First Grain Brew

[grabman]

Well the time has come to get my first all grain brew under way, I've done a few partial/mini mash jobs using specialty grains and kit etc but am about to step up the process.

Made my mash tun yesterday as per Doggers idea of copper manifold, got a 50L converted keg, round BBQ as heat source, just waiting on my counterflow chiller and I'm all set.

Was thinking of the recipe below, I've run it through BeerSmith and all seems ok, can anyone see any problems or suggest any changes?

1.50 kg Amber Liquid Extract (12.5 SRM) Extract 37.5 %
2.00 kg Munich Malt (25.0 SRM) Grain 50.0 %
0.50 kg Caramel/Crystal Malt -120L (120.0 SRM) Grain 12.5 %
30.00 gm Hallertauer, New Zealand [8.50%] (60 min) Hops 30.3 IBU
10.00 gm Williamette [5.50%] (5 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
23.00 L Perth Water
1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [Starter 500 ml] Yeast-Ale

This is my first brew without a kit to build on so I want to try and get it right!!

cheers Grab

[Guest]

Grab,

I'd maybe aim for a lower ibu.. on my 1st partial's i was aiming at around 25ibu.. just incase my efficency was really low (therefore pushing the ibu's higher than calculated)
& i tend to make my 1st hop addition lower (usually around the 15-17 mark) & make up the rest of the ibu's with flavouring additions & mash hopping.. but thats just my taste i guess.

cheers & good luck with it
db

[grabman]

cheers db,

still playing and waiting for chiller, all go soon!!

[Dogger Dan]

Grab,

Looks good, what efficiency did you figure you would get? I like mine a bit stronger so I would take that 1.5 kg extract to 1.75 or even 2 kg? I like the 1.75 because then you have 250 g for your starter.

Additionally, I would step up the Irish Moss, I found I had to in order to get rid of the chill haze, found it was much greater using the larger quantity of grain.


Finally, I would substitute the Munich for Pale Malt as there few enzymes in the Munich (so I am told) which will make conversion difficult. I know you will be doing the stops but as this is the first, you may be better guarenteeing the conversion in case you miss the temp profiles.

Just me though

Dogger

[Hillbilly]

Let me know when you get started, might come down the hill to have a sticky!

[grabman]

cheers Dogger,

I worked on 75% as the efficiency level, still getting it all sorted, todays job is to fire up the boiler and make sure the BBQ burner has enough capacity to boil the pot. Also need to fine tune quantities to get deadspace in mash tun correct.

I have changed recipe as well, new one is below:
Name: Bassendean Bitter
Style: English Special or Best Bitter


Type: All Grain
Date: SOON
Batch Size: 21.00 L
Brewer: Simon
Boil Size: 24.04 L Asst Brewer:
Boil Time: 60 min Equipment: The Keg
Taste Rating(out of 50): Brewhouse Efficiency: 75.0
Taste Notes:

Ingredients

Amount Item Type % or IBU
0.75 kg Dark Dry Extract (17.5 SRM) Dry Extract 23.1 %
2.00 kg Munich, Light (Joe White) (9.0 SRM) Grain 61.5 %
0.50 kg Crystal, Dark (Joe White) (110.0 SRM) Grain 15.4 %
25.00 gm Hallertauer, New Zealand [8.50%] (60 min) Hops 26.5 IBU
10.00 gm Williamette [5.50%] (5 min) (Aroma Hop-Steep) Hops -
0.50 tsp Irish Moss (Boil 10.0 min) Misc
23.00 L Perth Water
1 Pkgs American Ale (Wyeast Labs #1056) [Starter 500 ml] Yeast-Ale



Beer Profile

Est Original Gravity: 1.041 SG
Measured Original Gravity: 1.010 SG
Est Final Gravity: 1.010 SG Measured Final Gravity: 1.005 SG
Estimated Alcohol by Vol: 4.0 % Actual Alcohol by Vol: 0.6 %
Bitterness: 26.5 IBU Calories: 90 cal/l
Est Color: 16.8 SRM Color: Color


Mash Profile

Mash Name: Single Infusion, Medium Body, No Mash Out Total Grain Weight: 2.50 kg
Sparge Water: 20.02 L Grain Temperature: 22.2 C
Sparge Temperature: 75.6 C TunTemperature: 22.2 C
Adjust Temp for Equipment: TRUE Mash PH: 5.4 PH

Name Description Step Temp Step Time
Mash In Add 6.52 L of water at 78.6 C 67.8 C 60 min



Mash Notes: Simple single infusion mash for use with most modern well modified grains (about 95% of the time).


HillBilly, I'll let you know when everything is set, still waiting on counterflow chiller to arrive, if it gets here before weekend then Saturday could be the go!

cheers

Grabman

[Hillbilly]

Mate, sounds like a plan

[grabman]

did a "dry" run yesterday without the grains to check on BBQ's efficiency. Needs a few modifications, the standard burner took 60min to raise 24L of water from 20C to 65C, at that rate it won't make the boil for ages!

Will get a new burner form camping store and try again, also now counterflow chiller as yet.

Looks like next weekend now unless miracles happen today!

[Guest]

grab why are you aiming for a 24litre boil? i do my partials (2-2.5kg of grain + 1.5-7kg of extract) as 13-4litre boils.
recently been messing about with this method:

http://www.bmbrews.com.au/index.php/info/partial.html

working well for me. it'd save you the hassle of getting a bigger burner for the time being

db

[Dogger Dan]

I am the same way,

Sorry I missed that, I sparge 12 Litres

Dogger

[grabman]

cheers DD and db,

still no counterflow chiller so not getting started this weekend, will adjust boil for now. Was aiming for whole boil as had been told it gives better results than partial boil.

not up to it today however, had big day yesterday at local micro-brewery (Feral Brewing) consumed many pints of their German Red Ale and Belgian White Ale. Also had a talk with head brewer and a tour of their brew room, very interesting stuff! But today feeling a bit second hand

[Dogger Dan]

Grab,

If you only sparge 12 litres you don't need the counterflow chiller. You can cool the wort the same way you do a kit, with cold water

Dogger

[grabman]

Cheers DD,

so what volume are you boiling? Sparge 12L plus mash volume of 5L is still around 17L total, to make up to 21L you would only add 4L of cold water. Is this enough to lower temp to pitchable level?

Or have I missed something, been on sauce again today!!!!!!

[Dogger Dan]

Grab,

I found I sparge to 12 L so I get 12 L hot liquor, add the 2 kilos of malt extract and boil for an hour or so will allow me to add easy 12 litres cold water to make up the 23 litres (a rule of thumb being you will evaporate at a rate of a gallon or 4 litres per hour of boil).

I liked the balance you had using the liquid malt and the numbers seemed OK. I don't use a lot of dry malt because I find I get rock malt in summer with all the humidity so I can't say 0.75 kilos is enough (whats the water content on LME vs DME anyway, DME being about 1 percent) , sounds a bit light, but hey just me

Using the dry malt will give you even more room for cold water.

Drive on chum and let us know how you make out.

Dogger

[grabman]

cheers DD, the missus wants to go to movies today, but might have a go before we head off. Will report back later, might even grab some pic's of the setup