Feedback on my proposed setup for first all-grain adventure!

[Richard2020]

Just finished- will report back with readings.
Yes thanks- I have a 75w aquarium heater in a big plastic builders bucket with the FV inside that. The bucket is filled with water. The lot is sitting on a heat pad. Will see how it is in the am!

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Just finished- will report back with readings.
Yes thanks- I have a 75w aquarium heater in a big plastic builders bucket with the FV inside that. The bucket is filled with water. The lot is sitting on a heat pad. Will see how it is in the am!

I have a carpet and a load of towels wrapped round mine to keep the heat in - it's cold out there!

 

[Richard2020]

I have been out to check on it like an old Mother Hen and it seems to be fine, it's about 17* in the aquarium, not got a thermometer in the brew itself. it's a lower temp fermentation yeast, it says 17* so we are looking good. If I squint the right way I can almost persuade myself the levels on the airlock aren't level and there is Co2 just building up in there.... maybe....

I think I went wrong somewhere when I opened the tap on the Peco to transfer the wort into the FV- towards the end I got a bit scared at all the trub in the bottom of the Peco, it started to swell up like miso soup, so I shut it off for the last 3-4 litres and chucked them because they looked dirty.... when I checked my FV, I only have 18 litres.... B*gger b*gger b*gger!! I should probably just have stuck the lot into the FV and let it settle out. hey ho.

but still v pleased with my first outing. Gravity was reading I think .044 but there were a lot of bubbles in the trial jar. I'll check again in the am when they've gone. it was meant to be .047 but I take that as a win for my first brew!

thanks to all for all your help on here- you've been brilliant!

One final word of advice- when you put your copper chiller into the boiler for the last 15 minutes to sterilise it, don't get carried away and connect up the cold water through it by mistake. This will drop the temperature of the boil and take it, er, off the boil. Ask me how I know....

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

I have been out to check on it like an old Mother Hen and it seems to be fine, it's about 17* in the aquarium, not got a thermometer in the brew itself. it's a lower temp fermentation yeast, it says 17* so we are looking good. If I squint the right way I can almost persuade myself the levels on the airlock aren't level and there is Co2 just building up in there.... maybe....

I think I went wrong somewhere when I opened the tap on the Peco to transfer the wort into the FV- towards the end I got a bit scared at all the trub in the bottom of the Peco, it started to swell up like miso soup, so I shut it off for the last 3-4 litres and chucked them because they looked dirty.... when I checked my FV, I only have 18 litres.... B*gger b*gger b*gger!! I should probably just have stuck the lot into the FV and let it settle out. hey ho.

but still v pleased with my first outing. Gravity was reading I think .044 but there were a lot of bubbles in the trial jar. I'll check again in the am when they've gone. it was meant to be .047 but I take that as a win for my first brew!

thanks to all for all your help on here- you've been brilliant!

One final word of advice- when you put your copper chiller into the boiler for the last 15 minutes to sterilise it, don't get carried away and connect up the cold water through it by mistake. This will drop the temperature of the boil and take it, er, off the boil. Ask me how I know....

I call mine Mr Zippo. Only on bank holidays tho'.

One final word of advice- when you put your copper chiller into the boiler for the last 15 minutes to sterilise it, don't get carried away and connect up the cold water through it by mistake. This will drop the temperature of the boil and take it, er, off the boil. Ask me how I know....

Yes I know - done that

but still v pleased with my first outing. Gravity was reading I think .044 but there were a lot of bubbles in the trial jar. I'll check again in the am when they've gone. it was meant to be .047 but I take that as a win for my first brew!

I agree - good start

I have been out to check on it like an old Mother Hen

Yes - that's what home brewers do

Down the road you can get little gadgets Ipsindels and Inkbird thermostats that will do the checking for you

Don't expect to see any CO2 from fermentation for 24 to 36 hours (if you maintain a good temperature - loner if you don't)

What happens when you pitch the yeast is that the yeats cells reproduce like mad, and in doing so use up all the oxygen in the wort to reproduce as fast as they can (that's why you should get as much oxygen as you can at this stage (the opposite is true later in the process). You want them to reproduce as fast as they can because this reduces the chance of infection by wild yeast and bacteria

Only when there is no oxygen left will it start to ferment - fermentation is an anaerobic process i.e. only takes place in the absence of oxygen - so give the yeast cells time to do what they need i.e. use up all the oxygen by reproducing

In the meantime just enjoy some beer!

