Hi. I am new to the forum and an intermediate skill level brewer. I wrote out my process to review as I brew for the sake of consistency. There are some pieces of wisdom in there that I've picked up from all sorts of places, as well as undoubtedly some errors. If anyone would like to review it and give me some pointers, I'd very much appreciate it. Thanks!
Note: I use a somewhat unusual process wherein my lauter tun is a homemade copper sheet metal pot of sorts with holes drilled in the bottom for sparging.
Here is the recipe and process:
Ingredients:
oWATER
5½ gallons water
1 tsp gypsum salt
oGRAINS
11 lb Maris Otter 2-row
1 lb English crystal 40
¼ lb honey malt
¼ lb dried oats (oatmeal)
oHOPS
½ oz Nugget | 60 minute hops [bittering]
2 oz Cascade | 5 minute hops [flavor]
2½ oz Cascade | Flameout hops [flavor/aroma]
oOTHER INGREDIENTS
½ tablet Worfloc clarifier
California Ale Yeast (WLP001) or Safale US-05 Dry Yeast
4 oz corn sugar
Supplies:
oBREW DAY
PBH cleaning solution
Lauter tun
8 gallon stainless steel pot (with lid)
Submersible thermometer
Charcoal water filter
Bathroom towel
6 quart stainless steel pot
Long stainless steel spoon
Scale
Wort chiller
Racking cane
6 gallon fermentation bucket with spigot [primary fermenter] (with lid, stopper, stopper plug, and airlock)
Small space heater [if fermenting space is too cold]
oSECONDARY
PBH cleaning solution
5 gallon glass carboy [secondary fermenter] (with stopper and airlock)
4 foot ½â-I.D. clear plastic hose
oBOTTLING DAY
PBH cleaning solutionr
Charcoal water filter
Small saucepan
Larger saucepan (large enough to fit small one inside with some room to spare)
55 12-oz bottles
55 bottle caps
Racking cane (with bottle filler)
Small bowl (for discarding racking cane water)
Bottle capper
Instructions
oBREW DAY
1. The golden rule of brewing: Don't be lazy with sanitizing!
2. Set lauter tun in brew pot, then fill with 4 gallons carbon filtered water. Place on burner and bring to 160°F.
3. When water reaches 160°F, mix in gypsum salt, then add grains into lauter tun, cover brew pot with lid and towel, and let sit for 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, fill 6 quart pot with 1½ gallon carbon filtered water (thisâll be the sparging water) and bring to 160°F by the end of the 45 minute mashing in step 3.
5. Slowly lift lauter tun above water line, allowing wort to drain out of the grains. Then slowly trickle the sparging water over the grains in the lauter tun. When sparging water stops dripping from the grains, remove the lauter tun and discard grains.
6. Rinse out the lauter tun, then return it to the brew pot. [The lauter tun is changing functions and is now called the filter)
7. Bring mash to a boil, then add 60 minute hops. Boil aggressively for 60 minutes.
20 minutes before end of boil, add Worfloc.
5 minutes before end of boil, add the 5 minute hops.
8. At the end of the boil, turn off the flame and let brew po sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes to cool just slightly.
9. Add flameout hops, then mix vigorously for 10 seconds. Let sit, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
10. Mix again, then lift filter out of the brew pot.
11. Add wort chiller and cool to <.75°F.
12. Remove wort chiller. Place brew pot 3 feet off the floor and mix vigorously for 60 seconds to create a whirlpool. Cover the brew pot and let rest for 30 minutes. This should create a cone of trub at the middle of the bottom of the brew pot.
13. Transfer wort to the primary fermenter with the racking cane:
Start at the top of the wort and slowly work down at the side of the brew pot, avoiding the trub cone. Hold the end of the racking cane at the top of the primary fermenter to allow it to aerate as much as possible. Pitch yeast into the primary fermenter half way through the transferring process.
14. Place lid, stopper, and stopper plug tightly on the primary fermenter. Shake the primary fermenter vigorously for 2 minutes.
15. Place airlock in place of the stopper plug.
Place primary fermenter
a) in a small insulated space with a heater set to 65oF (when ambient temperature is below 65oF)
b) in a non-insulated space, in the 8 gallon brew pot filled with water, and a towel half in/half out of the pot (when ambient temp is above 65°F)
oSECONDARY (FIVE OR SIX DAYS AFTER BREWING)
1. Place primary fermenter 3 feet off the floor and let sit for >2 hours (to settle out any trub).
2. Attach hose to nozzle and fill secondary fermenter (at the bottom to avoid oxidation). Leave behind any trub in primary fermenter.
3. Place stopper and airlock atop secondary fermenter and return to the fermentation space.
4. When haze drops to the bottom of the secondary fermenter, the beer is ready to bottle (~10-16 days)*.
oBOTTLING
1. Boil 2 cups carbon filtered water in a small saucepan, add corn sugar and mix until dissolved. Fill the larger saucepan with cold water and then place the small saucepan inside to cool for 5 minutes.
2. Place secondary fermenter 3 feet off the ground, then pour in sugar water and gently mix with the racking cane (avoiding aeration but mixing sufficiently). Return airlock to and let sit for 1 hour (to settle out any trub).
Meanwhile, wash bottles in dishwasher (without soap).
3. Boil 2 cups water in a small saucepan, place bottle caps inside for 2 minutes, then strain.
4. Fill racking cane and hose with water. Bend hose at the half-way point, allowing water to drain out the open end.
5. Place racking cane half way into secondary fermenter, then push filler valve down in the bowl until beer reaches the valve.
6. Fill each bottle to the top, allowing the displacement of the bottle filler to bring the beer down to ¾â below the top.
