My First Partial Grain Attempt & Pics...is This Okay?

[raven19]

Well done on cranking out this brew. You will ove it!

How much grain do you think I could comfortably mash in the 9L esky?? as in 1kg? 2kg? 3kg?

I can get up to 13kg of grain give or take into my 50L (actually about 45L due to leaky hinge!) esky.

So by my calcs, I reckon around 2.5kg for your 9L - assuming a fly sparge. If batch sparging, probably a tad less.

I am sure you could pick up an old larger esky from somewhere/someone (or buy a new one) to get a full batch happening though.

 

[rendo]

Hi all & stm,

The link you quoted below is EXCELLENT. Very informative and simple step-by-step explanations. I have saved, read and will re-read many times. There are some good recipes there, but I am sure i can find a ton of those here, especially more so for the australian brewer, not american etc.
However, a fantastic read.

Thank You

Looks good rendo. Have a look at this article - very similar equipment to what you are using (drink cooler):

http://www.byo.com/stories/techniques/arti...partial-mashing

 

[RobboMC]

-(side thought: do people actually put their hot water and grain in the esky itself...as in, with no pot etc, so the esky itself becomes the pot as such? hmm, that would mean i could do a 9L mash??? is this right?)
[/list]
[/list]
[/list]Anyway....any thoughts? Am I about to do it right?



Thanks all

I've got one of these and it works a treat.

I've got a small reusable grain bag from the HBS that fits nicely inside the esky and I replaced the tap
with a brew shop one that fits directly onto a piece of food grade tubing.
I've only done 1kg of grain but it definately wasn't half full, I plan to go to 2kg next brew, and I expect 2.5 kg would fit.

After the mash I pop it on top of the microwave and open the tap and the lovely wort flows into my boil pot.

I found it hard to get the temp anywhere near right, and ended up with too much hot water at the end. Make sure you pre-heat the esky
with some boiling water as the esky has 'thermal mass' as well as the cold grain.

 

[rendo]

Cheers Raven19,

I will definately work my way up to full batches, I'll get a few partials under my belt with this esky i currently have, then I will buy, beg, borrow (permanently) an esky from somewhere and away we go.

No idea what fly sparging is...or batch sparging.....but I will read up on sparging and find out ... haha AG here I come

Well done on cranking out this brew. You will ove it!

I can get up to 13kg of grain give or take into my 50L (actually about 45L due to leaky hinge!) esky.

So by my calcs, I reckon around 2.5kg for your 9L - assuming a fly sparge. If batch sparging, probably a tad less.

I am sure you could pick up an old larger esky from somewhere/someone (or buy a new one) to get a full batch happening though.

 

[manticle]

Read as much as you can.

In a nutshell though batch sparging is simply adding a quantity of sparge water to the tun and then draining the lot off to rinse the extracted sugars still clinging to the grain. Fly sparging involves rinsing and draining at the same time which requires an even flow rate (same going in, same going out).

Good thread on eskies in Melbourne here: http://www.aussiehomebrewer.com/forum//ind...mp;#entry601081

 

[rendo]

I've got one of these and it works a treat.
I've got a small reusable grain bag from the HBS that fits nicely inside the esky and I replaced the tap
with a brew shop one that fits directly onto a piece of food grade tubing.

Any chance of a photo RobboMC......PLEASEEEEEE... :icon_drool2: ...I'd love to see that tap you have put on and how you did it.
Do you remember roughly how much it cost? $10-$20? more...less?

I've only done 1kg of grain but it definately wasn't half full, I plan to go to 2kg next brew, and I expect 2.5 kg would fit.

Keep in touch RobboMC....I will be doing this very soon too, so it would be good to hear how you/I go....I think Siborg isnt far from his first partial ....

After the mash I pop it on top of the microwave and open the tap and the lovely wort flows into my boil pot.
I found it hard to get the temp anywhere near right, and ended up with too much hot water at the end. Make sure you pre-heat the esky
with some boiling water as the esky has 'thermal mass' as well as the cold grain.

Genius at work here! haha
You are very right about the thermal mass of the esky. I learnt that I should have heated up the esky first somehow as it does take its fair share of the heat. I had 1.3L steeping 250g of carapils, in a plunger, in the esky. Started steeping at 65deg, finished at 55deg....hmm fine for a steep, not a mash. i am thinking to wrap it up in towels or blankets too!!

Anyway....whip out a camera and show us that esky, sounds great. PS....what do you use to "filter" out the grain so it doesnt get stuck in the tap...maybe the pic will show me that

 

[Siborg]

Just reading through some old threads.... we've come along way, haven't we?

How did this one eventually turn out, rendo?

 

[rendo]

Hey Siborg,

Thanks for asking man!! Yes, its pretty easy to learn so quickly when we have this forum for learn from others who know better than us.

MAN....I have been patient with this brew. I put this brew down on the 2nd April and it is still cold conditioning!!! FAR OUT!! It SO hard to wait for this brew. brewed for 18 days, cold conditioning for 7 days so far. Will bottle on friday maybe?

It smells devine man, just like a real lager from the tap in Salzburg (haha, well maybe I am being a little over the top), but it tastes GREAT from the fermenter, it smells great. Imagine when it has cleared up even more, bottle conditioned for a month or three, I have high expectations of this brew. The best thing is that I will only get even better as I am sure I am going to be able to find things I can improve on.

