All Grain Brewing
1. Warm mashtun with boiled water (two kettles) for around 15mins
2. Heat mash water to 72-80 degrees C (Mash Volume)
3. Add grains and mash at approximately 65-68 degrees C
4. Wrap mashtun in blankets to reduce heat loss.
5. Mash for 1h 30mins
6. Heat sparge water in boiler while mash is in progress to 80 degrees C then transfer to hot liquor tun.
7. Collect a few jug fulls of wort from mashtun until running clear. Pour this back into mashtun.
8. Test gravity of wort in mashtun.
9. Batch sparging stage – Run water from hot liquor tun into mash tun and stir grains. Leave to settle for 15mins.
10. Collect a few jug fulls of wort from mashtun until running clear. Pour this back into mashtun.
11. Test gravity level and continue to Batch Sparge till enough wort collected for boil. Do not continue if gravity drops to 1.006. Remember to adjust for hydrometer reading for temperature of wort.
12. Once wort covers kettle element switch on boiler (one element first)
13. Boil for 1h 30mins add first hops then last hops or as recipe dictates. Last 15mins add Irish Moss and setup cooler system by immersing coil in wort to sanitise.
14. Cool wort to 25 decrees C
15. Sanitise fermentation bucket and transfer cooled wort.
16. Take gravity reading.
17. Add yeast and ferment.
Can you check my process?
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Parva
I don't see a need for step 8 and 11. I'm trying to work out exactly what you are hoping to achieve by testing gravity at this stage? The only time I occasionally check is at the end of batch 2 to see where I ended up. Maybe I'm going at it a bit gung ho but I've yet to see it drop anywhere near to 1.006 on final runnings.
I must admit that when I first read up on making AG brews I read far too much into it and imagined I was virtually running a laboratory! It wasn't until I had the pleasure of seeing someone else actually make it that I realised that it really isn't anything like as complex as it sounds. Beer-making is extremely forgiving and you can get away with a multitude of sins.
Oh and a note on sanitisation. Whilst it is obviously very important post-boil, anything pre-boil requires no sanitisation at all. So don't go wasting expensive chemicals cleaning your mash tun for example.
I must admit that when I first read up on making AG brews I read far too much into it and imagined I was virtually running a laboratory! It wasn't until I had the pleasure of seeing someone else actually make it that I realised that it really isn't anything like as complex as it sounds. Beer-making is extremely forgiving and you can get away with a multitude of sins.
Oh and a note on sanitisation. Whilst it is obviously very important post-boil, anything pre-boil requires no sanitisation at all. So don't go wasting expensive chemicals cleaning your mash tun for example.
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Madbrewer
Although you can get away without 8 and 11 ... Its probably good practice at least to make sure you are not over rinsing during the sparge!
8. Test gravity of wort in mashtun. <-- should actually say check the gravity of what you are running off. It's not compulsory, though if fly sparging you do need to make sure you don't get down as far as 1.006 for your runnings.
Also if you are monitoring sugar points (much more advanced) then you do need this figure.
8. Test gravity of wort in mashtun. <-- should actually say check the gravity of what you are running off. It's not compulsory, though if fly sparging you do need to make sure you don't get down as far as 1.006 for your runnings.
Also if you are monitoring sugar points (much more advanced) then you do need this figure.
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Matt
Looks good to me too, pending the above notes about point 8.
Three other random tips (you might have these dialled in, or they might be of some use):
- When you drop your cooled wort out the tap into your fv, let it fall through a sanitised sieve to help aeration.
- Get into the habit of checking that taps are closed before filling vessels.
- If you have a Hop and Grape brewery, you will probably need to modify the copper hop filter in the boiler. Do a forum search if this applies, its easy.
Have fun Chris
Three other random tips (you might have these dialled in, or they might be of some use):
- When you drop your cooled wort out the tap into your fv, let it fall through a sanitised sieve to help aeration.
- Get into the habit of checking that taps are closed before filling vessels.
- If you have a Hop and Grape brewery, you will probably need to modify the copper hop filter in the boiler. Do a forum search if this applies, its easy.
Have fun Chris
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ChrisG
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adm
Re: Can you check my process?
Here's my comments.....it all looks fine except the sparging stage was a bit confusing and elaborate.
1. Warm mashtun with boiled water (two kettles) for around 15mins
YES
2. Heat mash water to 72-80 degrees C (Mash Volume)
YES - although I'd swap 1 and 2 around. You've got plenty of time to warm up the mashtun as you're heating the water....
3. Add grains and mash at approximately 65-68 degrees C
YES. Give the grain a good stir to make sure the temperature is even throughout.
4. Wrap mashtun in blankets to reduce heat loss.
YES, maybe....depends on how much heat your tun loses. I've not needed to do this, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
5. Mash for 1h 30mins
YES. Although this could be as short as an hour if you're in a hurry
6. Heat sparge water in boiler while mash is in progress to 80 degrees C then transfer to hot liquor tun.
YES, MAYBE - although personally, I heat the mash and sparge water all in one go at the start of the process. This is no good if your boiler isn't big enough of course...There's also no need to transfer this water from the boiler into an HLT - you can just sparge direct from the boiler (assuming you are using a bucket or something to catch the first lot of running in isntead of going direct into the boiler)
The next few steps confuse me if you are batch sparging. All you need to do is the following:
A: Top up your mash tun with water from the bolier/hlt when the mash is complete.
B: Stir it all up, leave to sit for a few minutes
C: Collect a couple of jugfulls until wort runs clear - pour this back into the mashtun
D: Let all the liquid from the mash tun drain into whatever you are collecting it in (boiler, buckets etc...)
