While The Wife's Away...

[pants]

Yesterday afternoon, SWMBO decided that she'd take my Junior Brewer to visit her grandparents in the country for the weekend. I already had a brew planned, so I thought it would be a great opportunity to brew on my schedule. This morning, SWMBO suggested that since she'd be away for the weekend, that I might want to do two brews. Why didn't I think of that? I have a wife who understands...

So I decided, because I have more time than usual on my hands, I would take some photos and write up a log of the process, with the aim of helping anyone starting out. On the other hand, someone more experienced might like to comment on my technique...

This weekend I'm brewing a 56 litre batch of DrSmurto's Golden Ale on Saturday, and a 65 litre batch of Australian Pale Ale on Sunday.

Right now I'm doing the hard yards, drinking a few Cooper's Pale Ale stubbies while my starter medium boils away on the stove.

 

[matti]

I am envious. some got it hard

 

[Effect]

only one brew per day???

you should be able to knock out at least 4 brews without even trying!

edit: 2 brews per day I mean.

 

[buttersd70]

only one brew per day???

you should be able to knock out at least 4 brews without even trying!

edit: 2 brews per day I mean.

You think? I did 2x 60L brews last sunday, and I'm still recovering. And that was with 3 pairs of hands on deck :lol:

Good one pants, that much beer should keep you non compos for some time.

 

[chappo1970]

Or make a blackboard and put it in your drive way? I was thing something like this?

:lol:

 

[Effect]

You think? I did 2x 60L brews last sunday, and I'm still recovering. And that was with 3 pairs of hands on deck :lol:

Good one pants, that much beer should keep you non compos for some time.

the difference between your brewdays and my brewdays are that yours are more like piss ups :lol:

 

[pants]

I am envious. some got it hard

I'm pretty happy with my lot at the moment...

only one brew per day???

you should be able to knock out at least 4 brews without even trying!

edit: 2 brews per day I mean.

A little help? And a few more cubes or fermenters...?

You think? I did 2x 60L brews last sunday, and I'm still recovering. And that was with 3 pairs of hands on deck :lol:

Good one pants, that much beer should keep you non compos for some time.

Yes...

I did promise a pictorial log! Here's the starter at the start, containing the yeast from those six stubbies:



Stand by for news as it happens.

 

[pants]

Or make a blackboard and put it in your drive way? I was thing something like this?

:lol:

That'd do it! I wonder if I'd be so lucky?

 

[pants]

I've filled my vessel with 73.5 litres of water, and am now heating it to 68 deg. strike temperature, which will give me 66 deg. once mashed in. I've already made my first mistake - I forgot to fit the pickup tube inside the kettle, so I had to clean my arm and a spanner and reach into the water to fit it! Lucky the water was only 25 deg. at the time...



In the photo you can see the stainless steel ruler that I use to measure the volume in the kettle. My kettle is a 98 litre Robinox, with square dimensions of 50 cm. Conveniently, it's only a matter of multiplying the depth in cm by 2 to get the volume in litres.

Also seen in the photo is the lack of pickup tube. h34r:

While the water is heating, I've mixed up some Star San in my cubes and given them a shake, and I'll shake them again from time to time during the mash and boil.

 

[beers]

I've filled my vessel with 73.5 litres of water, and am now heating it to 68 deg. strike temperature, which will give me 66 deg. once mashed in.

68 or 78?

 

[pants]

68 or 78?

68. I only lose two degrees when the grist is added.

Before adding the bag, I put a large stainless sifter into the vessel to protect the bag from the heat of the burner during mash-out. This can be seen in the image below (so can the pickup tube, now fitted!):



Stirring in the grist:



All rugged up for an hour and a half. The mash temperature is spot on.



I've stirred it twice now (every 15 minutes) and checked the PH of the mash:



All good so far...

 

[pants]

Halfway through the mash now, and the mash temp has dropped 1 degree to 65. I'll give the burner a burst during the next stir to bring it back up to 66. Here's a picture of my mash paddle (as recommended by BribieG):



It's not stainless, but zinc plated. I might get Wayne from Beerbelly to make one up just like it in stainless. It works extremely well, brings up grain from the bottom and really works the mash.

 

[pants]

Just a few minutes to go and I'll start heating to mash-out. I'll heat the mash up to 78 degrees while stirring, then leave it for 10 minutes before lifting the bag. I'm also heating 10 litres of water separately to pour through the bag and rinse the grains a bit more. I've gotten 75% efficiency using this technique, and it also allows me to do bigger batches than would otherwise fit in the vessel during the mash.

 

[Katherine]

Honestly dont go to the cost of having a mash paddle made, we use the paint stirrer from Bunnings... $8.00 and its not coated in paint!

Have a good brew day.

 

[Gopha]

68. I only lose two degrees when the grist is added.

Before adding the bag, I put a large stainless sifter into the vessel to protect the bag from the heat of the burner during mash-out. This can be seen in the image below (so can the pickup tube, now fitted!):

View attachment 31020

Stirring in the grist:

View attachment 31022

All rugged up for an hour and a half. The mash temperature is spot on.

View attachment 31023

I've stirred it twice now (every 15 minutes) and checked the PH of the mash:

View attachment 31024

All good so far...

Hi, Do you adjust the pH of your water prior to adding your grains? I can never do any better than pH 6.0

 

[pants]

Hi, Do you adjust the pH of your water prior to adding your grains? I can never do any better than pH 6.0

No adjustments at all.

 

[pants]

Bag's out, squeezed, rinsed then squeezed again. Pre-boil volume 78 litres @ 78 degrees, and 1.036. Just bringing it up to the boil now. Some pictures of my skyhook and block and tackle setup in use:

Lifting the bag:


A close-up of the roller-skyhook gantry thing I made:


Dumping the bag for disposal of the grain:

 

[Pollux]

How do you lift that *******??

I assume you have a pulley system in place?

EDIT: Never mind, you posted the pulley pics while I was reading the thread.....

 

[pants]

How do you lift that *******??

I assume you have a pulley system in place?

Pollux, I must have gotten in just before you. :lol:

The boil is underway, and smells goooood and I haven't done the first hop addition yet!


My natural gas Mongolian burner in action. The hose plugs into a bayonet fitting in the cupboard which is usually used for the barbeque. I shouldn't run out of gas!


The question is, is it beer o'clock yet?

 

[Thirsty Boy]

how do you manage your rinse/sparge of the bag?

Can't see another pot or heat source - or is there one on the BBQ out of shot?

and the answe to your question is YES, I think you deserve a beer. I love the giant BIAB system. Can I pinch your photos for another forum (The BN) and/or direct people to look at your thread?