What went wrong?!

I tried to clone a dogfish 60 in a partial mash and a lot went wrong... can someone help me? This was my second time brewing with my whole setup.

I tried a batch sparge for the first time. My wort wound up looking like it does in the picture. Tons of sediment from the mash.

I also got a stuck mash... again... I fixed it by blowing into the tube on the bottom of my MT.

I am thinking that it could be my grind or possibly not enough water in the kettle when I put my grains in. But what causes that sediment? I didn't get that the first time I brewed (and fly sparged).

A lot else went wrong but I think I can figure that stuff out on my own, (final volume was off, gravities went from 1.045 pre-boil to 1.08 post boil, my strike temp did not lead to the mash temp I was shooting for at all, etc!).

Thanks a lot!

Your sample looks like the break material is still in suspension. How did you chill your wort after boiling? How long did it take to chill it to pitching temperature? How long did you boil for and was it a good rolling boil?

Mouse

Did you make sure to vorlauf for several minutes before each running from your mash tun? If not that would explain all of the material in your sample.

+1 break material. It'll settle out.

Thanks for the responses. CA mouse: Immersion chiller, took less than twenty minutes after a hard 60 minute boil (with a 5 minute break to retrieve the fermcap dropper that was accidentally thrown into the BK). That sample was actually "pre-boil". So that stuff settles out?

Forstmeister: I did vorlauf each time.

I used a muslin bag over my tube when dumping into the fermenter, that got some too.

Any ideas on the stuck mash?

hammy48 said:

Thanks for the responses. CA mouse: Immersion chiller, took less than twenty minutes after a hard 60 minute boil (with a 5 minute break to retrieve the fermcap dropper that was accidentally thrown into the BK). That sample was actually "pre-boil". So that stuff settles out?

Forstmeister: I did vorlauf each time.

I used a muslin bag over my tube when dumping into the fermenter, that got some too.

Any ideas on the stuck mash?

Click to expand...

If that was before your boil, then that is unfiltered grain particles. after the boil, your break material should all settle to the bottom of the kettle.

a stuck mash usually has happened to me if the grain was pre-milled. I had a really bad stuck sparge with the last batch of grain that was milled at my LHBS that tipped my hand to buying my own mill. I did 3 batches the same week I got my mill, all had larger grain bills and none got stuck. You may want to ask that your LHBS open their rollers a little (if you are having your grains milled for you).

Mouse

I would say it is either or both too fine a grind and possibly too quick of a drain. Vorlauf until clear then drain fully. If it sticks re-vorlauf and go again.

On the stuck sparge...add a handfull of rice hulls...it works.

what kind of bottom are you using on your MT is it metal or rubber, my rubber one would collapse at over 14lbs of grain and cause stuck sparges upgraded to a copper pipe and now everthing works great. Rice hulls are awesome and drain slow for a while than you can open it up but let it run slow for a while at first.

I grind my own grain and I thought it was okay based on comparison to pictures of good grinds I've seen online.

I didn't realize you had to drain slowly... I just opened it up fully after the vorloff.

My false bottom is perforated stainless steel.

hammy48 said:

I used a muslin bag over my tube when dumping into the fermenter, that got some too.

Click to expand...

Ever try Whirlfloc tabs? They really help for clearing in the kettle. Also, if you have the capacity to add a ball valve to your kettle, that can be of significant benefit too when compared to pouring.