E: Refill the mash tun with the second lot of hot water (this should be equal to half the total pre-boil volume you are trying to collect)
F: Repeat B,C & D
G: Once you have collected all the wort, then you can take the gravity reading.
12. Once wort covers kettle element switch on boiler (one element first)
YES. You don't have to though...you can wait until it's all collected, or at any point in between.
13. Boil for 1h 30mins add first hops then last hops or as recipe dictates. Last 15mins add Irish Moss and setup cooler system by immersing coil in wort to sanitise.
YES. Boil can be shorter if required.
14. Cool wort to 25 decrees C
YES
15. Sanitise fermentation bucket and transfer cooled wort.
YES - but do this earlier. A good time is while the cooler is on, or while the owrt is boiling.
16. Take gravity reading.
YES
17. Add yeast and ferment.
YES.
But you missed the most important point......
18. Crack a beer, pat yourself on the back and post the photos.
Have fun!
1. Warm mashtun with boiled water (two kettles) for around 15mins
YES
2. Heat mash water to 72-80 degrees C (Mash Volume)
YES - although I'd swap 1 and 2 around. You've got plenty of time to warm up the mashtun as you're heating the water....
3. Add grains and mash at approximately 65-68 degrees C
YES. Give the grain a good stir to make sure the temperature is even throughout.
4. Wrap mashtun in blankets to reduce heat loss.
YES, maybe....depends on how much heat your tun loses. I've not needed to do this, but it's better to be safe than sorry.
5. Mash for 1h 30mins
YES. Although this could be as short as an hour if you're in a hurry
6. Heat sparge water in boiler while mash is in progress to 80 degrees C then transfer to hot liquor tun.
YES, MAYBE - although personally, I heat the mash and sparge water all in one go at the start of the process. This is no good if your boiler isn't big enough of course...There's also no need to transfer this water from the boiler into an HLT - you can just sparge direct from the boiler (assuming you are using a bucket or something to catch the first lot of running in isntead of going direct into the boiler)
The next few steps confuse me if you are batch sparging. All you need to do is the following:
A: Top up your mash tun with water from the bolier/hlt when the mash is complete.
B: Stir it all up, leave to sit for a few minutes
C: Collect a couple of jugfulls until wort runs clear - pour this back into the mashtun
D: Let all the liquid from the mash tun drain into whatever you are collecting it in (boiler, buckets etc...)
E: Refill the mash tun with the second lot of hot water (this should be equal to half the total pre-boil volume you are trying to collect)
F: Repeat B,C & D
G: Once you have collected all the wort, then you can take the gravity reading.
12. Once wort covers kettle element switch on boiler (one element first)
YES. You don't have to though...you can wait until it's all collected, or at any point in between.
13. Boil for 1h 30mins add first hops then last hops or as recipe dictates. Last 15mins add Irish Moss and setup cooler system by immersing coil in wort to sanitise.
YES. Boil can be shorter if required.
14. Cool wort to 25 decrees C
YES
15. Sanitise fermentation bucket and transfer cooled wort.
YES - but do this earlier. A good time is while the cooler is on, or while the owrt is boiling.
16. Take gravity reading.
YES
17. Add yeast and ferment.
YES.
But you missed the most important point......
18. Crack a beer, pat yourself on the back and post the photos.
Have fun!
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fivetide
You have loads of good advice here and together with your framework process above it looks perfect.
Other extra things you might consider, but can ignore:
-Sanitise an extra FV if you have one. In case of some irreparable emergency, such as your hop filter falling off or something, and extra safe vessel for transferring stuff about can be very helpful.
-Likewise a sanitised siphon at hand isn;t to be sniffed at
-Fill a little spray gun with santiser solution so you can spray smaller pieces of equipment on the fly
-Don't forget to make up a yeast starter on Friday, or at least take the yeast packet out of the freezer and factor in rehydration into your brewsheet
-Stupid things: make sure you don't plug in your boiler until it has liquid in it just in case. Tighten up all taps in FVs etc... and make sure they are closed. Give the cooler circuit a test run. Think about backup thermometers/hydros. Wear shoes! make sure there is sold beer in the fridge for when you get the boil on!
-All the best!
Other extra things you might consider, but can ignore:
-Sanitise an extra FV if you have one. In case of some irreparable emergency, such as your hop filter falling off or something, and extra safe vessel for transferring stuff about can be very helpful.
-Likewise a sanitised siphon at hand isn;t to be sniffed at
-Fill a little spray gun with santiser solution so you can spray smaller pieces of equipment on the fly
-Don't forget to make up a yeast starter on Friday, or at least take the yeast packet out of the freezer and factor in rehydration into your brewsheet
-Stupid things: make sure you don't plug in your boiler until it has liquid in it just in case. Tighten up all taps in FVs etc... and make sure they are closed. Give the cooler circuit a test run. Think about backup thermometers/hydros. Wear shoes! make sure there is sold beer in the fridge for when you get the boil on!
-All the best!
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the_great_okapi
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Dennis King
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Horden Hillbilly
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I would heat the mash water up to around 77-80c. You will loose some temp when you transfer the water to the mash tun & you will fall below the strike heat (72c) for mixing the grains with the mash water if you only heat your water to 72c.2. Heat mash water to 72-80 degrees C (Mash Volume)
You could always leave it for 5-10 mins for the temp of the mash water in the tun to drop to 72c. This will also ensure that your mash tun is fully warmed up before adding the grains.
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ChrisG
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ChrisG