Have a go at simple AG

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where can you get the ph strips from.
i think the temp whilst mashing is the reason why my gravitys are too low as well. above 70 and sparged with much hotter.
oh well there is always next time.
mine is bottled now and just waiting.
 
I mash at 68 to 69 deg C and if in doubt add cold water on the basis you can add more hot.

Brew in a bag is not for me - a rectangle of half inch copper pipe sawed with slits half way through wrapped within coase nylon bag is quick easy and efficient...
 
So, I bottled my simple 5 litre all grain brew on the 12th of this Month, and had a couple yesterday, out of curiosity.

The good news was that it tasted really nice, so no complaints there.

The bad news was that it was flat. I'm not sure how, given that I put half a teaspoon per pint of priming sugar into the brew.

It was a bit cloudy too, but that doesn't bother me.
 
bobukbrewer said:
I mash at 68 to 69 deg C and if in doubt add cold water on the basis you can add more hot.

Brew in a bag is not for me - a rectangle of half inch copper pipe sawed with slits half way through wrapped within coase nylon bag is quick easy and efficient...
Click to expand...

Keep making cool stuff.
What you're doing maybe works for you but have you tried a low mash?
My next brew I want to mix it up. I want to try and see what will happen when I mash 2 different batches at different temps then combine them at boil.
68 and 69 is a respectable temp. But the really cool thing about beer is every degree produces a different amount of enzymes. How they work on the sugar is super fascinating.
Try this. Exact same grain bail. Same times. Same yeast. But brew one at 63 and the other at 68. See the outcome. It's amazing. We talk about water conditioning and hop times. But many neglect what the yeast really need to live. Different varieties of sugar. Each amount produces different byproducts. Those are the flavors we strive for.
 
Trying this again today, already having a bit of a mare. After adding the grain, temperature dropped to far, so boiled a kettle and added 1L water, overshot so then added 1L cold. We're at about 67 degrees so hopefully that's ok.
Didn't use the bag, so chucked all grain (inc torrefied wheat and some crystal) into the pan. Temp seems stable.
Now I've found I don't have a bag to cover a FV to filter these grains. So not sure as yet what to do on that score. Just ordered this for next time (if there is a next time)..
Trimaco 11523 2 Pack 5 Gallon Nylon Strainers https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000BPG5R6/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Straining the wort from the grain currently, very slowly through a colander and bag! Hoping it doesnt matter how long this bit takes pre boil...

20160629_111557348_iOS.jpg
 
On the way to a boil now, gravity isn't great. 1020 temp 54, temp adjusted to 1031. I can only think the bag i'm using isn't letting enough liquid to mix with the grains, i was expecting to be close to around the 1040 mark. As the grains filtered through, the wort was lovely and clear, i got bored of waiting, so started putting through another colander without a bag, more cloudy, but a lot quicker. Did i do the right thing?!

I've reviewed feedback in this and other forums, and went with the followng method\recipe:
2.5KG Marris otter
100g torrefied wheat
160g Crystal
6L water to 73.7
Grain into pot
stir out lumps
check temp, build slowly to maintain 68, insulate and leave for 1 hour, stirring after 30 mins. Added extra 1.5L of hot and cold to get 67.6. temp dropped after stir, so added heat back up to 68.3-68.4. ended at 68 degrees
strain through bag in colander into FV
Heat 10L water to 78
add grain bag and steep for 10, then stir and strain into large pan

I'll then boil up, add hops etc.
 
Now in the bath cooling, added some irish moss near the end of the boil to hopefully make it a bit clearer.
 
Sounds like you're having fun :thumb: I wouldn't worry about efficiency etc. My first AG brew day wasn't that great and cocked a few things up, but I got some very nice beer at the end of it. I learnt a lot and changed a few things for the 2nd AG brew and I'll be changing it again for the 3rd.......

Jas
 
This was AG attempt number 2, my guess is that the issue with the gravity was due to not getting the temperature right and adding extra water diluted the wort. Worse part today was messing with the grains in the pot, filtering into the FV etc. Nightmare. Hopefully the new filter bag will make that easier for filtering the grain, allowing more liquid through a bit faster. The hop bag bursting at the end just compounded my feelings on this! Will bottle up in 7 days to minimise any issues sat on the trub. Could do with finding a decent app to help with a recipe, as todays was a bit of concoction based on assorted feedback through these forums. I'm having issues finding much thats 10L TBH. I have ordered a 10L FV, but not sure if that will actually take a 10L brew, with the krausen on top. My ideal would be to stick in some ingredients that i have and for it to offer some recommendations, but that app doesnt seem to exist. I bought a few bits when doing kits as a lot of comments said how easy the transition to AG would be.. cough!.
 
I deliberately made a weak SMASH beer it turned out 1.88%

Took it round to my local microbrewery for evaluation, they were gobsmacked !

So much so they gave me the recipe, and ingredients for, their best selling beer.

It has been in bottle for 12 days I shall take it round to them in 15 days time.

I use safale yeast they have their own - they carbon filter the water, I don't - they control the fermentation temperature, I don't - at end of fermentation they chill down to 6 deg C - I don't..............

They had already decided to make a weaker beer (2.3 abv)

Can't wait to try my version of their best seller !
 
When you drain and sparge, you don't want it to go fast. Full batch should take 45 minutes to an hour. After straining did you sparge?
 
Once drained, I dunked the bag in hot water, then left in for 10 mins.... Mixed the 2 worts then started the boil..
 
Drain and sparge should, imho, be as fast as possible without pulling down the grain into a solid block that slows up drain rate - 15 minutes is average for me.
 
Ordered ingredients to do this doubled up - will my 19~ litre pan be suitable for a 10 litre mash and boil?

2k Maris Otter
10g Dr Rudi hops @ 60minutes
20g Dr Rudi hops @ 5minutes

Any advice on using some more of the hops up at flame out or dry hopping? Or perhaps increasing the hop dosage to bump the IBU's up? Or should I make a higher abv brew by increasing the amount of malt and then use some extra Rudi to claw the residual sweetness back down?

Will ferment with US-05 hopefully around 18C.
 
I have tried this method doing a 5l batch just awaiting my end result cant wait.
Thanks for the post 😉
 
re my post #977
head brewer said my beer was identical to their best seller EXCEPT carbonisation was a little higher - expected as I bottle.

Told him to wait 20 minutes before drinking it

So different water, yeast, volumes, temperature control yet I MATCHED it......
 
[Warning] Newbie Question:

What does "AG" actually stand for?

Do we have a forum glossary for all of these acronyms?
 

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