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First AG & BIAB brew

Post #1 made 13 years ago
by hbnath
Well I have also taken that first step and had a crack after buying the basics to get me going.
I have done two extract brews and wasn't that happy with them. And I also like to tinker with things so BIAB appealed.

Anyway, got a recipe off a local guy who was helpful with advice, and had learnt a lot via sites like this and AHB, so it was time to take the plunge.
The recipe was put into Brewmate and the laptop was used to take advantage of the timers built into Brewmate.

The mash was spot on, hitting 1046 as per the recipe, and the boil went well too. Adding the hops was kinda cool as it foamed up and turned green.
At the end of boil it was cooled (as fast as I could) and syphoned into the fermentor for pitching. The result was 23L after looking for 25L.

OG turned out to be 1059 when it should be 1050 :scratch: ...but figured out using the Brewmate calculator (and the little bit of knowledge from all these forums!), then changing evaporation, that I had lost that 2L to excess boil, so boiled up another 2L to dilute it in the fermentor to 1050. BINGO!

Stoked with the result and can't wait for it to be poured into a glass. :drink:
It's really not that hard with a little bit of knwowledge and pre-planning.

Post #2 made 13 years ago
by hbnath
Well it's the middle of winter so not too dry!

Being my first BIAB I had no idea what evaporation I would get from my pot, so left the default setting in Brewmate.
Have changed it now to add a couple litres back for the next brew...it's all about learning and tweaking as you go ;)

And I diluted it a little with boiled water so that it follows the original recipe. That way I know what I should be expecting to get in the glass.
Once I have a couple more brews put down I can start playing around with higher OG and ABV from there.
It's great fun...I'll be spreading the word ;)

Post #3 made 13 years ago
by Ralph
:champ: Sounds pretty peachy to me hbnath!
The dilution is just fine, that's sometimes overlooked as a tool for manipulating specific gravity and volume, it is an integral part of Maxi-BIAB and I use it all the time.
Where are you located, southern hemisphere evidently? Actually, winter often results in a very dry atmosphere in many parts of Australia*, you can sense this with static electricity build up which generally occurs in cool, dry conditions (cheap shoes and synthetic materials are the worst combo- ZZZaapp! :argh: ). but its not the sort of thing I'd be concerned about, particularly if its your first one. Adjusting parameters to suit your equipment and conditions is important and achieved by comparing your observed vs predicted volumes and gravities, you now know how to manage it in Brewmate, so keep tweaking over the next few sessions and you'll soon be able to ping the targets every time.
* Dry atmospheric conditions can influence boil- off, however it is trivial I wouldn't get worked up about it, here's a useful source of meteorology data if anyone is interested. :ugeek:
Last edited by Ralph on 30 Jul 2011, 09:48, edited 5 times in total.
[center]Give me a beer and I will move the world. Archimedes[/center]

Post #6 made 13 years ago
by hbnath
Well it can certainly get pretty dry here in Hawkes Bay over summer, which is why it is one of the best growing regions in the country!
So I better get that next brew planned so there is plenty to go around when summer approaches :thumbs:
But what next after the Golden Ale I have nearly fermented :scratch:
Not that winter means you can't enjoy one or two...or three....

Post #7 made 13 years ago
by BobBrews
hbnath,
Don't get to excited about evaporation rate and hitting exact numbers yet. Get the process mastered first. You will get a good feel for the variable things as you go along (vigorous boils, length of boil, evaporation rate) Some things are hard and fast some things are gut feelings. I love brewing because it's a mixture of science and witchcraft.
tap 1 Raspberry wine
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV

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Post #8 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
LOL! Nice job hbnath :salute:

From the look of your figures, all your measuring equipment is in the ball-park :thumbs:

As Bob said, there are lots of variables on each brew. All you really need is a good recipe as it will always turn out well despite the variations on brew day.
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Post #9 made 13 years ago
by hbnath
My measuring equipment :lol:
All I did was fill my fermenter to use the measurements for my mash water....and my fermenter when it was filled up with yummy wort!
Just goes to show that you really don't need a lot of equipment :thumbs:

And yeah Bob...I'm more worried about getting a nice beer in the glass than technique at the moment.
Will definitely be getting a few more basic brews down first, then start a bit of the science, witch craft and majic!

