idzy
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- 31/10/13
- Messages
- 861
- Reaction score
- 409
Hi Guys,
This will probably serve more as comedy than anything else. It is fair to say it was a rocky road for the first AG brew. Probably due to nearly zero experience with brewing and brewing on a (new to me) second hand system that I picked up from the Buy and Sell section.
The recipe
Okay so here we go. The recipe is a Stone and Wood Pacific Ale, with a slight modification in the recipe. The reason for the modification (read complication) was that I purchased the batch of ingredients and then realised I have a double batch system. On the second round, I purchased different ingredients to first recipe, as I believe the second recipe was going to be closer to the clone. The recipe I used can be found at this post.
I made two modifications.
Mod 1
The first was that I had purchased the following already for the first recipe:
3.5 kg BB Ale Malt
0.8 kg BB Wheat Malt
0.2 kg Flaked Wheat
0.1 kg Weyermann Munich I
Because I had this grain, the double batch values were calculated and the 0.2kg Flaked Wheat and 0.1kg Weyermann Munich I were used to give a 60/40 ratio with the two main malts.
Mod 2
The hops at the LHBS are quite expensive and come in bags of 50g. I needed 5 for this recipe for the 215g or whatever was required. I modified the additions down to 200g.
The system
I had slightly tested the system, checking the bubblers were reading the water levels and temp probes were working. Everything seemed to be working well. The system that I purchased has temperature controls for elements, etc. Pump worked fine. I thought the only variable is ME and my experience! I don't have any mates or anyone that I know that does brewing. I only know what I have learnt from the resources on this forum. Thank you!
Brew day
I turned it all on on brew day and started to heat the HLT water and HEX(HERMS) water. I hadn't plumbed in the auto-fill solinoid, so I was just filling it with a mixing bowl from the tap. I have set the system up at my parents house, as I live in a townhouse and they have a massive house right near me and we built a outdoor kitchen area near the pool some time ago that wasn't being used. My new little brewery.
So I started filling up the HLT and HEX and turned the elements on. I see the temperatures are rising on both units. I notice that after about 10 litres of water in the HLT, the bubbler volume is fluctuating around 2.2-2.6 litres. I keep filling and it continues to heat.
I now have suspicions that I have either not connected the bubbler nylon hose correctly, or there may be some calibration issue, but really it's kind of too late. But then I realise, how the hell am I going to get my final volume if the bubbler isn't working. So I grabbed the fermenter that I had cleaned and filled it up to 20 litres and put it in the kettle. Thank goodness, the kettle bubbler was reading the water levels perfectly. Still not perfect, but it will do. I am committed. I am going to brew today!
I monitor the temps and notice that the HEX is not displaying the correct temp. I think damnit! The other one was working fine, but I didn't have a hand held temp gauge so couldn't check it fully, so I start thinking through the possibilities.
I decide that once the grain goes into the MLT, then I can take the probe from the HLT and swap it with the one in the HEX. Then I can watch the temp on the HEX using the HLT read out, even though the element won't be turning on and off according to the target temp. I will just do this manually.
I connect the HLT with the March Pump and with the MLT and prime the pump. No worries. I pour the grain in to do "under let the grain" I believe they call it and start pumping the sparge water in. The grain slowly moistens and then I see water coming up! Yay! The smell! I am making beer!
Once the water height is slightly higher than the grain, I stop the pump and mix it all up ("the mash in"?). Check to make sure there are no dough balls and then I am good to go. I think to myself do I need to steep the grain or not? Do I run it through the HERMS straight away? I can't remember.
I decide to connect the HERMS with the March pump and top and bottom valves of MLT. Start pumping. Nothing...eeek. I realise somehow in my excitement, I have connected the pump hoses the wrong way. I start to disconnect the quick release valves and start to get really hot sticky hands as slightly worty water is going all over the ground. Arrrgghhh! Then I think, wow this is going to be messy. Hopefully the deck will be able to hack all the sugary water (hmmm...ants, no idea!)...
