26 replies to this topic

[HVB]

Turned on the control panel at 5:30am Saturday to start the water heating and was all chilled and in the fridge at 9:30am.  Nice quick brewday.  Still have some efficiency issues to work out   but other than that no issues. I can get used to brewdays like this.

 

And some photos because .. why not...

 

httpss://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-m7i5ykNCG6s/VVfH2PUok4I/AAAAAAAAKs4/w_mhi7efAUk/w486-h864-no/0516150530.jpg

httpss://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-IOA7jOO74U8/VVfH37V5G6I/AAAAAAAAKtE/8wxHRefKz5E/w486-h864-no/0516150600.jpg

httpss://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aND8UdMAEfc/VVfH6dLZneI/AAAAAAAAKuw/4brEaNESn8Q/w1536-h864-no/0516150601.jpg

httpss://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-EMZ2-hH0T9I/VVfILJueHnI/AAAAAAAAKuk/PR42AxH1hd0/w379-h864-no/0516150918-1.jpg

httpss://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-RS7W4XQ9gdc/VVfIKTfj_FI/AAAAAAAAKwQ/keYI8ZE5Aq8/w485-h864-no/0516150928.jpg

Edited by drez77, 18 May 2015 - 05:40 AM.

[realbeerguy]

That's what I'm talkin' about!

 

Isn't that a lot of trub in the fermenter?

[HVB]

That's what I'm talkin' about!

 

Isn't that a lot of trub in the fermenter?

Cold break.  Once it settle it was not much.

[positiveContact]

  Still have some efficiency issues to work out

 

where are you at now?  I thought you had a few batches with reasonable efficiency?

[Poptop]

drezz baby,I notice that in other pics of yours, you use foil instead of airlocks. Is that your standard? Is there a particular reason?

[HVB]

where are you at now?  I thought you had a few batches with reasonable efficiency?

This was no-sparge and the last one I did I got over 76% maybe closer to 80% for the small grain bill.  This beer was under 70%      

 

 

drezz baby,I notice that in other pics of yours, you use foil instead of airlocks. Is that your standard? Is there a particular reason?

I put an airlock on this one after I added the yeast.  For some beers I will just leave foil on till fermentation simmers down.  While it is really rolling nothing bad can get in under the foil.

[Brauer]

Isn't that a lot of trub in the fermenter?

Nothing to really worry about, other than it makes it harder to calculate a re-pitch of the yeast.

[3rd party JKor]

Nice cold break. 

 

Very light.  what's the beer?

[BlKtRe]

Nothing to really worry about, other than it makes it harder to calculate a re-pitch of the yeast.

Not really. Swirl and count to five.

[HVB]

Nice cold break. Very light. what's the beer?

German pils. I went from a cfc to a ss immersion chiller in a bucket of ice as a post wort chiller. Wort got quickly into the low 50's.

[3rd party JKor]

Not really. Swirl and count to five.

 

 

Really?  What does that do for ya?

[djinkc]

German pils. I went from a cfc to a ss immersion chiller in a bucket of ice as a post wort chiller. Wort got quickly into the low 50's.

 

I throw a cheapo harbor freight submersible pump in to keep the ice water circulating.  Didn't buy it for that but why not?  Now it doubles for line cleaning too.

[BlKtRe]

Really?  What does that do for ya?

 

Gets me killer fermentation's without over pitching from a cultivation. 

[Howie]

What are your strategies that make the brew day so short?Back in my brewing days, it was a 6-7 hour operation

[positiveContact]

What are your strategies that make the brew day so short?Back in my brewing days, it was a 6-7 hour operation

 

overall I'm in a similar place.  I do split it between two days though (overnight mash).

[HVB]

What are your strategies that make the brew day so short?Back in my brewing days, it was a 6-7 hour operation

I am not sure really.  Grain was milled the day before and waiting in a bucket next to the MLT.  I also had the water additions measured and ready to go.  Water was in the HLT and all I needed to do was flip the switch to start it heating.  Water took about 30 minutes to get to temp and by 6:05 I had the MLT full.  I did this no sparge and did about a 45-50 minute sacc rest and then started to ramp up to 165 for a mash out, all part of my normal process.  90 minute boil and a quick chill and done.  I do start my BK element once it is covered so that does help some with the time.  Overall I really did not do anything out of the ordinary except have the post wort chiller.  I plan to use that a lot more often because I saved a lot of water that way. 

 

I plan to install a timer in my panel to turn it on so the HLT is at temp so when I start I will go right to the mash.  That will save another 30+ minutes.  I would have to have a major issue to have a 6-7 hour brew day.  Not that it has not happened but it has been when I had a slow runoff or a stuck mash or something.

 

Granted, this was a 5g batch so a larger batch would be a bit longer, I would say 30 minutes longer.  I plan on doing a 10g batch this weekend so I will, out of curiosity, take better times of each step.

[BlKtRe]

5g batches seem to go lots faster. I need to set up some keggle for the Erig. I can't do 5g batches in my 25g kettles because the boil off rate is to high.

Edited by BlKtRe, 20 May 2015 - 06:11 AM.

[HVB]

5g batches seem to go lots faster. I need to set up some keggle for the Erig. I can't do 5g batches in my 25g kettles because the boil off rate is to high.

10 for me are not much longer but I can see your issue with 5g's in that kettle.  Would a 5g batch even cover the element?

[positiveContact]

I spend the most time waiting for things to heat up.  There is also a good chunk of time while I wait for the strike water temp to stabilize in the mash tun.

[BlKtRe]

10 for me are not much longer but I can see your issue with 5g's in that kettle. Would a 5g batch even cover the element?

It probably would cover the element but I really don't want to start with 8-9g to end up with a 5g batch. I already have a keggle with a welded fitting to screw in an element. Just need to figure out a straining device for it.