ACE Microbrewery
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BeerCat
Landlord.
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Looks like a great bit of kit i must say. I bet its easier than connecting all my stuff together.
it's the future So tempted to get one of these. Think the Mrs will have to move out to make more room until I get my brew shed built. The dining room is already full, but then again she's spreading her stuff into the small bit of wardrobe I've managed to claim in our bedroom.
grmski
Well-Known Member
If you as clumsy as me and you lose the cap then these fit perfectly.
grmski
Well-Known Member
Moving on to actual brewing using the Ace/Klarstein.
Considering there is something like 6 litres deadspace between the bottom of the grain basket and the base of the boiler what water to grain ratio are others using?
My first 2 brews I've had this high up around 6L/Kg but perhaps that's too thin as the conventional wisdom claims a thicker mash produces a more fermentable wort. In the Grainfather they talk about using 2.7l/kg which on a 4.7kg grain bill gives a water volume of ~12l but now I'm wondering if 6 litres are below the basket then aren't you in effect mashing in only 6 litres of water? I suppose the pump recirculates the water from below the basket onto and through the grain bed so the grain isn't sitting in static very sweet liquor so mitigates that somewhat, just wondering what others take on this is and whether I'm over thinking it?
Considering there is something like 6 litres deadspace between the bottom of the grain basket and the base of the boiler what water to grain ratio are others using?
My first 2 brews I've had this high up around 6L/Kg but perhaps that's too thin as the conventional wisdom claims a thicker mash produces a more fermentable wort. In the Grainfather they talk about using 2.7l/kg which on a 4.7kg grain bill gives a water volume of ~12l but now I'm wondering if 6 litres are below the basket then aren't you in effect mashing in only 6 litres of water? I suppose the pump recirculates the water from below the basket onto and through the grain bed so the grain isn't sitting in static very sweet liquor so mitigates that somewhat, just wondering what others take on this is and whether I'm over thinking it?
grmski
Well-Known Member
Are you hitting the expected pre boil volume and gravity like that? If not I assume that post boil will be above gravity and below volume so you'd need to be liquoring back in the FV.
dps51
Landlord.
go on you know you want to let her have the wardrobe then you are happy and also she is happy
Hi all,
I'm a new member here and have also just bought an Ace microbrewery. I haven't had a chance to brew with it yet but will be following this thread (and, hopefully, contributing) with interest.
I'm a new member here and have also just bought an Ace microbrewery. I haven't had a chance to brew with it yet but will be following this thread (and, hopefully, contributing) with interest.
grmski
Well-Known Member
Hi Pavros,
Welcome to the forum and good luck with the Ace, do you have anything planned?
Welcome to the forum and good luck with the Ace, do you have anything planned?
Don't you have to add the deadspace to the volume of water from the calculation to arrive at the mash volume? So, using the above, you would use 18 litres for the mash.
I haven't had the chance to brew with mine yet and am trying to gather as much info as possible before I do, so I am not sure if this is correct.
Welcome :thumb:
grmski
Well-Known Member
This is what I was wondering but then thought that because the pump is recirculating the wort perhaps it's not deadspace after all.
it's not deadspace, the pump will circulate happily as long as you slow the flow right down.
15L/15L works perfectly with mine
I thought the recirculating was to 'wash'/move the grains during the mash and to keep a constant temperature throughout the grain bed?
If you look at a silly example - if you just use the calculation to arrive at the mash volume, it may be possible to arrive at less than 6 litres of mash water. This wouldn't cover any of the grains (other than by recirculating) and I thought that you had to at least make sure the grains were covered with water. Again, as I have not brewed with mine yet, I'm not sure.
Edit: If 15 litres works for mashing, then you need to look at something like 3.2 litres per kg (which includes the 6l deadspace) or 2.5l/kg plus 6 litres.
If you look at a silly example - if you just use the calculation to arrive at the mash volume, it may be possible to arrive at less than 6 litres of mash water. This wouldn't cover any of the grains (other than by recirculating) and I thought that you had to at least make sure the grains were covered with water. Again, as I have not brewed with mine yet, I'm not sure.
Edit: If 15 litres works for mashing, then you need to look at something like 3.2 litres per kg (which includes the 6l deadspace) or 2.5l/kg plus 6 litres.