I will have to write more later, maybe start a new thread, I am going to use a new method for priming this sucker!! It involves a syringe (no needle), dissolving the priming sugar to a set amount and priming with that. SO its an in-between bulk priming and just dry priming. Anyway...talk later on that topic....

I seriously think the yeast had a big part to play in this brew, WLP830, totally chuffed as I think I have a winner here, but I dont want to get too excited (could be a little late for that)

Cheers man...

Just reading through some old threads.... we've come along way, haven't we?

How did this one eventually turn out, rendo?

 

[rendo]

Just reading through some old threads.... we've come along way, haven't we?

How did this one eventually turn out, rendo?

I just realised that maybe you were talking about the small esky I have!! hahaha... not the brew I am making.

If so the esky took a back seat for a while, BUT, just 2 weeks ago i bought a tap and all that stuff. Works a treat, except for a slight leak when 70degC water is in it.
Will need to fix that with another washer or a silicon washer or something. Hopefully soon as I am keen to do a mash in it.

I also have acquired a 10L urn.... I will be doing a mini-BIAB in the urn very soon Cheers to pollux for the swiss voile!

rendo

 

[Siborg]

I was actually asking about the brew. Sounds good. I just finished bottling an AG coopers sparkling ale clone... damn it smells tasty! I'll have to send you a bottle or two so you can taste some of my AG attempts. Got a stout (actually a partial), golden ale (extra bitter), coopers sparkling, and scottish 80 export all either done, or in the works, or to be started. Have you been brewing much?

 

[rendo]

Have you been brewing much?

Not really mate....I brew slowly...i read alot....ALOT more than I drink (one stubbie a night usually, unless mates come over, but with 2 kids under 2, that isnt so often. So its slowly but surely for me. I have an annoying habit of wanting to know the ins and outs of something before I think of doing it Am totally chuffed with this lager I have just done, so I will be experimenting with lagers for the next 3-4 brews, different hops, partial's.

My next move will be BIAB (miniBIAB). I have all the stuff now, thanks to pollux for the swiss voile, i got a 10L urn from a friend who didnt want it anymore.....So that will be my 1st "real move" into partial grain. I am thinking 2kg of pilsner grain...anyway...thats for another day....

I just finished bottling an AG coopers sparkling ale clone... damn it smells tasty! I'll have to send you a bottle or two so you can taste some of my AG attempts. Got a stout (actually a partial), golden ale (extra bitter), coopers sparkling, and scottish 80 export all either done, or in the works, or to be started.

Wow Siborg...thats amazing man. That is heaps of beers dude, great stuff. The LCBA clone I did still is going strong. I have never had this before, but I think this beer tasted nicer in the first two weeks in the bottle compared to now (about 2-3months old). It had this wonderful fruity passionfruit type taste that just sat there and went WOW....now its not there, but what is left is still damn nice.

We will have to organise a beer swap somehow I am worried the stubbies will break. Whats the best way to send beer bottles? Never done it before.

Rendo

 

[Siborg]

Not really mate....I brew slowly...i read alot....ALOT more than I drink (one stubbie a night usually, unless mates come over, but with 2 kids under 2, that isnt so often. So its slowly but surely for me. I have an annoying habit of wanting to know the ins and outs of something before I think of doing it Am totally chuffed with this lager I have just done, so I will be experimenting with lagers for the next 3-4 brews, different hops, partial's.

My next move will be BIAB (miniBIAB). I have all the stuff now, thanks to pollux for the swiss voile, i got a 10L urn from a friend who didnt want it anymore.....So that will be my 1st "real move" into partial grain. I am thinking 2kg of pilsner grain...anyway...thats for another day....




Wow Siborg...thats amazing man. That is heaps of beers dude, great stuff. The LCBA clone I did still is going strong. I have never had this before, but I think this beer tasted nicer in the first two weeks in the bottle compared to now (about 2-3months old). It had this wonderful fruity passionfruit type taste that just sat there and went WOW....now its not there, but what is left is still damn nice.

We will have to organise a beer swap somehow I am worried the stubbies will break. Whats the best way to send beer bottles? Never done it before.

Rendo

Yeah... I'm all for just getting out there and doing it, thanks to a local brewer by the name of Beer Belly. He's shown me the ropes and how NOT stressful brewing can be. And he has some good beer too. I have a brew all milled and ready to be mashed... and have a few more planned.

At this rate, I'm gonna need to get into kegging. Just wait till I have a job and money... guess where all my pay is going?

p.s. did you note the time I made that post after bottling?

 

[rendo]

Yes....job...money....sounds good. Live it up whilst u can...i use to have heaps of money until I............

got married, mortgage, kids....far out...all this = NO MONEY....hence why i chose things like vaso for lube....(tap lube that is)....try to save every $ I can to pay the horrendous loan I have for the house

rendo

Yeah... I'm all for just getting out there and doing it, thanks to a local brewer by the name of Beer Belly. He's shown me the ropes and how NOT stressful brewing can be. And he has some good beer too. I have a brew all milled and ready to be mashed... and have a few more planned.

At this rate, I'm gonna need to get into kegging. Just wait till I have a job and money... guess where all my pay is going?

p.s. did you note the time I made that post after bottling?