I continue on and get it connected correctly. I start pumping and it is working, yay! Then I realise that in the heat of the moment, the HEX has not been getting switched on and off to keep it at 66c which I where I needed it to be and it starts cycling water at 73c or something. I panick and pull the lid off the top of the HEX pot and start tipping water onto the HEX to get it to cool down! In the heat of the moment (pardon the pun), water is slashing everywhere. I have been mildly burnt on the hands multiple times changing hot hoses and now dousing a hot pot!
I get the temperature down and its all pumping through and I think yes! We are good. I am through the rough stuff! 66c wort temp, no stopping me now!
It seems kinda okay, but couldn't for the life of me work out if I needed to steep the grain for 30 minutes then do a 60 minute countdown, or what. I decided to just do the 60 minutes and had a feeling steeping was either for un-malted grain or BIABers. Still not sure, but I will be doing some reading before the next batch
I read the recipe and see that I need my first hop addition of 10g (modified). I think, oh no! I don't have scales! I go and check inside the Olds' house and give Mum a call. "Nah, I don't really use them anymore. I don't think I have any." Arrgghhh, it's definitely my first day, how could I forget scales?!
I grab a tupperware container and pour the first 50g bag into the container. I shake it out a bit so the pellets are across the bottom evenly and then split the 50g into 2 25g parts, then I split that into roughly 10g and throw it in. I think to myself, ahh well, it's my first one, if it is off by a few grams either side who cares... Let's just hope I haven't caramelised the wort pumping it too hot or some other thing.
I then realise I didn't set the timer or check the time. I decide it has probably been around 10 minutes with all the mucking around, but maybe only 5.
I set the timer for 50 minutes and it starts counting down. I think okay, I have 40 minutes before my next step. Mash Out. I continue to watch it for a while and then turn my phone on and madly try to navigate to AHB and look for AG guides to check what I have been doing from memory matches with what it says...reading and counting down. I check the temps and turn on and off based on what I need the HEX to be at.
As I get to the 20 minutes left mark. I start thinking about the fact that the sparge water needs to be at 76c and so does the wort, so I start increasing their temperatures. I realise within about 2 minutes, that I have left it too late, or so I think.
I get down to 10 minutes to go and the wort is at 74c and the sparge water has crept slowly up to 70c. I think man, this is going to be close. I get there on time and start the sparge into the kettle. No problems, but geez there doesn't seem to be much wort in the kettle. I am going to need a lot of water to make up my volume. Then I start thinking, I am not going to have enough water in the HLT to make my brew volume either and it needs to be at 78c!
So I put enough water into the MLT to cover the grain bed again. I had noticed that the guide said to aggitate the grain in between sparges. So I give that a go and think, well I may as well clear it up through the HERMS. I do that for a bit and then empty into the kettle again. While all of this is going on, I have topped up the HLT with heaps more water and am nervously watching the temp gauge.
I wait until it is at 73c and then fill the grain bed and rinse and repeat until I have my wort volume in the kettle, which I decided based on 2 batches of 23l that I would need 50litres, based on nothing really other than a feeling.
After this, I turned the elements on and thought to myself, I should have turned them on 20 minutes ago. Anyways, 202nd lesson learned for the day. The boil will take a little while and then I need to do hop additions. I need to do a hot break for 15 mins after the boil starts.
I take a hydrometer reading and it is reading 1.005 and I think WTF!@ as I am reading it, the plastic tube is nearly melting so I quickly run it under a tap of cold water. I think to myself, I have completely stuffed it! OMG what have I done?! My heart sinks and I become so deflated and disappointed. Obviously my efficiency was completely stuffed, wow this whole AG game really is such a massive step up. I think to myself, surely I can't be the first person to do this?!
The next mobile search begins. I find threads on efficiency and low OG and pre/post boil SG, etc, etc. I decide I need to boil down and keep checking and get it concentrated to a point that is going to actually mean my beer will be alcoholic, LOL!
I leave it for about 15 minutes and the hot break occurs. I start the timer for 60 minutes and add the first hops. I take another hydrometer reading and decide to cool it off first under the tap and it is reading 1.040, huh?! I decide that the first must have been an issue and decide I am getting pretty close and need to wrap things up.
