Mini Mash Q's

[Martin the fish]

I want to kick off the New Year and my new found hobby with a go at a mini mash brew.
My first question is with the recipe side. I'm hoping that as it's about a gallon i can simply divide a 5 gallon recipe by 5? But all the 5 gallon recipe's i've seen state a 90 min boil. Is this reduced to 60 mins because of the small volumes used?
Could i use the 5ltr bucket with a tap for fermenting from Mini Mash Lauter Tun if i fitted a lid and airlock? I have time to sterilise this after it's use as a Lauter Tun. Or should i just get a dedicated 5ltr fermenter for the job, actually now i've said all that i think i'll get a dedicated 5ltr FV.

All i gotta do now is find somewhere in NZ that sells grain and has an online shop...

[frutbunn]

Is this reduced to 60 mins because of the small volumes used?

Yes.

Could i use the 5ltr bucket with a tap for fermenting from Mini Mash Lauter Tun if i fitted a lid and airlock?

You can also use a 5ltr water bottle with blow off.

A good place to start is DaaB's mini-mash page.

I started AG with a mini-mash too and recommend it!

But before you mash All Grain, I recommend starting with a Dry Malt Extract 1 gallon brew. Believe me the boil will be enough for you the first time around!

Anyway here are some pics of how I did it (with MUCH help from this excellent forum):

Stout/porter - but I'd recommend something much lower in gravity as a first extract brew.

DaaB's mini-mash (above site).

[Martin the fish]

Thanks for the info.

I have read DaaB's excellent article on Mini Mash. Which is why i'm keen to give it a go. Well written article with great descriptive photo's. In fact it's so ggod a complete newbie like myself is confident he can pull it off. To coin a term, as such.
I'm perfectly happy to use DaaB's recipe but i have the feeling i'm gonna like this so i just wanted some more info in my head to get my confidence levels up there. In fact i'm keen to brew a DaaB recipe-it's not likely to be bad is it?

Had a look for grain suppliers here but it's v limited. Doesn't seem to be one online store with grain other than the chain-Brewers World.

As soon as the stores here open again, i'm getting my 5 ltr bins and tap. Also discovered today after heating up 5 ltr's water and preheating oven that i don't have a thermometer i can put in liquid. But i do have a nice stockpot about 10ltr, which i've just remembered that i haven't checked if it will fit in sink...

[Martin the fish]

The best way to learn is to do in this case so get cracking.

Soon as i can get grains i'm ready.
In fact i'm ready before i've got the grains but that doesn't help.

[Martin the fish]

Ok. I've been to my local Brewersworld to get my recipe ingredients for DaaB's mini mash. I've also got a thermometer, spare hydrometer, tap and airlock. Only thing suitable as FV in payless plastics was 15ltr food grade bucket with lid also got two 10ltr food grade buckets for the Lauter Tun. So i'm ready to mini mash i reckon.
I've got 2kg English Pale Ale grain, 1kg Crystal Grain. Look like big millet seeds. I'm hoping i use them as is. Haven't got to crush them or anything have i? If i do how much do i have to crush them by? That is first worry.

Second. I couldn't get any Fuggles 'hops'. I could get 12g bags of Fuggles finishing hops but wasn't sure if they would be ok. Didn't have any pellets either but i wasn't sure if they would be ok anyway. So the only flower hops i could get were Sticklebract. That was a 450g box. Which i have now transfered to a snap sealed plastic food container and placed in the fridge with my yeasts. First time i have ever seen or smelt a hop so exciting five minutes. But boy do i have a lot of hops now.

I've now realised that i could probably manage a slightly bigger amount of everything but am unsure on how to alter the measurements. I'd like to use all 2kg of pale, extra everything else.
Would the quantities of hops be the same? They are a different variety so may need to be different to the original recipe anyway.
The only yeast i could get that was suitable is Muntons Premium Gold. I'm gonna try my first starter too.
Thanks to this forum and the encouragement from it's members i may well be mini mashing tomorrow.

