BeerTools Discussion Forum

I brewed my second AG yesterday and ended up with 85% efficiency, I must be doing something right. The bad thing is I added extra grane to my recipe to compensate for bad efficiency in my first batch. Oh well lots of alcohol. ( 1.070 for an Amber Ale)

What do you mean by a calibrated thermometer? I use one of the brewers best floating ones. Is that sufficient?

i understand that the low gravity could be from the low mash temp ( giving the enzymes 90 min to convert all starches to fermentable sugars.) I just spoke to a brewmeister from a Microbrewery and he told me I can deactive the enzymes to control where my FG ends up. Is there a formula for this?

I just racked my first all grain beer today. My final gravity was 1.002 and my Original Gravity was 1.044. My recipe was: 9 lbs. American 2-row .75 lbs. Munich Malt .75 lbs. Belgian Caravienne .7 oz. Nugget (Pellets, 14.00 %AA) boiled 60 min. 1 oz. Cascade (Pellets, 5.50 %AA) boiled 30 min. 1 oz. Am...

I missed my target by .07. My target was 1.051 I ended up with 1.044. I had a hard time achieving a 154 degree mash. I think it might have to do with the altitude I live at (4500 feet), and that I did not adjust my mash water accordingly. I ended up mashing at 151-148ish. I used filtered muni water....

Well, I brewed my first all-grain batch yesterday and it went well. I missed my target gravity by ten points, but I am alright with that. I didn't expect to see as much protien in the Wort after the hot break. Is it alright to leave the trub in the bottom of the primary or should I siphon it to anot...

I have had 32oz starters take 24 hours to start. Just wait a day, it will get goin'.

The last time I used my wart chiller I made the mistake of leaving it in a weak bleach cleaning solution overnight. When I found it the next day the bleach had corroded a few small spots just through the outer skin of the copper. Can I still use it or is it time to buy a new one?

Schlach's post made me think. I have been racking all of me beer into 6.5 gallon carboys. Does that extra headspace really allow enough oxidation to significantly influence the taste of the finished beer? I have heard that remaining Co2 purges the oxygen from the carboy. Is that true? I have decided...

That helps a lot! Again, thanks for the help. I will use that recipe you gave me. I am going to brew on Saturday. I will let you know how it goes.

I will let you guys no how it turns out. I am going to use the single infusion method for simplicity. I read that this method favors highly modified malts because there is no protein rest. When I buy my grains, how do I know which malts are modified and which malts aren't? Again guys, thanks for the...

I have used a 6.5 gallon carboy for secondary with success. Just sanitize it.

ok, you guys have convinced me to try all grain. I am in the process of putting a simple mash system together. Is there an easy recipe to use for my first all-grain?

I have been brewing for about six months now and am wondering what the advantages to all-grain brewing are. Is all grain brewing superior? I have a good understanding of the technique I am just wondering is it worth the extra work?