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Hi guys. Did my first AG brew today. Here are my notes as it happened. Sorry no pics.

Brew Day 1

Wait, impatiently for family to depart.

Slip a couple of sausages in the pan and slide on some tunes. First off Kings of Leon.

Measure jugs for accuracy.

Measure empty space in mash tun: 2.4L

Wash virgin boiler.

Measure water, treat with 1/2 crushed campden tablet. Turn boiler on to heat strike and sparge water at 11.50. We’re off!

Now we’re onto VAST!

Not 100% sure on time to 73 degrees, about 20-30 mins.

Heated mash tun with boiled water from kettle

Measured out 5kg of Marris Otter and 300g of crystal.

Whilst weighing grain, stike watrer appears to have dropped, as I’m having to add more hotter water to mash.

Had to add 5L more liquid to get a temp of 65 degrees.

By this time I’m listening to the cricket.

After 90 mins mash time, since the 5L was added, the mash temp is 63.5 degrees. I am very happy with this [copyright Hornden Hillbilly J]. The insulation around the tun seems to have done the trick.

In future I think I will try a higher strike temp if using 5k of grain. Or take more notice of the strike temp going down while I faff.

Added 4L to make upto 14.5L to come off for the first batch. Waited 10 minutes, then run off took 30-40 minutes. Quick taste: yummy J.

15g Cascade added at 60 mins, 15g at 30, whirlfloc and immersion chiller at 15 mins.

15g more of Cascade at 1 min.

Let is settle slightly and then chilled to 20 degrees, run off to FV. O.G. of 1052.

This all seems amazingly simple, so what have I missed?

Still to add yeast and wait

ade1865 wrote: This all seems amazingly simple, so what have I missed?

Nothing yet by the sound of it - great first AG brewday!

On my second brewday I realised at the end of the boil I'd left out the hop strainer

It's always on the tick list now

ade1865 wrote:Hi guys. Did my first AG brew today. Here are my notes as it happened. Sorry no pics. This all seems amazingly simple, so what have I missed?

Nothing by the looks of it, well done!

ade1865 wrote:Hi guys. Did my first AG brew today. Here are my notes as it happened. Sorry no pics.

Congratulations ade. There's no turning back now.

Not 100% sure on time to 73 degrees, about 20-30 mins.

Heated mash tun with boiled water from kettle

Measured out 5kg of Marris Otter and 300g of crystal.

Whilst weighing grain, stike watrer appears to have dropped, as I’m having to add more hotter water to mash.

Had to add 5L more liquid to get a temp of 65 degrees.

How much mash liquor did you use? I had pretty much the same grain bill today and I needed 13l@76 degrees for a 65 degree mash. I find I always need a couple of degrees higher than Jim's calculator tells me. I hit it spot on today.

This all seems amazingly simple, so what have I missed?

Music taste? I'm not saying anything. I was listening to Dido earlier

Only joking. It's easy isn't it. I was suprised when I got shown how to do it for the first time.

Still to add yeast and wait

Good luck!

How much mash liquor did you use? I had pretty much the same grain bill today and I needed 13l@76 degrees for a 65 degree mash. I find I always need a couple of degrees higher than Jim's calculator tells me. I hit it spot on today.

I initially used 13.25L, at what I thought was 73 degrees, but was probabaly lower, so I had to add 5L at whatever temp I could get to finally boost to 65, which I believe is an acceptable temp. How do you work out how much you need and what temperature for your particular grain bill?

And how do I work out my efficiency? Not that I'm bothered...well, no I'm lying , but its not important at this stage.

run off from the boiler is painfully slow, a mere trickle, is this normal?

cheers guys, couldn't have done it without y'all

ade1865 wrote: I initially used 13.25L, at what I thought was 73 degrees, but was probabaly lower, so I had to add 5L at whatever temp I could get to finally boost to 65, which I believe is an acceptable temp. How do you work out how much you need and what temperature for your particular grain bill?

Jim's Calculator

And how do I work out my efficiency? Not that I'm bothered...well, no I'm lying , but its not important at this stage.

I'll save that q for someone else who's done it more times than I have.
I generally use beersmith, but it's easy enough by hand too.

run off from the boiler is painfully slow, a mere trickle, is this normal?

I had that problem today. Must have taken well over an hour to get into the fermentation bin. I was putting it down to using Whirlfloc for the first time rather than Irish Moss. The sediment/trub seemed to be a lot thicker than usual.

I had that problem today. Must have taken well over an hour to get into the fermentation bin. I was putting it down to using Whirlfloc for the first time rather than Irish Moss. The sediment/trub seemed to be a lot thicker than usual.

Would that mean that more protein is taken out of suspension with whirlfloc?

I should have measured the amount of wort that made it, or to be truthful, is still making it, into the FV I guess, to work out how much i lose to hops and trub. Ah well, next time.

ade1865 wrote:

I had that problem today. Must have taken well over an hour to get into the fermentation bin. I was putting it down to using Whirlfloc for the first time rather than Irish Moss. The sediment/trub seemed to be a lot thicker than usual.

Would that mean that more protein is taken out of suspension with whirlfloc?

That's what I'm guessing.

I should have measured the amount of wort that made it, or to be truthful, is still making it, into the FV I guess, to work out how much i lose to hops and trub. Ah well, next time.

My boiler is 27l, although I can get more in if I'm careful with the hot break. I find that if I keep the boil topped up to the 27l mark (with IC in as well) then I can get my 5 gallons in the bucket.

Welcome to grain brewing.

ade1865 wrote:

...And how do I work out my efficiency? Not that I'm bothered...well, no I'm lying , but its not important at this stage.

You might try a search on the forum, I'm sure the calcs have been discussed before with examples. Oh and well done, it'll taste great!

Well done ade...no turning back now

I've just measured the gravity as 1009, waiting to see if this is final. Is this the expected FG? Its certainly the best I've managed so far. Do AGs generally ferment to a lower FG than kits?

Better get busy emptying one of my barrels

When I put the hydro in the FV i thought that perhaps the beer smelt not quite right. I didn't know if my nose was inventing a cidery smell. So i poured off a bit, which initially smelt a bit cidery, but after10 secs or so settled down. the brew doesn't taste too bad. Am I being unduly worried?

Am wondering if this had anything to do with a sulphorous smell that seemed to be given off when I pitched the dry yeast directly onto the wort post boil?

It would appear I WAS unduly worried, as i had a sneaky trial of this my 1st AG [proud dad moment], after just 5 days in the keg, and it tastes good already, better than any of my kits. Still needs to develop more hop flavour i think, but already a nice balance of malt and hops is emerging, just as i was hoping.

Happy bunny

How does it hold up to the offerings at your local?