Off to drill my Lauter Tun and fit tap & airlock to new FV.

[Martin the fish]

I don't think the shop has the means or knowledge to do the crushing to be honest. Which is a right pisser as i was raring to go for tomorrow. Can't i just whack the shit out of it with a rolling pin? Or would i be wasting my time-already wasted some money.

But, i always look for a positive, i think i have found a 'proper' brew shop. www.dunedinmalthouse.co.nz Have a nosy chaps pls and see if i'm on the right tracks...
I could order from them in the morning and get it by monday or tuesday. I'll have done some oven trials by then too.

What do i do with my overgrown birdseed? I could take it back but i hate to be defeated...

[SiHoltye]

If I were you I'd want as little to worry about on a brewday as possible. Take the uncrushed grain back, and buy the stuff ready crushed malted grain. From the look of that website http://www.dunedinmalthouse.co.nz/, give them and bell and tell them what you're doing. They may even offer further advice as they look to advocate mini-mashing on their website.

The whacking grain with a rolling pin option isn't a good one in my opinion, and I'll try most things!

[Martin the fish]

Thanks for the advice. Grain going back and malthouse getting idiot newbie on phone for half a day.

[Martin the fish]

At least i have a kit to get on with in the meantime...

[PieOPah]

If you can't get crushed grain then while not an advisable solution, you could always throw them into a food blender. If you do this though you would have to be VERY careful not to blend them into powder.... You would just want a couple of pulse blasts to break them up!

[Martin the fish]

I've decided to get a grain mill. I like being self sufficient and where i live it's often neccesary.
Which also means i'll learn to mill grain from the start. Surely an advantage in the long run? Really learning every technique from it's basic stage is a great way to a thorough understanding.

Just gotta get some hops and learn to grow '2 row barley' whatever that is...

[steve_flack]

My barley crusher is set at the default setting and I run the grain through once using a drill for power - seems to give a very good crush.

[Martin the fish]

I've been waiting about a bit today while yamaha replace our gearbox.

So i decided to have a bit of a play in my workshop. I've made a 10 ltr lauter tun and a 21 ltr coolbox mash tun.
I hate having to use the first attempt as a tool. Much rather have a practise go first.
Quite happy with the outcome of both though. Tomorrow i'm going into town so i'll pick up a couple of taps for them.
As the coolbox was only 21ltr i used 15mm copper and redesigned DaaB's original slightly. Soldered the lot together with lead-free solder apart from the connecting 't' which i left free to spin. This will help the strainer to lay as close to bottom as poss.
Looks good enough to use. Did take pic's may get a chance to post them later.

I'm going to have a go at crushing some grain-just for the hell of it. And i've made a contraption to help...

[Martin the fish]

Sounds good. FWIW The people using 15mm copper manifolds usually report that then need to add extra slots to get a good run off.

If i add any more slots to mine it'll get floppy and fall apart

You could call it the slotmeister really.

I've even cut slots in the 90 & 'T' pieces Just to make sure of good flow. Plus i've drilled holes where i couldn't saw.
Overkill but hey! If it works...

[Martin the fish]

And i now have 2kg Pale Ale grain crushed & 1kg Crystal Grain crushed.

Sticklebract hops in the freezer...
So tomorrow i'm getting another FV and in the evening i'm doing my first mash ever.

Not sure if i should use my coolbox mashtun(capacity 21 ltr) or my stockpot and oven. I think i feel more confident with mash tun.
I'm going to do a 10ltr mini mash as my main stock pot is 20 ltr and i have 3 x 5ltr ones for extra boiling water if needed plus 2 ltr kettle.

Could anyone recommend a replacement hop schedule for my sticklebract? I'm going double on all quantities.

I feel like a ten year old on christmas eve now-having to wait till tomorrow night till i can start.

I'm not expecting a great deal from this except perhaps some lessons to be learnt.