AG#1 - Theakston Old Peculier from BYOBRA

[wmfd]

It wasn’t really planned, but got to Saturday evening having spent a happy hour cutting slits in mash tun copper tubes to realise that yes, apart from the immersion cooler I was ready to go - so Sunday was brewday #1.

However still no CRS, so decided to go for a boil water treatment. After aborted start, got c. 30litres to boiling then realised I should perhaps wash the boiler! So reboiled and Sunday dinner enhanced by the need to go out and add some gypsum to the water.

Got going again proper at about 3pm, when the rest of the family headed out to a birthday party. Boiler on, and weighed out grain, working to a 20L brew length so c. 5kg of grain. Just replaced Challenger with Northdown.


Water ready, so into the tun, top on for a few minutes and yes we’re at 80C.

Parva’s sparging instructions (thanks to you and Borodave!) in one hand, thermometer/jug/top of tun in the other and we’re off. 19.3litres into the tun, temperature, erm, too low! Maybe it’s the volume of grain I’m using, so added 1.5l boiling water – now looking an acceptable 65.5C.

Stacked with old cushions and left it the obligatory 90 mins, then opened to find now at 66C – maybe it wasn’t quite as off temp as I thought. Added as much sparge water as can right to the brim – now I see the benefit of a 30l tun. Drain off and collected 12 litres.

Added the rest of the water in the boiler, left again and then drained. Collected 10 litres – hmm, looking light on volume.

Boiler on, up to 90C, then off – family duties – kids are drawing Christmas cards this evening. So, when they go up to their bath, boiler back on and we’re away, albeit worried about the volume.

Hops added (they do smell great don’t they) and off to start sterilising.

8:50pm and it’s flame out and drain – I’m cooling overnight so straight to FV. Siphon fails, bail and sieve time!

Collected c.16-17 litres (oh no!) at an OG of, wait for it, 1070 (yippee!!)

Quick addition of a couple of litres of hot water from the kettle and we’re up to about 19 litres, wander round kitchen with refractometer, new OG – 1055-1060 ish. Aiming for 1058, so that’ll do.

Yeast pitched – 5:20am Monday morning. Monday evening and it's looking active.



Learning:
* Boiling water means some disappears, even if it is water treatment –factoring this in is important.

* Siphons work at when full flow fills the width of the pipe. So my 22mm pipe on my boiler is a bit excessive for the rate of flow I’m getting – especially after the boil through the hops. Solution 1 – bailer and sieve ready! Solution 2 – longer term find a cunning way to drop the rise and the drop to 15mm.

* I’m at the top batch sparging in my 24l tun if I don’t get the strike heat right. I’ll either need to upsize the tun or downsize the brew length/OG.

* It’s great fun isn’t it!

David

[Philipek]

That sounds like a great brewday. You encountered some problems and dealt with them, and fulfilled your family duties to boot. It sounds a lot calmer than my first AG (and every subsequent one).

This is going to be my next brew

Yes it is good fun, and the hops do smell amazing as does the mash and even the crushed grain. An olfactory experience.

By the way, you may not have noticed that the forum practice is not to give the recipes from BYOBRA. I think this is an act of solidarity to fellow member Mr. Wheeler, to encourage members to go out and buy the book.

[chris_reboot]

well done!
all first brews have to have cock-ups built in, its the law!

that was my 1st AG, and its almost gone now. A cracking pint awaits thee

[wmfd]

Thanks guys - it didn't feel calm at the time!

Worried yesterday that I hadn't aerated before pitching so gave it a good paddle when I got home! The brew is now going like the clappers - with a thick yeast head aiming for the top of the bucket.



Thanks Philipek/sorry Graham - you're right I hadn't twigged, have edited down.

Have some pic's too which will post one get a chance.

David

[Horden Hillbilly]

Well done on your 1st ag brew & you chose a great recipe to start with. Looking forward to seeing your pics.

[Kristoff]

TOP from Grahams book is next on my list, let us know how it tastes. Well done on your 1st AG, you won't be able to stop now

[wmfd]

Will let you know how it goes.

Here are some pictures, unfortunately got so engrossed early on that I only took photo's once I'd mashed.

The obligatory mango chutney boiler:


and Asda cool box mash tun:


Spent grain (now feeding a friend's chickens):


Boiling at last:


Running off, whilst the pipework worked!


It got less photo-genic with my head inside the boiler!

[wmfd]

Oh yes, and 48hrs in and we're down to 1025ish - it works, it works!

[WishboneBrewery]

excellent stuff...
Thats some large bore pipe on your boiler!

[wmfd]

Thats some large bore pipe on your boiler!

Er, yes ...

It's only 22mm pipe, I didn't really know how big it needed to be when I started. It does look very impressive - it's just a shame that it is useless for siphoning down to the bottom of the boiler, which was after all the whole point.

I can get it to siphon down to the base of the boiler, but only if I either:

• get it running at full flow - which is impressive, but useless and unachievable for sparging or draining after the boil

• put my finger up the outflow to make sure that it is full flow through the restricted pipe - which is a bit hard on the fingers once the boiler has been on

So I think the next job is to convert to 15mm, the only problem being the hole in the boiler is for a 22mm tank connector. Inspiration required ...


In the meantime, back at the brew calm is returning after yesterday's foaming extravanganza:


Gravity to come later, just hope it's getting down to target.

David

[WishboneBrewery]

it's just a shame that it is useless for siphoning down to the bottom of the boiler, which was after all the whole point.

Just get a 22mm reducer to 8mm on the end of the out-flow and you should get all the syphon effect you want, I have 15mm reduced to 8mm and it works a treat. With your greater capacity in the 22mm it may even syphon better than 15mm 'cos of gravity and the weight bla bla

[Eric]

Thanks guys - it didn't feel calm at the time!

Obviously a natural. Just so well done for a first attempt. Keep going, I'd like to think I could control panic.

[Parva]

That's a cracking attempt at your first try, there are far more horror stories than the issues you had around and I'd consider yours to be pretty trouble-free. Now await that goodness that you have created, there's no going back!

Edit: I should also apologise for my instructions. The 75c mash water should be added to a pre-heated mash tun and I neglected to mention that. I personally use 82c water in a cold mash tun (thermos box).

[wmfd]

Just get a 22mm reducer to 8mm on the end of the out-flow and you should get all the syphon effect you want, I have 15mm reduced to 8mm and it works a treat. With your greater capacity in the 22mm it may even syphon better than 15mm 'cos of gravity and the weight bla bla

Marvellous idea, thanks - Screwfix here we come!

Edit: I should also apologise for my instructions. The 75c mash water should be added to a pre-heated mash tun and I neglected to mention that. I personally use 82c water in a cold mash tun (thermos box).

Thanks Parva - instructions were great, I'll need to pin them up somewhere close at hand for the next time. Pre-heat presumably means more water to add to my calcs (or do you just boil up a kettle?)



Gravity last night pretty much bang on the 1015 I was aiming for. So presuming it's level for the next few days it'll be into the keg at the weekend, from which I was planning to bottle in a week or two.

Now to decide what's next up - I fancy a mild - perhaps Sarah Hughes.

David

[Parva]

Yep, pre-heat with a kettle of boiling water if you intend to strike at 75c.