First Brewday! Step by step, as it happens.

[stevetk189]

Yeast pitched... now we wait.

The full step by step can be seen on my blog, I'm just having a break then I'll begin editing some photos and update. If you've waded through all this gar then thanks for reading

[Shadowknight]

Well done, good days work.

I'm usually happy with two things, I remember the hop filter, and the taps are closed.

[johnluc]

Hi Steve, 1st one out of the way ba****d aint it, i had the same problem with mash temp when i first started, read a tip on here somewhere to give your mash water a good stir before adding to mash tun to mix it up as the hotter water will rise to top and be cooled by to sides of your hlt, and you will end up with water a couple of degrees cooler than your themometer says it is, well done im sure it will be ok.
johnluc

[oz11]

I make the final gravity now it's cooled a bit to be 1023.7 (it's 1022 at 28C) without having a look around I don't know if that's any good or not. My book says 1040

Can you clarify when you took this sample? If that's the sample that you took after the mash/sparge thenI wouldn't worry, you really want to test the gravity of a sample post-boil (as the boil will concentrate the wort), before pitching the yeast, which you correct for temperature as necessary and make a note of as your OG.

All the best!

[stevetk189]

I make the final gravity now it's cooled a bit to be 1023.7 (it's 1022 at 28C) without having a look around I don't know if that's any good or not. My book says 1040

Can you clarify when you took this sample? If that's the sample that you took after the mash/sparge thenI wouldn't worry, you really want to test the gravity of a sample post-boil (as the boil will concentrate the wort), before pitching the yeast, which you correct for temperature as necessary and make a note of as your OG.

All the best!

That was taken after I'd topped up to 12.5l (half batch due to the size of my copper - looking back now and the room in the copper even when boiling vigourously I could have done 3/4 batch) with fresh water before pitching the yeast.

I think it's too low, not sure. Gravity is still a bit of a grey area for me.

Anyway, here are a few piccies from my more detailed blog posts.


Mashed grist in my mash tun.


Running off the wort.


Sparging - my home made sparger worked really well, I think.


Boiling and bittering hops added - it was rolling, just doesn't look it here, the hops going in slowed it for a few moments.


Chiller into the boil a few minutes before adding the Irish Moss finings.


Cooling the wort with my home made wort chiller - this went better than expected with a lot less waste water than I'd imagined.


Running off the cooled wort into my fermenting bin.


Towards the end of draining the copper, I lost about 1/2 litre of hopped wort when the drain stopped


Me and my new, Rage T-Shirt, agitating the hopped wort to aerate it. Quite an apt t-shirt for what started happening from then on FFFUUUUUUUU!!!!!

Strange how this camera makes me appear to be balding a little.

[oz11]

Gravity: My method to measure the original gravity (OG) (which is the one that really interests us on brew day) is to take a sample as I'm running the cooled wort into the FV. That way the temperature is about right for the hydrometer and I don't need to worry about temperature correction too much. We need to know the OG if we want to calculate the alcohol content when fermentation has finished, at which time you need to measure the gravity again for a final gravity reading (FG).

[Maltmaniac]

Man those first days can test you, but I'm sure your beer will be just fine. Second one will be easier for sure.

Looking at your copper it looks like it would easily hold 20 litres, how big is it? Go for the max, calculate brew length accordingly, and fill her up for the boil leaving a small bit for froth to avoid spills, more beer means more fun.

Bring on the next brew

[stevetk189]

Gravity: My method to measure the original gravity (OG) (which is the one that really interests us on brew day) is to take a sample as I'm running the cooled wort into the FV. That way the temperature is about right for the hydrometer and I don't need to worry about temperature correction too much. We need to know the OG if we want to calculate the alcohol content when fermentation has finished, at which time you need to measure the gravity again for a final gravity reading (FG).

Thanks for that, I appreciate it

@Maltmaniac - it's a 24l pan. A bone of contention, see here as it was marked up as 34l on the label although further digging and suggestions on here might point to the 34 that is stamped on the pan relating to it's diameter, 34cm... the label that was stuck on said 34 litres... grrr

[WishboneBrewery]

Nice going with the first brewday and even better managing to document it with the camera.

You've now got one of the more rewarding hobbies

[stevetk189]

Nice going with the first brewday and even better managing to document it with the camera.

You've now got one of the more rewarding hobbies

Cheers!

It's fermenting away like a good'un today and smells like beer. I guess my mash must have converted at least some of the starch in the malt to sugars

Next time, as I can't afford a shiny, insulated pot for a mash tun I'll fill my mash tun with hot water for half and hour or so (not 1/4 full for ten minutes) and tip it out just before I begin to dough in. I'll get some more insulation around the thing too.

Can't wait for next brewday, I wish I'd bought 3 fermenting bins instead of two.

But first, I need a larger pan to be my copper

[critch]

good on ya, itll fall into place very soon! good luck on future brews

[stevetk189]

Cheers Critch

Well folks, it's in the bottles. I ended up with 16 1/2 x 650ml bottles from my batch. Not as dark as I was expecting, the wort was quite dark but smells good!

Now, to wait. In the meantime I'm trying to find a supplier who can get around 20kg of various malts and hops delivered to Ascot by Monday! We have some friends coming over to visit who live there and who have said they've got room in the car to bring stuff over for us

[fego]

Nice post. Bought back familiar memories of a panic stricken first brew day for me.

It'll all prove worth it when you take that first taste which for me is normally 10 days after fermentation has finished.

[stevetk189]

Nice post. Bought back familiar memories of a panic stricken first brew day for me.

It'll all prove worth it when you take that first taste which for me is normally 10 days after fermentation has finished.

TEN DAYS!!!!!!!111!!!!!1!!!!!!

I was going to crack one open tomorrow!

[Deebee]

Nice going with the first brewday and even better managing to document it with the camera.

You've now got one of the more rewarding hobbies

Cheers!

It's fermenting away like a good'un today and smells like beer. I guess my mash must have converted at least some of the starch in the malt to sugars

Next time, as I can't afford a shiny, insulated pot for a mash tun I'll fill my mash tun with hot water for half and hour or so (not 1/4 full for ten minutes) and tip it out just before I begin to dough in. I'll get some more insulation around the thing too.

Can't wait for next brewday, I wish I'd bought 3 fermenting bins instead of two.

But first, I need a larger pan to be my copper

Or you could invest in a mango chutney boiler. or a thick walled PP bucket.

I think that in the Uk the mango boilers are free at the local indian restaurant. then a couple of kettle elements and tally ho.
either way welcome to the dark side. All grain brewing is the best i have ever done. roll on AG#2