Brew UK Forum | Grain
Cherry Broken!
Hi All
Completed my first AG brew yesterday, few mistakes but I think it will turn out fine!
My homemade mash tun was a disaster as it wasnt draining the wort properly so I kind of messed the sparging up along with the kitchen floor! I did however manage to seperate the wort from the grain.
I recorded a reading of 1030 on the wort but im sure the temp was still around the 40C mark.
I decided to carry on even though I botched the sparge up.
After my boil I had a reading of 1048 to my surprise, The given reading on beer engine was 1051, so not far off.
I used Notts yeast for the first time and suspended it in a little wort for 15mins before dumping the lot in.
I woke up this morning to find it bubbling away like mad only after 14 hours. Maybe it'l turn out ok after all!
Back to the drawing board on my sparging techniques!
Responses
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
Sounds like its ok to me, just a lil' refinement needed
If you nearly hit target on your first ever ag I reckon you done well. Good on ya sir! What did you brew for your first then mate?
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I bought an insulated water barrel from Costco for £20 and it makes excellent malt, it holds temperature for hours and I can mash around 10 lbs of grain using a mash bag tied around the handles onj its sides. It has a very handy tap at the bottom. It was designed for keeping ice cold water cold for days so I thought it could do the same for malt, and it works! The beer I made from it is going down a treat.
My question to everyone is what happens if I leave the mashing process going over night? Can you mash too long and what are the implications?
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
I believe Greg has mashed overnight and had no problems with his quality. Never done it myself but if yours keeps temp very well it may not loose much overnight anyway meaning there will be no problem!
Most of the processing will happen in the first 2 or so hours so if you mash at bedtime and wake up for a brew that basically means you will be cutting time from your planned brewday. Bonus!
I have had a trawl across t'internet and a fair few people do it. many up the temp a little if overnight mashing though.
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
I've mashed overnight without any issues. Most the starch conversion is done in the first 30 mins so can't really see any issues. I must admit that I haven't done a lot of research into though.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Thanks for the advice guys, I think I might give that a try for my next early morning brew up session. This forum is excellent! The only one around worth keeping an eye on! I ned to get my brother on to this, he's been brewing for years in Sweden, a Beer Doctor like you guys! Thanks!
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Nice one Gazz .... so what exactly was wrong with the mash/sparge - was it a stuck mash? If it was, you won't be alone and it probably isn't the fault of your tun .. could be as simple as running the wort off too quickly!
I'm planning an overnight mash for my next brew - the big beer, small beer. From what I've read up on, the boys above are spot on!
(with grateful thanks to the Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers and slightly adapted)
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Yeah I think it might have been a stuck mash, a little wort would come out then just stop....I just thought my DIY strainer got clogged. What causes a stuck mash and how can I prevent this? I've orederd some grain bags for filtering & sparging next time :-s
Ingredients as follows:
15L Brew
23L Mash liquer in total
3000g Marris Otter
200g Torrefied Wheat
200g Crytsal Malt
30g Cascade (90min)
18g Progress (10min)
13g Cascade (flame out)
Nottingham Danstar Yeast
I checked it this morning and the fermentation has seemed to stop. it was going like mad yesterday aswell. Is this normal? Should i give it a good aeriation or even dump a little Safale in????
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Gazz you may have just been unlucky. The stuck mash could have been caused by over stirring the grain or running off too quickly. As its the first time you've used the tun I would just use as is for the next run and see if it happens again. If it does then looking at changing things.
How do you know the fermentation has stopped, have you checked the gravity over 2 days?
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Its was bubbling like crazy yesterday but now just has a few bubbles if any.
I just checked the gravity and its reading 1010!(have i just lost a week and not realised!)
Something doest seem right to me.
Tastes nice though, Very Hopy!
Posted 1 year ago by Moderator
You may find that the higher ambient temp has helped speed up the yeasties, that is an impressive drop though. Will be interesting to see if it drops any further as I have a packet of Nottinham I was gonna use for my next brew.
Conditionin' - LEB Pale
Conditionin' - Thwaits Nutty Black
Plannin' - A user upper!
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Its pretty warm at the moment so may have completed. See what it reads tomorrow to see if its done but definitely doesn't need any more yeast.
Did you temp adjust you hydrometer readings when you took the initial readings?
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
I took a reading preboil and it was 1030 @ 40c (estimated, forgot to take temp)
After cool down 1048 @ 25c
I never thought it could get to work so quick and finish within 48hours. Then again I have only used Safale and they seem to take 24hours+ to get going.
The temp of the wardrobe is @ 24c but silly me had the vessel dressed in my old life saver jacket type thing!!
The beer was around 26c.
It tasted good this morning so im hoping it'l be ok for my 1st effort! Typical me nothing goes right first time
Also has anyone ever put in that dried gelatine to try and aid clearing? I have some dried sheets in the kitchen, the type for cooking.
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Hi Gazz, gelatine is fine to use. Personally I don't normally bother with any finnings other then Protafloc in the boil and beer usually clears well.
I'm thinking of trying some isinglass in my next brew as I constantly here good things about it.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
Posted 1 year ago by Member
As the guys say above, I think the weather is certainly moving fermentation on quickly - done a brew on Fri for one of my mates and pitched in Safale s-04 about teatime and the next day my friend called to say his airlock was bubbling like mad. Spoke to him today (Sun) and asked him to check on his beer - he said there was no foaming yeast head on the beer but had patches of yeast head. Speaking to him he said there was a lot of scummy deposits on the side of the fermenting bin so it looks like the foaming yeast has been and gone - certainly fast fermentation. Sounds like you did well - first time is trial and error but 1048 achieved from a 1051 target is certainly a magnificent effort for your first brew. I have only done 3 Ag brews and i'm learning and improvising all the time - so well done to you! - whats the next brew to be?
Conditioning - Theakston Old Peculier
Conditioning - Christmas 2010 (Strong Xmas ale)
Maturing - Peach wine kit
Drinking - Summer Lightning, Summer Wit
Posted 1 year ago by Member
Just checked the gravity and its now at 1008, so dropped again. All the signs are there that your mate had, Mr H.
I have a Brupak Rauchbier AG kit that I plan to do when I get the chance. Between the allotment & trying to keep fit I have to grab the opportunity when I can.
Posted 1 year ago by Admin
Gazz, I thinking of making up one of the Brupaks Rauchbiers too, sounds really interesting so will be very keen to know how it goes.
Fermenting:
Conditioning:Pale with Styrians
Drinking:Cascade Pale Ale, Summer Lightning
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