First brew

[LilBastage]

The system

The ingredients

The recipe (used BeerSmith for calculations)

Recipe: Centennial Blonde
Style: Blonde Ale
TYPE: All Grain

Recipe Specifications
--------------------------
Batch Size: 4.00 gal
Boil Size: 4.92 gal
Estimated OG: 1.043 SG
Estimated Color: 4.2 SRM
Estimated IBU: 20.1 IBU
Brewhouse Efficiency: 70.00 %
Boil Time: 60 Minutes

Ingredients:
------------
Amount Item % or IBU
5 lbs 4.0 oz Pale Malt (2 Row) US (2.0 SRM) Grain 76.49 %
12.0 oz Cara-Pils/Dextrine (2.0 SRM) Grain 10.93%
8.0 oz Caramel/Crystal Malt - 10L (10.0 SRM) Grain 7.28 %
5.8 oz Vienna Malt (3.5 SRM) Grain 5.30 %
5.22 gm Centennial [10.00 %] (55 min) Hops 8.8 IBU
5.22 gm Centennial [10.00 %] (35 min) Hops 7.4 IBU
5.22 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (20 min) Hops 3.0 IBU
5.22 gm Cascade [5.50 %] (5 min) Hops 1.0 IBU
1 Pkgs Nottingham (Danstar #-) Yeast-Ale


Mash Schedule: Single Infusion, Medium Body
Total Grain Weight: 6.86 lb
----------------------------
Single Infusion, Medium Body
Step Time Name Description Step Temp
60 min Mash In Add 10.30 qt of water at 160.0 F 150.0 F


Since this system is a no sparge recirculating system, after the mash, I do a mash out at 170* and recirc for 30 minutes or until the system recovers to 170*. Once that's complete, it's boil time.


Now, the bad news. Right before I doughed in, my heating element crapped out. I think I didn't keep a close enough eye on the water level in the kettle while preheating my MLT and it went dry for a few seconds, thus burning out. So, I undershot my mash temp by a couple of degrees and I had to finish on the stove. Temperature was difficult to maintain. The boil was also not as vigorous as I would have liked. All in all, it's not as I envisioned my first brew going, but we'll see how it turns out. I'm doing this no chill, so I can't measure OG until tomorrow and the hop schedule was different.

 

[smellysell]

Sounds like a typical first brew Alan, though mine was much more disastrous (still trying to choke down the last of the bottles). It'll only get better and you'll probably still end up with a nice beer anyways.

 

[souldog]

Holy crap Alan, that's definitely MUCH MORE involved than my first beer (Mr. Beer) that I did yesterday... How much did that whole setup run you?

 

[LilBastage]

Sounds like a typical first brew Alan, though mine was much more disastrous (still trying to choke down the last of the bottles). It'll only get better and you'll probably still end up with a nice beer anyways.

Yeah, it could have gone much worse. The wort smells great, it's a bit darker than I expected. I'm anxious to take an OG measurement to see how much the results deviated from the expected numbers. This is supposed to be a pretty easy drinking crowd pleaser. I figured I'd make the first brew something TheWife(c) would also drink to make the whole thing a little less about me.

Holy crap Alan, that's definitely MUCH MORE involved than my first beer (Mr. Beer) that I did yesterday... How much did that whole setup run you?

I don't know. I stopped keeping track after a little while. It's a few hundred all together, but I couldn't tell you for sure. The guy who came up with it on Home Brew Talk estimates his was around $400. I bought all the stuff for this system, the kegging setup, the fridge to convert for kegs, and all the fermenters and miscellaneous stuff in the last couple of months. I don't want to know how much it all was or else when TheWife© asked I'd have to tell her. :whistling:

I'm in this for the long haul. I need something to do in the winter up here. I'm sure as hell not going outside anymore than I have too.

 

[badhangover]

Craigslist is your friend for equipment on the cheap. Or the sale ads of your local homebrewer club.

 

[EricDriscoll]

Good luck bro, hope it turns out well or at least a learning experience.

 

[LilBastage]

Well, I was afraid of this...I didn't boil off as much as I had planned and with the mash problems as well, I undershot my OG by quite a bit. Oh well, I pitched the yeast and we'll see how it tastes in a few weeks.

