Easy smash lager recipe please

[Haydnexport]

Hi guys , ive just finished my boil kettle and i want to do a easy smash lager biab while im finishing the hlt and sourcing a mash tun for all grain brewing. Anyone fancy giving me really simple instructions of how to do it please ? Ive looked on the web and have a book, but i dont think the instructions ive seen are quite right for a first timer. ive done loads of kits and tc so ive pretty much got all the gear, some advice on best place to buy grain, reinforced silicone hose , quantities etc would be much appreciated

[marcarm]

I use this method to BIAB

http://www.biabrewer.info/viewtopic.php?f=89&t=352

but now use a 40l buffalo boiler meaning I can use brewing software to work out quantities.

Looks quite daunting but is very easy to do.

I made a lager with 5kg lager malt and Saaz hops only.

Edit: have you got temp control as doing a lager in the middle of summer is not easy or recommended.

[Haydnexport]

Thanks for that , yes I have temp control , have 2 chest freezers with stc's to crash cool my beers . I've done plenty of kits and they turn out great after changing yeast to a proper lager one. I've got a 50l stainless bk with the hlt a couple of days away , just need to order a sight glass.

[marcarm]

Sounds like you have got some nice kit coming

I get my grain and hops from a local brewery, is £24 for a 25kg bag but I don't have to pay postage on that. Might be worth tweeting/emailing some in your area to see if they sell to homebrewers. The one I use actually has an online homebrew shop. I have also used geterbrewed which are quite cheap and postage is more than reasonable.

[smileysaint]

H what lager you after bud. Pils, Bo pils, American light etc.

[Haydnexport]

hi smiley , i was looking to make a pilsner, ive bought greg hughes book and fancy the czech pilsner recipe, for the mash is says 11.6 litres , then for the boil it's 27litres. Does that mean i want to sparge 15.4 litres through the grain? to get it to boil volume ? and it says i need to get protofloc ? for the last 15 mins of the boil. What does that do? I'm tempted to bash this out today

[sbond10]

Are you brewing in a bag and protofloc helps clump the proteins together so you have a clear beer

[Manngold]

Hi Hayden, the book you are using is ideally intended for the AG method. You ideally want to aim for between 30 - 36 litres of water to start with and get that to your strike temp. The more you use your gear, the easier it will be to know how much water you need at the start. For example, my 50 l pot requires me to start with 36 l of water if I want 23l in my fv.

You see, water will be lost to the grain, water will be lost during boil, water will be lost to the hops and water will be lost to dead space.

I personally don't sparge, just allow it to drain.

Hope this helps.

[Haydnexport]

ill be doing biab , i have a 28 liter cool box , but dont think that will be big enough for mashing ? What size would i need to get to comfortably mash in ?

Edit: i think i'll wait until ive sorted a mash tun out, and i'll order some protoflock

[sbond10]

biab is a one vessel system, you use a boil kettle and you mash and boil in the same vessel. i suggest looking on youtube for biab videos not 3 vessel videos

[rpt]

The BIABacus spreadsheet from biabrewer.info is great for getting grain and hop weights and water volumes right.

[Haydnexport]

i went ahead and winged it , sort of half biab and half all grain type of thing. Not looking too bad , it's boiling away now , had some issues with the gas ring not heating enough, it's rated at 7.5kw but it was a fair way from bottom of kettle so adjusted the height to work better. i think i sparged too quickly as the runnings was quite cloudy but i'll take it for a first go. The smell was out of this world and i think i'm hooked ! I'll have a proper mash tun and hlt for next week i hope so i can only improve !

[rpt]

i went ahead and winged it , sort of half biab and half all grain type of thing.

BIAB is all grain.

[Haydnexport]

I'm ever so sorry ! Why is there an all grain sub forum and a biab forum ? I did biab plus a mash tun then.

[Pinto]

I'm ever so sorry ! Why is there an all grain sub forum and a biab forum ? I did biab plus a mash tun then.

Separation of Process - most AG'ers run three vessel systems with a mash tun, BIAB boys and girls steep everything direct in the boiler, contained in a bag.

technically braumeister / grainfather users are BIAB ( but tell em that and they'll go crimson, get upset and shout rude words at you )