Home Brew Forum

Last saturday I made my first AG. I put all the grain in the homemade mash tun. Added water 11 litres @ 80degrees. I found it difficult to know when the temperature was smack on 80 degrees and to measure exactly 11 litres. I used a watering can with gradual scale on the side. The scale on my mash tun is now hidden by all the insulation and duck tape around it. I then stirred in the grain, 3 colours for my wadworth 6X clone recipe.
I used the watering can with a fine rose to sparge. This is one improvement to the process I need to improve. This plastic watering can is not very stable with the hot water in it. The rose kept falling off but I percivered until all the hot liquor was through the mash. I used a Jerry can to take the wort. I then had the problem of trying to get the wort from the jerry can into the boiler.I syphoned 3/4 of the contents into the boiler and poured in the rest.
I now have 40 pints of wort fermenting in my fv. What it tastes like or whether it is any good, I shall have to wait and see.
I understand why they are called brew days now. I started at 11.00 am and finished at 5.30pm.
although things could have gone better,I have a good feeling of achievement.
Nobby.

Well done, it might seem daunting but it does get easier with experience. Batch sparging might be easier until you get your equipment sorted. Keep at it.

Sounds like it went pretty well for you.

Managed to muddle through my own first AG at the weekend. Already planning the next!

keep going, i'm going for #ag2 this week, practice makes etc

Well done nobby it gets easier and more addictive from here on in
Try using a spare FV to move liquids around if you dont have one a B& Q builders bucket (orangeone) is a half decent substitute especially if your only doing 11 litres If you pre heat your mash tun (kettle of boiling water) pour this away after 15mins then add your water @ 73c to the mash tun, mash in the grains to this and you should be prety close to the 66c mash temp.
Also consider batch sparging i find it much simpler than fly sparging but obviously this is personal choice
Paul

Thanks Pas8280 for the encouragement. I will have a look to see what batch sparging entails. I have a couple of 10 litre fvs which I usually use for Cider. I shall use them to transfer the wort.

congrats on the first one. Afraid it's downhill from here. This is the most addictive hobby...