Im looking to brew with all grain and want to know how to convert my recipes? I have used just plain kit stuff for the most part, some whole hops and pellets. So i just wanna know what i should do. Thanks!
More better than a link pointing to 2,400 words to digest is BeerSmith software. Conversions of your extract recipes to 'all-grain' so easy even CaveDave can do it.
Brew in a bag is probably a great step for brewers that want to make the jump away from malt extract. I think people overcomplicate the idea of a mash. You've probably already steeped specialty malts. You'll add a few extra (base) malts to the bag and 'steep' at about the same temperature for just a little longer. The next step will be for you to decide what style you want to make and we can help you make a recipe. I promise, we have nothing better to do.
I have not brewed yet with malt grain. and im hoping to make a double ipa, well make the double i have better.lol and hey thanks man!
Let's get a 411. How many times have you brewed? Have you used a steeping bag for grains during your brewing process for specialty malts? Did you use Dry (powered) malt extract DME and or Liquid (canned syrup) LME during your previous brewing experiences? Edit: Also, how big is your pot/kettle for brewing. You're going to want at least 7 gal. for an All Grain (AG) experience.
Well this will be my fourth batch. Very new still. But I have used both. I have a 5gal set um now but I'm looking into getting some bigger stuff soon. For my double I used LME and not enough of it. The nose of the beer was great as well as color, but the taste was not there. I do want to use some DME in this next batch to ramp up the ABV.
Depends on batch size. The 5 g kettle setup could be a good transition to all grain brew in a bag batches of 3-4 gallons (someone w/ biab exp check me)
As a cheap way to get into all-grain, I'm using my 5-gallon kettle to brew 3 to 3.5 gallon batches. I get a boil-off of about 1 gallon an hour and starting a boil with 4.5 gallons and then adding hops... Oh my! It can be an intense experience, But I get it done! My immediate needs to brew bigger require a cooler mash tun, immersion chiller and bigger kettle.
I would suggest using all DME next time. I noticed improvements when I started using all DME. The only time I use LME is for malts like munich that don't come in DME form. Also switching to all grain is not going to magically improve your beers. It might actually make them worse when you first start. There are more variables that you have to deal with like efficiency. Not saying you shouldn't switch just saying that your first all grain double ipa probably won't taste better than Pliny. A few things that immediately improved my beer. Using fresh ingredients Full Wort Boils Yeast- Pitching the right amount of healthy yeast at proper temperatures. Fermentation Temperature- Being able to keep a consistent temp under 65 degrees during peak fermentation. Oxygenation- Using pure O2 to oxygenate the wort before pitching the yeast.
So you use o2 at what step? After I boil I normally if needed, dry hop what I need for aroma. Then I mix in my yeast as I put my wort into my fermenter, making sure it nixies well. Is this wrong? And when would I put the o2 in?
Your dry-hopping should occur after primary fermentation. o2 is added after the boil and before adding the yeast.
Hmmmm, the smell I got off the hops doing after the boil smelled great! I guess I'll have to try to do it after the first fermentation. So wait to dry hop after about 2-4weeks?
I am thinking about taking this step, and I can find a lot of general descriptions of the process, but finding information specific enough to actually get started (such as appropriate recipes that are converted for the excepted lower efficiency) seems a little more difficult. Do you know of anything like howtobrew.com that describes the biab process?
I have not been to that website, I'll check it out. And iv seen some converters. There's one posted in theis link, that a friend uses. I'm not sure if it's good, but he likes it. It's called beersmith.
Nope. I think everybody has a different efficiency based on sparging process and the fineness of the crush of the grain. I'd expect 65-70% efficiency with brew in a bag. Start with a simple recipe that you wouldn't mind being lighter or heavier than expected. I personally think that a red or a brown ale would be great here. Have extra RO and DME on hand in case you want to get your preboil OG perfected. Have extra hops on hand too. There's only one way to get into it. Dive in!
What you were doing is good for an ipa. I think you just mixed up the terminology a little bit. Add a good amount of hops at the end of the boil like you did while you are chilling the wort. Some people refer to this as adding them at "knock out". Filter all of the hop material out when you transfer to the fermenter. You should also dry hop which is just adding the hops to your primary or secondary fermenter. Most people say near the end of fermentation or when fermentation is complete. I like to dry hop for 1 week so I add them at the end of week 2 and then bottle after 3 weeks total. For the O2. Like JohnSnowNW said I transfer my wort into the fermenter and then use the O2. Here's a good article on aeration. http://byo.com/aeration/item/1894-aerating-wort-techniques
It's easy man. You puttada grain into da mash tun, then you puttada water into da grain, wave the magic wand and do a little dance--------> Beer!
