Have a go at simple AG

[GlentoranMark]

Yes you'll get a weaker beer, but if you are starting the boil with 6 litres you are likely to finish below 5 litres.

Truth is I don't have a clue how many litres I have. It's on the boil now. I think I'm well over 6 litres as I added hot water to keep the temp close to 68°. I don't like really strong beers anyway but I also don't want to brew a shandy :) I'll do better next week.

BTW Clibit, I really must thank you. I thought All Grain was beyond me but you simplified the whole process and your constant help on this thread for everyone has been a godsend.

 

[clibit]

Truth is I don't have a clue how many litres I have. It's on the boil now. I think I'm well over 6 litres as I added hot water to keep the temp close to 68°. I don't like really strong beers anyway but I also don't want to brew a shandy :) I'll do better next week.

BTW Clibit, I really must thank you. I thought All Grain was beyond me but you simplified the whole process and your constant help on this thread for everyone has been a godsend.

It's a learning curve, I've still got a long way to go myself. You'll soon find out how much you have!

You're welcome, I've got a lot of satisfaction from so many giving it a go and providing such positive feedback. I discovered the simplicity myself from a website that no longer exists called beermadeeasy.co.uk if I remember right, and I'm just passing it on after a few years experience! The site was just a simple step by step guide and a load of 1 gallon recipes. Which disappeared one day.

 

[GHW]

Clibit you should start a separate thread called 'hands up who went AG cos of Clibit' and see how many people you've converted. Me for one (though I'll still do some extract!)

 

[GlentoranMark]

OG was 1.042, I was able to cool the wort in 20 minutes which I thought was pretty quick, I put it in the sink and ran cold water down the side of the pot while continually stirring.

As I thought, I put too much water, I've around 6.5 litres made so I put the rest into a demijohn and hopefully get an extra pint or 2.

 

[Covrich]

Truth is I don't have a clue how many litres I have. It's on the boil now. I think I'm well over 6 litres as I added hot water to keep the temp close to 68°. I don't like really strong beers anyway but I also don't want to brew a shandy :) I'll do better next week.

BTW Clibit, I really must thank you. I thought All Grain was beyond me but you simplified the whole process and your constant help on this thread for everyone has been a godsend.

Trial and error mate. different methods, pot size or hob ring size flame ect will give different evaporation rates.

I still haven't got it quite right on my couple of brews but my last one was very close.. I will have to start again when I get my boiler..

Just do one make a note of all your exact quantities .. if you're a litre short post boil add a litre to the sparge next time around and see how that turns out

 

[MyQul]

Clibit you should start a separate thread called 'hands up who went AG cos of Clibit' and see how many people you've converted. Me for one (though I'll still do some extract!)

I think Clibit is planning changing his title on his profile from forum moderator to Sith Lord cuz he's converted so many people to the dark side.

All hail Darth Clibit *cue imperial march*

 

[Slid]

Clibit you should start a separate thread called 'hands up who went AG cos of Clibit' and see how many people you've converted. Me for one (though I'll still do some extract!)

Me for two. Although, having made my 10L of wondrous AG beer, I insist on ruining it by chucking in a kit of some sort and brewing it out to 25-27L and STILL adding stuff like table sugar.

Makes much better beer than I made before. Almost indescribably so.

I had a 15L pot from Wilko before and a Nylon bag is the only other thing you need,

 

[Tony1951]

Me for two. Although, having made my 10L of wondrous AG beer, I insist on ruining it by chucking in a kit of some sort and brewing it out to 25-27L and STILL adding stuff like table sugar.

Makes much better beer than I made before. Almost indescribably so.

I had a 15L pot from Wilko before and a Nylon bag is the only other thing you need,

Just took a few bottles around to a friend's house and tried them. All were appreciated; Cooper's IPA, tarted up with some Cascade as a dry hop adjunct, but the cloudy, faulty first AG was voted winner by far for its fruity, depth and mouthfeel and a delightful taste. I only have one bottle of that original, scary brew left and it has some lovely qualities that I can't really describe. Can't wait to try the second AG brew, which has cleared now already, unlike its earlier cousin. The first was a shot in the dark. The second was far more slickly executed and I'm hoping it will taste even better.

