All Grain equipment on a budget

Bones · Post by **Bones** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 11:06 am

Mashed in. Doing the cascade pale ale.

Bones · Post by **Bones** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 3:14 pm

Well I followed this recipe. All seemed to go well other than my OG was only ~1035. Maybe my refractometer needs calibration. I can't really sweat it now. We will know more in the next month or so.

DrPaulsen wrote:http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/3984/cascade-pale-ale

It's hard to get much simpler than this one.

On Thursday, April 4, 2013, Bones wrote:
Beersmith trail isn't DL'ing Need a recipe for a simple pale ale so I can email the grain bill over to BIY to pick up tomorrow night.

Mash tun created and leak tested. Now I just need to splurge on a grain mill at some point.

Thanks for all the help, very excited to get started, wish I had sooner.

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carrisr · Post by **carrisr** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 3:21 pm

Did you take a pre-boil gravity? This is really important for figuring where your problem may be. Keep in mind it may take a few times to figure out how efficient your setup is. The recipe stated a target efficiency of 75%. I'd recommend scaling our recipes at between 65%-70% until you get a better handle on your system. Better to be higher on OG than lower more often than not. You can always dilute if need be. All you can do when low is to add extract or boil loger and get less volume.

On Sat, Apr 6, 2013 at 4:14 PM, Bones <brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org (brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:

Well I followed this recipe. All seemed to go well other than my OG was only ~1035. Maybe my refractometer needs calibration. I can't really sweat it now. We will know more in the next month or so.

DrPaulsen wrote: http://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/3984/cascade-pale-ale

It's hard to get much simpler than this one.

On Thursday, April 4, 2013, Bones wrote:
Quote: Beersmith trail isn't DL'ing Need a recipe for a simple pale ale so I can email the grain bill over to BIY to pick up tomorrow night.

Mash tun created and leak tested. Now I just need to splurge on a grain mill at some point.

Thanks for all the help, very excited to get started, wish I had sooner.

Post generated using Mail2Forum (http://www.mail2forum.com)

Post generated using Mail2Forum (http://www.mail2forum.com)

Bones · Post by **Bones** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 3:28 pm

Pre boil was 1030

Bones · Post by **Bones** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 4:56 pm

I can get some dme and add it tmrw if Benz is open.

So for future brews, a bit longer boil would have helped raise the OG?

carrisr · Post by **carrisr** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 6:26 pm

I wouldn't add DME after the boil. I meant that if you start the boil a lot lower than your target, you can either add dme to bring it up or extend the boil. Taking a gravity reading at the start of the boil let's you know while you still have time to do something about it if you're either too high or low.

On Sat, Apr 6, 2013 at 5:56 PM, Bones <brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org (brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:

I can get some dme and add it tmrw if Benz is open.

So for future brews, a bit longer boil would have helped raise the OG?

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Bones · Post by **Bones** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 7:22 pm

Oh well, I'll see how it tastes in a month or so. Kinda bummed but it's all part of the learning curve

DrPaulsen · Post by **DrPaulsen** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 7:42 pm

As they say, "Every education has its price." For what it's worth, I have found it valuable to reflect after every brew day & make 3 lists - what went right, what went wrong, & what went weird. I think about the causes of what went wrong & try to fix them next time. The things I try may not always work the first time, but by tracking the changes I make & looking for patterns, I usually find solutions. I try to focus on the positives & not overlook simple things like "no clogged pumps" or "no major spills". It takes a lot of practice to get good at anything worth doing in life - brewing is no different.
On Saturday, April 6, 2013, Bones wrote:

Oh well, I'll see how it tastes in a month or so. Kinda bummed but it's all part of the learning curve

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Bones · Post by **Bones** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 7:55 pm

Thanks, I'm just bummed out, not quitting

Would you guys recommend brewing the same recipe a few times in a row to gain insight rather than bouncing around grime ales to porters to lagers?

Post by **JimPotts** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 8:20 pm

Not sure about the "grime ales."

Sticking with the same type of recipe would probably help, staying with easier recipes. I think the similarities will allow you to progress without trouble. I don't think I'd jump to lagers, yet. On Apr 6, 2013 8:55 PM, "Bones" <brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org (brew-equipment@crbeernuts.org)> wrote:

Thanks, I'm just bummed out, not quitting

Would you guys recommend brewing the same recipe a few times in a row to gain insight rather than bouncing around grime ales to porters to lagers?

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Matt F · Post by **Matt F** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 9:32 pm

Did you batch sparge or fly sparge? People get low gravities often when they fly sparge too fast. I am not familiar enough with batch sparging to help you if that was the process. Just a start.

Bones · Post by **Bones** » Sat Apr 06, 2013 9:33 pm

Batch

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