Bri's AG 1

[Manxnorton]

I just used the FORCE you guys showed me..AG 2 could be a total bag of whatsitts...
Luvvin the Dark side actually got me all exited...suppose the bank balance is gonna moan now :
Once I give yous my lil run down I'm sure you experts will be able to analyse the data and see where I can improve :thumb:
Feel like some more Darth Vader gags but I'm still buzzing and I feel more drawn to this batch than the other extract brews I've done..it's my baby..ha ha am I bad???
Now as I'm sure you guys at least have said once or twice to me "Learn patients!"
Already dreaming of my next batch or two...cornie kegs here we come!
I think after the man hours of researching and slowly tasking it easy I need a result and I think I got it....
Bubble burst? No not yet but I'm a simple man willing to learn from all mistakes and strive on guidance...YEAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!! One happy n tired brewer.
Thank you so much for helping me get to my first cherry pop :
Catchya all in the morning for my debrief...warning cheesey Geordie lingo and bad pics incoming.
:shock:
ATB
Bri

 

[PD]

My next all grain brew will be number 36, and I still get that feeling your having now for a brew day.

 

[Manxnorton]

My next all grain brew will be number 36, and I still get that feeling your having now for a brew day.

36 :thumb: wow!
Has your kit over the time changed? i.e. Changed hlt, boiler etc?
Now going to look at all the guvvins for my cornie kegs such as gas bottle lines regulator, as all I have is the kegs.
Any links to what I need would be appreciated, I am aiming eventually 4 & then 6 kegs once I get a larger kegerator sauced.
Hopefully I will be doing double 19L batches.
Anyways better get my backside into gear and get the report re-done from yesterday.
Kettle on here we go!
ATB
Bri

 

[PD]

many changes along the way.
I started all grain ( after kits ) with a 29 liter " tea urn " boiler and a coolbox mash tun balanced on two Black and Decker workmates. Made some decent 18-19 liter brews.
I then bit the bullet and went shiny......
2 x 100 liter pots and a 80 liter thermopot on a metal " fish tank" type bench with tower.
Home brewing is my main hobby so I made myself afford the cost together with donations at Christmas time last year. I had an electrician in to upgrade my electricity supply in the brewery ( garage ) and consider my " advancment" well worth it, for beer making and the self satisfaction I get, with working with quality equipment.
A temp controller for the HLT has been purchased and after setting it up it maintains my hlt water at whatever temp I set. I can onld do single infusion mashes as I cant vary the temp of my mash tun easily, but for my style of beers ( malty english ales and stouts that caused me no problems as yet.



corny keg system is working well and saves me a lot of time, and I've managed to build a small bar/serving area at the other end of the garage so I can Lord it over my brewery domain.....lol

 

[Manxnorton]

many changes along the way.
I started all grain ( after kits ) with a 29 liter " tea urn " boiler and a coolbox mash tun balanced on two Black and Decker workmates. Made some decent 18-19 liter brews.
I then bit the bullet and went shiny......
2 x 100 liter pots and a 80 liter thermopot on a metal " fish tank" type bench with tower.
Home brewing is my main hobby so I made myself afford the cost together with donations at Christmas time last year. I had an electrician in to upgrade my electricity supply in the brewery ( garage ) and consider my " advancment" well worth it, for beer making and the self satisfaction I get, with working with quality equipment.
A temp controller for the HLT has been purchased and after setting it up it maintains my hlt water at whatever temp I set. I can onld do single infusion mashes as I cant vary the temp of my mash tun easily, but for my style of beers ( malty english ales and stouts that caused me no problems as yet.



corny keg system is working well and saves me a lot of time, and I've managed to build a small bar/serving area at the other end of the garage so I can Lord it over my brewery domain.....lol

M8,
I'm impressed to bits.
For me hoping the Land lady allows me to use her Storeage out house is my goal.
that has the size to become my ideal mancave She has all her furniture that I put in when moving in.
I do have a corrugated roofed small shed added to the back which will survice once I thin out all my junk ive collected over the years.
Do a few carboots no doubt will free up space and some readies.

