Any experience brewing high gravity beers using all grain method + DME or LME ?

[Garage12brewing]

Hi guys !

Is any of you are using a mash tun that has a maximum of around 13lbs of grains or so ?

With my Braumeister I am limited to about 1.060 OG or so... so sometimes I use some DME to raise the gravity of my wort.

I usually add the DME with about 15 minutes left to the boil thats good ?

I never used more than 4 pounds of DME... is there a maximum that you could use ? I guess that there is no limits but I am curious.

I want to brew an Imperial Stout with around 1.090 - 1.0100 OG so I will need lots of DME so I want to make sure there is no problem before going into it. I once did a 1.080 beer by doing a double mash but its way longer than using DME and I always had good results boosting the gravity with DME to be honnest...

Thanks for you opinions.

 

[Steveruch]

All you're doing is replacing some of the base grain with extract so there's no actual limit to how much extract you use. You can do all extract with specialty grains to make an excellent imperial stout.

 

[Garage12brewing]

All you're doing is replacing some of the base grain with extract so there's no actual limit to how much extract you use. You can do all extract with specialty grains to make an excellent imperial stout.

Ok I tought that there could be a limit in the amount we can use... its a LOT of powder going into the boil kettle lol

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

I will need lots of DME so I want to make sure there is no problem before going into it

What is your approach to "water chemistry"?

 

[Garage12brewing]

What is your approach to "water chemistry"?

?? Im not sure to follow your question...

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

Are you adding brewing salts (e.g. gypsum) as part of the mash or the boil?

 

[Garage12brewing]

Are you adding brewing salts (e.g. gypsum) as part of the mash or the boil?

Oh ! No I dont add anything to my water. I do have a good water well with quite ''neutral'' water that always gave me good results... I havent started to play with water because of that. to be honnest.

 

[BrewnWKopperKat]

OK.

If you were using a "water chemistry" spreadsheet, you would want to check to see if it could "model" a partial mash.

Now that I understand your approach to water, I have no addtional questions/concerns.

 

[bracconiere]

not sure if this is off-topic, but depending on your goals of brewing a BIG beer, i just got ~10% ABV, off a 20lb, 10 gallon batch.....1.070 OG, .995 FG......got the low FG with the help of my trusty friend gluco-amylase......

 

[bracconiere]

on a side note, might want to work on effeciency, with my current numbers i could do a 1.090 brew with 13lb's of malt.....5 gallon batch, deccotion mash....

 

[hottpeper13]

There is alot of ways to do this , so I'll give you my .02, I would mash at 148* for 90 min using as little dark grains as possible, I would add some 120 and 80 and then use the dark DME to make up the rest of my OG. This approach would most likely keep you in the correct pH for the mash. You need 200-250 ppm's of alkalinity If you were to do it all with grains. I can't stress this next item enough....02...02....02 and then some more. I also like making a small beer with the yeast and then I'll have plenty to pitch. My thought is why make a 3 l starter and decant when I can make a 5 gal starter and drink it.

 

[Holden Caulfield]

Hi guys !

Is any of you are using a mash tun that has a maximum of around 13lbs of grains or so ?

With my Braumeister I am limited to about 1.060 OG or so... so sometimes I use some DME to raise the gravity of my wort.

I usually add the DME with about 15 minutes left to the boil thats good ?

I never used more than 4 pounds of DME... is there a maximum that you could use ? I guess that there is no limits but I am curious.

I want to brew an Imperial Stout with around 1.090 - 1.0100 OG so I will need lots of DME so I want to make sure there is no problem before going into it. I once did a 1.080 beer by doing a double mash but its way longer than using DME and I always had good results boosting the gravity with DME to be honnest...

Thanks for you opinions.

I don't use a Braumeister, but as others have said adding DME to the boil is never a problem. Belgian beers often add very large amounts of sugars to the boil.

I ran what you want to do through my program as an example of how much DME you would need and your preboil volume and gravity, prior to adding the DME. Not knowing your system losses and your exact grain bill, this is only in the ballpark of what to expect.

 

[hafmpty]

You could also try what’s been termed “Reiterated Mashing.” The idea is you mash and then drain the wort. Then you use that wort from the first mash as the liquid in the second mash. Look it up. They’ve talked about it inBYO and on Brew Strong on the Brewing Network podcast.

 

[Garage12brewing]

You could also try what’s been termed “Reiterated Mashing.” The idea is you mash and then drain the wort. Then you use that wort from the first mash as the liquid in the second mash. Look it up. They’ve talked about it inBYO and on Brew Strong on the Brewing Network podcast.

Yeah I did that method once but it add a lot of time to the brew day. I just got from BAC BREWING from Italia a new part for my Brewmeister that increase by 23% the grain capacity of the mash pipe ! I have been able to get 1.061OG after my mash so I was quite happy. I used way less DME to get my 1.098 gravity to make my russian stout !