small batch-high grain bill-GF mash/sparge help

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hi all,
I had probs the last time I brewed a high grain bill in a small batch (10l)
my calculations were all ova the shop!

grain bill 4.5kg
the GF calculations is
Mash 15.65l
sparge 1.95l

doesn't seem right..mind I'm a plank:doh:
n that isn't looking at hop absorption...
any help pls even saying that's the right calculation.:thumb:
bri
 
The calc makes sense to me if a little weird but if you look at your grain bill you'll need the same amount of water to mash it regardless of total batch size.

If you take that principal then you only need to top up to the final volume with the sparge (less absorption and losses). However the weird bit is that you're not going to rinse much more sugar out of the mash with 1.95 litres!!!

Maybe reduce the grain bill?
 
Hi
60 minute boil.
This is Barley Wine 10l
As you know needs the big Grain bill for the ABV!
Unless I cut the Grain bill and add sugar at 10mins or less to still get the 10.3% abv...???
Hmmmmm! 1.9l what's is going to wash!! Haha!!
Bri
 
Only other option would be to sparge more and boil it all away, would take a while though. Or you could go partigyle style and after sparging as the formula says set the basket over another bucket and sparge fully and see if you can make a 2nd lighter beer. That's exactly what I'm trying to work out the logistics for at the moment since I want to brew a 12 - 15 L batch of tripel and wee heavy.
 
There is another option...

https://www.grainfather.com/blog/week-74-reiterated-mashing/

Never tried it but it might help you out. It's something I'm interested in doing as I fancy a really big brew. I reckon with the standard water calcs you'd miss your predicted og by quite a bit.

Another option is to buy a bag of spray malt, check the pre-boil gravity and add spray malt to get to target.

Final option, and something I've toyed with for a while, is just do an extract/partial mash brew in the GF, most of a barley wine recipe is just pale malt anyway right?
 
There is another option...

https://www.grainfather.com/blog/week-74-reiterated-mashing/

Never tried it but it might help you out. It's something I'm interested in doing as I fancy a really big brew. I reckon with the standard water calcs you'd miss your predicted og by quite a bit.

Another option is to buy a bag of spray malt, check the pre-boil gravity and add spray malt to get to target.

Final option, and something I've toyed with for a while, is just do an extract/partial mash brew in the GF, most of a barley wine recipe is just pale malt anyway right?

This is one option I have done a couple of times using a bland kit like a Coopers Lager plus a 6kg or so grain bill to get an Old Ale / BW sort of strength.

The numbers look OK-ish by the GF calculations, but the main issue with a small brew length is that you could get 10L in the FV and only 8L in the bottles at the end.
 
Hi
60 minute boil.
This is Barley Wine 10l
As you know needs the big Grain bill for the ABV!
Unless I cut the Grain bill and add sugar at 10mins or less to still get the 10.3% abv...???
Hmmmmm! 1.9l what's is going to wash!! Haha!!
Bri


I think that GH uses honey in his barley wine recipe IIRC, i can't check atm as my copy is up at my old boys, fairly sure it's added towards the end of the boil.
 
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