Doing It Solo...

[GASoline71]

My fist AG brew was last Friday. I did it over at a buddy's house that had made the leap to AG brewing long before me. I have all the equipment I need (cooler mash tun), and just yesterday installed a ball valve in my 8 gallon pot. Needless to say it was interesting pouring 5 gallons of wort through a strainer into my fermenting bucket over at my friends house. Doing the whole AG process was a blast. The Pale Ale I brewed is coming along nicely in the fermenter, and I am so glad to now start on my own.

So today and tomorrow are my days off and I am going solo on my second AG brew. Going to do an American Style Hefeweizen for the wife. She loves wheat beers, and I've brewed this beer as an extract brew for her before. So I think it will turn out good as an AG brew. Here's the AG recipe for 5 gallons (6.5 gallon boil):

4 lbs 2-row
3 lbs wheat malt
1 lb flaked wheat
1 lb rice hulls

.5 oz Amarillo pellets @ 60
.5 oz Amarillo pellets @ 2

WLP320 (I've used Wyeast 1010 in the past with great results. Wanted to use White Labs for comparison.)

Do I have enough rice hulls for the amount of wheat malt? Or do I even need any? I'm also trying to keep the ABV down just below 5% as the wife like to enjoy 2 or more without getting drunk. Beersmith puts the ABV to around 4.4%

I used the Amarillo hops to get a little citrus flavor in there, and it worked out great in the extract brew. I guess Ahtanums could be used as well. I would have went with Cascades (one of my faves), but she doesn't care too much for the grapefruit taste they can put out.

Anyways... looking forward to getting at it. Thanks to all that are here at HBT... this web forum has been a huge help in the last 2 years for me.

Gary

 

[Felixio]

I haven't done any AG yet, I'm still getting my set up together, but here is a hbt competition winning wheat that has 4.5 lb wheat malt and 0.5 lb rice hulls. I hope that gives you good direction.

https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f70/am...ce-best-show-2011-hbt-bjcp-competition-238940

 

[cheezydemon3]

I would up the 2 row a little. Your efficiency might not be off of thecharts, then again, maybe a little DME on hand in case and wing it!

 

[Tupperwolf]

Half a pound of rice hulls should be fine. I don't think a pound will hurt anything but is a bit overkill. I would also up the base malt a little... My efficiency wasn't great my first few batches, though it's mostly down to the crush.

I brewed the recipe posted above and it is totally fantastic (I used very slightly more hops than that recipe, just rounded up from grams to the nearest half ounce, and also used Vienna instead of Munich malt). Half a pound of hulls was fine.

 

[GASoline71]

I'm sure my efficiency isn't all that fantastic. I haven't done enough batches to figure out where I'm at with that. So I'll err on the side of caution and add another pound, to a pound and a half of 2-row. Now that I kind of visualize it... 1 pound of rice hulls is a lot. I will also step that down to half a pound as well.

Thanks guys!

Gary

 

[GASoline71]

Oh yeah... do the rice hulls go through the grain mill? Or add them as is?

Gary

 

[etrain666]

Keep the rice hulls and the flaked stuff out of the mill or face the wrath of the shop manager.

 

[acidrain]

Congrats on going AG!
Bazooka tubes tend to get clogged easier than FB's. I think 1/2 lb rice hulls will be fine either way. If it does get stuck, blow air into the drain to free it up (this has always worked for me with a FB).
Soak the rice hulls in water first, then strain and add the the grist. That will keep them from soaking up too much precious wort.

 

[revco]

I use 1lb of hulls in 10 gallon batches and 1/2lb in 5 gallon batches. Works just fine for me.

If you do soak and rinse the hulls ahead of time (recommended), make sure you account for this in your infusion temps. I have found it beneficial to go about 4-8 degrees over my "typical" infusion temps, depending on the season. This is more a problem for me in the winter months, since the wet hulls tend to suck up cold like no one's business.

Congrats on the move to AG! Have fun!

 

[jmh286]

I use half a pound of rice hulls in my Hefeweizen recipe and that has 9 lbs of wheat malt so half a pound should more than suffice for 3 lbs. Like everyone else has said, I would either up the wheat malt or the 2 row, it will help out if your efficiency takes a hit.

 

[latium]

Here's one that I brewed a couple years ago:

5 lbs German wheat
3 lbs German pilsner
1 lb Briess wheat DME
0.75 oz Hallerrtau (4.3% AA) (probably at 60 minutes; didn't note it)
1 pkg Wyeast 3068 Weihenstephan Weizen
90-minute boil (because of the pilsner)
Fermented at 62°F (based on Jamil's recommendation in Brewing Classic Styles)

I had to add the DME to bump my OG up to 1.050. I didn't use any rice hulls because I wanted to try making bread with it. I can't quite remember, but the mash may have stuck a little, but it was okay without the rice hulls overall. I have used them, just wanted to try without them if possible. Anyway, put them in a colander and rinse them off before adding to your mash, if you use them.

It finished around 1.012 and had great banana notes. I think I'd add another pound of both grains next time I brew it in order to avoid needing the DME.

 

[GASoline71]

I am not going to be able to brew tonight, so I will head to the LHBS and pick up more grain tomorrow, and then brew tomorrow early evening. I adjusted the recipe to 5lbs of 2-row and 4 lbs of wheat malt. Also only going to use a half pound of rice hulls. It has brought the ABV up to 5.4%. But that's also based on 72% efficiency. I'm also going to pick up acouple pounds of DME... just in case.

Thanks for all the hints guys. It's what makes this forum so damn cool.