7. Allow bottles to sit for 10 minutes, then cap in the order they were filled.
8. Let bottles sit in a dark, temperature-controlled closet for 14 days, then drink.
Note: I use a somewhat unusual process wherein my lauter tun is a homemade copper sheet metal pot of sorts with holes drilled in the bottom for sparging.
Here is the recipe and process:
Ingredients:
oWATER
5½ gallons water
1 tsp gypsum salt
oGRAINS
11 lb Maris Otter 2-row
1 lb English crystal 40
¼ lb honey malt
¼ lb dried oats (oatmeal)
oHOPS
½ oz Nugget | 60 minute hops [bittering]
2 oz Cascade | 5 minute hops [flavor]
2½ oz Cascade | Flameout hops [flavor/aroma]
oOTHER INGREDIENTS
½ tablet Worfloc clarifier
California Ale Yeast (WLP001) or Safale US-05 Dry Yeast
4 oz corn sugar
Supplies:
oBREW DAY
PBH cleaning solution
Lauter tun
8 gallon stainless steel pot (with lid)
Submersible thermometer
Charcoal water filter
Bathroom towel
6 quart stainless steel pot
Long stainless steel spoon
Scale
Wort chiller
Racking cane
6 gallon fermentation bucket with spigot [primary fermenter] (with lid, stopper, stopper plug, and airlock)
Small space heater [if fermenting space is too cold]
oSECONDARY
PBH cleaning solution
5 gallon glass carboy [secondary fermenter] (with stopper and airlock)
4 foot ½â-I.D. clear plastic hose
oBOTTLING DAY
PBH cleaning solutionr
Charcoal water filter
Small saucepan
Larger saucepan (large enough to fit small one inside with some room to spare)
55 12-oz bottles
55 bottle caps
Racking cane (with bottle filler)
Small bowl (for discarding racking cane water)
Bottle capper
Instructions
oBREW DAY
1. The golden rule of brewing: Don't be lazy with sanitizing!
2. Set lauter tun in brew pot, then fill with 4 gallons carbon filtered water. Place on burner and bring to 160°F.
3. When water reaches 160°F, mix in gypsum salt, then add grains into lauter tun, cover brew pot with lid and towel, and let sit for 45 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, fill 6 quart pot with 1½ gallon carbon filtered water (thisâll be the sparging water) and bring to 160°F by the end of the 45 minute mashing in step 3.
5. Slowly lift lauter tun above water line, allowing wort to drain out of the grains. Then slowly trickle the sparging water over the grains in the lauter tun. When sparging water stops dripping from the grains, remove the lauter tun and discard grains.
6. Rinse out the lauter tun, then return it to the brew pot. [The lauter tun is changing functions and is now called the filter)
7. Bring mash to a boil, then add 60 minute hops. Boil aggressively for 60 minutes.
20 minutes before end of boil, add Worfloc.
5 minutes before end of boil, add the 5 minute hops.
8. At the end of the boil, turn off the flame and let brew po sit, uncovered, for 5 minutes to cool just slightly.
9. Add flameout hops, then mix vigorously for 10 seconds. Let sit, uncovered, for 30 minutes.
10. Mix again, then lift filter out of the brew pot.
11. Add wort chiller and cool to <.75°F.
12. Remove wort chiller. Place brew pot 3 feet off the floor and mix vigorously for 60 seconds to create a whirlpool. Cover the brew pot and let rest for 30 minutes. This should create a cone of trub at the middle of the bottom of the brew pot.
13. Transfer wort to the primary fermenter with the racking cane:
Start at the top of the wort and slowly work down at the side of the brew pot, avoiding the trub cone. Hold the end of the racking cane at the top of the primary fermenter to allow it to aerate as much as possible. Pitch yeast into the primary fermenter half way through the transferring process.
14. Place lid, stopper, and stopper plug tightly on the primary fermenter. Shake the primary fermenter vigorously for 2 minutes.
15. Place airlock in place of the stopper plug.
Place primary fermenter
a) in a small insulated space with a heater set to 65oF (when ambient temperature is below 65oF)
b) in a non-insulated space, in the 8 gallon brew pot filled with water, and a towel half in/half out of the pot (when ambient temp is above 65°F)
oSECONDARY (FIVE OR SIX DAYS AFTER BREWING)
1. Place primary fermenter 3 feet off the floor and let sit for >2 hours (to settle out any trub).
2. Attach hose to nozzle and fill secondary fermenter (at the bottom to avoid oxidation). Leave behind any trub in primary fermenter.
3. Place stopper and airlock atop secondary fermenter and return to the fermentation space.
4. When haze drops to the bottom of the secondary fermenter, the beer is ready to bottle (~10-16 days)*.
oBOTTLING
1. Boil 2 cups carbon filtered water in a small saucepan, add corn sugar and mix until dissolved. Fill the larger saucepan with cold water and then place the small saucepan inside to cool for 5 minutes.
2. Place secondary fermenter 3 feet off the ground, then pour in sugar water and gently mix with the racking cane (avoiding aeration but mixing sufficiently). Return airlock to and let sit for 1 hour (to settle out any trub).
Meanwhile, wash bottles in dishwasher (without soap).
3. Boil 2 cups water in a small saucepan, place bottle caps inside for 2 minutes, then strain.
4. Fill racking cane and hose with water. Bend hose at the half-way point, allowing water to drain out the open end.
5. Place racking cane half way into secondary fermenter, then push filler valve down in the bowl until beer reaches the valve.
6. Fill each bottle to the top, allowing the displacement of the bottle filler to bring the beer down to ¾â below the top.
7. Allow bottles to sit for 10 minutes, then cap in the order they were filled.
8. Let bottles sit in a dark, temperature-controlled closet for 14 days, then drink.