Post #10 made 13 years ago
by hbnath
Hmmm...I seem to have struck a problem and thought I would asks some advice.
I had trouble keeping an eye on the temp and it got a little cool, and appears to have stalled the ferment at 1020. FG should be 1013.
I did the usual warming it back up and stirring to get some activity but after 48 hours there didn't seem to be anything.

I had to go away for the weekend and the brew has sat in the fridge (not switched on) at about 8-10 deg as it is mid winter here.

I have checked it today and it still looks okay, and smells okay. Should it be fine to warm it up and re-pitch a new US-05 into it??? That seems to be the only option.
I would hate to have my first AG go to waste after all that good work.

Post #11 made 13 years ago
by BobBrews
hbnath,
You may not need to re-pitch. If you raised the temperature and stirred it and nothing happened than you might just let it be. You may not have had enough oxygen or nutrients. Rather than wasting a US-05, just bottle. I never take reading's at all. I watch for a reasonable healthy fermentation and keg. I don't care if I don't hit some hydrometer reading because I am after a good tasting beer not numbers. My beer is as good or better than most so for me (obviously) I would just bottle and enjoy the beer!
P.S. For these people who have fun with math and numbers brewing is perfect and more power to them. It's like having your cake and eating it to! Twice the fun. I brew BIAB because it's simple and it works!
tap 1 Raspberry wine
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV

http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #13 made 13 years ago
by BobBrews
Lylo makes a good point. If you have a beer that is high in un-fermented sugars and your priming sugar kicks off a strong ferment you may get bottle bombs! I have never had a bottle explode but I have had some over carbonated bottles. My problem was that I always used a exact amount of corn sugar to prime but not always remembered to top off the bucket to 5 gallons. If a bucket had only 4.5 gallons I still used the same amount of sugar out of habit? That is a mistake that I have never done since the wet ceiling incident! Good Luck?
tap 1 Raspberry wine
tap 2 Bourbon Barrel Porter
tap 3 Czech Pilsner
tap 4 Triple IPA 11% ABV
Pipeline: Mulled Cider 10% ABV

http://cheesestradamus.com/ Brewers challenge!
    • SVA Brewer With Over 100 Brews From United States of America

Post #14 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
Lylo does make a good point.

And so do you Bob.

Numbers can only get you so far and final gravity ones are often not that accurate. Many dark beers with an OG of 1.050 will finish at 1.015 / 1.020 on my hydrometers and they are done. No amount of mucking around will change the reading. And, after brewing those recipes many times, I know they are finished and they will score a medal. There are some times (many times actually) you have to ignore software.

If you are like me, when you start out brewing, you tend to time and often race everything. You also listen to a lot of bad advice. Yeast will either work or it won't. For example, I have never seen a yeast stall if kept over or above it's minimum fermentation temperature and I have never seen it re-activate after rousing or rising.

A lot of brewer's equipment is inaccurate - hydrometers and thermometers especially. If you are in doubt, give it another week - it won't hurt despite what you read. If you bottle, use plastic instead of glass. I think glass, is better but, as I only have one eye left, I would never bottle in it. Glass is very dangerous if you make a mistake and I nearly lost my other eye from another brewer's beer bottled in glass.

New brewers often discount the word, 'explode'. Glass bottles can literally do this.

Cheers,
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 09 Aug 2011, 22:47, edited 5 times in total.
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Post #15 made 13 years ago
by hashie
Some very good advice, from some very good brewers.

On the dark beer FG. I currently have a chocolate stout in the fermenter, as at yesterday it was 1020 after 14 days. If it is still 1020 tomorrow I will keg it and put some fresh wort on the cake.