I've got to go get another element and the stuff to make it fit the kettle so I can brew my stout next weekend. Let's hope it goes a little better than this one.

 

[bfreebern]

Good luck Alan!

 

[Bsneed51]

I've got to go get another element and the stuff to make it fit the kettle so I can brew my stout next weekend. Let's hope it goes a little better than this one.

cough cough *bring some to Padron in May* cough cough :whistling: :laugh:

 

[thevalkrye]

Where did you get the surface mounted sockets for you temperature sensor to plug into? I am building a 10 gallon setup and would love to get my hands on a few of those.

 

[PhatCat]

Nice setup, Alan.

I don't think I'd have the patience or time to try homebrewing but I have a coworker who does a good job of it.

He's really getting into it. He's very "particular" about everything. He's an engineer so everything needs to be very exact for him.

Have fun! I think this winter we're going to get hit with some serious snow again. We've had it easy the last few years.

Bill

 

[LilBastage]

Where did you get the surface mounted sockets for you temperature sensor to plug into? I am building a 10 gallon setup and would love to get my hands on a few of those.

It was part of the sightglass setup I bought from a fella on Homebrew Talk. He sent it with a dial thermo, but it fit the 1/4" thermocouple just fine.

I know that bargainfittings.com has something that is similar (middle of top row), but it's 1/2" NPT (which most of the dial thermometers appear to be). You could try McMaster-Carr. It's just a 1/4" NPT stainless tee with a 1/4" NPT fitting to hold it to the kettle. I'm not sure if there's a metric equivalent.

Nice setup, Alan.

I don't think I'd have the patience or time to try homebrewing but I have a coworker who does a good job of it.

He's really getting into it. He's very "particular" about everything. He's an engineer so everything needs to be very exact for him.

Have fun! I think this winter we're going to get hit with some serious snow again. We've had it easy the last few years.

Bill

Everything has gone south of us for the last 3 years. You guys have actually gotten more snow than we have the last couple of years.

You can brew at home without doing such an elaborate setup. There's nothing wrong with simple. The equipment doesn't make the beer, the yeast does with a little help from the brewer.

 

[thevalkrye]

Nope not that part. The thing you plug your thermocouple into for your PID. The yellow pug on your electrical enclosure, the female one i beleive.

 

[LilBastage]

Nope not that part. The thing you plug your thermocouple into for your PID. The yellow pug on your electrical enclosure, the female one i beleive.

Oh, my mistake. Auber Instruments

They only have it for the K type thermocouples. If you get a RTD, they also have panel mounts for those.

 

[thevalkrye]

Right on. I was bugging them about 6 months ago to get these things. I was having a very hard time finding a supplier that was willing to only sell a few not 100 or 1000. I am glad they did bring them in, guess I should have been checking back with them.

Thanks for the help you Lilbastage.

 

[LilBastage]

Fermentation has begun! Whatever it ends up being, it will have at least some alcohol in it. :laugh:

 

[thevalkrye]

I love watching that part. I can sit and stare at it doing that for hours it seems! Have fun.

 

[sporkd2]

I just made my starter for a Belgian Strong Ale and wished I had a setup like this. I still have to lift the BK up so it can run through the CFC

Congrats on the brew though!

 

[LilBastage]

Well, I've gotten the same gravity reading for 2 days now, if it's the same tomorrow I'm going to transfer to a better bottle to clear for a couple of weeks. It's pretty cloudy.

Apparently, missing the OG had quite an effect. If the reading stays the same I'll pretty much have hit my final gravity, but the ABV% is going to be quite low. This will make a great beer for drinking gallons at a time if you want to get a buzz. Beersmith is estimating a 2.86%. :laugh: That's right, I didn't even make a 3.2% beer. It tastes pretty good, though it's a little thin and pretty dry. We'll see how it tastes after it carbs up. At least I know I'll drink it if nobody else will.

Oh well. The next one will be better.

 

[Martin2D]

This setup is so sweet. The only thing that I wanted to know about is how high of a gravity beer can you do? AKA how much grain can you get in there? Also, what does the bucket underneath your cooler hold?