Shiny I think is the way ahead for me once I learn and learn as much as I can.
Having it all organised like yours is one of my aims, after 25 years in the Military ive got a bit of OCD (only a little!) on having stuff organised.
The kit I bought off Fil has proved at least for AG1 is well up to the task and I'm chuffed to bits.
I can see quite a few more brews coming out of her b4 I shed the £'s though.
anyways onwards n upwards with my report from yesterday once I've checked emails etc..
Thanks for the pics and write up, gives the likes of me something to inspire to :thumb:
ATB
Bri

 

[Manxnorton]

Woke as per old habits b4 the alarm around 5am.
it wasn't til I had set up the kit and re-arranged things a hundredth time I realised I had to put a plug on the HLT junction box for the twin leads..
NOTE TO SELF! it would be helpful to use something like a 13A fuse in anything that heats up, Not a 3A fuse, this will save time fault finding and starting to Flap :lol:
Before re-arranging the kit

gotta say from the off set with not knowing the kit I wasn't to confident that things would go to plan with Volumes etc., how wrong I was.
Armed with Brewmate, Brewstews Guide, Fil's extensive PM write-up he sent me and my notepad I set about.
1st mindfart out of the road with a confirmatory phone call to Fil off I set about.
filled the HLT to 35L and sorted my ingredients out.


I'd be lying if I said not everything went to plan, 17.5L of strike water into the Tun and getting it to 66C was my problem...added a lil cold. Added a lil hot. A lil cold...think you get the picture
headless chicken wasn't the word for it.
Eventually got the temp to settle on 66C sealed the tun(also was previously pre heated)coats the lot went over it.
I have to say my STC1000 setup was the dogs conkers, getting and maintaining the temps needed, I have another 2 STC1000's in my cupboard so they'll be put to a good use one day as a project.

Mashing out only coursed one Stuck Sparge, but was rectified easily.
with using bewstew's guide that I've read over and over fly sparging was relatively easy and I was surprised that by the time the hydrometer read as near 0.990 I had collected jus over 27L that brewmate had suggested.
Now the part I was dreading and actually was the most rewarding and enjoyable part, the Brew.
this is my 2 element boiler, thinking back the only criticism I have is as the boil goes on and evaporation occurs for a small batch I am doing is the elements may be slightly high, but any lower and no end of problems would occur, but overall very happy.

inside the boiler

She got the boil temp up to 98C without any problem and once I observed all the goings on as I've read up on, added my first lot of Hops Northern brewer.
I alternated between 1 & 2 elements once I got a rolling boil and she kept the temp perfect.

Wort Chiller & Profloc tablet in at 15mins, Cascade in at 10 & 1 min.
it said on brewmate that from the 27L I would be eventually post Chiller 23L, I got bang on 24L post Boil as stated and once I shut off the boil at 28C was over the moon to get my desired 23L of wart.
Now the only thing that grips my watsitts with me is for some reason getting temperatures just right, like the mash temp and it was the same on getting the temp down for pitching the yeast.
Don't know if I am inpatient, or jus a flapper.
This was the recipe from the Malt Miller, and I am chuffed to bits with their quick and friendly service.
http://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/index.ph ... at&catId=9

Looking back then.
The kit and all its volumes and deadspace matched brewmate spot on to the word, this I am grateful for.
Calm down Brian with getting temperatures right.
realising how many hours it can take surprised me, luckily chilling the wort occurred on time for me to nip down the road to collect my daughter from School.
Be more polite to people who knock at your door, even the door to door salesman who tried to bully me into a sale, "What part of £$%k Off don't you understand?" was the best part.
Wouldn't of minded if he was selling homebrew kit or something useful :lol:
looking at the batch in the FV I am very happy.
If you guys can see any error no matter how big or small please shout out, and of course any improvements and tips gtratly appreciated.
Constructive criticism is what ive been used to for too many years ain't gonna change now.
B4 I forget, Fil has heard me talk, and unfortunately at times I tend to Type Geordie, so for this I am sorry :whistle:
ATB
Bri

 

[Rolfster]

Sounds like a great first brew to me! :thumb:

I dread to think of how much water I added to my first mash to get it to the right temperature ( Cold, Hot, Cold, Hot, Cold, Hot, Cold, .....Cold, Hot, Cold ....... sod it, its close enough.....)

