Getting started with my first recipe... *First Tasting*

[somethingspecial]

Yes, you can make it 'smaller'. You're limited by the amount of wort you can boil. You said 16 litres in your original post.

My suggestion would be to use 3.0Kg of grain in 7.5 litres of mash liquor. Then sparge until you have 16 litres of wort or until the SG is between 1.005-1.008 as I mentioned before.

Once again, good luck!

Guy

Thanks so much Guy, that's awesome!

[somethingspecial]

Wow...what a day.

That took a lot longer than I thought it would.

But one broken trial jar, one unsuccessful gravity reading, one largely ineffectual immersion chiller and one leaky fermenting bucket later I've got 13l of home brew sitting under my dining room table.

I'm slightly concerned that while I did my best to sanitise and wash absolutely everything, with all of the above there were a number of opportunities for contamination.

I just hope that six hours didn't go to waste. Only time will tell. On the plus side it smells amazing.

[Chug]

Congratulations on completing your brew It will be easier and quicker next time after you've sorted your first take problems.
I bet you have the next one planned already!

[orlando]

Well done, I hope you think it is something special.

[Oswald Bastable]

I'm slightly concerned that while I did my best to sanitise and wash absolutely everything, with all of the above there were a number of opportunities for contamination.

I just hope that six hours didn't go to waste. Only time will tell. On the plus side it smells amazing.

Try not to worry too much about this. It sounds like every one of my brew days! It seems like you did all you could to keep things clean and sanitised and, as with every process, it will become easier with time. Everything you read online about sanitisation would make you think even the smallest thing will ruin your beer, when the chances are, if you've at least made the effort and thought about sanitation, 9 times out of 10 everything will turn out fine regardless.

My first ever brew, when trying to cool in the sink, I had water drip in the partly cooled wort from both the tap and from the dish drainer at the side of the sink (ewww). I still made a very drinkable (uncontaminated!) beer. Both of these possible vectors for contamination were of course removed come my second brew. Even on my latest brew I found myself stirring cooling wort with a spoon I had just down on the side rather than back in the bowl of steriliser. All ended well.

OB

[somethingspecial]

I'm slightly concerned that while I did my best to sanitise and wash absolutely everything, with all of the above there were a number of opportunities for contamination.

I just hope that six hours didn't go to waste. Only time will tell. On the plus side it smells amazing.

Try not to worry too much about this. It sounds like every one of my brew days! It seems like you did all you could to keep things clean and sanitised and, as with every process, it will become easier with time. Everything you read online about sanitisation would make you think even the smallest thing will ruin your beer, when the chances are, if you've at least made the effort and thought about sanitation, 9 times out of 10 everything will turn out fine regardless.

My first ever brew, when trying to cool in the sink, I had water drip in the partly cooled wort from both the tap and from the dish drainer at the side of the sink (ewww). I still made a very drinkable (uncontaminated!) beer. Both of these possible vectors for contamination were of course removed come my second brew. Even on my latest brew I found myself stirring cooling wort with a spoon I had just down on the side rather than back in the bowl of steriliser. All ended well.

OB

That's very reassuring!

I don't think I had any sink water drop in but with the amount of times I had to fill and raise my funnel to fill the immersion chiller I can't be certain. I also had to switch from my fermentation bucket to another bucket to fix the leaky seal and then back again but I sanitised both well.

Time will tell...

[Halfacrem]

I don't think I had any sink water drop in but with the amount of times I had to fill and raise my funnel to fill the immersion chiller I can't be certain. I also had to switch from my fermentation bucket to another bucket to fix the leaky seal and then back again but I sanitised both well.
Time will tell...

Oh blimey, filling an immersion chiller via a funnel must have been a nightmare!

[Deebee]

A funnel. No wonder it was inneffective.
I am just waiting 25m of 10 mm microbore to make a bigger chiller. My 18cm diameter takes about 30 mins to chill 50 l. Too long. Esoecially with ground water currently at 4 degrees. So a bigger one is needed.

[alexlark]

A basic IC is so effective. Best money I've spent and saves SO much time.

[guypettigrew]

the amount of times I had to fill and raise my funnel to fill the immersion chiller I can't be certain.
Time will tell...

A funnel! How on earth did you manage to do that? And how did the cooling water drain out of the chiller? Usually these are connected to the mains and have cold water at mains pressure running through them. I can't even begin to imagine how you could work an immersion chiller using a jug and a funnel.

Guy

[somethingspecial]

the amount of times I had to fill and raise my funnel to fill the immersion chiller I can't be certain.
Time will tell...

A funnel! How on earth did you manage to do that? And how did the cooling water drain out of the chiller? Usually these are connected to the mains and have cold water at mains pressure running through them. I can't even begin to imagine how you could work an immersion chiller using a jug and a funnel.

Guy

Just kept filling and raising, filling and raising, filling and raising...took ages.

I guess with the height from which the funnel was being held gravity just pushed it through. Also had the boiler sitting in a sink of ice water.

Will definitely work on it for next time.

[orlando]

the amount of times I had to fill and raise my funnel to fill the immersion chiller I can't be certain.
Time will tell...

A funnel! How on earth did you manage to do that? And how did the cooling water drain out of the chiller? Usually these are connected to the mains and have cold water at mains pressure running through them. I can't even begin to imagine how you could work an immersion chiller using a jug and a funnel.

Guy

Just kept filling and raising, filling and raising, filling and raising...took ages.

I guess with the height from which the funnel was being held gravity just pushed it through. Also had the boiler sitting in a sink of ice water.

Will definitely work on it for next time.

Get a little solar pump at least, bet you end up with two.

[Chug]

Why did you use a funnel on your chiller and not just connect it to the tap?

[somethingspecial]

Why did you use a funnel on your chiller and not just connect it to the tap?

Didn't have the right connector.

[Deebee]

Why did you use a funnel on your chiller and not just connect it to the tap?

Didn't have the right connector.

Trip to the shops before next brew!