Plastic Madhouse Brewery AG#2

[keith1664]

Just waiting for the water to cool to strike temperature before starting number two. Hopefully today the mkII hop filter will let me get the wort out of the boiler! I'm also hoping for a gain in efficiency now I (I think) have got my head round sparging.

Anyway, todays recipe.

3kg Maris Otter
0.5kg Golden Promise
0.7kg Vienna

Hops
Challenger, AA 8.4, 30g, 90min, IBU 33.98
EKG, AA 5.22, 25g, 15min, IBU 6.2
EKG, AA 5.22, 15g, 0min

OG 1047, FG 1012, ABV 4.6, IBU 40.

Water treatment consists of half a campden tablet and a boil to drop out the temporary hardness. CRS is still out of stock at the LHBS.

Wish me luck.

 

[keith1664]

Note to self - ensure mash tun tap is closed when adding hot water!

 

[keith1664]

Yay, upped the strike temp by 2 degrees from what brewmate says (I was 2 degrees down on AG#1). Mash is bang on 66 degrees!

 

[caerleon]

Have a good brewday! :

 

[keith1664]

Thanks. Finished the mash ok, but I've just managed to miss my sparge temp (batch sparging by the way) by a whole 5 degrees. Added a kettle of boiling water but I'm still 2 down.

 

[keith1664]

pre boil I have 27L (bang on) at 1044, not going too bad so far.

 

[keith1664]

....and then he forgets the protoflac!

 

[jonewer]

I might be completely rong here, but I dont think sparge temp is that important.

 

[keith1664]

I thought it had something to do with stopping the enzymes?
Anyway it's all cooled down, I'm just giving the hops n trub a few minutes to settle, then into the fermenter

 

[stevander74]

I havent crossed over yet but from what Ive read it doesnt sound like your doing too bad for only your second attempt. :thumb: Besides, the only thing that really matters is the beer you end up with at the end so dont go judging yourself too harshly until you know how it turns out.

 

[keith1664]

Thanks steve, can't wait for some of it to be ready... unfortunately AG#1 seems to be on a go slow, still hovering around 1018.
I've just put 19L at 1049 into the fermenter losing a bit more than anticipated to the hops and deadspace in the boiler. The mkII hop strainer worked very well, but was only really a temporary solution. Hopefully the mkIII will help me to reduce the deadspace.