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First all grain brew done and fermenting!

Post #1 made 13 years ago
by Jeltz
Well I'll say at the start it was a catalogue of errors!
  • When formulating the recipe I took Hashie's Old Speckled Hen clone as a starting point I used the percentages without thinking, which aren't quite right, and over did the crystal malt making it 18% when in fact it should have been about 10%. Looking back its so obvious that its a wrong in the recipe that I should have noticed it.
  • Brewday was put back several times due to family stuff, so the yeast had cultured from a bottle, bottle conditioned of pale ale had oxidised by the time I was ready to use it so I resorted to a dried yeast which none the less will be fine!
  • The new electric boiler I bought had a faulty element and wouldn't reach a rolling boil. The manufacturer sent me a replacement next day but still the wort had to sit for about 36 hours before being boiled when I did it smelled different to what I expected it to, whether that is an issue remains to be seen.
  • I did an overnight mash, due to my lifestyle it is easier but the pre boil gravity which should have been 1.038 came out at about 1.054. So I thought I should up the hops to compensate.
  • Final gravity was so high, due partly to a greater evaporation than I expected, so I diluted it back but over diluted so ended up adding in some more golden syrup to the mix to bring it up to the desired SG
Despite all the above, it is done and fermenting well, I suspect that I ended up over hopping and that it will be an odd brew but as a 1st try it was a great learning experience and I'm looking forward to the next one!

Here are few pictures:-

After doughing in the grain
Image
Well insulated. Starting temp 66.4C Finishing temperature after 9 hours 62.5C
Image

Bag out
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A little sparge
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Then I find the problem with the element so its on to the following evening to do the boil
I believe this was the hot break
Image
After chilling there I'm surprised how much the hops have expanded
Image
Anyway comments and constructive criticism welcomed :D
Last edited by Jeltz on 18 Sep 2012, 17:37, edited 2 times in total.
Regards

Nic

Post #3 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
Jeltz wrote:Well I'll say at the start it was a catalogue of errors!
:lol: :lol: :lol:

Great post Jeltz and congratulations to you :thumbs:.

The next one will be easier. I just noticed that the Old Speckled Hen has a syrup addition which we hadn't allowed for in our calcs. I'm thinking that one possibility of the very high pre-boil gravity reading though with an overnight mash may have been 'layering'??? Did you take the hydrometer sample from the tap or the top?

On your next brew, don't worry about doing any hop adjustments based on a single pre-boil gravity reading. Just do a few brews and see if you keep getting a consistent error at the end of the day.

Also, if your next brew contains any sugars let me know and I'll scale it for you via PM with The BIABacus which makes things a lot easier. (Maybe it will even be available to everyone before then :party:.)

The 36 hour delay before the boil due to the faulty element just might be a record. Cool! I have no idea what effect this will have had but it will be really interesting to hear how it all turns out in the end.

Good on you.
PP

P.S. You might enjoy reading this post about plans going wrong :P.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 18 Sep 2012, 18:25, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #4 made 13 years ago
by Jeltz
PistolPatch wrote:I'm thinking that one possibility of the very high pre-boil gravity reading though with an overnight mash may have been 'layering'??? Did you take the hydrometer sample from the tap or the top?
The top but after the bag came out so I thought that would have mixed things. I understand that overnight mashing can give a significant increase in efficiency but its also been suggested to me that it might pull more than the sugars from the grain, tannins etc which could possibly account for the high gravity.

Anyway we'll see. I'd like to do overnight mashing just because I rarely get a 6 hour spell without kids about and mashing from about midnight then boiling while the kids are at school the following day would be perfect!
Last edited by Jeltz on 18 Sep 2012, 18:46, edited 2 times in total.
Regards

Nic

Post #5 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
The top and well mixed up! Bugger! :lol:

Was hoping for a simple answer but I'm just going to add this to the long list of things we don't know enough about :). I'm itching to do a whole heap of side by side mash experiments using coffee plungers in an oven. Looks like overnight mashing will be another one of them.

Would love to do all these side by sides with full batches but no one can drink that much :lol:.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 18 Sep 2012, 19:41, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #6 made 13 years ago
by thughes
:clap:

I predict that this is going to be the finest beer you have ever tasted......good luck duplicating it in the future! :argh:


---Todd
WWBBD?
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Post #7 made 13 years ago
by Jeltz
LOL, yeah duplicating it is never going to happen!

To be honest if its drinkable I shall be happy, if its the best I've ever tastes then I shall be delighted to find out what one that goes to plan ends up like :drink:
Regards

Nic

Post #8 made 13 years ago
by BobBrews
Jeltz,
It will be a very good beer! My first beer was one disaster after another but it is still my best beer. Never duplicated! Brewing gets easier for a while and then you will make it more complicated later on? It's what we home brewers do!
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!
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Post #9 made 13 years ago
by Jeltz
Well today I took delivery of:-
  • 25kg Maris Otter pale malt
  • 3kg Crystal malt
  • 500g Black malt
  • 500g Chocolate malt
  • 3 Safale S-04 yeast sachets
  • 100g Challenger hops
  • 100g Fuggles hops
In addition to which I already have about 60g of Marynka hops and 70g Goldings.

I guess that now all I need to do is decide what to brew next!