 

[chrisb8]

I have been out to check on it like an old Mother Hen and it seems to be fine, it's about 17* in the aquarium, not got a thermometer in the brew itself. it's a lower temp fermentation yeast, it says 17* so we are looking good. If I squint the right way I can almost persuade myself the levels on the airlock aren't level and there is Co2 just building up in there.... maybe....

I think I went wrong somewhere when I opened the tap on the Peco to transfer the wort into the FV- towards the end I got a bit scared at all the trub in the bottom of the Peco, it started to swell up like miso soup, so I shut it off for the last 3-4 litres and chucked them because they looked dirty.... when I checked my FV, I only have 18 litres.... B*gger b*gger b*gger!! I should probably just have stuck the lot into the FV and let it settle out. hey ho.

but still v pleased with my first outing. Gravity was reading I think .044 but there were a lot of bubbles in the trial jar. I'll check again in the am when they've gone. it was meant to be .047 but I take that as a win for my first brew!

thanks to all for all your help on here- you've been brilliant!

One final word of advice- when you put your copper chiller into the boiler for the last 15 minutes to sterilise it, don't get carried away and connect up the cold water through it by mistake. This will drop the temperature of the boil and take it, er, off the boil. Ask me how I know....

Seems like all went well. It's a learning curve and it sounds like you have learnt a lot

 

[micklupulo]

I am soon to revert to AG after a break of 20 plus years and have dug out my old Electrim bin as attached. The Dark Rock Tribute to Tribute kit I have waiting in the garage has 4kg of pale malt to mash and the boiler is shallower than the modern version so I have cleaned up an old microwave stand ( in pic) which fits in snugly at the bottom of the boiler and will prevent the mash bag from coming into contact with the element. I wonder if anyone can see any problems with this?

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

I am soon to revert to AG after a break of 20 plus years and have dug out my old Electrim bin as attached. The Dark Rock Tribute to Tribute kit I have waiting in the garage has 4kg of pale malt to mash and the boiler is shallower than the modern version so I have cleaned up an old microwave stand ( in pic) which fits in snugly at the bottom of the boiler and will prevent the mash bag from coming into contact with the element. I wonder if anyone can see any problems with this?View attachment 39314

Seems logical to me

 

[micklupulo]

Seems logical to me

Thanks. I have seen that some manage to wrap the boiler and maintain the mashing temp but I intend to do this next month in an unheated utility room. The boiler instructions say a mashing temp can be set on approx notch 4 so it seems logical to me to go with that method hence my query.

 

[Obadiah Boondoggle]

Thanks. I have seen that some manage to wrap the boiler and maintain the mashing temp but I intend to do this next month in an unheated utility room. The boiler instructions say a mashing temp can be set on approx notch 4 so it seems logical to me to go with that method hence my query.

If you are brewing in an unheated utility room I suggest that you might have some insulation ready in case needed - I use and old carpet and some towels

This should cut your energy usage and just in case the boiler struggles

 

[micklupulo]

If you are brewing in an unheated utility room I suggest that you might have some insulation ready in case needed - I use and old carpet and some towels

This should cut your energy usage and just in case the boiler struggles

Yes thanks and perhaps I should have clarified that I am mashing and boiling there but the fermentation will be done indoors.

 

[The-Engineer-That-Brews]

I am soon to revert to AG after a break of 20 plus years and have dug out my old Electrim bin as attached. The Dark Rock Tribute to Tribute kit I have waiting in the garage has 4kg of pale malt to mash and the boiler is shallower than the modern version so I have cleaned up an old microwave stand ( in pic) which fits in snugly at the bottom of the boiler and will prevent the mash bag from coming into contact with the element. I wonder if anyone can see any problems with this?View attachment 39314

Looks good to me!

 

[Pavalijo]

Hey Richard, I get my Peco this week and read this thread with interest - but you need to come back and finish off the story please!