The Joys of All Grain Brewing! (AG #1)!!

[poguemahone87]

So, after making 1 kit beer (which tasted disgusting - I still have 30 pints left) and 2 Malt extract brews (much nicer, drinking as we speak!) I decided to get myself some AG equipment and start brewing from scratch. Today was my first attempt, and at the moment, it was rather succesful! I had a random variation of grains, and wanted to make a stout, but unfortunately I didn't have any roasted barley, which al the recipes required, so I have made some form of stout with random ingredients, which I hope will turn out ok, despite therebeing no barely to aid head retention.

My recipe was:

4200g Maris Otter,
308g Oat flakes,
308g Dark Crystal
308g Chocolate Malt,
100g Light Crystal (left overs)
200g Wheat Malt (random choice I had in cupboard)
500g Dextrose to up the OG.

Thanks go to Vossy1 for the starter recipe that I have modified (got majority of measurements from the Samuel Smiths Oatmeal Stout recipe)

Mashed for 90 Minutes, boiled for 60 minutes with 60g East Kent Goldings and 20g Fuggles (left overs from Malt extract brews). Boiled for 1 hour. It is currently sitting outside in a cold water bath until its cool enough to go into the fermentaion vessel and have the yeast pitched.

Current name for the beer is "Sweaty Scrotum Stout", inspired by the state I was in after the boil!! :lol:

Anyway, some photos to make the post interesting! Didn't get any whilst making the brew, was too bust/manic! Here are some once the Wort is cooling:

OG reading. Nice and high! :drunk:

Nice dark colour to it.

Wort cooling in water bath. Got an immersion cooler on order with BigYin; can't wait, will make next AG brew much easier/quicker! Anyone after a cooler should definately get in touch with the guy, great bloke!

The mess I made of the hob. Missus wasn't happy! Really need to get a gas stove to use in the garage.

Cat didn't seem to be bothered by any of the heat or noise though!

Although he did like the smell of the beer that is kegged!

My brew space! rather messy i must admit

A quick shot of my last extract beer, based off recipe in C. Papazian's Joys of Home Brewing 3rd Ed. "Palace Bitter". Tastes rather nice!

Anyway, off to get my wort into the fermenter and hopefully pitch the yeast in a while. Was great fun brewing AG, felt much more involved than I did with the extract brews, and hopefully it will taste amazing too. Will update thread once I get the first taste in a month or so! :drink:

 

[31bb3]

Well done on your first ag bet the electric meter was doing overtme with the cooker on for 60 min

 

[orange]

Looking good. :
Oh and i just can't resist, your window needs cleaning.

 

[poguemahone87]

Looking good. :
Oh and i just can't resist, your window needs cleaning.

Yeah I know . You will find the reason funny though - last week I was opening some bottles of (terrible) nettle beer I have brewed and they were over carbonated and exploded everywhere! Still haven't got round to properly cleaning the windows that it splattered all over! :lol:. The nettle beers that didn't explode went down the drain too because they tasted awful (nettles don't taste nice!!)

 

[rickthebrew]

Well done on the brew

 

[dennisking]

Cherry popped

 

[luckyeddie]

Your oats will help your head retention.

Congrats on your journey to the Dark Side, Obi-Wan. May the force be with you always.

 

[poguemahone87]

After 5 days in the fermenter it seems to be done, took a reading, its at 1.012 which is around what I was expecting since it started out rather high. Makes the ABV to be around 5.6%. Tastes really rather good too! Going to take another reading on Saturday and if it hasn't changed it will be kegged up.


Thinking of making a nice refreshing pale ale next so I have something a bit more refreshing on hot days than this porter! :p.

 

[phettebs]

Nice job pm87. Welcome to the dark side!

 

[Sean_Mc]

Lovely colour and welcome to AG brewing :clap:

 

[Ceejay]

Great stuff mate, and a corking recipe to pop your AG cherry with :

 

[gurtpint]

Well done! Congrats for you first AG. The wheat malt you used should also help with the head retention.

 

[poguemahone87]

So I have just racked it up, FG was the same today as it was 2 days ago. Kegged up the majority, but put aside 6 bottles worth so I can give some to workmates who have generously given me any spare beer bottles they have (thankfully my workplace has a lot of heavy drinkers, so I wasn't short of many!). All went smoothly, apart from a hogarden bottle I was going to use - went to try and cap it and the bloody top is really thick and does not take normal sized caps! Not impressed. Kegs and bottles are sitting in the "brewing" room now, waiting for me to greedily get at them in a few weeks!

I tasted the tester I took again today, and I have to say it is rather nice. Quite malty, with a really nice warm chocolatey after taste to it. Can't wait to see how it finally turns out. :drink:

 

[luckyeddie]

It's interesting that you have a Brewcat.

All great brewers have a kitteh to supervise the important phases, so you're well set.

 

[poguemahone87]

It's interesting that you have a Brewcat.

All great brewers have a kitteh to supervise the important phases, so you're well set.

haha, well it would seem that he is very interested in the finished product... Never leaves me alone when I am drinking it. Probably explains the beer belly he has!

 

[luckyeddie]

It's interesting that you have a Brewcat.

All great brewers have a kitteh to supervise the important phases, so you're well set.

haha, well it would seem that he is very interested in the finished product... Never leaves me alone when I am drinking it. Probably explains the beer belly he has!

Like I said, the important phases - and what's more important than the drinking?

 

[poguemahone87]

Well yep, I suppose he has the priorities in order. Currently umming on whether to brew again tomorrow. Really tempted to make a nice light ale so I have something completely different to drink alongside this brew.... Will have to think on it overnight!

 

[evanvine]

Well done 87, an inspiration to all would be AG brewers. :thumb: