First go with the Hopcat on Saturday. I was up with the larks, waiting on a new TV getting delivered, so I got the machine filled with water and VWP and generally gave it all a scrub and ran cleaner through the pump to make sure there was no oils or swarf left over from manufacturing. After rinsing, I got down to it...
Turns out that I had bought unmilled pilsner malt, so first job was to mill 4kg of the stuff. First mistake; I ground it in a blender, which I think made it a bit too fine and could have been why the sample I tried was a bit astringent. More on this later...
Heating up 30 litres for a full volume mash didn't take that long, doughing in was event free. However, the telescopic overflow pipe had a habit of not sitting square and retracting under its own weight, disappearing under the level of the mash so getting the top plate on took about 20 minutes. I'll have to think about this and maybe ask Angel Homebrew (from whom I bought the overflow) if that's normal...
Recirculating the mash didn't go brilliantly because the grain bed didn't seem to want to filter very well (probably a result of milling too finely) so I extended the mash by half an hour. Lifting out the grains afterwards was a doddle. having lugs half way up the basket is a good piece of design.
The 90 minute boil passed without event. Two hop additions (Magnum at 60 mins and Saaz at 15 with some Irish moss and yeast nutrient), then the next issue... The filter for the pump completely gummed up with junk so I couldn't whirlpool as I could hear the pump sucking on nothing. Again, probably due to milling too finely, so mia culpa... I broke out a metal spoon and whirlpooled for my life
After that, I drained into my chilling cube, squeezed out the air best I could, then proceeded to drink the night away.
In the morning, I transferred to my fermentor, pitched the yeast which I started with some wort that I saved post boil (CML Kolsch yeast), then set it up in the fridge at 16°C. Fermentation started within 6 hours, and it's been slowly blooping away since.
Anyway, the machine is good, the process fairly painless. I'm very happy with the purchase.
Anyone recommend a decent grain mill?
Cheers,
Harry
Turns out that I had bought unmilled pilsner malt, so first job was to mill 4kg of the stuff. First mistake; I ground it in a blender, which I think made it a bit too fine and could have been why the sample I tried was a bit astringent. More on this later...
Heating up 30 litres for a full volume mash didn't take that long, doughing in was event free. However, the telescopic overflow pipe had a habit of not sitting square and retracting under its own weight, disappearing under the level of the mash so getting the top plate on took about 20 minutes. I'll have to think about this and maybe ask Angel Homebrew (from whom I bought the overflow) if that's normal...
Recirculating the mash didn't go brilliantly because the grain bed didn't seem to want to filter very well (probably a result of milling too finely) so I extended the mash by half an hour. Lifting out the grains afterwards was a doddle. having lugs half way up the basket is a good piece of design.
The 90 minute boil passed without event. Two hop additions (Magnum at 60 mins and Saaz at 15 with some Irish moss and yeast nutrient), then the next issue... The filter for the pump completely gummed up with junk so I couldn't whirlpool as I could hear the pump sucking on nothing. Again, probably due to milling too finely, so mia culpa... I broke out a metal spoon and whirlpooled for my life
After that, I drained into my chilling cube, squeezed out the air best I could, then proceeded to drink the night away.
In the morning, I transferred to my fermentor, pitched the yeast which I started with some wort that I saved post boil (CML Kolsch yeast), then set it up in the fridge at 16°C. Fermentation started within 6 hours, and it's been slowly blooping away since.
Anyway, the machine is good, the process fairly painless. I'm very happy with the purchase.
Anyone recommend a decent grain mill?
Cheers,
Harry
