I got the BIAB kit from the HBC a week or so back and spent a fair amount of time faffing with the wort chiller this week, trying to sort out the arrangement suggested by Spapro on the Kit Upgrade thread:
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=55772&page=5
I had some problems today with the connection to the heating element and also with the outflow connector to the Wort Chiller. The issue with the Wort Chiller connector is simple, in the sense that it fell off after about 5 minutes.
The heating element connector just needed a bit more force, and fortunately SWIMBO was at hand to ram it in a bit further.
Anyway, to summarise how it went, with reference to the "General Set of Guidelines" from HBC. The heading is "Technique":
1. I did not have mashing bag in place before adding grain. this made no difference as I put some grain in the bag and added it OK at 70C
2/3. 4.7kg is LOT of grain and it took a while to stir it in, one bit at a time.
4. I do not know what temp the mash was, but since ambient in the kitchen was 20C, i did not imagine this would be an issue.
5. I mashed for 60 mins, plus the stirring time and bottled the beer I put on 3 weeks previously in the interlude.
6. I think the mash may have been a bit low temps wise and at the end the top bit only just grovelled over 60C
7/8. Dunk sparge (10 mins) went well, using about 5L of water at between 75 and 80C in my 15L Wilko pot. Using a colander to drain, I was able to add most of the sparge water to the boil and then after leaving the bag in the colander until it stopped dripping, I boiled it up on the stove and stuck it in the main boil later.
9. Boil went fine, even indoors. On the gas hob, I leave the pot lid on (!!) throughout the boil with no issues (!!). Today, boiled with no lid, with windows open and the extractor above the hob on lowest setting and this went fine, somewhat to my surprise. Got around 22L post boil. I would add more sparging water next time, for sure.
10. For me, this was the "big unknown" - cooling the wort using the wort chiller and transferring to the FV. This just took ages and was stressful. I had decided to do the chilling outside on the patio, because I had premonitions of liquid swirling around the kitchen, and that does not get many Brownie points.
The outflow was to go into a spare FV - no problems there, even when the connector to the outflow side of the wort chiller fell off. Just lift up the boiler and hook the copper tubing over the side of the FV. It must have taken well over an hour and 50 L of water, run slowly through the chiller to bring down the temp to mid 20's C.
I dropped the outflow water into SWMBO's water butt, from the FV via a washing up bowl (15L L of hot water 5 feet in the air is not a great prospect).
Used the "decant"" method of jugging the coolled wort into the FV through a sieve and a further bag. Did half downstairs and added the contents of a very badly dented Coopers APA can, then added the rest upstairs, where I do the fermenting. I did not fancy carrying 23kg upstairs in one go. 2x 12kg - no issue. Added water to 27.5L. Since this is the Cooper fermenter, with krausen collar, this should be fine.
11. Pitched using a re-used US 05 (9 of 11 stored under green beer for some weeks now). This shot out the bottle and had a bit of a sulphurous smell, but too late to worry now.
I did no starting gravity readings as I was pretty releived just to be finished and on with the clearing up. I would expect something in the 6.5% ABV range. This is a pretty special brew for me, and as I had to use up the dented can quickly, this is my "strong Xmas beer".
http://www.thehomebrewforum.co.uk/showthread.php?t=55772&page=5
I had some problems today with the connection to the heating element and also with the outflow connector to the Wort Chiller. The issue with the Wort Chiller connector is simple, in the sense that it fell off after about 5 minutes.
The heating element connector just needed a bit more force, and fortunately SWIMBO was at hand to ram it in a bit further.
Anyway, to summarise how it went, with reference to the "General Set of Guidelines" from HBC. The heading is "Technique":
1. I did not have mashing bag in place before adding grain. this made no difference as I put some grain in the bag and added it OK at 70C
2/3. 4.7kg is LOT of grain and it took a while to stir it in, one bit at a time.
4. I do not know what temp the mash was, but since ambient in the kitchen was 20C, i did not imagine this would be an issue.
5. I mashed for 60 mins, plus the stirring time and bottled the beer I put on 3 weeks previously in the interlude.
6. I think the mash may have been a bit low temps wise and at the end the top bit only just grovelled over 60C
7/8. Dunk sparge (10 mins) went well, using about 5L of water at between 75 and 80C in my 15L Wilko pot. Using a colander to drain, I was able to add most of the sparge water to the boil and then after leaving the bag in the colander until it stopped dripping, I boiled it up on the stove and stuck it in the main boil later.
9. Boil went fine, even indoors. On the gas hob, I leave the pot lid on (!!) throughout the boil with no issues (!!). Today, boiled with no lid, with windows open and the extractor above the hob on lowest setting and this went fine, somewhat to my surprise. Got around 22L post boil. I would add more sparging water next time, for sure.
10. For me, this was the "big unknown" - cooling the wort using the wort chiller and transferring to the FV. This just took ages and was stressful. I had decided to do the chilling outside on the patio, because I had premonitions of liquid swirling around the kitchen, and that does not get many Brownie points.
The outflow was to go into a spare FV - no problems there, even when the connector to the outflow side of the wort chiller fell off. Just lift up the boiler and hook the copper tubing over the side of the FV. It must have taken well over an hour and 50 L of water, run slowly through the chiller to bring down the temp to mid 20's C.
I dropped the outflow water into SWMBO's water butt, from the FV via a washing up bowl (15L L of hot water 5 feet in the air is not a great prospect).
Used the "decant"" method of jugging the coolled wort into the FV through a sieve and a further bag. Did half downstairs and added the contents of a very badly dented Coopers APA can, then added the rest upstairs, where I do the fermenting. I did not fancy carrying 23kg upstairs in one go. 2x 12kg - no issue. Added water to 27.5L. Since this is the Cooper fermenter, with krausen collar, this should be fine.
11. Pitched using a re-used US 05 (9 of 11 stored under green beer for some weeks now). This shot out the bottle and had a bit of a sulphurous smell, but too late to worry now.
I did no starting gravity readings as I was pretty releived just to be finished and on with the clearing up. I would expect something in the 6.5% ABV range. This is a pretty special brew for me, and as I had to use up the dented can quickly, this is my "strong Xmas beer".
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