Notes on first AG brew with all-in-one system - any advice?

[Fil]

I know I am supposed to stick to the same recipe until I get comfortable with the process - that is actually the plan.

But let's suppose I would like this beer to be hoppier. Could I set 5L aside on a separate FV and chuck in some extra hops, for example double the amount of Citra during dry hopping?

Thanks guys!

Of course you can, go for it. If your mash is converting sugars sufficient to hit your expected gravity targets and you have a good tasting brew in your hand i would suggest you have the brewing process sorted, sure you will refine the technique that will suite you, your equipment and brewspot.

And a split is a very good idea if your contemplating a hop bomb, lots of the US psuedo punk beers with huge late hop additions simply mask a humdrum beer behind the heavy hop mask, if you split the brew and add less hops to one share you can be sure your base beer is good too :whistle:

 

[Slid]

Hmmm -

I set it to 2500W for mashing and it kept the temperature fairly constant throughout the 60 min (+/- 1 C).

If there is a lower setting than this, say 500W, then this may be preferable during the one hour mash. It is only during the actual mash that this is the case. For most of the rest of the time, 1800 or 2500 seems fine.

Personally, I think that most HB's overdo the boil. A very gentle boil on the stove did fine for my clibit-style partial mash efforts and upping the power will not increase the temperature of the boil, so what is the scientific reasoning for it?

I suspect that a good rolling boil is similar to revving a car at the traffic lights.

 

[dps51]

when I did my boil doing a biab it never ever got to good rolling boil
just a good simmer and it all turned out ok
now I got a ace system I get a good rolling boil
but I was thinking do need a good rolling boil for 60 or 90 min
so next brew I will try a good simmer