I completed my first all grain batch yesterday, I have been brewing extract for over two years now and made the move over to all-grain basically for the fun of it and I like the challenge of working with more variables and being creative and that fact that I may actually get some cost savings after its all over and done. That being said I had some good folks on here advise me on some good recipes to cut my teeth on (https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f66/centennial-blonde-simple-4-all-grain-5-10-gall-42841/#post420400) I didnt have the big 10 gal cooler, but did have a 5 gal cooler. It seemed from my research and guidance from folks on here that as long as I wasn't working a recipe that needed a lot of grain that I could be able to make a full 5 gallon batch with what I had, however just to cut my teeth and do a full test run I just simplified the 5 gal recipe into a 2.5 gal (cut ingredients in half). Without getting into too many crazy details below is how I came out, I have to admit that other than getting my grains to hold at the right temp, my biggest challenge was getting the water amounts right (add to the mash, sparge, and most of all pre boil) and calculate and adjust correct OG.
Estimated OG: 1.040 (this is the original gravity for the 5 gal recipe).
Boil Time: 60 mins.
Mash Temp Target: 150F @ 60 mins
4.375 lbs of grain (I used http://www.brewersfriend.com/mash/ ) to calculate strike water temp & quantities (~5.5qts @ 164 F, I made a transcription error and added 4.5qts). By default it has 1.25qt per lb, target temp 150F.......I had the grains in a bag and put them in my 5 gallon cooler when adding the water my temp was 140-145F, I missed the target but added some additional water (aprox 1/2 - 1 gal) to get it at 150F mark.
Mash Time target 60 mins: I went over 60 mins, more like over 90. I set the timer for 75 to be conservative and did the iodine test, red tint only so it looked at my starches did convert. While getting ready for my next step I lost track of time helping my wife and that cost me at least an extra 20-25 mins, however the cooler did well as the temp was still somewhere between 145-150F. I double checked the starches and same results. The eyeball test on the amount of wort left in the cooler was 1.25-1.5 gal.
Sparge (.5 gal:1lb grain): so .5*4.375 = 2.18gal, so I used ~2-2.25gal to sparge(170F). I used a steamer basket to hold the bag over my brew pot, place a colander over it and sparged with the given amount of water. I let me drain well.
Final Pre Boil Measurements: I had pre-measured volumes in the pot to give a bit more accurate measurement (not perfect but better than the eyeball test), I came up with 3.32 gal in the pre boil. My notes stated that I could expect .5 - 1 gal to evaporate during boil and sediments could be .25 -.5 gal. For me again with the water situation was a bit of a wild card not knowing for sure how much water to start with or to add to get my final 2.5 gal. I could get a better idea of how much to expect to boil off by just doing it by trial and keeping the notes. I used this http://www.brewersfriend.com/dilution-and-boiloff-gravity-calculator/ as a bit of a guideline.
Pre Boil Gravity: 1.032 (T=109F, adjusted)
After Boil: SG: 1.042 (adjusted), with 2.70 gal. I know that I was targeting 2.5gal but also I know that is sediment.
Pitching and Fermentation: I had to use a much larger fermenter than I would like since I have another beer working magic in the primary, however it started to pop a few hours after putting it in the fermenter and popping nicely this morning. Anytime I can get quick fermentation I consider that a success.
So the verdict??? Any guidance on how I did? I know everyone has a way of doing things, sometimes depending on what you have available, but it is all helpful. I could have done a boil in the bag and I think it may have been easier but I wanted to try the other route and see how I could do working with all the variables and how close I could approximate so I could make adjustments later. My biggest wildcard and challenge was that water amount. Any advice from anyone, how did I do for the first time, what did I make more difficult or how could I have done it better, is there a simpler way of calculating things such as volumes. I did feel as if I could have definitely made a full 5 gal batch with this type of beer with what I have available. Thanks everyone.
Estimated OG: 1.040 (this is the original gravity for the 5 gal recipe).
Boil Time: 60 mins.
Mash Temp Target: 150F @ 60 mins
4.375 lbs of grain (I used http://www.brewersfriend.com/mash/ ) to calculate strike water temp & quantities (~5.5qts @ 164 F, I made a transcription error and added 4.5qts). By default it has 1.25qt per lb, target temp 150F.......I had the grains in a bag and put them in my 5 gallon cooler when adding the water my temp was 140-145F, I missed the target but added some additional water (aprox 1/2 - 1 gal) to get it at 150F mark.
Mash Time target 60 mins: I went over 60 mins, more like over 90. I set the timer for 75 to be conservative and did the iodine test, red tint only so it looked at my starches did convert. While getting ready for my next step I lost track of time helping my wife and that cost me at least an extra 20-25 mins, however the cooler did well as the temp was still somewhere between 145-150F. I double checked the starches and same results. The eyeball test on the amount of wort left in the cooler was 1.25-1.5 gal.
Sparge (.5 gal:1lb grain): so .5*4.375 = 2.18gal, so I used ~2-2.25gal to sparge(170F). I used a steamer basket to hold the bag over my brew pot, place a colander over it and sparged with the given amount of water. I let me drain well.
Final Pre Boil Measurements: I had pre-measured volumes in the pot to give a bit more accurate measurement (not perfect but better than the eyeball test), I came up with 3.32 gal in the pre boil. My notes stated that I could expect .5 - 1 gal to evaporate during boil and sediments could be .25 -.5 gal. For me again with the water situation was a bit of a wild card not knowing for sure how much water to start with or to add to get my final 2.5 gal. I could get a better idea of how much to expect to boil off by just doing it by trial and keeping the notes. I used this http://www.brewersfriend.com/dilution-and-boiloff-gravity-calculator/ as a bit of a guideline.
Pre Boil Gravity: 1.032 (T=109F, adjusted)
After Boil: SG: 1.042 (adjusted), with 2.70 gal. I know that I was targeting 2.5gal but also I know that is sediment.
Pitching and Fermentation: I had to use a much larger fermenter than I would like since I have another beer working magic in the primary, however it started to pop a few hours after putting it in the fermenter and popping nicely this morning. Anytime I can get quick fermentation I consider that a success.
So the verdict??? Any guidance on how I did? I know everyone has a way of doing things, sometimes depending on what you have available, but it is all helpful. I could have done a boil in the bag and I think it may have been easier but I wanted to try the other route and see how I could do working with all the variables and how close I could approximate so I could make adjustments later. My biggest wildcard and challenge was that water amount. Any advice from anyone, how did I do for the first time, what did I make more difficult or how could I have done it better, is there a simpler way of calculating things such as volumes. I did feel as if I could have definitely made a full 5 gal batch with this type of beer with what I have available. Thanks everyone.