I'm also basing this on a mash thickness of 1.25... Too thick? too thin?

Gary

 

[geologyguy]

I brewed a weizen a few weeks ago and it came out great. I used more wheat than 2 row and use the wyeast 3068. I also did not use rice hulls and did not have a problem. The way I did it was add water grain then mix water grain mix ect. That method sure helped form getting a stuck sparge. Good Luck

 

[acidrain]

I'm also basing this on a mash thickness of 1.25... Too thick? too thin?

Gary

Perfect starting point. Have a couple gallons of hot, and a couple gallons of cold water ready so you can adjust the temp up or down as needed.

 

[latium]

The 1.25 qts/lb is what I usually use. I really second the idea to have hot and cold water handy. I boil a teakettle of water on the stove before I dough in so that it's not a mad rush if I'm a little low. If it's a little high, a few ice cubes work just fine for me.

 

[justkev52]

I'm sure my efficiency isn't all that fantastic. I haven't done enough batches to figure out where I'm at with that. So I'll err on the side of caution and add another pound, to a pound and a half of 2-row. Now that I kind of visualize it... 1 pound of rice hulls is a lot. I will also step that down to half a pound as well.

Thanks guys!

Gary

Rinse the rice hulls first.
You'll thank me later.

 

[Tupperwolf]

I did a brew without rinsing or hydrating the hulls and had no problems, but I've heard of this a couple of times recently so I'm going to look into it before doing another wheat brew tomorrow.

 

[anico4704]

If you batch sparge try to keep the sparge water around 168 so it acts as a mash out then you should have no issues with a stuck sparge. If you fly sparge definitely mash out. You can even mash out with a batch sparge to prevent a sticking on first runnings

Also if you look up the Bee Cav Bavarian hef on this site its one of the easiest and best brews i consistently brew. Everyone loves ot

 

[BrewerBear]

How did the first solo go?

 

[Dougie63]

I prefer to brew without a partner, for me less mistakes are made as I dont get sidetracked

 

[GASoline71]

How did the first solo go?

It went great! I used the half pound of rice hulls, but probably could have got by with way less. No stuck mash, and my efficiency was better than I expected. I hit all my gravitates right where they should have been. My wife got me a refractometer for Xmas, and it was awesome watching the gravity go up as the wort boiled. Thanks for all the tips and tricks from everybody!

My wife was totally entranced with the all grain brewing process. She was trying to picture how I was going to make wort out of grain, instead of using jugs of sticky extract like before. She helped with adding the grain to the mash tun (cooler) while I stirred them in. I am so happy she loves this hobby as much as I do!

Thanks again you'se guys!

Gary

 

[geologyguy]

I prefer to brew without a partner, for me less mistakes are made as I dont get sidetracked

I agree with you there. It is a bit more work but you have a control on everything

 

[Tupperwolf]

Rinse the rice hulls first.
You'll thank me later.

I brewed another wheat beer yesterday. I rinsed the rice hulls. HUGE mess. Never bothering with it again! :smack: A clump of stray hulls got away from me and clogged my sink up completely, and I ended up with two large bowls and a strainer that I had to take out in the yard and rinse with the hose. Not rinsing hulls certainly didn't hurt my first batch of wheat, it was the best beer I've made to date.

Gary, glad to hear the brew day went well! Pretty nice to have SWMBO help you!

 

[GASoline71]

I didn't rinse the rice hulls either. Seemed aokay as well.

When I met my wife she was a Coors Light girl... now she drinks almost anything I keg with the exception of the really hoppy stuff. My next AG will be an Oatmeal Stout that I whipped up. I'm hoping she likes that as well.

Gary

 

[GASoline71]

Update... the first AG Pale Ale I did with my buddy turned out fantastic.

The first solo brew I did is still in the keg carbing/conditioning. I did taste it as I kegged it, and it seemed to taste pretty good. Will see in another week or so.

Gary

 

[Tupperwolf]

Glad to hear it!

 

[GASoline71]

The Wheat beer has turned out fantastic. It's a nice cloudy, golden yellow color, and has great flavor... just as I wanted. The only thing is... not much head retention. All my wheat beers have turned out that way though. I've always used a pound of flaked wheat to aid in this. Maybe add some carpils next time?

Gary

 

[anico4704]

The Wheat beer has turned out fantastic. It's a nice cloudy, golden yellow color, and has great flavor... just as I wanted. The only thing is... not much head retention. All my wheat beers have turned out that way though. I've always used a pound of flaked wheat to aid in this. Maybe add some carpils next time?

Gary

Thats defintely strange because wheat normally gives off huge head. Are you sure its not something else in your process? Not fully carbed, using dish soap in bottles/glasses and not fully rinsing which cuts down head, thats the only 2 i can think of?

 

[GASoline71]

No dish soap used. I only use kegs, and this beer has been on the gas more than long enough to be fully carbed. Wonder if it could be the flaked wheat I get from the LHBS? Too old? It's kinda weird... but I have never had a wheat beer yet turn out with the head I would like. Even the extract brews I used to do I would add flaked wheat as a steeping grain... still got a thin head.

I'm just stabbing here... but I have been using a 1.25 mash thickness. Should I go thinner or thicker for a wheat beer?

Gary

 

[anico4704]

I usually go with a 1.25 thickness as well and have huge head all the time. What is your psi and temp on your kegerator set at? I use wheat malt not flaked wheat so for example a hef would be 6 lbs red wheat malt and 4 lbs pils and the head is frothy and huge. You could try carapils and if you still have no head you know the issue is not the ingredients then...