Every Second (All grain) brew

[craigite]

So called cos this is what I make every second time. With slight tweeks

Grain
4.0kg Pale malt
150g Wheat malt
300g Crystal Malt

Initial volume 32 litres
Final volume 23 litres
Design efficiency 80%
Design OG 1044
mash in 12 litres @ 67°C for 90mins
spurge with 16.8 litres @77°C (30 mins)
boil 90 mins

Hops
Bitter - Golding 65g for 60 mins
Aroma - Golding 15g for 5 mins (1st try of aroma with this brew)

Brew day.
first try of new recirculation for mash tun cool box. 10mm copper pipe arrived (ebay) on Saturday.)

I intend to set up two PID controllers, one keeping the HLT at probably 77° and the second firing the pump to maintain mash temp.
My pump is a solar panel 12V, they are designed to run all day with water at or over 100° so should do fine for me. The power source for now is my old train set transformer.

The same pump will either circulate wort through coil in HTL or pump sparge water from HTL

Mash tun, simple EH?

but seemed to work.

Checked my temp in the mash tun every 20 mins and run the pump twice to raise from 66 to 67°. Looking forward to getting PID controllers for this :P

Wort as clear as I've seen , mind you, I've never seen anyone else brew.

The little jacket on the boiler seems to have helped get a good boil; the garage still a bit cool

Tidy up a bit, get the cooling coil ready. I leave the HLT out as I take the hot water from the cooling coil and save it to wash up.

Aroma hops will go in a sock, that will then be used as filter; see later. Irish moss hydrating in jug.

Yes that is a cup of tea, no beer just yet , taking one of boys pals home later, then it's a glass of brew :drink: or two? :

fish out aroma hops

Is there a better way to spend 14th Feb? :whistle:

Gravity check before I pitch starter = 1047
A little higher than I expected but fine.
Made up starter last night; 100g dry extract in 2 litres water, boiled for 10mins cooled the pitched on some of yeast from brew bottled earlier.

If it works all post follow up.


For those better at IBU calcs ? :wha:

I think the 60min golding 65g gives 37 with possibly a further 1 from the 5mins aroma giving 38 IBU. Any thoughts?

:thumb:

 

[Muddydisco]

Excellent Brewday and Pic's :thumb:
Tis a shame your so far away!
Good looking recipe :thumb:

 

[unclepumble]

great post, great pics keep em coming.

UP

 

[evanvine]

Excellent pics, excellent brewday.
Your post will be inspirational to a lot of "would be" AG brewers.

 

[Bru4u]

Nice setup and good lookin brewday with nice clear runnings, thanks for sharing that Craig :thumb:

 

[pjbiker]

The same pump will either circulate wort through coil in HTL or pump sparge water from HTL

I Like the clever valve arrangement, got me thinking RIMS now. Havin a ponder, when I get a pump and the new HLT and a PID.....

The little jacket on the boiler seems to have helped get a good boil; the garage still a bit cool

but you can't see how shiny it is :grin: I should probably do that too but inevitably I'll get sticky wort all inside it when it boils over.

 

[evanvine]

Yes that is a cup of tea

Been through the pics 3X and still can't spot it, must be blind! (self conscious grin)

 

[corby_brewer]

Been through the pics 3X and still can't spot it, must be blind! (self conscious grin)

Its in the BLUE CUP next to thr strainer!!!!

 

[evanvine]

Thanks CB, don't know where to put myself now. (deep embarassasment)

 

[craigite]

Thanks CB, don't know where to put myself now. (deep embarassasment)

deep blue?

 

[craigite]

OK, fermentation in the hot cupboard in underway. Good signs of action by 11pm last night and there's a good head to skim off this morning, then a quick rouse and now just need to leave alone for a while. :thumb:

Hot cupboard only at between 20° and 21°, so the fermentation is a little slower than norm but that might stop the overflow.

Time for a Porter? :drink:
See if I can sneek a glass without the boss seeing. Failed.
Two glasses it is. :

 

[corby_brewer]

there's a good head to skim off this morning,

Forgive me for asking this question, but what advantages are there is skimming?
P.S Great brew day by the way :thumb:

 

[craigite]

I do it in the hope that less yuck at the bottom means less chance of off flavours.
Mind you, I will be skimming off some good yeast and that a bit of a bummer.

So I only do it if there is enough dark brown yuck to make it worth it.

I'm sure there's a few on here who can name the yuck?

 

[corby_brewer]

So I only do it if there is enough dark brown yuck to make it worth it.

I see, so you only take the dark stuff off not the complete yeast head?

 

[evanvine]

So I only do it if there is enough dark brown yuck to make it worth it.

I do it slightly differently, but achieve the same result.
When the the head has fully formed with all the cold break material and other crud on top, I syphon off into a second primary fermenter.
This leaves most of the un-wanteds clinging to the side and the rest is left in the bottom.
A new, very much cleaner head, forms in an hour or two.
When this head has dissipated I transfer to a secondary fermenter and fit an air lock.
The beer is then left to ferment out.

 

[unclepumble]

So I only do it if there is enough dark brown yuck to make it worth it.

I do it slightly differently, but achieve the same result.
When the the head has fully formed with all the cold break material and other crud on top, I syphon off into a second primary fermenter.
This leaves most of the un-wanteds clinging to the side and the rest is left in the bottom.
A new, very much cleaner head, forms in an hour or two.
When this head has dissipated I transfer to a secondary fermenter and fit an air lock.
The beer is then left to ferment out.

So your an experienced participant in the Double Drop technique then EV!

UP

 

[evanvine]

So your an experienced participant in the Double Drop technique then EV!

In a word, yes!
I know a lot of Forum members don't favour the method, mainly for risk of "infection", but I feel that as there is so much CO2 being generated this is minimised.

 

[Muddydisco]

If I had a spare fermentor at the moment I would of had a go at the double drop and see if it makes a difference.
Next time I will have my new fermentors so I will do it then.