. I lost 10L in the 90min boil, is this about right ?

Sounds like you got a pretty good boil even thou it took ages to get going. I loose about 9L in a 90min boil with my Gamco burner.

 

[GMK]

That's right Jye, looking at the notes on the back of my brew sheet, I can see that I have to
Make a holder for the temp guage.
Fit 90deg elbows to the ball valves so the plastic tubes don't collapse.
Hot dip gal the metal kettle base.
Sort the fittings for the wort chiller out.
Buy a high pressure burner and reg.

I'd like to hear know a bit about losses though the boil. I lost 10L in the 90min boil, is this about right ?

JJ, unfortunately I have about 20 Sq M of paving to do now before new years so I might look back on the brew day as a walk in the park hehe.

cheers

Browndog

edit spelling

[post="99613"][/post]​

Why fit 90degree elbows.
Get some male Nylex snap lock garden hose fittings - come in 1/2" or 3/4" bsp.
Put these into the ball valves and then put females on the hose - make up different lengths - then everything will snap together/apart for easy cleaning etc.

Hope this helps

 

[mje1980]

Congrats mate!!. You will get better, and faster too. My first 10 all grains had various probs, but, with a lot of question asking, i started making good beer. Now, after about 30 or 40 ag's, im starting to make very good beer consistently. Usually, if i do something wrong, its just a bit malty, or bitter, and still highly drinkable!. Oh, and you're ot alone when you say you were very uninterested at the end of a brew day, im down to about a 4 and a half hour brewday, but sometimes, i just cant wait to finish, even if nothing goes wrong.

Cheers and stick to it!

 

[ruserious]

gday bd,

new bloke here, my first AG is a goal for '06, so will be interested to see how it went for you.

cheers

[post="99525"][/post]​

Hello! A Real Australian here on the forum at last. No Yank-inspired "guys" from this fella. :super:
All the best with your first AG ruserious. I'm not anywhere in front in experience with only four AG's & the brewery closed until I tee up my temperature control (amongst other things).
:beer:

[post="99551"][/post]​

TP,

strewth, stone the flamin' crows digger, thats a dinky di welcome. Bonza. :beer:

browndog,
your'e an inspiration to us uninitiated AGers.

already picked up a couple of tips, bloody shame someone has to do it tough for another to learn.

:beer:
ruserious

 

[Ross]

Well done Browndog - Good to see join the fold - Won't be long before you're giving demo's yourself & making it look easy ...
Hope I get a taste of your first brew & fingers crossed it's a ripper...

Truth is - it is easy... just doesn't seem that way at the beginning...

cheers... Ross

 

[Weizguy]

Whats with all the yank bashing? Not all of us are so bad. We have started the Australian take over. If we cant take it by force we start from within and work our way out. It all starts with Mcdonalds and Nike then progresses with Costco and Mega hardware. Pretty soon we will have guns shops on every corner!!!

Bd, well done on your first attempt. You are a brave man brewing in that kind of temp and humidity we had yesterday. I am puttin one down this avro and hope to god its not as hot as yesterday. That beer will be a dandy if you keep the ferm temps stable and low.


Cheers,

JJ

[post="99568"][/post]​

G'day.

Tell ya what...didn't think I was a yank-basher 'til I read this post.

Not U JJ, just the fact that we are being taken by stealth.

Lucky that brewing transcends all boundaries, and I'm grateful that the U.S. gave us the "hop revolution". :beer:

** :beerbang: Back to the topic, and I say to Browndog, " It takes a big leap of faith to do an ag beer". Congrats and best of luck. I'll toast U with my Hoegaarden clone, which is my...(slight delay while consulting brewlog) tenth ag beer. Have made 2 since - the soured Summer ale with London III yeast, and a Weizen with Bavarian wheat blend

:blink: duck from moderators wrath, in case I'm taken seriously...indeed!

