First brew, first problems

[rabbie]

I've now got my first home brew sitting in the fermenter, but I was a long way off the OG I should have got.
The brew is a brewferm brown porter all grain kit, which should have given me an OG og 1.062. I measured the first runnings at 1.048, and then 1.041 after sparging.
I used 18 litres mash water and got about 12 litres wort, and then sparged to give another 12 litres for the boil. I've now got about 19 litres in the fermenter.

Any ideas why I am so far off?

My set up was a bruheat boiler which I used for the mash (about 5kgs grain, 55C for 15 mins, 68C for 80 mins, 78C for 5 mins) and then drained into my fermenter, sparged, and cleaned the bruheat and returned the wort from the fermenter. Boiled for 80 mins, then siphoned back to the cleaned fermenter where it's sitting now. I used a mash bag in the boiler to keep the malt off the heating element during mashing.

I wonder if I didn't mill the grain properly? Also wonder if the tap on the bruheat isset a bit high from the bottom for using as a mash tun, I had a good few litres lost below the tap when I ran off the wort there must have been some sugar in that?

Thanks for any tips! I am hoping I still get a drinkable brew, just a bit weaker than hoped...!

 

[robsan77]

Iam no expert but unless there is a miss calculation it probably went wrong in the mash. Maybe using a boiler as the mash tun was risky as I dont think heat will travel well from the element when there are grains. Where did you take the temp readings from? Did you stir the grains at each temperature ramp? Was there any lumps of grains as a result of them not being stirred in well?

 

[corby_brewer]

Im asuming you batch sparged so, Did you give the grain a good stir and the let it settle for about 1/2 hour after adding the second batch of water?

As for using a boiler as a mash tun, that shouldnt be a problem, i use a Electrum boiler, what i do is get the water upto strike temperature, add the grain then turn the element off and wrap a sleeping bag round it. Ive got 5 AG brews uder my belt using that and had no problem as yet.

 

[rabbie]

Thanks for the replies gents.

I ramped the temp quite gently, and stirred it continuously. When I checked the temp I gave the thermometer a good stir through the mash so I don't think that was a problem. It was also stirred in well at the beggining so there were no dry bits!

Yep, I batch sparged, and I think I went a bit quick by the sounds of it. After sparging I stirred it up and then waited 5 mins...
I probably ran off the wort too fast too, I only used about 5 or 10 mins max for the first run and the same after sparging.

Any pointers for next time are welcome!

 

[Parva]

When you checked the gravity of the first runnings and after sparging did you do this at 20c or alternatively did you temperature correct the readings for whatever amount over 20c that you were at? If it was too warm you will get a lower reading.

 

[rabbie]

Hi, these readings were taken after I cooled to 20C.
Would it have been as simple as boiling for longer to get rid of more water if I wanted to get a higher OG? Say ending with 16 litres instead of 19?

 

[Parva]

Yep, that would work. :)