First time with grains.

[tommidolcetto]

Just finished first attempt at using grains, did a partial mash BIAB adding spray malt for boil.

Original Gravity (OG): 1.048 (°P): 11.9
Final Gravity (FG): 1.012 (°P): 3.1
Alcohol (ABV): 4.72 %
Colour (SRM): 6.3 (EBC): 12.4
Bitterness (IBU): 18.5 (Average)

47.62% Dry Malt Extract - Light
47.62% Maris Otter Malt
4.76% Carahell

0.8 g/L Cascade (9.2% Alpha) @ 60 Minutes (Boil)
0.8 g/L Cascade (9.2% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Aroma)
0.8 g/L Citra (14.4% Alpha) @ 15 Minutes (Aroma)
0.8 g/L Cascade (9.2% Alpha) @ 0 Minutes (Aroma)
1.5 g/L Citra (14.4% Alpha) @ 0 Days (Dry Hop)


Single step Infusion at 66°C for 60 Minutes. Boil for 60 Minutes

Fermented at 20°C with Safale US-05

Mashed in 5 litres - bit of messing around to get/keep temperature, sparged with another 2, added spray malt for boil, ended up with 5.5 litres in FV and made up to batch volume of 13.5.
Will dry hop when transferring to 2nd FV, probably 10 days or so.
OG was 1.042 so missed target by some way, guess I'll end up with something around 4% which is fine by me - sort of meant to be a Pale Ale, we'll see!

Any opinions, comments etc gratefully received. Going for a more fully AG BIAB method next.

 

[Duxuk]

This is very much like my "Cascade of Citra", as I pretentiously named it. A seriously good beer. Those flameout and dry hops will make it better than anything you can buy in a bottle. Mine, like yours is a partial. Did you do a mashout? That is raising the temp to about 78C whilst stiring continuously. I did it today when I brewed using Centennial for the first time. It can increase your efficiency by "up to 5 points", according to one source. Sorry, I've got to go to open a bottle of it :

 

[tommidolcetto]

No, no mash out Duxuk, thought about it but I was faffing around with temperature anyway. Such a small amount of water and grain, I'm presuming it's easier with larger volumes in pot.

Will do it next time.

Do you do a full boil when doing a partial or top up in FV?

 

[Duxuk]

No. no full boil, I just don't (yet) have anything big enough to boil in. My next step will be BIAB with a large stockpot (25l). Today I topped up with all boiled water from the kettle. There was no smell of chlorine in the water. I know many would be critcal but if I'm making good beer without water treatment then I won't fix what isn't broken. I am a little confused when people say they have missed their volume. Why not just top up?

 

[tommidolcetto]

Just put this into 2nd FV with the dry hops - 20g Citra - gravity at 1.008, nice and clear, tastes dry and good.
So OG 1.042 FG 1.008 which gives me 4.46%ABV.

Do these figures sound right?
Brewmate calculated 1.048 and 1.012 - diluted to 13.5 litres, not 13, so would have a been a bit lower, plus first time mashing so efficiency was probably always going to be low.

Does a lower FG mean beer is going to be drier?

 

[bunkerbrewer]

Just put this into 2nd FV with the dry hops - 20g Citra - gravity at 1.008, nice and clear, tastes dry and good.
So OG 1.042 FG 1.008 which gives me 4.46%ABV.

Do these figures sound right?
Brewmate calculated 1.048 and 1.012 - diluted to 13.5 litres, not 13, so would have a been a bit lower, plus first time mashing so efficiency was probably always going to be low.

Does a lower FG mean beer is going to be drier?

Yep, BrewMate's default attenuation for all yeast is 75% - 1.048 to 1.012 is 75%.

By my reckoning you managed to get about 80% attenuation - not bad at all! It will be a bit drier, but IMO that makes it a better beer for summer :)

 

[tommidolcetto]

Good stuff - was wanting dry.
It was only a partial mash - had 1kg LME in boil which presumably means high efficiency figures easier to reach?

Got a Maxi BIAB going today so will be interesting to see where I get to with all grain.