Would I have ever tried the AG method without that thread? I doubt it. I know I got the mash too hot in that first one and made too many unfermentable sugars. I'm just hoping those aren't responsible for the pleasant characteristics that have been praised by me and others in that first brew, because the second won't have them,

 

[GlentoranMark]

Question to Clibit (hope he reads this) - where did you buy your laundry bag? I used a double muslin bag but a lot of the gunk ended up in my fermenter. I'm sure it will settle when the yeast stops but I'd like to get rid of a lot more on my next brew.

I won't be brewing again until next Saturday so I can order online.

 

[tim1699]

Hi I am going to try my first 5litre AG tomorrow I got my laundry bag from Morrison's supermarket 2 for £1.50 if you have one near you

 

[GlentoranMark]

Hi I am going to try my first 5litre AG tomorrow I got my laundry bag from Morrison's supermarket 2 for £1.50 if you have one near you

Unfortunately no Morrisons in NI but I'll check Tesco's. It's not something I've come across before and was wondering if was maybe something that had to be bought online.

 

[clibit]

Question to Clibit (hope he reads this) - where did you buy your laundry bag? I used a double muslin bag but a lot of the gunk ended up in my fermenter. I'm sure it will settle when the yeast stops but I'd like to get rid of a lot more on my next brew.

I made ny bags from muslin. What gets through is very fine, and settles in the FV. Then you siphon the beer off it.

 

[tim1699]

I just typed mesh laundry bags into eBay and it came back with some for around £2.50 including postage

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I am sure someone here uses a net curtain.

 

[clibit]

I've heard of pillow cases being used...

 

[dweb]

I was using net curtains but I'm just out of hospital and brought the 2 Ted stockings with me so they'll do lol

 

[Chippy_Tea]

I was using net curtains but I'm just out of hospital and brought the 2 Ted stockings with me so they'll do lol

They'll look nice on brew day :lol:

 

[bquiggerz]

I've just finished my first all grain brew, a little more complex than this. But my inspiration came from this thread, thanks clibit

 

[Tony1951]

Simple AG Brew #3.

This business really is easy - who'd have thunk it?

Became inspired at 5 pm yesterday, and broke out my flour mill to crack the grains I bought from the Home Brew Company in Ireland. put 2kg through the mill, did the mashing thing, the boiling thing, the cooling in the sink thing, pitched the yeast and it is fermenting away in the Wilko 12l pot, the top covered with clingfilm (made a tiny hole for gas escape with a thick sewing needle and put the glass pot lid on top.

The process produced 10.5 litres at 1054OG measured at 22c.

Hops:

60 mins 11gr Cascade AA 6.7
60 mins 10gr EKG AA4.6
5 mins 29gr Cascade AA 6.7 (just emptied the packet)
10litres approx
IBU about 40.....

If the brew goes down to 1008 like the last one it will be coming in about 6.1 ABV before carbonation.

During the boil, I noticed that the Young's thermometer I bought from the local HB shop was reading 104C...... What's the use of a thermometer that is that far out. This means that all my careful mashing temperature control was in fact based on nonsense. This time I kept my mash at an indicated 66C-68C, or if the error in the thermometer is linear, 62c-64C.
I'm thinking the error will be the same all the way down. I will test it by measuring the temperature of water with crushed ice in it. I predict it will show 4C..... bl**dy useless thing. I might as well have been dipping my finger in the wort and guessing.

Still - I got a good conversion and if the temp was on the low side, at least I will have the right kind of fermentable sugars. :)

Cheers

 

[clibit]

I brewed for a while before checking my thermometer accuracy, fortunately it was good. A £3 glass one as well. Something everyone should do.

Check your thermometers twice. Once in ice water, it should be 32 degrees F/ 0 degrees C. And again in boiling water, it should be 212F / 100C obviously, or near as dammit. This isn't 100% fool proof, it doesn't guarantee total accuracy within mash range, but it's good enough for the likes of most of us to make beer.