Recipe Questions -newbie help needed !

[awkwardbob]

Hi there,

Total newb to this and about to trepeditiously take my first steps and run my first brew using a recipe from the Malt Miller for a Bells Oberon clone.

I have done some research but the way the recipe is presented, I'm not entirely sure what it's asking and I have a couple of (probably really obvious) questions which I'm hoping you'll be able to help me with... (so a big 'thank you' in advance !)

The recipe is here: https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/bells-oberon-clone-american-wheat-beer/

Beer Style (main): American Ales
Beer Style (sub): American-Style Wheat Wine Ale
Batch Size: 21
Original Gravity: 1059
Final Gravity: 1015
ABV %: 5.8
IBU: 55

THE MASH
Temperature °C: 65
Length (mins): 60
Out temp °C: 75
Out time (mins): 10

THE BOIL
Boil time (mins): 60

Additions and timing:

60 min Perle
30 min Hersbrucker
Flameout Saaz

Secondary additions and timing:

N/A

Yeast: Yeast Bay Midwestern
Fermentation temperature/steps: 20-22c until FG

So my questions are:

Batch size: 21 Does this mean that the final volume after mash / boiling should be 21 L ?
-How much water should I use in the mash ? Grainfather seems to suggest 17L then runs a calculation to work out how much to use for sparging.

Out time / temp -is this referring to Sparging at 75C for 10 mins after 60 minute mash ? -or is this something else ?

Hop addition on Flameout -does this mean adding them right at the end of the 60 minute boil as you turn the heat off ? How long should you leave it before running the wort through a chiller ?

One more thing, The Grainfather suggests the following calculation for sparring, based on my assumptions, does this seem right ?

(Final Vol + Loss in boil & grub) - Mash Water Volume + (Grain Bill x 0.8)

(21 + 5) - 17 + (5.466 x 0.8) = 13.37 L

Thanks again, and sorry if these seem like really 'daft' questions !

Bob

 

[Sadfield]

Batch size is 21L into the fermenter.

How much water to use in the mash? If the grainfather suggests 17L, then go with that. Then you'll need some extra for sparging. The calculated 13L sounds about right, to account for grain absorption, dead space and boil off.

The 10 minutes Out refers to a process called ''Mashing Out", where the temperature is raised to a point where no more enzyme activity takes place. You'll then sparge after this.

You are correct, flame out hops are added when you turn of the heat and start cooling. You might need a fellow GF user to chime in here as IIRC it uses a counterflow chiller, so I'm not sure about the best practice on this, regarding timings and recirculation etc.

There are no stupid questions. Good luck with your brew.

 

[awkwardbob]

Thanks so much, that's a real help !

Will report back as to how it goes

Bob

 

[Keruso]

Hi there,

Total newb to this and about to trepeditiously take my first steps and run my first brew using a recipe from the Malt Miller for a Bells Oberon clone.

I have done some research but the way the recipe is presented, I'm not entirely sure what it's asking and I have a couple of (probably really obvious) questions which I'm hoping you'll be able to help me with... (so a big 'thank you' in advance !)

The recipe is here: https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product/bells-oberon-clone-american-wheat-beer/

Beer Style (main): American Ales
Beer Style (sub): American-Style Wheat Wine Ale
Batch Size: 21
Original Gravity: 1059
Final Gravity: 1015
ABV %: 5.8
IBU: 55

THE MASH
Temperature °C: 65
Length (mins): 60
Out temp °C: 75
Out time (mins): 10

THE BOIL
Boil time (mins): 60

Additions and timing:

60 min Perle
30 min Hersbrucker
Flameout Saaz

Secondary additions and timing:

N/A

Yeast: Yeast Bay Midwestern
Fermentation temperature/steps: 20-22c until FG

So my questions are:

Batch size: 21 Does this mean that the final volume after mash / boiling should be 21 L ?
-How much water should I use in the mash ? Grainfather seems to suggest 17L then runs a calculation to work out how much to use for sparging.

Out time / temp -is this referring to Sparging at 75C for 10 mins after 60 minute mash ? -or is this something else ?