I get the boil finished, have a sigh of relief and fill the fermenter. Let it splash as it hits and get lots of oxygen.
Clean everything and take the full fermenter to my house. I have 39l of brew. I am assuming partly due to efficiency and partly due to over compensating due to the first reading.
I get home and realise I need a whole in the top of the fermenter lid of the 60 litre fermenter to fit the ceramic heater from my 30 litre fermenter. I call my brother, he is on his way home. Drive over to his house and get him to temp drill out a 32mm hole, as I didn't have a hole saw that size and neither did he.
I get back and sanitise and get the heater started. I have read a bunch of stuff on starter on howtobrew, so I decide that I will do a starter, but I don't have a thermometer, it is in the post. I don't have one on the fermenter either, only a sticker version on the small 30 litre fermenter.
I decide that the thermometer was pretty accurate at keeping fermentation temp last brew, so it should be fine. It is dialed in at 19c. I decide that I will get the yeast temp I need by adding room temp water with boiling water into a Pyrex glass.
I do that so that it will be approx 30c and then I add a tsp of icing sugar and stir to dissolve. Then I go back to the computer and read the howtobrew yeast starter page and realise his summarised points at the top of the page are further explained in more detail further down. I realise I have missed the "let the yeast re-hydrate for 15 mins, then add sugar" and I think, AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!
I cover with glad wrap anyways and hope it will work. I start seeing it churning and think, this should be fine, it is 1am, I am throwing it in.
I go out to the garage and put the yeast in. I cover back up with blankets and go back inside.
Next day the airlock is no going, no krausen and I think, hmmm. I buggered it up. I read again and see that most likely it is due to the cold of the garage and the lack of ability from my 30 litre heater doing a 40 litre batch.
I move the fermenter inside that next night. The next morning 36 hours after placing in fermenter, it is bubbling. Yay, I am so happy. I will have beer!
I am going home from work now. I will proof read later and make edits. The purpose of this post is partly for critique, partly for the "you're a bloody idiot getting into AG so quick" and partly I am hoping there will be a few, "oh yeah, never admitted it, but I have made a few of those screw ups too"
Cheers,
Idzy
This will probably serve more as comedy than anything else. It is fair to say it was a rocky road for the first AG brew. Probably due to nearly zero experience with brewing and brewing on a (new to me) second hand system that I picked up from the Buy and Sell section.
The recipe
Okay so here we go. The recipe is a Stone and Wood Pacific Ale, with a slight modification in the recipe. The reason for the modification (read complication) was that I purchased the batch of ingredients and then realised I have a double batch system. On the second round, I purchased different ingredients to first recipe, as I believe the second recipe was going to be closer to the clone. The recipe I used can be found at this post.
I made two modifications.
Mod 1
The first was that I had purchased the following already for the first recipe:
3.5 kg BB Ale Malt
0.8 kg BB Wheat Malt
0.2 kg Flaked Wheat
0.1 kg Weyermann Munich I
Because I had this grain, the double batch values were calculated and the 0.2kg Flaked Wheat and 0.1kg Weyermann Munich I were used to give a 60/40 ratio with the two main malts.
Mod 2
The hops at the LHBS are quite expensive and come in bags of 50g. I needed 5 for this recipe for the 215g or whatever was required. I modified the additions down to 200g.
The system
I had slightly tested the system, checking the bubblers were reading the water levels and temp probes were working. Everything seemed to be working well. The system that I purchased has temperature controls for elements, etc. Pump worked fine. I thought the only variable is ME and my experience! I don't have any mates or anyone that I know that does brewing. I only know what I have learnt from the resources on this forum. Thank you!
Brew day
I turned it all on on brew day and started to heat the HLT water and HEX(HERMS) water. I hadn't plumbed in the auto-fill solinoid, so I was just filling it with a mixing bowl from the tap. I have set the system up at my parents house, as I live in a townhouse and they have a massive house right near me and we built a outdoor kitchen area near the pool some time ago that wasn't being used. My new little brewery.
So I started filling up the HLT and HEX and turned the elements on. I see the temperatures are rising on both units. I notice that after about 10 litres of water in the HLT, the bubbler volume is fluctuating around 2.2-2.6 litres. I keep filling and it continues to heat.
