Have a go at simple AG

[clibit]

It could well have got through the majority of the sugar conversion, but also could have slowed right down if cold. A hydrometer reading would tell you.

 

[Sandimas]

Unfortunately it's in a big FV so if I drop a hydrometer in it'll hit the bottom. It looks done, beer is clear with a decent trub, but put the heating on and gave it a good stir just in case. In comparison, I have an Extract brew alongside it that was done a week ago and is still very slowly bubbling. I'll give it a few days then find a way of measuring it.

 

[GHW]

Hmm, my hops and grains arrived today, v exciting.

However, the MO grains say 'not suitable for steeping'. Which is a bit confusing, when does a steep become a mash?

Also I've only got a roughly 12L pot. It's been fine for extract brews but will it be big enough for 2k of grain? Bit concerned that I'll need a bigger pot which won't go down well...

 

[CreweBrewer]

Hmm, my hops and grains arrived today, v exciting.

However, the MO grains say 'not suitable for steeping'. Which is a bit confusing, when does a steep become a mash?

Also I've only got a roughly 12L pot. It's been fine for extract brews but will it be big enough for 2k of grain? Bit concerned that I'll need a bigger pot which won't go down well...

For a 10 litre boil? I think you'll be pushing it mate.

Dave

 

[GHW]

Mm, I feared that. Can I not do a reduced boil as you would with extract? Then top up at the end?

 

[CreweBrewer]

I reckon so. I did that with my little 5 litre AG the other day. Boiled it a bit fierce so ended up with 4 litres and a huge OG, so I added 1L of luke warm water.

 

[GHW]

Wonder if it's doable for 10L though? Clibit'll be along before long with some advice (hopefully)

 

[clibit]

However, the MO grains say 'not suitable for steeping'. Which is a bit confusing, when does a steep become a mash?

Also I've only got a roughly 12L pot. It's been fine for extract brews but will it be big enough for 2k of grain? Bit concerned that I'll need a bigger pot which won't go down well...

A mash is just a steep at a temperature between 63 ish and 70ish. It's just a warning not to be as gung ho as you might be with a steep.

I reckon you can make a 10 litre brew with a 12 litre pot. A 15 litre pot would be better but you could mash with 6 litres of water, and sparge with 6 litres, leaving about 10 litres after absorption. Get the boil going and top up with boiling water from your kettle as the level drops.

 

[Toffee]

Put 8L of water in the pot. Use a bit of net curtain to hold the grain. Mash in big pot. Get 4L in another pot, from kettle, and use to dunk sparge after 60 min mash is over. Add to main kettle before and during boil as more evaporates. Something like that.

 

[GHW]

Yeah I've got the bags so all good on that front. I'll give it a go. If it's a disaster I'll have to get a bigger pot. Simple as that really.

Won't be getting onto it for a while, but will report back. Might be a short report though, such as 'need a bigger pot'.

Thanks folks

 

[Toffee]

you might want to download the spreadsheets from http://www.biabrewer.info/ - put your dimensions of pan in there and it will work out volumes, evaporation and so on. give you a better idea of what is or isn't possible. the maxibiab calculator is easier to use than the later more advanced biabacus, at least for getting started. play around with the numbers to see what you can reasonably achieve - might only be 8L, for instance.

 

[Twostage]

Made one :-)
Had a big brew day the other day which I'm going to write up later.
The smells were lovely. It was fascinating to see a liquid that looked like thin wall paper paste settle down into a lovely beer colour, amazing.
Took a day to get bubbling but then it bubbled faster than any of my previous brews.
The wort tasted nice too.
Deffo going to do another with a different grain or mix if grains.

Thanks for posting the recipe Clibit .

It's almost stopped fermenting now, I can see the odd bubble come up and the bubbler goes every few minutes. Its also clearing.

I'm assuming I just leave it until it has stopped and then bottle straight away or would there be an advantage to racking into another FV ?

 

[Sandimas]

It could well have got through the majority of the sugar conversion, but also could have slowed right down if cold. A hydrometer reading would tell you.

Bad news - having bubbled for about 24hrs, the gravity has hardly budged, about 1045 down to 1040 and now it's well and truly stopped :-( Although this is my first AG, it's brew no.66 in total so I kinda know what I'm doing, but never experienced anything like this before: had a 1020 stuck brew, but not one that hardly got going. Yeast was good, re-hydrated for an hour and produced a lovely cake, it bubbled vigorously the night after pitching but there's little evidence of a decent Krausen on the side of the FV.

I've got a spare pack of Nottingham in the house, shall I try and pitch that? Not sure the brew smells quite right, wonder if it's infected?

 

[clibit]

I'm assuming I just leave it until it has stopped and then bottle straight away or would there be an advantage to racking into another FV ?

Just leave it where it is, give it two weeks in primary FV and then bottle/keg.

 

[clibit]

I've got a spare pack of Nottingham in the house, shall I try and pitch that? Not sure the brew smells quite right, wonder if it's infected?

I hope it's not infected. That shouldn't stop fermentation anyway. Is it Nottingham and what temperature is it at?

 

[Sandimas]

I hope it's not infected. That shouldn't stop fermentation anyway. Is it Nottingham and what temperature is it at?

#### ... brew temp is 17C. Got a false sense of security with spring arriving and turned the house heating down, lesson learned. I've put it in the bath to try to warm it up a bit, if that doesn't get it going then I'll pitch some new yeast. Original yeast was Wilko Gervin, bought recently and did produce a decent cake in the cup before pitching. I guess it just got too cold for it.

 

[clibit]

You shouldn't need more yeast, it should get going again.

 

[Sandimas]

It did get going again :p Stuck it in a luke-warm bath whilst I stoked up the log burner, room now at 22C and it's going - steadily not frantic, but at least it's going.

 

[Twostage]

It did get going again :p Stuck it in a luke-warm bath whilst I stoked up the log burner, room now at 22C and it's going - steadily not frantic, but at least it's going.

I use 8 gallon tubs from tesco (4 quid) half filled with water with a tropical fish tank heater from EBay (8 quid) in to keep my DJs at the right temp. The tubs have enough room for two DJs. I stick the heater inside the big FVs. Saves having the heating on.

When the missus queried my use of the heaters she said "so your brews have to be kept nice and warm but I'm not allowed to have the heating on ?" :sulk:

 

[Twostage]

Just leave it where it is, give it two weeks in primary FV and then bottle/keg.

Ok. Bottles for this one. Can't wait to taste it.