Hi again balli,

No one on any forum anywhere can answer your questions on gravities or volumes after one brew although they will try incessantly .

On your next brew, try and take some more readings. When starting out, try and take at least the following (assuming no dilutions or extract/sugar additions)...

VIK and GIK (Volume and Gravity into Kettle)
VAW (Volume of Ambient Wort - can be done in various ways.)
GAW (Gravity of Ambient Wort - can be done in various ways)
KFL (Kettle to Fermentor Loss - can be measured in various ways)

If you can take those five measurements on a single brew, it can tell ius a lot. Take those five measurements on five brews and they will tell a lot more.

One gravity reading, nopt double-checked, at the end of a brew doesn't tell us too much sorry. (Gravity readings are real bastards and should actually be taken at least twice but I didn't even mention that above did I? Take a sample at the end of the boil and cool that and then take another one just after aeration.)

And your file isn't showing any actual evaporation figure balli so I'm confused on this. I think I know what you are saying... "My kettle efficiency is higher than estimated," but without more brews and measurements we won't really know.

Does that make sense?
PP

balli1990 wrote:PP, thank you for the reply.

My pleasure .

balli1990 wrote:Taking more measurements is definitely something I need to work on.

Maybe and maybe not.

It's a very hard jumble to work out what things are most important to concentrate on during brew especially in the early days. I love that you checked that OG reading three times because it tells me how much you know how to dis-respect a single reading . You are in the top 1% of sensible brewers already!!! But, I hope you didn't take those readings at the expense of relaxing and enjoying yourself.

As for measuring the KFL by subtracting VIF from VAW (all new terminology sorry - find a BIABacus PR 1.3I), that will work and is actually the way most brewers will do it. The EOBV-A (what we are now calling 'Volume of Ambient Wort' - VAW) is hardly ever able to be measured directly. It nearly always has to be derived from methods such as you have found.

On the 'maybe not' side of things, if you get your brew set up correctly by say posting your recipe plan/BIABacus file up here before you brew, then, on brew day, there is really not much that can go wrong. You put so much grain in and add so much water with a few hops and something will come out at the other end and it is very likely to be the beer you planned. Following this plan will usually, at most, result in you having to do a dilution if anything at all.

But, when the new brewer is making a big error or is using faulty tools, the only way we will find those fast is if they take measurements.

The most important reading to ever double-check though at two different times, when the wort is well-agitated, is the GAW which, if no dilutions or sugar additions have been made will be your Original Gravity.


PP

balli1990 wrote:So after discovering that the pizza mesh pan I bought (for a false bottom) was way to small and light (would just jump about in the boil) I got a false bottom manufactured.

Cheers.

Hi Balli1990 - where abouts did you get it manufacturered? Did you specify the diameter of the holes - if so, what is the diameter? I have a lasercutting firm that'll do the job but if you've got a good one in the UK I'd be happy to get a quote from them as well!

You'll see my build starting (just posted today). Just been thinking about the best way of lifting out the bottom when I'm done with the mash. Might get a couple of thin stainless strips that'll hook on the sides of the pot rather than screws. I may have a think, I'm sure there's a better way of doing it. My present way of thinking is put a pully up and just suspend it - not worry about a SS bottom at all.

Cheers,

Tim

All good points!

I've got a firm I've used before - but again, postage may be a PITA. I might design it with my "brewery" name using the letters as holes.