 

[PD]

I found it difficult at first hitting my mash/strike temp....hot cold hot cold etc.
Then I found a cure...................... :clap: ( for my system anyway )

whatever your software says your ideal temp should be heat the water up 8 degrees more...i.e mash temp 67C heat the hlt to 75C.
make sure the mash tun has been warmed up previously with a couple of kettles of boiling water ( drain that away before mashing )
I then add the grains and strike water into the mash tun ( I underlet now but it doesn't matter which way you do it. I add 1 litre of water short.
Check temp and depending what that shows make up to the volume with either more hot water or from a jug of cold water.
Sounds simple and it is, you can usually hit the water temp spot on.
I couldn't believe it after all the brews I'd faffed about with adjusting the temp.

A higher hlt strike water was the key for me. I do they same with the mashout water ( need 80c heat water to near 90c)

Well done indeed on your first all grain.......the worlds now your mollusc.....

 

[AndyBWood]

Well Done Bri !

Looks like it went as smooth as a 350 featherbed frame.....

A :thumb:

 

[Mark H]

Well done mate, good write up.

Glad it worked out well, in a week or so's time you can give it a taste, i'm sure it'll be delicious. :thumb:

 

[joe1002]

Well done Bri, no stopping you now :

 

[PD]

bet your puzzled now about what you were concerned about before brewing....

Easy innit.

 

[Manxnorton]

Thx all,
I'm a happy chappy.
Got the buzz now but gotta wait for my cornie gas parts still to sauce, then it's all systems go.

Andy,
A few years ago when I was classic side car racing I had a shot on my m8's Norton which was a old TT racer, featherbed frames as you know was Nortons answer to the TT roads.

Off now to do another grown up pursuit...have a game of COD Ghosts...b4 anyone says "Grow up!" I'm not the oldest playing, our lass isn't here the bairn is in bed... :lol:
Catch u all tomorrow.
ATB
Bri

 

[Manxnorton]

bet your puzzled now about what you were concerned about before brewing....

Easy innit.

PMSL m8..
No doubt AG2 will have summit to say about that :
ATB
Bri

 

[Manxnorton]

2 weeks fermenting and I racked it into my bottling bucket.
Gotta say it is quite strong, working at 6.3ABV.
But I'm not entirely liking the hops flavour etc....it's sort of putting me off.
I know the brew will mature and it'll be a different game then, but just takes one thing to put you off to spoil things.

Oh well such is life in the brew world I've learnt that either that type of hops or the amount I used doesn't flick my switch.....sure there is plenty of alternatives.
ATB
Bri

 

[AndyBWood]

Evening Bri,

I'm only up to my 5th AG brew myself so..... certainly less than experienced.

What I can say with confidence, however, is that the hop flavours will definitely mellow out over a couple of weeks. I was genuinely surprised by my first brews and how much they changed.

Give it a few weeks and then give it a go :thumb:

A

 

[Manxnorton]

Evening Bri,

I'm only up to my 5th AG brew myself so..... certainly less than experienced.

What I can say with confidence, however, is that the hop flavours will definitely mellow out over a couple of weeks. I was genuinely surprised by my first brews and how much they changed.

Give it a few weeks and then give it a go :thumb:

A

AYE Andy
PD n the guys have told me that already :lol: was impressed at 6.2ABV :
Catchya ron buddy

 

[Manxnorton]

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Bottled yesterday 26-11-13 at 6.3%ABV


ATB
Bri

 

[PD]

not clear enough for bottling......

just leave it a while in the bottle and pour carefully.

 

[Manxnorton]

not clear enough for bottling......

just leave it a while in the bottle and pour carefully.

The lighting wasn't making taking a pic any good lol really clear m8.
Gonna leave then some time to see if the hops taste I wasn't keen on gets better :pray:
Going to do today's AG brew write up in a couple hrs once my daughter gets bathed n bed.
ATB
Bri