Where to learn basics of all-grain brewing?

[cavers]

Hey brewers -

I've made four all-grain batches so far now, and most of them have turned out pretty tasty. I don't really know what I'm doing, though! My LHBS (www.beermaking.ca) provides instructions for a basic single-infusion mash, which I follow to the letter. Paraphrased, the instructions are:

1.Heat strike water (one litre per pound of grain) to 174 degrees and add the grain.

2. Mash at 148-156 degrees for one hour. Meanwhile, heat sparge water (a bit less than the total boil volume) to boiling. Take off heat when boiled.

3. Let out the first runnings from the mash tun into the kettle, and then sparge by continually rinsing the grain bed with sparge water. If the temperature of the grain bed climbs above 164 degrees, sparge with cold water for a bit. Stop sparging when the kettle is full.

So - I follow these instructions to the letter, since I don't know any better. I'm starting to wonder, though, how I can improve my technique. For instance, I read decojuicer's thread about low efficiency and realized that there's probably more than one way to sparge. A couple of you talked about sparging for half an hour or more - my sparges seem to be done in less than twenty minutes. Hm.

My question is: what book or source would you guys recommend as a good guide to all-grain brewing? I'd like to learn some techniques for controlling the end result of my AG efforts, rather than just being pleasantly surprised that my beer's turned out drinkable again. I'd love to read something that started from the basics. Any feedback would be much appreciated!

[beerking]

Surf on over to www.howtobrew.com
At the intermediate level and above, this is probably the best book available on homebrewing. The entire first edition is online for free. Once you begun reading that and whet your apetite, buy yourself a copy of the very much expanded and updated 3rd edition.
Charlie Papazian's book, "The New Complete Joy of Homebrewing," is also quite good, and a better book for straight beginners (since you are already doing all-grain, you are more intermediate).

Welcome to a great hobby. Remember, in the case of a disaster, you will be much more popular than some guy who collects stamps!

[Seanibus]

Hey brewers -

I've made four all-grain batches so far now, and most of them have turned out pretty tasty. I don't really know what I'm doing, though! My LHBS (www.beermaking.ca) provides instructions for a basic single-infusion mash, which I follow to the letter. Paraphrased, the instructions are:

1.Heat strike water (one litre per pound of grain) to 174 degrees and add the grain.

2. Mash at 148-156 degrees for one hour. Meanwhile, heat sparge water (a bit less than the total boil volume) to boiling. Take off heat when boiled.

3. Let out the first runnings from the mash tun into the kettle, and then sparge by continually rinsing the grain bed with sparge water. If the temperature of the grain bed climbs above 164 degrees, sparge with cold water for a bit. Stop sparging when the kettle is full.

So - I follow these instructions to the letter, since I don't know any better. I'm starting to wonder, though, how I can improve my technique. For instance, I read decojuicer's thread about low efficiency and realized that there's probably more than one way to sparge. A couple of you talked about sparging for half an hour or more - my sparges seem to be done in less than twenty minutes. Hm.

My question is: what book or source would you guys recommend as a good guide to all-grain brewing? I'd like to learn some techniques for controlling the end result of my AG efforts, rather than just being pleasantly surprised that my beer's turned out drinkable again. I'd love to read something that started from the basics. Any feedback would be much appreciated!

You pretty much have the basics down, though it is deceptively simple. I second getting the Papazian book. I would also suggest just chatting with your local shop owner or other brewers - there is lots of wisdom that can't be written down or seems confusing unless you talk it out.

A couple of easy ones:

Yes, the mash temperature should be between 148 and 156, and anywhere in there will produce a good beer, but there is a difference between the high and low ends. The lower the temp, the drier and more alcoholic the beer will tend to be, the higher the temperature, the richer the body will be. The Papazian book has a great explanation of why.

Also, sparge more slowly - it should take 30-45 minutes or even more. The key isn't sparging so much, though that's part of it - the real key is just keeping the valve at the lowest possible drain rate. Just open the valve just a little tiny bit and let it trickle out.

There are bunch of other things to learn - I learn something new every time I brew and every time I read a book or a blog post. But you have the basics down fine.

