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OK, so I tried my "super fast" brew day today. I went from water on to cleaned up in 4:15. Obviously that includes time collecting and heating water.
This is really fast for me, and I could've been faster if:
1. I didn't have a stuck lauter (twice)
2. I had my water collected ahead of time
3. I didn't space out on my kettle heat setting. It was at 73% the whole time heating water, oops.
4. I didn't have to run around looking for my refractometer
5. I wasn't trying to sort of watch the Falcons game upstairs.
With all those things going right I think I can get it down to 3:30, if not 3.
I mashed 17.81 pounds of grain with 15 gallons of water. It was a bit tight. I could put the lid on my cooler, but it was sitting in the foam on top of the mash.
I also missed my mash temp by a clear mile. Started at 156F, I left the lid off for the whole mash trying to cool it down and it finished around 152F, which was my target.
I'm not sure how long I boiled on account of the running around for a refractometer. Not long I don't think. I got a break, and that's all I was looking for. Did a 20 minute Whirlpool/hop stand with a pound of random hops.
8oz more hops for dry hops.
In retrospect, trying to use visual cues to determine conversion was not the best idea because I was using 2.6 pounds of oats. It was hazy, but I could tell I had most of conversion by 15 minutes. I recirced and lautered at 30m. I stirred the mash a lot.
Overall, I like this sort of brew day. Got a little lower efficiency, but who cares. I think I'll try this sort of thing for any session ale I brew in the future.
Does anyone use a grant on their mash tun? I'm thinking about trying to retrofit my HopRocket into a grant to prevent grain bed compaction and stuck lauter.
Posted 34 days ago.
Forgot pic of mash tun slap full.
Posted 34 days ago.
I'm looking forward to doing some double-5g batches ala marshmallow soon, and look forward to full volume mashing like you did. I never attempted full volume on 11g batch. That's hairy even in a 70qt cooler - and I'm usually mashing more like 20-30lbs of grain. Even as close as you got it looks nerveracking.
4:15/pretty good though...I suspect I hear a bit faster than you do (gas), and my normal undrunk brewday is like 430-445. I think 4h is a reasonable goal now that I finally got a rolling chest of drawers for my mash tuns to rest atop. Reorganization was fun today. Everything has a place and setup should be super fast. Just need to empty fermenters now and I can try it all out.
Posted 34 days ago.
Ill need a new burner, though. Im using an old turkey burner that has a stupid fucking ring around it so some moronic neckbeard cant knock a kettle full of oil off of it or something, which means that anything over a 10 gal kettle wont fit on it.
Should make my brother make me one.
Posted 34 days ago.
Posted 34 days ago.
Posted 34 days ago.
Posted 34 days ago.
It'd be so nice in the winter, too. Free heat/humidity for the house.
Posted 34 days ago.
Posted 34 days ago.
I'd be more concerned about if i didnt have the burner going right and natural gas built up.
Posted 34 days ago.
Posted 34 days ago.
Running a high BTU burner just seems different for some reason.
Posted 34 days ago.
Posted 34 days ago.
If i were going to be living here for a long period of time, i'd consider converting one of the windows to an exhaust hood and actually put in a decent basement brewery (along with a large laundry style sink), but my mom is planning on moving, and frankly i want to live closer to work, so at some point i need to get my own house or something.
Just need to find the money to do that...riiiiight.
Posted 34 days ago.
Posted 34 days ago.