110 replies to this topic

[HVB]

did you change something about your process for the increase in efficiency?

I did a sort of step mash (144/160/170) and I also bifurcated my wort return so that I get a better coverage over the grain bed.  Before I had it return to the whirlpool port and now I go both to the whirlpool port and also on top of the grain bed with this guy.

 

[positiveContact]

So you are constantly circulating during the mash?

I'm trying to imagine the impact. Maybe uneven mash temp? Like some mash was not as warm as you thought until you changed the flow?

[HVB]

So you are constantly circulating during the mash?

I'm trying to imagine the impact. Maybe uneven mash temp? Like some mash was not as warm as you thought until you changed the flow?

Yes, I have circulated for years but that was always in a MLT with a hose at the top that would hit the side of the kettle and distribute the wort.  Since going to all in one vessel I found it hard to recirculate the way I wanted.  I think having the wort going back into the kettle so low was not doing a very good job.  I also do not mix during the mash so I think the top was not getting agitated at all.

[positiveContact]

Yes, I have circulated for years but that was always in a MLT with a hose at the top that would hit the side of the kettle and distribute the wort. Since going to all in one vessel I found it hard to recirculate the way I wanted. I think having the wort going back into the kettle so low was not doing a very good job. I also do not mix during the mash so I think the top was not getting agitated at all.

Do you mix at the start to break up clumps of grain? If I didn't mix I'd often have giant dough balls.

Edited by Mando, 25 January 2021 - 10:59 AM.

[HVB]

Do you mix at the start to break up clumps of grain? If I didn't mix I'd often have giant dough balls.

Yes.  I should have been more clear.  I will mix it all up so there are not dougballz but after that I do not stir it again.  Back in the day in the cooler days I would mix it up a few times like with  45, 30, 15 minutes left.  

[positiveContact]

Oh, after initial breakup of dough balls I don't touch it.

[HVB]

Spontaneous brewday here. Decided to do a porter of sorts but it is also using up some grains I had leftover. Rye chocolate and some smoke malt in this one along with some brown malt. Cellar smells great.

[positiveContact]

Spontaneous brewday here. Decided to do a porter of sorts but it is also using up some grains I had leftover. Rye chocolate and some smoke malt in this one along with some brown malt. Cellar smells great.

 

yum!

[Gusso]

Looking at doing a pressurized pilsner on Saturday. I've done pseudo lagers, but never a true pilsner/lager. Oh well, we'll see how it goes.

[positiveContact]

What yeast?

My two cents...

Start at the cool end of the yeast temp range. Let it ferment until it starts to slow at all and start ramping the temp up. Keep it going and try to finish in the low 60s.

[Gusso]

34/70. I'm doing it at room temp under pressure. I never did lagers since I don't have temp controlled fermentation. I figured I try it out under pressure. It supposedly works.

[positiveContact]

34/70. I'm doing it at room temp under pressure. I never did lagers since I don't have temp controlled fermentation. I figured I try it out under pressure. It supposedly works.

I hear that yeast does well at ale temps so should be good

[Gusso]

I don't mind trying different things. I love getting carbonated beer from the SPUNDit!

[HVB]

I hear that yeast does well at ale temps so should be good

The pressure will suppress any esters too from a higher temp.  I believe I read that was a pro of pressure fermentation.

[positiveContact]

The pressure will suppress any esters too from a higher temp.  I believe I read that was a pro of pressure fermentation.

 

that's the word on the street.  I don't actually ferment under pressure until the latter portion of my fermentation so I've never tried it out.  I find the bubbling easier to use to guess at activity level than the hissing sound of the PRV.  maybe I should give it a shot on my next lager.

[HVB]

that's the word on the street.  I don't actually ferment under pressure until the latter portion of my fermentation so I've never tried it out.  I find the bubbling easier to use to guess at activity level than the hissing sound of the PRV.  maybe I should give it a shot on my next lager.

 

In a perfect world I would love to do a side by side comparison but I am not sure I have that much time and energy anymore. 

[positiveContact]

hoping to sneak a beer in on sunday but my hop supplies are a little limited.  making something APA/IPA like.  I have some columbus, galena, 4oz of citra, some bravo, some eldorado and some wilammette.

 

I'm thinking I might bitter with galena and then do all of my late hops with citra/eldorado/bravo.  I have more citra and eldorado showing up in the next couple of weeks so I can probably count on dry hopping with some new stock.  come on Ted!!!!

[HVB]

hoping to sneak a beer in on sunday but my hop supplies are a little limited.  making something APA/IPA like.  I have some columbus, galena, 4oz of citra, some bravo, some eldorado and some wilammette.

 

I'm thinking I might bitter with galena and then do all of my late hops with citra/eldorado/bravo.  I have more citra and eldorado showing up in the next couple of weeks so I can probably count on dry hopping with some new stock.  come on Ted!!!!

I do not know what you have for oz but I would use the Galena to bitter, Columbus and Bravo in the WP and if you have enough (oz or two) of Citra and El do add a touch of them to the WP and then DH the heck out of it.

[positiveContact]

I do not know what you have for oz but I would use the Galena to bitter, Columbus and Bravo in the WP and if you have enough (oz or two) of Citra and El do add a touch of them to the WP and then DH the heck out of it.

 

I don't know how much columbus I have.  I must have forgot to account for some use at some point b/c I know my inventory spreadsheet is way high.

 

colubmus: maybe 4oz???

citra: 4oz

galena: 3.x oz

bravo: 6.5 oz

eldorado: 9.5 oz

 

once my new hops get here I'll have an additional pound of chinook, citra and eldorado as well as azacca and idaho 7.  so on the dry hop side I might have more flexibility.

[HVB]

I don't know how much columbus I have.  I must have forgot to account for some use at some point b/c I know my inventory spreadsheet is way high.

 

colubmus: maybe 4oz???

citra: 4oz

galena: 3.x oz

bravo: 6.5 oz

eldorado: 9.5 oz

 

once my new hops get here I'll have an additional pound of chinook, citra and eldorado as well as azacca and idaho 7.  so on the dry hop side I might have more flexibility.

I guess there are 2 ways to approach it.  If you want to use the new Citra and El-Do for the DH I would use what you have up in the WP.  If you want to save them just in case I would use the 4oz of Columbus and 4 oz of Bravo in the WP and then DH with Citra and El-Do.  You could add the rest of the Bravo in the DH as well.

 

I also feel like a hop hoarder now!