31 replies to this topic

[Hines]

i'm trying to collect all of my notes for my return to brewing.

 

Has any concept changed with headspace in the primary?    My Speidel holds  7.9 gallons and I'm only brewing 5 gallon batches.

 

Any concerns there?

 

I might have some follow up questions on some basic stuff, maybe i'll recycle this thread with all of those questions.

[HVB]

I would have no concerns with it.

[positiveContact]

Yeah, no issue.

[Hines]

Here is the rest of my plan.  I have no idea of efficiency.   This is a scottish ale (will do MLPA after this one).  These water quantities are just guesses.   I'll be mashing in one of the electric rigs (think generic grainfather).  It does have a recirculation pump.  Forgot to add, i will use my refractometer for readings.   However it appears my hydrometer is missing ....

 

Target is a 5 gallon batch

 

Bring 5.5 gallons of water up to 155º

Add grain slowly while stirring to prevent clumps(6lbs 10 oz total)

 

Mash @ 153º for one hour

Sparge with 1.5 gallons

 

Remove grain, bring to a rolling boil

 

Add 1 oz Kent hops for 60 minutes

 

Drop chiller in the last 5 minutes of the boil

 

Chill as low as possible (target 65º)

 

Fill primary with wort -give it a few shakes to aerate

 

Add yeast (Propper starter that will be started 24 hours earlier with the shaken not stirred method--mix propper starter, 16 oz distilled water, yeast, cover with tin foil)

 

 

any concerns there?

Edited by Hines, 22 August 2022 - 10:15 AM.

[positiveContact]

Are you trying to hit mash pH? Do you know what's in your water?

I'd suggest using a brewing calculator or at least looking up how many gallons per pound of grain you can expect for absorption so you can estimate the right total volume of water. I can't remember off the top of my head what the number is.

Edited by postSingularityHumanoid, 22 August 2022 - 10:17 AM.

[Hines]

no pH targets.  I'm using spring water.   I haven't had our municipal water tested since 2017 or so.  But when I did back then, it came out pretty dang neutral. I'd have to search for that test result

 

The calculator i used for mash/sparge suggested 2.3 gallons mash and 5.4 for sparge.   I thought that seemed odd, but i probably plugged bad data into the calculator (https://www.morebeer...ater_calculator)

[positiveContact]

Probably depends what you put in for mash thickness. Your mash should general require more water than your sparge.

Are you batch sparging? Oh, wait, is this rig kind of like Biab?

Edited by postSingularityHumanoid, 22 August 2022 - 10:37 AM.

[Hines]

the rig has a "malt pipe."   Think of a stainless cylinder inside of the kettle that holds the grains.    I'll probably order a reusable bag for future batches.  Those seem to keep the wort "cleaner"

[positiveContact]

Can you fit all of the grain and all of the water in there at once? It seems like that would be optimal. Since this is all one vessel you can't really sparge in the traditional sense, right?

[Hines]

I'm sure i can.  That was my original thought but I thought someone poo pooed on that idea.

It has a lip on it so i can raise the malt pipe above the wort and rain the sparge water on top & it flows down into the kettle.

[positiveContact]

I would think you'd fail to rinse the lower portions of that grain tube assuming the sides are perforated. You could try it but if I could swing it I'd just go no sparge. Simple and will still yield good efficiency if you can push down on the grain a little bit to reduce how much wort gets trapped by absorption.

[Hines]

I can do that.  You suggest mash at 7 gallons or 7.5 to offset how much water will be stored in the spent grain?

keep in mind, i can turn on the circulation pump during the mash. I guess that really doesn't rinse the grains, but should keep temperature pretty steady.

[positiveContact]

Yeah, if you can squeeze the grain at all you can slightly lower the absorption number.

[Hines]

now that I have the unit, i realize that i can raise the malt pipe above the wort and let it drain and mash (gently) to get the majority of the volume out of the grain.   If i drain through the bazooka screen, it leaves about 3 quarts in the kettle

[positiveContact]

now that I have the unit, i realize that i can raise the malt pipe above the wort and let it drain and mash (gently) to get the majority of the volume out of the grain.   If i drain through the bazooka screen, it leaves about 3 quarts in the kettle

 

do you have a link to the system you are using?

[HVB]

do you have a link to the system you are using?

https://www.vevor.co...-p_010556912690

[Hines]

that rig is basically several others with a different brand on it.  When I look at some rigs on popular brew sites, it's the same exact hardware with same control panel.   My goal is to make a mini video because I can't even find one on youtube with the EXACT stuff this one has.

[Hines]

it's basically an upgraded version of Mash & Boil  ()

the hardware is the same, but the electronic controls are upgraded.

[positiveContact]

That seems like a great deal for what you get.

[Hines]

SNS yeast starter has been started