[Mikegobrew]

I don't see vorlaufing anywhere in your process. Did you just leave that part out? Also, my beers turn out better when I do a mash out. (I use direct heat, not a water infusion as I fly sparge.) I'm not sure why, but I forgot once and that was the only thing I did differently from the same recipe previously and I wasn't as happy with it.

[Blkandrust]

Check out youtube........type in home brewing.....some pretty interesting and useful info...

[cavers]

Thanks guys - great suggestions. mikegobrew - no, I don't think there's any vorlaufing in my process. I'll do my research and figure out what it is! That and fly sparging.

[Beer Martin]

Thanks guys - great suggestions. mikegobrew - no, I don't think there's any vorlaufing in my process. I'll do my research and figure out what it is! That and fly sparging.

Fly sparging is buying a fancy gadget that slowly spins and dispenses water over top of your mash during the lautering phase.

I prefer to Just let my wort drip into my brew pot slowly and leave the water level above the grain bed 2" - 6". It takes about 15 minutes to lower the level. I just slowly pour in enough hot water to bring the level back up to 6" when it gets down to 2".

It works well for me, and it eliminates the need for a full scale hot liquor tank. I just use my kitchen stock pot to heat the water (1-2 gallons at a time, as needed for my batch size) for sparging.
________
TOYS BUTTERFLY (http://www.fucktube.com/categories/1089/butterfly/videos/1)

[Mikegobrew]

Fly sparging is buying a fancy gadget that slowly spins and dispenses water over top of your mash during the lautering phase.


Or you can get some copper tubing, make a ring with elbows, sweat a few pieces together, a stem for a tube to connect to with a hose barb screwed on to it, drill some holes and be done with it. It doesn't have to spin. Mine works great. Somewhere on here I posted a pic of it, I think if you look at my profile you can see pics I've posted maybe.

Vorlaufing is just collecting the first bit of wort in a pitcher and pouring it back on top of the grain bed until it clears. Usually about 2 - 3 pitchers worth for me. It's also a good time to get the flow rate right. Then you can start to fill your brewpot.

[beerking]

Or, you can do batch sparging, which is draining all the wort from your mashtun, measuring the volume and gravity obtained, and then adding enough hot water to the mash to be able to drain enough wort to get your desired pre-boil volume. It works best if you also take a gravity reading of the second runnings and figure the dilution to get the right pre-boil volume and gravity.

As for vorlauf, I use a HERMES system, so I don't have to vorlauf. The recirculation I do in raising my mash to the mashout temp gets it crystal clear before I even begin the runoff. (except wheat beers, of course).

[Mikegobrew]

As for vorlauf, I use a HERMES system, so I don't have to vorlauf. The recirculation I do in raising my mash to the mashout temp gets it crystal clear before I even begin the runoff. (except wheat beers, of course).

I'm Jealous!!

[beerking]

It is pretty easy (and cheap) to set up. I put my immersion chiller into a pot of hot water (~10F above desired mash temp), and pump wort from the mash through the chiller. When it is time to mash out, I bring the hot water up to boiling, and run the pump until the mash hits 168F.
After the first runnings are out of the mash, I pump hot water from the pot with the chiller into it (it is usually close to 180F by then), as my second runnings sparge water.

[Mikegobrew]

Beerking, I don't use a pump so I have a question. If I were to get one, my chiller has garden hose connectors on it. How do you connect the pump to the chiller? I wouldn't think you'd want to use a garden hose with the wort, right? Maybe adapters if they make such a thing?

[beerking]

I use garden hose fittings throughout my system. I would not recommend actual garden hoses, but you can get the fittings and use them on food grade hose. You can get several different types of hose from many homebrew shops. The one I prefer is Northern Brewer's #7128 1/2" ID Thermoplastic Tubing
http://www.northernbrewer.com/siphon.html

[Mikegobrew]

Thanks! I'll look into that.

[Bruno_78]

If you're really wanting to get an advanced handle on things, my suggestion is read, then do. Get your hands on any books you can find, magazines, recipes, then brew, brew more, and then brew again. Then again, if you're getting good beer, just go with it!

[cavers]

Bruno - that's great advice. I'll take it.