I now have suspicions that I have either not connected the bubbler nylon hose correctly, or there may be some calibration issue, but really it's kind of too late. But then I realise, how the hell am I going to get my final volume if the bubbler isn't working. So I grabbed the fermenter that I had cleaned and filled it up to 20 litres and put it in the kettle. Thank goodness, the kettle bubbler was reading the water levels perfectly. Still not perfect, but it will do. I am committed. I am going to brew today!
I monitor the temps and notice that the HEX is not displaying the correct temp. I think damnit! The other one was working fine, but I didn't have a hand held temp gauge so couldn't check it fully, so I start thinking through the possibilities.
I decide that once the grain goes into the MLT, then I can take the probe from the HLT and swap it with the one in the HEX. Then I can watch the temp on the HEX using the HLT read out, even though the element won't be turning on and off according to the target temp. I will just do this manually.
I connect the HLT with the March Pump and with the MLT and prime the pump. No worries. I pour the grain in to do "under let the grain" I believe they call it and start pumping the sparge water in. The grain slowly moistens and then I see water coming up! Yay! The smell! I am making beer!
Once the water height is slightly higher than the grain, I stop the pump and mix it all up ("the mash in"?). Check to make sure there are no dough balls and then I am good to go. I think to myself do I need to steep the grain or not? Do I run it through the HERMS straight away? I can't remember.
I decide to connect the HERMS with the March pump and top and bottom valves of MLT. Start pumping. Nothing...eeek. I realise somehow in my excitement, I have connected the pump hoses the wrong way. I start to disconnect the quick release valves and start to get really hot sticky hands as slightly worty water is going all over the ground. Arrrgghhh! Then I think, wow this is going to be messy. Hopefully the deck will be able to hack all the sugary water (hmmm...ants, no idea!)...
I continue on and get it connected correctly. I start pumping and it is working, yay! Then I realise that in the heat of the moment, the HEX has not been getting switched on and off to keep it at 66c which I where I needed it to be and it starts cycling water at 73c or something. I panick and pull the lid off the top of the HEX pot and start tipping water onto the HEX to get it to cool down! In the heat of the moment (pardon the pun), water is slashing everywhere. I have been mildly burnt on the hands multiple times changing hot hoses and now dousing a hot pot!
I get the temperature down and its all pumping through and I think yes! We are good. I am through the rough stuff! 66c wort temp, no stopping me now!
It seems kinda okay, but couldn't for the life of me work out if I needed to steep the grain for 30 minutes then do a 60 minute countdown, or what. I decided to just do the 60 minutes and had a feeling steeping was either for un-malted grain or BIABers. Still not sure, but I will be doing some reading before the next batch
I read the recipe and see that I need my first hop addition of 10g (modified). I think, oh no! I don't have scales! I go and check inside the Olds' house and give Mum a call. "Nah, I don't really use them anymore. I don't think I have any." Arrgghhh, it's definitely my first day, how could I forget scales?!
I grab a tupperware container and pour the first 50g bag into the container. I shake it out a bit so the pellets are across the bottom evenly and then split the 50g into 2 25g parts, then I split that into roughly 10g and throw it in. I think to myself, ahh well, it's my first one, if it is off by a few grams either side who cares... Let's just hope I haven't caramelised the wort pumping it too hot or some other thing.
I then realise I didn't set the timer or check the time. I decide it has probably been around 10 minutes with all the mucking around, but maybe only 5.
I set the timer for 50 minutes and it starts counting down. I think okay, I have 40 minutes before my next step. Mash Out. I continue to watch it for a while and then turn my phone on and madly try to navigate to AHB and look for AG guides to check what I have been doing from memory matches with what it says...reading and counting down. I check the temps and turn on and off based on what I need the HEX to be at.
As I get to the 20 minutes left mark. I start thinking about the fact that the sparge water needs to be at 76c and so does the wort, so I start increasing their temperatures. I realise within about 2 minutes, that I have left it too late, or so I think.
