Today's Recipe...

I was going for a dark ale.. Here is what I put in:

US 2-row malt: 5lb 15oz
UK Light Crystal Malt: 1 lb 11oz
US Carapils Malt: 1 lb 11 oz
US Chocolate Malt: 7.35oz

Hops..
UK Fuggle 1oz @ start of boil
US Cascade .5oz @ 15 min to the end of boil
US Cascade .5oz @ end of boil

Other...
Irish Moss .25oz @ 15 min. to the end of the boil.

The goal OG was 1.050 but I hit 1.045 ...so my efficiency has improved on the mashing in the bag. I steeped it for 90 min. at 152-154 deg. F.

Cut twice and measure once... or is that the other way around?

my previous measurement was wrong (using a new toy ...err.. instrument wrong). I tested my wheat beer again just prior to bottling it up and it was at 1.010 FG.. which is 1.2% alc on the meter so ..a little math and I'm actually at 3% Alcohol by volume going into the bottle.

The all grain experiment...

I will be bottling it soon. I realize now it was a greivous error to do the bags in the manner that I did them.. The next all grain will be done in the traditional manner I've seen for brew in a bag.. One bag, stretched over the pot so the grains can move about and I can stir them around..

The verdict after the time in the fermenter.. the spec. gravity is at 1.022... which means after making my calculations, the beer is only 1.2% Alcohol by volume.

It'll taste pretty good but you'd need to drink all five gallons to get a buzz.

All grain.. the video!

Let the critiquing begin!



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pPjhE5fBFTE

I ended up hitting lower than the target OG. Next time, I will need to mash with less water, I am thinking.. and also put all the grain into one bag stretched around the top so I can stir. I just thought using two bags would be easier.

Brewing up a batch today...

This is it.. my whole grain experience..

Here's what is going in:

3.3 pounds wheat
5.5 pounds Pale malt
.5 pounds Cara Pils

2 oz Centennial hops (pellets)
Dry Wheat beer yeast

basically.. a wheat beer.

I'm a gonna do it.. going all grain.

I'm gonna go for it... got all the material to do an all grain batch using the ausie biab system.. It is not all that different from what I am already doing with partial mash. The cooking time is going to be longer, for sure.. but what the heck?

I bought a pack of two paint strainer bags from the home despot. They're 5 gallons and they fit fine in my 8.5 gallon pot. This is what I am talking about .

I'll try to remember to document the process in video and pics.

Bottle Day!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tt67SngF2k

Sweet!

Today is bottling day. the ABV is up to 4.8 and the brew itself taste pretty good. Time to sterilize the equipment!