Sethule looney

 

[browndog]

Well thanks for all the encouragement Fellas, this forum has to have the friendliest bunch of Blokes I have ever encountered on the net and can back this up having met quite a few in person.
GMK, thanks for the tip I'll definitely look into the snap locks, I idn't know they made male fittings!

Mje, as Big Kev used to say "I'm excited"

Ruserious, seems some of the members are running with this and are posting threads on the basics of AG, great to see.

Ross, the wort is bubbling away nicely at around 20C and if it turns out OK we will definitely share a glass. I'll be heading to the local haberdashery to get some of those hop bags of yours made up for the next brew.

Weizguy, cheers Mate!


salute

Browndog

 

[TidalPete]

Tell ya what...didn't think I was a yank-basher 'til I read this post.

Not U JJ, just the fact that we are being taken by stealth.

Lucky that brewing transcends all boundaries, and I'm grateful that the U.S. gave us the "hop revolution".

Sethule looney

[post="99661"][/post]​

I second the above. Please don't take my earlier post the wrong way. For all their faults I love the yanks.

but I love my "Cultcha" more. :beerbang: If it wasn't for the US of A we would all be eating raw fish & drinking saki (not necessarily in that order) long ago. For better or for worse, we are forever in their debt. Three cheers for the Yanks. :super:
Sorry if my remarks have been off-topic.

Browndog,
I lose 7 litres per 90 minute boil using my NASA. Don't know if that is the norm for NASA users but I get to the boil in around 8 minutes per 36 litre volume so an extra litre or so to boil off is not a big deal to me. Do you put the lid back on when the boil starts? This saves a litre or two over 90 minutes.
GMK's suggestion re the snaplock fittings is the way to go although I think that brass fittings are tops (plastic sucks). This also goes for the IC fittings (worm drive hose clamps are good but silver soldering is best).
To save all those $$$ on ice, freeze up a few icecream containers of water (They'll last longer than the bought stuff). Use an old esky instead of a bucket.
If you plan toupgrade to a NASA, galvanising your present base seems an unnecessary expense as you will get a new base along with your new burner. Hope my limited knowledge helps here?


:beer:

 

[Ross]

Do you put the lid back on when the boil starts? This saves a litre or two over 90 minutes.

[post="99907"][/post]​

hope not Pete - you should always boil with the lid off...

cheers Ross

 

[ruserious]

Do you put the lid back on when the boil starts? This saves a litre or two over 90 minutes.

[post="99907"][/post]​

hope not Pete - you should always boil with the lid off...

cheers Ross

[post="99913"][/post]​

gday ross,
this might be a silly Q? Why the lid off ?

:beer:
ruserious

 

[Ross]

Do you put the lid back on when the boil starts? This saves a litre or two over 90 minutes.

[post="99907"][/post]​

hope not Pete - you should always boil with the lid off...

cheers Ross

[post="99913"][/post]​

gday ross,
this might be a silly Q? Why the lid off ?

:beer:
ruserious

[post="99914"][/post]​

To quote the homebrewers bible "How to brew"

Once you achieve a boil, only partially cover the pot, if at all. Why? Because in wort there are sulfur compounds that evolve and boil off. If they aren't removed during the boil, the can form dimethyl sulfide which contributes a cooked cabbage or corn-like flavor to the beer. If the cover is left on the pot, or left on such that the condensate from the lid can drip back in, then these flavors will have a much greater chance of showing up in the finished beer.

hope that helps, Ruserious

 

[Rex]

I'd like to hear know a bit about losses though the boil. I lost 10L in the 90min boil, is this about right ?

Sounds like you got a pretty good boil even thou it took ages to get going. I loose about 9L in a 90min boil with my Gamco burner.

[post="99617"][/post]​

How big is your batch? That sounds a bit high? I've lost too much in the boil before and had to top up with tap water due to high gravity before.

What % of the pre boil volume to people usually lose to evaporation? Not to mention crap lost in the bottom of the kettle?

Cheers

 

[ruserious]

Do you put the lid back on when the boil starts? This saves a litre or two over 90 minutes.