Yeast, at least the yeast I use, will work well below it's rated temperature range. But it needs to be healthy and have an active start.
"It's beer Jim, but not as we know it."

Post #16 made 13 years ago
by hbnath
Well I have bottled my first batch (kit) in small pets, and my last batch (kit) in 2L pets. So I was going to re-use the 2L pets this time around too.
It seems pretty safe sitting in the fridge at the moment i.e. not infected etc.
I might just bottle it on friday if nothing is going to happen and see how it goes and put it all down to learning!!!

I'll keep you posted ;)

Post #17 made 13 years ago
by stux
PistolPatch wrote:Lylo does make a good point.
New brewers often discount the word, 'explode'. Glass bottles can literally do this.

Cheers,
PP
The one time I had a bottle bomb episode was also the one time I used green bottles... they're thin.

BUT That was probably about 15 years ago now.

Was scary, luckily they all went off at night, and they were in a store room. Glass was embedded in the concrete walls.

About half the batch exploded in one night.

I was also using a sugar scoop back then, and they were calibrated for 375ml and these bottles were 330ml European style bottles.

Actually, I do remember another batch of bottle bombs... about 10 years ago... one bottle exploded and caused a cascading failure and I lost a whole milk crate of long necks!

That was in the "bottle when the airlock stops bubbling" days, although I was using batch priming with dextrose by then :)

Use a hydrometer, and wait for stable readings! and then wait some more ;)

Or use kegs!
Last edited by stux on 10 Aug 2011, 16:39, edited 5 times in total.
Fermenting: -
Cubed: -
Stirplate: -
On Tap: NS Summer Ale III (WY1272), Landlord III (WY1469), Fighter's 70/- II (WY1272), Roast Porter (WY1028), Cider, Soda
Next: Munich Helles III

5/7/12

Post #18 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
Glad to see someone else is scared to death of the glass bottles Stux ;)

When someone brings me round a glass bottle to try, I always feel like saying, "Can you hold on a sec while I go and get my safety glasses and asbestos suit?" :P
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Post #19 made 13 years ago
by hbnath
Well after 18 days in the first trial PET bottle, the bottle had become very firm so it was worth a go... :luck:

Unfortunately the carbing is a bit low so may have to leave them a little longer and find a slightly warmer place to put them for a while to assist.
I'm am ok with this as there was the worry that with high FG the sugar content was too high so I under primed them. Live and learn!!

Taste wise...couldn't be happier!!! :thumbs:

Needed a little more chilling before tasting, but overall a nice smooth texture and good body to it that I never got with my kits. And despite the worry of a high FG and therefore maybe a sweet flavour, I think it has come out beautifully and is well balanced with the bitterness and taste of the hops, which leave a nice warm feeling in your mouth after each mouthful.

Can't wait to try a few more!!! :party:

Post #20 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
hbnath wrote:Taste wise...couldn't be happier!!! :thumbs:

Needed a little more chilling before tasting, but overall a nice smooth texture and good body to it that I never got with my kits. And despite the worry of a high FG and therefore maybe a sweet flavour, I think it has come out beautifully and is well balanced with the bitterness and taste of the hops, which leave a nice warm feeling in your mouth after each mouthful.

Can't wait to try a few more!!! :party:
Good on you hb :clap:

Not sure on what you have said about moving your beers to a slightly warmer place. (Just make sure they are at 18C to begin with and all should be fine, if not, there is nothing you can do!)

Also remember that figures on a single brew can't be relied on so mistakes you think you might have made on this brew might actually not be mistakes. You said it yourself above,
that despite the worry of a high FG and therefore maybe a sweet flavour, I think it has come out beautifully and is well balanced with the bitterness and taste of the hops, which leave a nice warm feeling in your mouth after each mouthful
Nice job!
PP
Last edited by PistolPatch on 29 Aug 2011, 23:23, edited 5 times in total.
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