AG#001 Bitter and twisted http://www.barleybottom.com/menu/product/&ID=201, I'd like to thank Paul of BB whom kinldy split the ingredients for me so I could make in my 33litre birco whilst I was waiting for my 60 litre boiler bucket from H&G which I now have.
I'd also like to thank barnsleybrewer for allowing me to steal his mash tun design. This site has been invaluable for all the info and advice I have received, thanks to everyone.
So here's what I made and the problems I had... I write this for the other newbie’s to take note but more so for the old hands to keep me right.
2.5 gal batch with extra MO for a little extra kick.
2kg Maris Otter
100g Crystal malt
100g flaked barley
100g torrifed wheat
30g fuggles hops 90 min
16g bobek hops 15 min
1/2 protofloc tablet 15 min
Safale 04 6g
I aquired a birco boiler for use as HLT but have been waiting so long for the H&G boiler (which has arrived now and has been converted to a boiler, pics to follow) I thought Id try some smaller batches in the birco. Ill post later details of the mash tun build but here’s a pic of some of the kit.
- New Boiler and HLT used as Boiler for this brew.
- ag001-004.jpg (12.4 KiB) Viewed 670 times
- Filling mash tun
- Ag#001-011.jpg (81.49 KiB) Viewed 670 times
- Mash tun manifold better view
- Ag#001-015.jpg (48.29 KiB) Viewed 670 times
All went well apart from the cheapo dial thermometer (ebay special for use on radiators so dont bother) on my HLT come boiler said I was at 72 degrees for strike temperature for filling the mash tun, when I added the water and then the grain and mashed in with a little stirring I checked the temperature and it was close to 90 deg C so I quickly added some cold water. So I’ve since ordered a mash master gauge (http://mashmaster.com.au/p/923730/-weld ... -kegs.html ) which was less than £30 delivered even with the thermowell etc.
Some numbers from the calculator here on JBK.
FV final volume 11.5l
% loss due to boil 1.5l
Grain bill 2.3kg
Mash tun dead volume 0.5l
Loss due to trub 1.5l
Grain water ratio 2.5 l/kg
Wort Boil volume 15.3 l from two equal quantities of 7.7l mash is what calculator recommended. All water was Asda still at 17p for 2 litres as I’m not quite with the water treatment yet.
I mashed for 90 mins with approximately 6 litre of water losing only 1 degree over 90 mins, then drained off into FV, added another 7 litres left for 10 minutes then drained and then added another 8 litres and left for 10 mins then drained that. All drainings were into an FV as the HLT was proving sparge water.
When completed sparge I transferred all wort to the HLT having previously added the hop strainer! I brought to the boil and added fugle hops, timed for 75 mins then added bobek hops and ½ protofloc tablet.
I’ve not got plumbing sorted yet in garage so cooling was done overnight with the lid on the HLT.
I drained at height to get air back into the wort into my FV then added yeast. I forgot to check gravity and as such it was very high, I suspect around 1070, I’ve also no real accurate means of measuring quantity until I come to bottle (when I did I realized id boiled off more than expected and only got about 18 x 500ml bottles), I left in the FV for 2 weeks as I was offshore and was delayed. When I bottled the wort was very clear, I added 50g of sugar into by bottling bucket then transferred wort into it.
I bottled and left for 3 weeks and tried one, it was flat as the proverbial…
I moved into the conservatory and left another 2 weeks and the brew had minor carbonation, I slight phst could be heard when opening but I had to pour from a height to get a head. It tasted great though as was gone very quickly.
I’ve since got the 2nd half of the kit on the go and this was boiled in my new 60 litre, twin Asda kettle boiler. I’ve added two enclosures and managed to keep the switch and lights intact. I’ve also used some john guest push fittings and a length of polycarbonate tube as a sight glass so I can now add sparge water more accurately so AG#003 should be a little more scientific.
Once again thanks to all, i read this site for months and this was the only advice i sought before going AG after doing 3 kits.
Cheers
