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Brew Day - Otterhound Orange SMASH Pale Ale

Post #1 made 9 years ago
by FatDog
Hi everybody. I'm back with my next attempt. THe last one, Catahoula Citra IPA, turned out to be not great. I was distracted and missed some hop additions and things just didn't pan out.

This time, I'm doing an American Pale Ale SMASH with domestic 2-row and Cascade hops. I've attached the biabacus. I'm in the boil right now. I'll post more as I get to the end of the brew day, pitch the yeast, and ferment.
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Last edited by FatDog on 12 Sep 2016, 05:14, edited 1 time in total.

Post #2 made 9 years ago
by FatDog
Well, my gravity ended up a bit low. I think I'll be adding some DME to the fermentation chamber.

Here's the updated BIABacus file. I've got to work on my efficiency. I can't seem to get higher then around 60%. I stir occasionally and mash for 90 mins. I'll have to figure that out.
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Post #3 made 9 years ago
by goulaigan
Hi FatDog, the file is filled out well, so a few questions for you.

First off, just in case, wanted to make sure you are using the amounts of grain on the right side of section C. How do you weigh your grain?

Your mash volume looks a bit high, which seems to follow all the way through the brew. Extra water will have an effect on gravity but technically shouldn't affect your efficiency, as you should still extract the same amount of sugar. The gravity will just be lower because of the extra water. Which brings me to my second question, how do you measure volume? There is a handy volume calculator in Biabacus section U and V. I prefer section V, just measure the headspace in cm and put it in, volume is calculated accurately as long as your kettle dimensions are accurate.

There are a several other things that can affect efficiency too, just wanted to make sure we have the basics covered first. Your efficiency of Ambient Wort wasnt as bad as into boil, still a bit low tho... Oh have you checked your hydrometer? Are you using it at the temperature it is calibrated at and have you tested it in water?

We will get your efficiency sorted one way or the other, and either way, its still beer, probably good beer :)

Edit: forgot to ask about the 30 minute mashout- there is a special section at the bottom of the mash schedule for mashout, so enter the time there, and there is no need to mashout for longer than 5 or 10 mins, but the temp should be up over 75 and under 80...
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Post #4 made 9 years ago
by FatDog
goulaigan wrote:Hi FatDog, the file is filled out well, so a few questions for you.

First off, just in case, wanted to make sure you are using the amounts of grain on the right side of section C. How do you weigh your grain?

Your mash volume looks a bit high, which seems to follow all the way through the brew. Extra water will have an effect on gravity but technically shouldn't affect your efficiency, as you should still extract the same amount of sugar. The gravity will just be lower because of the extra water. Which brings me to my second question, how do you measure volume? There is a handy volume calculator in Biabacus section U and V. I prefer section V, just measure the headspace in cm and put it in, volume is calculated accurately as long as your kettle dimensions are accurate.

There are a several other things that can affect efficiency too, just wanted to make sure we have the basics covered first. Your efficiency of Ambient Wort wasnt as bad as into boil, still a bit low tho... Oh have you checked your hydrometer? Are you using it at the temperature it is calibrated at and have you tested it in water?

We will get your efficiency sorted one way or the other, and either way, its still beer, probably good beer :)

Edit: forgot to ask about the 30 minute mashout- there is a special section at the bottom of the mash schedule for mashout, so enter the time there, and there is no need to mashout for longer than 5 or 10 mins, but the temp should be up over 75 and under 80...
Hi Goulagin,

Thanks for the feedback.

1. I agree, my mash volume has always seemed high. I've been following the total water needed in section K. I think that I do need to make some adjustments to lower the amount of water in the overall mash.
2. I'm measuring volume with a stick that I calibrated when I got my pot. It's admittedly an approximation and I should probably redo my measuring system. I'll try the volume setup in BIABacus.
3. I am using the hydrometer at the appropriate temperature. I cool the wort to 60 degrees F
4. This was a new thing for me to try a mashout that long. I see that I can add that to the bottom of the mash section. I'll do a shorter mashout and a full 90 min. mash next time.

Thanks again for the great feedback. This is my 5th batch and every time I do a batch, I get a better BIABacus.

Cheers!
Last edited by FatDog on 13 Sep 2016, 07:22, edited 1 time in total.

Post #5 made 9 years ago
by FatDog
I added two pounds of DME last night and brought the gravity up to 1.053. Pitched the yeast and I have bubbles going 11 hours later.

Quick question. In section O of the biabacus, when it calculates OG it says "1.056 /3". What does the /3 mean?
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Post #7 made 9 years ago
by FatDog
goulaigan wrote:This is how biabacus references the 4th decimal. So it actually means 1.0563
Good to know. Thanks!
Last edited by FatDog on 16 Sep 2016, 04:17, edited 1 time in total.

Post #8 made 9 years ago
by FatDog
So after reviewing my last couple BIABacus files, I noticed that my evaporation rate is much lower than the expected rate. So for my next batch, I changed the default to 2.6 liters an hour. I know that's low, but, my system doesn't seem to evaporate or my boil isn't as rigorous.
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