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1st all grain, need help.

Post #1 made 12 years ago
by Coromant
After reading through so many articles, I've decided that I must give it a try, especially BIAB. :thumbs:
I gotten this recipe from Northern Brewer website, from 1 of the link provide by Bob Brew!
As this is the 1st all grain, I try to get the actual ingredients or as close as I can, hope that it'll turn out to be ok.
After trying with the BIABacus, I'm unclear with the value 'K' and 'W'.
If you refer to the attached BIABacus, the total water needed is 19.21 litres.
I would like to check with you, is this the amount of water that I should start boiling with?
Should I input any value in 'W'?
There is a warning of mash volume exceeds kettle size, what should I do other than increasing the kettle size? :think:
Mates, hope that you could give some advice, though I believe that the question is rather straight forward.
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Post #2 made 12 years ago
by Yeasty
Welcome Cormorant.

Good first effort there mate. :peace:

I won't comment on the recipe as I'm short of time although I may look at it in detail later if I get a chance.

As for your questions:

Look under section B where you put your kettle dimensions and you will see that your Pot will hold 21.7L. Now look at section K. Your total water needed ambient is 19.21L heat this to mash temps and it will now be 19.59L this is below your kettle capacity. however adding your grain bill will increase the volume to 21.87L which is just over your pot capacity. :think:

Now the way around this problem is to use section W.

If you enter a figure of 2L in the Water used for sparge box and hit enter you will see the warning about exceeding kettle size changes to a warning that you are approaching kettle limits. Increase this number to 3L and the warning disappears.

So to make it fit, hold back 3L and rinse your grains with this then add the runnings to the pot as you begin your boil. You could forget the sparge and just top up after mash out but it makes sense to put the water to some use.

:luck:
Yeasty

PS: you are going to be looking at a nearly full pot so watch for boil overs. You could always hold back the 3L until boil + 30min when there will be extra capacity.
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Post #3 made 12 years ago
by Mad_Scientist
Welcome Coromant, I see Yeasty posted. Here is my file I made some changes.

Yeah, like Yeasty said, you have to withhold some water from the mash, I suggest 2 L.

Any more questions?, we are here to help you.
BIABacus PR1.3 -Saint Paul Porter(2).xls
Last edited by Mad_Scientist on 21 Aug 2013, 02:24, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #4 made 12 years ago
by Coromant
Hello Mad_Scientist and Yeasty, many thanks for the reply. :peace:
I've changed the value in 'W', water used in a sparge and now the water held back is 3 litres.
Of cos, the value in 'K' changes accordingly.
For this case, what is the amount of water to start boiling with, to follow the value in TWN, SWN or VIK? :interesting:
Once it mash out, I'll top up the 3 litres of water in to the fermentor?
Need more advice, thanks.

Post #5 made 12 years ago
by Mad_Scientist
Coromant wrote:Hello Mad_Scientist and Yeasty, many thanks for the reply. :peace:
I've changed the value in 'W', water used in a sparge and now the water held back is 3 litres.
Of cos, the value in 'K' changes accordingly.
For this case, what is the amount of water to start boiling with, to follow the value in TWN, SWN or VIK? :interesting:
Once it mash out, I'll top up the 3 litres of water in to the fermentor?
Need more advice, thanks.
In the case of entering a value into Section W, either as a sparge or water added before the boil, you NOW need to start with the SWN. The TWN NOW also includes this 3 L of water that is held back from the mash, make sense?

After mash out, use that 3 L up, whether from a sparge, water added before the boil and/or during the boil, if possible.

:peace:
MS
Last edited by Mad_Scientist on 22 Aug 2013, 01:04, edited 2 times in total.
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Post #6 made 12 years ago
by Coromant
Hello MS, thanks for the advice and sorry for the late reply.
My 1st BIAB ended up in a mess and my kids can't stand the smell. :dunno:
My actual kettle size is 19 litres, I've adjusted the figure in the BIABcus and hold back 5 litres of water.
The mash temperature is 67C, for 90 minutes, so far so good.
The big mistake is that I've miss calculate the amount of water to be use and the reading from the hydrometre is 1.07. (After cooling down 23C)
So I pour in boil water to reduce the reading to around 1.05, probably it can be save. (Hope that it's a correct remedy)
The bubble in the airlock is like volcano for 2 days, since last Sunday.
However, it stop totally this morning.
I was wondering, is this normal? :think:
Is this the behaviour of Safale US-05 yeast?
Hope its drinkable though.

Post #7 made 12 years ago
by BobBrews
Coromant,

The vigorous bubbling can be very quick indeed. I have had beers that took four days and I have beers that were over in 36 hours. All turned out fine. I an not sure about your reading though? A beer should start about 1.60 and end up at 1.05 or so? You produced alcohol and hopefully it will taste good in time? I am sure it will a learning experience and the first of many great beers! Cheers to you!
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Post #8 made 12 years ago
by mally
Joshua - It sounds like Bob is working on a new "bigger" version of his black bear, trouble is it will take about 6 years to mature! :lol:

Coromant - Have you took a gravity reading since it has stopped bubbling?

It may have stopped bubbling for a number of reasons;
it has finished
it has stuck
needs agitating
airlock isn't fitted properly.

Sorry to be lazy (I haven't read everything completely) but do you know what your OG & FG should be?
G B
I spent lots of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered
I've stopped drinking, but only when I'm asleep
I ONCE gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life
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Post #9 made 12 years ago
by Coromant
Hi Joshua,

I haven't take the reading, planning to let it settle down for a day or two.
For this 1st biab, my plan is to get the process right.
My target of OG is 1.052 & FG at 1.04.
I can smell beer from the airlock, believe that it should be ok & hope that it'll taste like beer.
It's a good experience in biab & also great to get to know all of you.

Post #10 made 12 years ago
by mally
I hope it goes well for you.

Unless that is a typo;

OG 1.052 FG 1.040 will be very sweet, about 20% attenuation & 1.3% ABV.
OG 1.052 FG 1.004 will be dry, about 92% attenuation & 6.2% ABV.

Maybe 1.014 FG which is 74% attenuation & 5% ABV?
G B
I spent lots of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered
I've stopped drinking, but only when I'm asleep
I ONCE gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life
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Post #13 made 12 years ago
by mally
:thumbs: well done coromant!

just be sure it has fully finished though.
It is normal practice to wait for 3 days of steady gravity readings before packaging.
G B
I spent lots of money on booze, birds and fast cars. The rest I squandered
I've stopped drinking, but only when I'm asleep
I ONCE gave up women and alcohol - it was the worst 20 minutes of my life
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