Hop addition on Flameout -does this mean adding them right at the end of the 60 minute boil as you turn the heat off ? How long should you leave it before running the wort through a chiller ?

One more thing, The Grainfather suggests the following calculation for sparring, based on my assumptions, does this seem right ?

(Final Vol + Loss in boil & grub) - Mash Water Volume + (Grain Bill x 0.8)

(21 + 5) - 17 + (5.466 x 0.8) = 13.37 L

Thanks again, and sorry if these seem like really 'daft' questions !

Bob

The online grainfather calculator says 18.26 mash water and 12.11 sparge water. For some reason the online calculator often differs from the equation in the instructions book for sparge. Seems to always calculate the same for mash water. I tend to us the equation rather than the online calculator. When you add hops at flame out you can leave them in for 30 mins, the wort is still hot enough to sterilize the chiller before you attach the water supply. In the recipe builder you would set the hop usage value to be “hop stand” for 30 mins. When making New England style IPA the general consensus is to let the wort cool to 80c then add the hops which means the essential oils don’t burn off. So there’s lots to play with, happy brewing.

 

[awkwardbob]

Well.... it was all going great.... right up until the point (at the start of the boil) where I knocked the pump filter loose.

Long story short, when I tried to run it through the chiller, the blooming thing clogged -one lost mash

Still, many lessons learned !

One question I did have though, was that my OG was some way short of the target. What sort of things might affect that ?

Too much water ? Incomplete mashing ?

-any help or advice most welcome.

Thanks

Bob

 

[Mungri]

Well.... it was all going great.... right up until the point (at the start of the boil) where I knocked the pump filter loose.

Long story short, when I tried to run it through the chiller, the blooming thing clogged -one lost mash

Still, many lessons learned !

One question I did have though, was that my OG was some way short of the target. What sort of things might affect that ?

Too much water ? Incomplete mashing ?

-any help or advice most welcome.

Thanks

Bob

That's terrible. You could have stopped the boil as soon as you knocked the filter off, bailed the wort out into a fermenter and then put the filter back on.
Tip the wort back into the Grainfather and start the boil again. It might change your IBU slightly, but it's better than losing everything.
Some Grainfather owners use a stainless steel jubilee clip around the filter to stop it coming loose. I bought one of these https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/233324021427 (as well as the original filter) as recommended by @David Heath . It catches lots of hop material and the wort pumps into the fermenter faster as a result.
Where did you take the sample for your OG from? If it was from the top of the Grainfather after the sparge, you need to give it a really good stir or the OG will read lower than it should.

 

[awkwardbob]

Thanks Mungri,

I'll look into that I was already thinking along the lines of a jubilee clip or cable tie for the filter but then I wondered whether the filter is actually any good for pelleted hops.

When added the hops created a real sludgy slurry which i think could possibly pass through the filter. I'll try again but may need to revisit.

The OG was taken using a 'Tilt' bluetooth hydrometer, although the wort was pretty hot having not passed through the chiller so there may be wild inaccuracies.

One thing I will say for the GF though is that despite my trauma, clean up was really easy, just add the cleaner and let it circulate for 20 mins, rinse and done.

New mash next week !

 

[Keruso]

Thanks Mungri,

I'll look into that I was already thinking along the lines of a jubilee clip or cable tie for the filter but then I wondered whether the filter is actually any good for pelleted hops.

When added the hops created a real sludgy slurry which i think could possibly pass through the filter. I'll try again but may need to revisit.

The OG was taken using a 'Tilt' bluetooth hydrometer, although the wort was pretty hot having not passed through the chiller so there may be wild inaccuracies.

One thing I will say for the GF though is that despite my trauma, clean up was really easy, just add the cleaner and let it circulate for 20 mins, rinse and done.

New mash next week !

When you take an OG reading it’s better for the wort to be cooled which is awkward during the boil, that’s why some prefer a refractometer, you only use a couple of drops which cool quickly. The filter works fine with pellets but if I’m using over 200g I then use a hop spider because I find the pump struggles when the filter is covered and you have to scrape it when pumping through the cooler.