Oh and work out how I'm going to sneak a 25kg or MO into the house and hide if from Mrs J :whistle:
Last edited by Jeltz on 20 Sep 2012, 21:26, edited 2 times in total.
Regards

Nic

Post #10 made 13 years ago
by BobBrews
Good luck getting it past security? They have ways to find out everything. Brew something she will like to drink? If you can do that she will help carry your grain? My jailer rarely drinks anymore? So I have to make up the difference! Good brewing to you!
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 #12 made 13 years ago
by Jeltz
No problem, I only based mine on that recipe but it should have been obvious to me if I'd spent a moment thinking about it!

All told the recipe will have been the least of it with this brew! :D
Regards

Nic

Post #13 made 13 years ago
by Jeltz
Right I have kegged it, checked the SG and supped the contents of the test jar!

I would say that even in its cloudy immature state its easily drinkable. There is an odd flavour in there which might be the yeast in suspension and its a little drier than I would ideally have liked but I'm not be likely to use that yeast again.

The amount of trub is massive compared to kits, so now to way 4 weeks! I've enough beer to keep me going through that time and I'll get another brew under way soon as well to build up a stock :thumbs:
Regards

Nic

Post #14 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
Good on you Nic and thanks for keeping us posted :thumbs:

Using real hops is the major reason for the increase in trub between kit and AG brewing. On your next one, try using your BIAB bag as a hop sock. Just let it dangle in the boil. This will reduce your trub a lot.

Also try crash-chilling the fermentor for about 5 days before you transfer to the keg. This will further reduce your trub and, assuming there are no 'chemistry' problems, give you perfectly clear beer straight from the keg. :party:.

All sounds good though :clap:.
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Post #15 made 13 years ago
by Jeltz
Thanks I shall certainly start to use a hop sock, I have just done my 2nd brew and draining was a long process as the hops were seriously restricting the flow through the strainer. It won't be long until the weather is such that crash chilling is really easy over here!
Regards

Nic

Post #16 made 13 years ago
by joshua
Good Day, This may be OffTopic, But I finished a 3rd brew using a BIAB bag for a hop sack(with a false bottom)
It really works well as a Hop sack, the Hop Junk swirls during the boil, As a side note, About 79-75% of the Hot break get stuck to the sides of the bag.

This left less than 50% of the Trub that would go into the Fermenter.

Just a 3 batch study.....
Honest Officer, I swear to Drunk, I am Not God.
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Post #17 made 13 years ago
by Polbrew
There is an odd flavour in there which might be the yeast in suspension and its a little drier than I would ideally have liked but I'm not be likely to use that yeast again.
IMO the off flavour is due to leaving a mash exposed for 36 hours! the mash is rich with extracted sugars which is an open invitation to bacteria and other organisms. even though you put it through the boil killing all present organisms, it most definitely was infected during the 36 hours. So contaminant organisms already started metabolising the sugars and excreting their waste products. Hence the off flavour remains even after boil.

also you can't compensate the gravity by adding hops. if the gravity is too high compensate by liquoring back (watering it down) or if it is too low you compensate by adding sugar.
Last edited by Polbrew on 04 Oct 2012, 15:01, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #18 made 13 years ago
by Jeltz
Well it wasn't a choice that it was left for 36 hours, but you may well be right.

With regard to the hops, my understanding is that in order to achieve the same bitterness you need more hops with higher gravity beers, is that wrong?
Regards

Nic

Post #19 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
Jeltz wrote:With regard to the hops, my understanding is that in order to achieve the same bitterness you need more hops with higher gravity beers, is that wrong?
This is what the hop estimation formulas work on Jeltz but the reality varies greatly. The latest is that gravity has less effect on the IBU's than the formulas predict.

I'll write a bit more on this in a minute in this thread.
Last edited by PistolPatch on 04 Oct 2012, 19:05, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #20 made 13 years ago
by Jeltz
Thanks for that PP,

On the basis that AG and BIAB are new to me I have decided to have regular tastes as it conditions to see what happens as it goes along. I'm using a shot glass so there isn't much to taste but its fun to see how it goes along. So I'll document it here,

Week 1) I've had a couple of samples this week. The odd flavour is still there but has subsided a little already, it is most noticeable in the head of the beer. The priming sugar is not yet fully fermented and there is a slight sweetness which may be masking the odd flavour. There is a fizz to it which feels like a high concentration of small bubbles.
Regards

Nic

Post #21 made 13 years ago
by Jeltz
Well I've started drinking it, and its an odd beer. Certainly drinkable but not a normal tasting beer. I shall drink it and enjoy it but its rather cloudy, not overly bitter and not overly hoppy.

I'll not be wanting to duplicate the brew but no.3 is due for Wednesday.
Regards

Nic

Post #22 made 13 years ago
by PistolPatch
Good on you Jeltz ;).

Just was reading where you write that the odd flavour was most noticeable in the head of the beer. The head of the beer holds mostly hop flavours if that helps you at all.

...and good luck for Wednesday :salute:.
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Post #23 made 13 years ago
by Jeltz
I'm not worried about what went wrong, there are so many possibilities that trying to establish what led to the odd flavour is neigh on impossible.

Wednesday will be a better brew.
Regards

Nic
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