[post="99907"][/post]​

hope not Pete - you should always boil with the lid off...

cheers Ross

[post="99913"][/post]​

gday ross,
this might be a silly Q? Why the lid off ?

:beer:
ruserious

[post="99914"][/post]​

To quote the homebrewers bible "How to brew"

Once you achieve a boil, only partially cover the pot, if at all. Why? Because in wort there are sulfur compounds that evolve and boil off. If they aren't removed during the boil, the can form dimethyl sulfide which contributes a cooked cabbage or corn-like flavor to the beer. If the cover is left on the pot, or left on such that the condensate from the lid can drip back in, then these flavors will have a much greater chance of showing up in the finished beer.

hope that helps, Ruserious

[post="99915"][/post]​

ross
thanks for that, i suppose that includes when i have the wort sitting in the laundry tub of ice.

:beer:
ruserious

 

[Ross]

Do you put the lid back on when the boil starts? This saves a litre or two over 90 minutes.

[post="99907"][/post]​

hope not Pete - you should always boil with the lid off...

cheers Ross

[post="99913"][/post]​

gday ross,
this might be a silly Q? Why the lid off ?

:beer:
ruserious

[post="99914"][/post]​

To quote the homebrewers bible "How to brew"

Once you achieve a boil, only partially cover the pot, if at all. Why? Because in wort there are sulfur compounds that evolve and boil off. If they aren't removed during the boil, the can form dimethyl sulfide which contributes a cooked cabbage or corn-like flavor to the beer. If the cover is left on the pot, or left on such that the condensate from the lid can drip back in, then these flavors will have a much greater chance of showing up in the finished beer.

hope that helps, Ruserious

[post="99915"][/post]​

ross
thanks for that, i suppose that includes when i have the wort sitting in the laundry tub of ice.

:beer:
ruserious

[post="99930"][/post]​

No, just during the boil - good to keep it covered once the boil's finished; keeps any nasties out

cheers Ross

 

[Jazman]

ross u can leave the lid but dont leave it on all the way leave to be about 3/4 on and leave a gap so the crap can boil so u dont get dms ect so in my new kettle with the lid off 23 % evap or with it 3/4 on 15% evap a big diff when working my system out or if i want to do a double batch and when i am tight for space so i dont have to do a concentrated boil and top up volume

 

[TidalPete]

Do you put the lid back on when the boil starts? This saves a litre or two over 90 minutes.

[post="99907"][/post]​

hope not Pete - you should always boil with the lid off...

cheers Ross

[post="99913"][/post]​

gday ross,
this might be a silly Q? Why the lid off ?

:beer:
ruserious

[post="99914"][/post]​

To quote the homebrewers bible "How to brew"

Once you achieve a boil, only partially cover the pot, if at all. Why? Because in wort there are sulfur compounds that evolve and boil off. If they aren't removed during the boil, the can form dimethyl sulfide which contributes a cooked cabbage or corn-like flavor to the beer. If the cover is left on the pot, or left on such that the condensate from the lid can drip back in, then these flavors will have a much greater chance of showing up in the finished beer.

hope that helps, Ruserious

[post="99915"][/post]​

I stand corrected Ross. I've been partially covering my kettle somewhere along the lines of Jazman's post. I'll be leaving the lid off during the boil in future.

:beer:

 

[dicko]

Hi Blokes and Sheilas,
I have always left the lid off during the boil mainly because that was what I was advised to do by a certaain brew guru in Adelaide "thanks Jayse"
But I found after changing kettles the amount of evaporation during a boil is related to the diameter of the kettle.
I went from a converted keg to a 90 litre "chiller special" (aluminium) and found that my losses over 60 mins went from 9 litres to 13 litres. I also noted that my beers became clearer when I began using the bigger kettle.
Now I know that this is a complete thread hi jack from brown dogs first AG but I believe each ones observations are interesting and come sometimes help with a problem.
Cheers