Brew Day: Brew Free or Die IPA Clone 5/9

[757Hokie83]

As Cobrabit did with his last brew, i thought i would do it as well, for an all grain batch just to give perspective.

first up, here's what i'm making:

The evening before brew day, i made my yeast starter. Boiled some water, added a cup of golden light DME, cooled, added yeast, let it sit over night

 

[757Hokie83]

brew day. first up get equipment sanitized and gather ingredients, mash/lauter tun, pots, thermometer, mash paddle. The grain bill for this brew is:
Rahr 2-row Pale Malt 82%
Crisp Munich Malt 12%
Crisp Caramalt 6%

 

[757Hokie83]

Next i heated the mash water, i dont have an pictures of the water heating...but it is what it sounds like. Once the mash water is to the desired temp, pour it into the MLT. From there, stir your grains in, check to ensure the mash is at your desired temp. (if it is off, you can add extra hot or cold water to adjust), close the lid and wait. I typically do a 60 min mash, then mashout with 5 qts at the end.

 

[757Hokie83]

once the mash is done, it is time to vorlauf. basically, you open the spigot, SLOWLY, at take a couple of small runnings, pouring it back into the MLT. This helps settle the grain bed, and reduces the amount of grain/husk you will draw out when taking your runnings.

After you take your first runnings, you will add more heated water (sparge water), and wait another 10 or so minutes, then take your second runnings. (During the second runnings, you can see my brewing assistant taking a nap in the shade)At this point, you've got your full batch ready to boil.

 

[757Hokie83]

while the wort was heating up to a boil, i gathered my hops, and irish moss...also during the boil, the sun was getting mighty hot, so i put up a tent.

The hops were:
2oz Warrior (90min)
1.2oz Centennial (20min)
1oz Cascade (0min)
1oz Tomahawk (0min)

Dry hopped with
2oz Cascade
1oz Amarillo Gold
1oz Styrian Goldings
1oz Simcoe

 

[757Hokie83]

At the 15 minute mark i put my wort chiller into the boil to help sanitize. At the end of the 90 minute boil, turn the flame off, and turn on the hose to start pumping the cold water through. Once down to the appropriate temp, transfer the wort to the fermentor, and pitch the yeast starter kit (Yeast used was WLP001). I didnt get a picture of pitching the yeast, but it consists of pouring the stuff in the beaker from post 1 into the full fermentor, then putting on the airlock. After that you just aerate the wort (shake it around a bunch), cover it witha t-shirt to keep the light from getting at it, and set it somewhere that you can control the temperature relatively well.

 

[757Hokie83]

a few days ago, i transferred it to the secondary fermentor, and dry hopped, didnt take any pictures though. I will be kegging it up this weekend, and will try to remember to snap a few pics.

 

[Sleepy T]

So you batch sparge by adding sparge water into the sweet wort (a de facto mash out), before you take your runnings??

I have been taking my first and second runnings (leaving the grain bed completely dry for a few minutes) THEN adding the sparge water. Maybe that's why my efficiency has been sucking...

 

[757Hokie83]

So you batch sparge by adding sparge water into the sweet wort (a de facto mash out), before you take your runnings??

I have been taking my first and second runnings (leaving the grain bed completely dry for a few minutes) THEN adding the sparge water. Maybe that's why my efficiency has been sucking...

i usually do a 5qt mash out (not completely necessary, from what i understand, but a habit that i got into and have continued) at the end of my mash time, then take my first runnings. while pulling the first runnings i have my sparge water heating up. then pour in the sparge water, let it sit for 10 or so minutes before taking my second runnings.

i'm not completely following the question, but i hope that answered..

 

[Sleepy T]

I think so 757. I usually take 1st runnings after vorlauf, (I take a gallon or so and pour back on top) like you do), then completely take the 1st runnings and run into the boil kettle, no wort (or very very little) left in my cooler mash tun. Then I take heated sparge water(175-180F or so) and pour into my tun, remix the grain, and let sit for 15-30 minutes to attempt to rinse remaining sugars. I'm not sure I have been very successful as my efficiency has been only 60-65%... Which pretty much sucks.

 

[Sleepy T]

If I am reading your process correctly now, I think I do the same. Not sure why my eff sucks. I have thought about trying to rig up a little something (sparge arm of sorts) and try to do a slow continuous sparge and slow the time that I drain my runnings. Either that is the problem or there is something wrong with my mash process (crush, pH, temp etc.)

 

[757Hokie83]

i probably should...but i have never once figured out my efficiency, maybe next one

 

[757Hokie83]

before kegging, go through and clean and sanitize everything that will be touching the beer, i didnt take any pics of this but its pretty self explanatory.

Got my secondary fermentor ready, and began siphoning the beer into the keg. The bag in the carboy is a muslin bag with my hops that were used to dry hop. This is the first time i've used a "hop bag", was a pain in the ass to get out of the empty carboy, but made for a much clearer beer.

 

[757Hokie83]

after the beer is completely transferred to the keg, you seal off the keg (after sanitizing all the parts, naturally) and hook it up to the CO2. I like to hit it with about 30psi initially, just to make sure the lid is seated properly and you have an air tight closure.

I don't think i ever do this part the same twice, for whatever reason. After seating the lid, i lower the gas, and release excess pressure, then vigorously shake the keg for about a minute, letting the CO2 work its way through out the keg.

There are different ways of carbing the beer with CO2, putting higher psi on it and having it done quicker (couple days), or a lower psi (like what you will use to serve it) and letting it sit for a week or so. After a couple of attempts at the quick mthod, and over carbonating the beer, i now choose patience and go the slow route.

 

[757Hokie83]

also, while you are transferring to the keg, take a small sample to get your readings, in order to find out your FG and your ABV.

FG on this one was about 1.006, and ABV came in around 5.8% if i remember correctly

 

[757Hokie83]

now, you gotta clean all the equipment, and wait. Will be testing her out this weekend probably. I did drink the sample that i pulled for my reading, in re: to flavor and aroma, i think this pretty much nailed the Brew Free or Die IPA...can't wait to get at the final product.

 

[thecrow124]

If I am reading your process correctly now, I think I do the same. Not sure why my eff sucks. I have thought about trying to rig up a little something (sparge arm of sorts) and try to do a slow continuous sparge and slow the time that I drain my runnings. Either that is the problem or there is something wrong with my mash process (crush, pH, temp etc.)

Try not re-mixing the grain bed. As you take your first runnings the sugars naturally settle to the bottom as the wort flows out, by mixing the grains again, the sugars are re-mixed as well. By not mixing everything back up the sparge water will pick up sugars and carry them down forcing what is on the bottom already to flow out with your second runnings. At least in theory that is what should happen.

Think of it like using a conical fermenter, when you knock out the yeast it is settled on the bottom, if you mix it even a little you will not get all of the yeast out.