Wee Stu Goes All Grain

[wee stu]

Thanks in no small measure to all the help, support and encouragement of fellow forum members (especially, but by no means only, the SA chapter) I crossed over to the dark side h34r: and put down my first all grain effort today.

I'd made a promise to myself after GMK's Barossa Brew Day on the Anzac weekend to give it a go - by Adelaide Cup Day (May 2005). Now I just have to convince my bosses I actually completed a project 10 months ahead of schedule, and so qualify for the productivity bonus!

Being a hand tool challenged, accident prone, half mad Scotsman and working on mainly begged, borrowed and second hand equipment, the day didn't exactly go to plan , but the brew is in the fermenter, and that is one of the main things.
The main thing really, is I enjoyed myself

And I've manged to convince Beersmith that Eurilpa Bitter (an adaption of Palmer's Lord Crouchback's Special Bitter that became an ever loose adaption as the day went on) came in at around 1 litre below desired volume and within 3 points of expected OG. I'm happy with that.

The one piece of borrowed equipment I won't be recommending is the Porket style grinder (mine was actually called Eberle Maese), seemed to produce too fine a grist no matter what I did and too much floury stuff - result one stuck and then one very slow sparge.

Thanks for all the help and encoragement you guys have provided. If the beer turns out to be ratshit the fault is all.........



....... mine I should have listened harder.

 

[Kai]

Go wee stu! woo!

 

[GMK]

Congrats Wee Stu.......

From one AGner to Another - you will allways be a Wee Bit Bigger in our eyes.

As the saying goes....

Yesterday a Mini Floc.....
Toaday an AGner..........
Tomorrow a fully fledged Floculator........

:lol:

 

[barfridge]

nice work wee stu! I bet the satisfaction of cracking one of these will outshine any dramas you had along the way

I picked up my first lot of grain today, for a mini-mash. This grain thing is like a disease, slowly but surely taking over HBers everywhere!

 

[Jovial_Monk]

Excellent Stu! And, hey, my first AG brewday was a bit hectic as well!



Jovial Monk

 

[Doc]

Well done Wee Stu.
Sounds like you had a great day. A great achievement.

A word of advice. Take a note on everything that went wrong. Then plan to correct one item each brew. After a few brews you'll have your procedures and equipment all sussed and you'll never look back.

Well done again, and I raise my glass to a good fermentation :chug:

Beers,
Doc

 

[Jazman]

well done stu all well at least least your fist all grain wasnt at a home brew shop with no idea about volumes and every one getting pissed

 

[Guest Lurker]

Be very afraid diminutive Caledonian chappie. It only gets more addictive from here. My first ag also stuck like a *******, but thats just an incentive to go straight into the next one to see if you have fixed the problem.

 

[ozdevil]

well done wee stu on getting your first all grain under ya belt....i am shore it will only get easier and more addictive now...

cheers
Ozdevil

 

[Crispy]

Well done, Wee Stu,

Many more to come in the following weeks/months

the brewing bug has well and truley bitten me as well,

So what's next.......a chocolate, lactose stout...maybe :lol:


Cheers,

Crispy

 

[wedge]

Yep my first one stuck too! I got so angry i kicked the esky, i mean mash tun so bloody f***en hard.

Funnily enough that fixed the problem!

Good work mate, i'm sure the brew will be fine. Its pretty hard to make a bad beer almost as hard as making a great beer.

 

[AndrewQLD]

Good one Wee Stu, I think everyone has a trying time on their first AG batch, My first one took almost 7 hours but now I can knock over 43lt in 4 hours.

Enjoy your first bottle and tell us how it tastes.

Regards
Andrew

 

[siiren]

Well done Wee Stu,
I will be joining the club tomorrow with my first AG.
Hope all goes well. Have had plenty of advice from all on the board.
All I need now is one of those Globe burners + reg.
Anyone have an idea on how much they cost?

 

[JSB]

Siiren,

I picked up a burner yesterday from Globe $27 and then on to Maxbilt for a reg & hose about $57

Cheers
JSB

 

[SteveSA]

Great work Stu!!

We'll be looking forward to hearing all about it on Saturday. I think most people would have a story to tell about their first AG but the more you do the easier the process becomes.

Good luck for tomorrow Siiren.

Wishing I was abrewin'
Steve

 

[siiren]

Thanks JSB, I guess I could have gone to globe, it's just around the corner! Where's maxbuilt?
And thanks SteveSA.

 

[SteveSA]

Maxbilt's on Beulah Rd, Norwood

 

[siiren]

Cheers SteveSA, I am on my way now!

 

[dicko]

Congratulations Wee Stu and to all the other AG brewers that have recently taken the big step.
I think you will find that as you become more comfortable with your methods of doing each brew, it, in no way diminishes the excitement experienced at each brew day.
Good on ya guys and keep us all posted with any problems, tricky new methods ans some pics in the gallery.
Cheers

 

[siiren]

OK,here's the problem.....
Globe doesn't sell the regulators anymore as his supplier is unable to certiy their safety.
I went to Maxbuilt and they only recommend a 2kg reulator. They said that anything stronger would blow out. I trid to explain that this is not the case. Has anyone bought one from Maxbuilt, and if so, do you know the model number?
Thanks in advance,
Simon.