Lord Raja Goomba I
Prisoner of Sobriety
I'm home from work sick. :blink: So I thought I'd post Sunday's disaster brew day.
I put down my house APA, as the kegs are empty, on Sunday.
I decided after the "ghetto" bucket in bucket things to try some new stuff out/amend my system for the hell of it (and to reduce trub losses).
Trouble is, I didn't get down to bunnings to buy two buckets, so I thought "I'll use a fermenter and a sieve, how hard can it be?"
Now, anyone that knows me/has seen my posts (and my extra stuff on Nick_JD's under $30 AG thread), knows I BIAB with 2 pots on the stovetop. This method renders great beer (and a full sized batch), and I can get a brew day sorted in about 3.5-4hrs, which isn't too bad.
Big caveat is: I changed something for the sake of change. My fault. The reason for this post is that sometimes we change things and experiment with things and they just go wrong. However, I won't give up on trying to change/improve my technique. And maybe a little to warn people of what I've done. And that I'm not too precious to put my head on the idiot chopping block. As Nick_JD says "why make something simple, more complicated" - I did just so, and it backfired.
And pics are always good - means not too much reading.
Okey dokey:
I decided to use one of my many spare 25L bunnings fermenters as a "lauter tun". I figured a slow lautering would be good for efficiency. I have a 25L esky, the same as Liam's on the BABBs system wars video.
So I mashed in to the esky. Empty esky post mash pictured:
Stein that I used to get mashed grains into "lauter"
I drained the liquor from the grains using my "lauter"
The pot below is my missus' 9L pasta pot, with the strainer and some mosquito wire. The reason for this is that I could drain half the liquor off, put it into pot 1, and keep the other half in there. When Pot 2 sparge water went in, transfer other half of liquor into 2nd pot. This means I don't have one pot with "dense" liquor and the other with thin, runny liquor.
Pot 2 on the stove heating sparge liquor:
This was the first mistake. Liquor took forever to drain off.
Sparge water went in (no pic).
Took forever to drain off. I split it between the two pots evenly.
Then recirculated. This took forever.
Finally after many hours of unattended lautering (I got bored and watch the telly), the pots went onto the stove as normal.
Hops measured out: Yellow is 30 minute addition, blue is 10 minute:
Positives and Lessons Learned:
I'm a stronger believer that you learn more from your failures and mistakes, than successes; and that true successes are achieved from true failures.
Positives were:
Trub losses were significantly less than normal, less break and clearer liquor (and therefore wort). Enough to make me consider doing this again, in the conventional sense.
The thing is with the 2 pot system, if you have break, you have it twice. Reducing losses is a good thing. Granted - it's probably only $2 worth of grain to increase grain to counter, but it's always worth getting more beer.
At least I could watch telly, as the stream of liquor from the "lauter" was steady and consistent.
Sparging was waaaaay easier than my pot method. Pot method pic as below:
http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x328/f..._20110805_1.jpg
If the draining had been quicker, sparging would have been a cinch.
Far less mess than trying to sparge two bags or drain two bags.
Lessons learned:
Bucket in bucket is better. There is a reason with a bucket with a million holes is used. You want a steady stream of liquor coming out, not waiting forever for one.
I will build a bucket in bucket lauter.
I hope this helps someone - either by not making my mistake or someone that's made their own mistake not to give up.
Peace out, y'awl, I'm going to lie on the couch and watch Dora the Explorer. :lol:
Goomba
I put down my house APA, as the kegs are empty, on Sunday.
I decided after the "ghetto" bucket in bucket things to try some new stuff out/amend my system for the hell of it (and to reduce trub losses).
Trouble is, I didn't get down to bunnings to buy two buckets, so I thought "I'll use a fermenter and a sieve, how hard can it be?"
Now, anyone that knows me/has seen my posts (and my extra stuff on Nick_JD's under $30 AG thread), knows I BIAB with 2 pots on the stovetop. This method renders great beer (and a full sized batch), and I can get a brew day sorted in about 3.5-4hrs, which isn't too bad.
Big caveat is: I changed something for the sake of change. My fault. The reason for this post is that sometimes we change things and experiment with things and they just go wrong. However, I won't give up on trying to change/improve my technique. And maybe a little to warn people of what I've done. And that I'm not too precious to put my head on the idiot chopping block. As Nick_JD says "why make something simple, more complicated" - I did just so, and it backfired.
And pics are always good - means not too much reading.
Okey dokey:
I decided to use one of my many spare 25L bunnings fermenters as a "lauter tun". I figured a slow lautering would be good for efficiency. I have a 25L esky, the same as Liam's on the BABBs system wars video.
So I mashed in to the esky. Empty esky post mash pictured:
Stein that I used to get mashed grains into "lauter"
I drained the liquor from the grains using my "lauter"
The pot below is my missus' 9L pasta pot, with the strainer and some mosquito wire. The reason for this is that I could drain half the liquor off, put it into pot 1, and keep the other half in there. When Pot 2 sparge water went in, transfer other half of liquor into 2nd pot. This means I don't have one pot with "dense" liquor and the other with thin, runny liquor.
Pot 2 on the stove heating sparge liquor:
This was the first mistake. Liquor took forever to drain off.
Sparge water went in (no pic).
Took forever to drain off. I split it between the two pots evenly.
Then recirculated. This took forever.
Finally after many hours of unattended lautering (I got bored and watch the telly), the pots went onto the stove as normal.
Hops measured out: Yellow is 30 minute addition, blue is 10 minute:
Positives and Lessons Learned:
I'm a stronger believer that you learn more from your failures and mistakes, than successes; and that true successes are achieved from true failures.
Positives were:
Trub losses were significantly less than normal, less break and clearer liquor (and therefore wort). Enough to make me consider doing this again, in the conventional sense.
The thing is with the 2 pot system, if you have break, you have it twice. Reducing losses is a good thing. Granted - it's probably only $2 worth of grain to increase grain to counter, but it's always worth getting more beer.
At least I could watch telly, as the stream of liquor from the "lauter" was steady and consistent.
Sparging was waaaaay easier than my pot method. Pot method pic as below:
http://i1176.photobucket.com/albums/x328/f..._20110805_1.jpg
If the draining had been quicker, sparging would have been a cinch.
Far less mess than trying to sparge two bags or drain two bags.
Lessons learned:
Bucket in bucket is better. There is a reason with a bucket with a million holes is used. You want a steady stream of liquor coming out, not waiting forever for one.
I will build a bucket in bucket lauter.
I hope this helps someone - either by not making my mistake or someone that's made their own mistake not to give up.
Peace out, y'awl, I'm going to lie on the couch and watch Dora the Explorer. :lol:
Goomba
