New to the forum and AG#2 tonight!

[motz]

Hi all,

A few weeks ago I got AG#1 underway (a brown porter) and tonight I'm brewing AG#2 - a bitter.

I've learnt so much from reading these forums recently that I thought I should begin to post on the forum. One day it might out others that are starting out.

I brew BIAB and no-chill, and whilst I'm yet to taste AG#1 it (mostly) went well and the bit I had at bottling the other day was great.

My water is just coming up to mash temperature at the minute (66c) and when I've doughed in and tucked the mash tun up. I'll post the recipe I'm doing.

 

[motz]

Whoops - took longer to write that first post and add the picture than I thought. Consequently I've now got to wait for my strike water to cool down - it's at 71C!

Here's tonight's recipe:

Pale Malt - 99.3%
Black Malt - 0.7 %

Mash for 90 mins at 66c.

Boil for 90 mins.

Hop additions :-

Styrian Golding for 90 mins
Fuggle for 90 mins
Styrian Golding for 5 mins.

Then stright into 2 10L cubes I have to pitch the yeast tomorrow. Ferment at 20c

 

[motz]

90 min mash is now on at 66/67c. I'll check it in half and hour and give it a stir.

Here's the obligatory grain shot, and a picture of it all tucked up in 2 blankets, 1 towel, 1 sleeping bag, and 1 jumper!

 

[Dutto]

Welcome to the Forum! :thumb:

That bottom photo looks for all the world as if a hoodie has gone vino-collapso over your Mash Tun! :lol:

Enjoy! It's all downhill from now on! :thumb:

 

[motz]

Thanks Dutto. :thumb:

Unfortunately the drunken hoodie isn't doing a great job keeping the heat in. I've just checked the temp and it has gone down to about 64.5c. I gave it a good stir and put the element back on for a minute or two. Now it is sitting at 66c ish again. I think I'm going to have to pick up some insulation before the next brew. I'd like one that I can take off still though. Maybe camping mats with some buckle clips on? :hmm:

 

[braziliain]

Hi and welcome!

When you say waiting for your strike water to cool from 71? Should it not be higher? In order to get a mash of 66C I have to get my strike water to 74C as the grain cools it when you add it.... Maybe that's why your temp is low rather than heat loss?

 

[Covrich]

Hello Motz welcome

Glad to see you have found this place useful!! good luck with the brew

 

[motz]

Hops weighed out ready for the boil.

 

[motz]

Hi and welcome!

When you say waiting for your strike water to cool from 71? Should it not be higher? In order to get a mash of 66C I have to get my strike water to 74C as the grain cools it when you add it.... Maybe that's why your temp is low rather than heat loss?

Hi braziliain, I'm doing BIAB so I'm mashing with (in this case) 27 L of water so adding the grain has much less of an effect than if I was doing something like a 3 v - at least that's how I reason it. To be honest I'm just following the calculated instructions.

 

[braziliain]

Hi braziliain, I'm doing BIAB so I'm mashing with (in this case) 27 L of water so adding the grain has much less of an effect than if I was doing something like a 3 v - at least that's how I reason it. To be honest I'm just following the calculated instructions.

Sorry, it was just a thought and I am also very new to AG. I do BIAB and wrap my pot in a towel. It doesn't seem to lose much heat over an hour. Usually I have a ratio of water to grain of 2.25:1 and with that I have to strike at 74C to hit 66C when grain temp is around 20C.

I see what you're saying if your mashing with full batch water volume then your ratio of water to grain is much larger so strike temp is lower :thumb:

What you making then? I can practically smell those hops.

 

[motz]

Mash finished. Bringing water up to boil now.



Edit: sorry I'm not sure how to turn photos. They look OK on the PC - just when I upload them.

 

[motz]

Sorry, it was just a thought and I am also very new to AG. I do BIAB and wrap my pot in a towel. It doesn't seem to lose much heat over an hour. Usually I have a ratio of water to grain of 2.25:1 and with that I have to strike at 74C to hit 66C when grain temp is around 20C.

I see what you're saying if your mashing with full batch water volume then your ratio of water to grain is much larger so strike temp is lower :thumb:

What you making then? I can practically smell those hops.

Yeah, I think I'm working with a ratio of about 7.5:1 at the minute. Although I must admit I'm tempted to dough in a little higher.

It's a bitter based on a Timothy Taylor Landlord Clone recipe, but it was missing some details and I wanted to use some fuggles. :). Should turn out nice though :pray:.

 

[motz]

They've done their job - now to speed up the compost heap!

Boil is on and Fuggles and Styrian Goldings added!

 

[Manxnorton]

Welcome pal.
Great read and pics are a bonus..like it m8.
Your getting to it great guns lol
I've still got to try no chill...where did you get your cubes from if ya don't mind me asking?
Later pal
Bri

 

[Gerryjo]

Hi and welcome to the forum 👍

Sent from my ALE-L21

 

[IainM]

Hey, nice introduction!

 

[motz]

Welcome pal.
Great read and pics are a bonus..like it m8.
Your getting to it great guns lol
I've still got to try no chill...where did you get your cubes from if ya don't mind me asking?
Later pal
Bri

Thanks Bri.

I got them from Amazon. Mine are from a company called 'Huenersdorff'. HD-PE plastic. Mine are 10L becuase I figure that that is more useful to me as I won't always be doing 5 gallon batches.

 

[motz]

All finished! The 90 minute mash and the 90 minute boil mean that it the brew took about 4.5 hours. But only a small amount of that time has to be spent eagle-eyed over the brew so plenty of time to have a few beers and watch a movie :thumb:.

Like a fool I forgot to connect my hop filter to my tap. But as I was using pellets I thought I'd give a whirlpool a try - worked like a charm :). Here's the trub left after the boil.



The tap didn't get blocked at all. Really quick and easy to fill up my cubes. I know one is half empty, but that's because I'm only doing a 14L batch.



Fermenter is all sanitized for tommorow. And now time for a quick wash down and we're done! Really looking forward to this beer. I'm a big fan of a tasty bitter - nothing too crazy just a nice easy drinker. Well that's what I'm hoping for :).

 

[Sandimas]

Welcome to the forum, that looks like a great beer - I do love Fuggles & Styrian Goldings.

Where did you get your no chill cubes from?

 

[Dads_Ale]

As you have found whirpooling works much better with pellet hops. Trying to filter them is a bit of a nightmare.
For mash tun insulation I use the stuff you can get to go behind radiators. You do need the thicker one not just a foil sheet. Just wrap it round on brew day an fix with some string.