“This is grain which any fool can eat, but for which God intended a higher purpose.” (This is from that version of the movie Robin Hood that stars Kevin Costner.)
I have wanted to brew all-grain for a long time. I started gathering the equipment years ago, but then put all the brewing stuff away to get our old house ready to sell. We did that, sold it, lived in an apartment, built a new house and moved into the new house. We’ve been here for 18 months; I haven’t brewed in 2 1/2 years.
A couple of weeks ago I was talking to D., a collegue at work. He said that he used to brew but had given it up and had a bunch of stuff that he wouldn’t mind removing from his garage. This past Wednesday I paid him $150 (and a couple of cases of product) for a carboy, some airlocks, grain and hop bags, a huge 2-burners propane stove, a tank of CO2, a couple of kegs and taps, a big box with a 15-watt bulb for fermenting at a constant temp, a big thermos, a five gallon pot and an immersion wort chiller. Wednesday night I bought a propane tank. Saturday I bought 9 pounds of undermodified 6-row malted barley, a pound of dark crysal malt, some Cascade hops and some Northern Brewer hops.
I was ready to go.
I brewed all-grain several times with my friend J. many years ago. I have also assisted my friend G. This is the first time I have done it solo. Finally. My goal was a red, full body, low alcohol bitter ale (but not too bitter because I want to give some to my boss and I don’t think she likes super bitter beers).
| time | notes |
| 9:30 | Added 10 quarts of water at 130 degrees to grain in thermos. Temp stablized at 120 or 121. This is to develop the enzimes needed later for starch conversion. |
| 9:49 | Added another quart of water. Trying to maintain the temp. |
| 10:12 | Added about 5 quarts of water at 205 degrees to get temp up to 152. Convert starch into sugers. |
| 10:32 | Added about 2 quarts of water at 205 degrees to maintain temp. |
| 10:42 | Start scooping into laudertun. |
| 11:37 | Still sparging. Grain bed took a long time to establish. Spinning sparging thing works great. Water almost coming out clear. Sparge water about 163 degrees. |
| 11:46 | On for the boil. About 7 gallons in 2 five gallon pots. |
| 12:20 | One ounce of Cascade hops in. Not boiling yet. |
| 12:37 | Boiling |
| 13:39 | One ounce of Northern Brewers (finishing). |
| 13:51 | Chilling |
| 14:48 | Pitched American Ale yeastat about 75 degrees. |
I meant to add gypsum and Irish Moss. I changed my mind on the gypsum. I forgot to add the Irish Moss.
I need to get a wort chiller that has a bigger diameter copper tubing.
Alright! It’s about time. I’ll have to come up this Fall to try some.
The bitter we made in early August came out fantastic, one of the best bitters I’ve made! I’ll save you some.
How is the pale ale?
I will save some for you. Since I’m planning on brewing again this weekend I should have plenty.
The pale is great. Maybe I’ll go have one right now.