I get down to 10 minutes to go and the wort is at 74c and the sparge water has crept slowly up to 70c. I think man, this is going to be close. I get there on time and start the sparge into the kettle. No problems, but geez there doesn't seem to be much wort in the kettle. I am going to need a lot of water to make up my volume. Then I start thinking, I am not going to have enough water in the HLT to make my brew volume either and it needs to be at 78c!
So I put enough water into the MLT to cover the grain bed again. I had noticed that the guide said to aggitate the grain in between sparges. So I give that a go and think, well I may as well clear it up through the HERMS. I do that for a bit and then empty into the kettle again. While all of this is going on, I have topped up the HLT with heaps more water and am nervously watching the temp gauge.
I wait until it is at 73c and then fill the grain bed and rinse and repeat until I have my wort volume in the kettle, which I decided based on 2 batches of 23l that I would need 50litres, based on nothing really other than a feeling.
After this, I turned the elements on and thought to myself, I should have turned them on 20 minutes ago. Anyways, 202nd lesson learned for the day. The boil will take a little while and then I need to do hop additions. I need to do a hot break for 15 mins after the boil starts.
I take a hydrometer reading and it is reading 1.005 and I think WTF!@ as I am reading it, the plastic tube is nearly melting so I quickly run it under a tap of cold water. I think to myself, I have completely stuffed it! OMG what have I done?! My heart sinks and I become so deflated and disappointed. Obviously my efficiency was completely stuffed, wow this whole AG game really is such a massive step up. I think to myself, surely I can't be the first person to do this?!
The next mobile search begins. I find threads on efficiency and low OG and pre/post boil SG, etc, etc. I decide I need to boil down and keep checking and get it concentrated to a point that is going to actually mean my beer will be alcoholic, LOL!
I leave it for about 15 minutes and the hot break occurs. I start the timer for 60 minutes and add the first hops. I take another hydrometer reading and decide to cool it off first under the tap and it is reading 1.040, huh?! I decide that the first must have been an issue and decide I am getting pretty close and need to wrap things up.
I get the boil finished, have a sigh of relief and fill the fermenter. Let it splash as it hits and get lots of oxygen.
Clean everything and take the full fermenter to my house. I have 39l of brew. I am assuming partly due to efficiency and partly due to over compensating due to the first reading.
I get home and realise I need a whole in the top of the fermenter lid of the 60 litre fermenter to fit the ceramic heater from my 30 litre fermenter. I call my brother, he is on his way home. Drive over to his house and get him to temp drill out a 32mm hole, as I didn't have a hole saw that size and neither did he.
I get back and sanitise and get the heater started. I have read a bunch of stuff on starter on howtobrew, so I decide that I will do a starter, but I don't have a thermometer, it is in the post. I don't have one on the fermenter either, only a sticker version on the small 30 litre fermenter.
I decide that the thermometer was pretty accurate at keeping fermentation temp last brew, so it should be fine. It is dialed in at 19c. I decide that I will get the yeast temp I need by adding room temp water with boiling water into a Pyrex glass.
I do that so that it will be approx 30c and then I add a tsp of icing sugar and stir to dissolve. Then I go back to the computer and read the howtobrew yeast starter page and realise his summarised points at the top of the page are further explained in more detail further down. I realise I have missed the "let the yeast re-hydrate for 15 mins, then add sugar" and I think, AAAAAAAAARRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!
I cover with glad wrap anyways and hope it will work. I start seeing it churning and think, this should be fine, it is 1am, I am throwing it in.
I go out to the garage and put the yeast in. I cover back up with blankets and go back inside.
Next day the airlock is no going, no krausen and I think, hmmm. I buggered it up. I read again and see that most likely it is due to the cold of the garage and the lack of ability from my 30 litre heater doing a 40 litre batch.
I move the fermenter inside that next night. The next morning 36 hours after placing in fermenter, it is bubbling. Yay, I am so happy. I will have beer!
I am going home from work now. I will proof read later and make edits. The purpose of this post is partly for critique, partly for the "you're a bloody idiot getting into AG so quick" and partly I am hoping there will be a few, "oh yeah, never admitted it, but I have made a few of those screw ups too"
Cheers,
Idzy
