BIAB #1 done - not a complete disaster

[big dave]

Well the cherry is popped. BIAB number one is in the fermenter.... Golden Ale (the Doc's, with a few minor alterations)

I had finally got all the gear together, and unexpectedly found a day with the middle free.... So without any preparation, I decided it was time to brew. The major mistakes were as follows....

I had a check-list made up (from the BIABrewer forum), but I left it at work, so had to make another one up from scratch as the water heated.

I forgot to add the caramalt to the mash until 55 minutes in. So had to frantically run from the shed to the house to get it, weigh it, plastic bag it and smash it up with a rolling pin and mash it in.

Then, when I went to pull the bag, I found that it is a bit too big to pull easily through the opening in the keggle, so I had to suspend and squeeze it then pull it up a bit more, and repeat a few times. Fortunately I had a rope rigged to hoist from. Then I found the mash temp had dropped off to 63 degrees, and I did manage to run a fair amount of sweet liquor down the outside of the keggle and partly blocked the outer burners of the 3-ring burner, which made the time to boil blow out a little. So I had to shorten the boil time so I could go and pick up the kids from school on time.

But at the end, where I was aiming for 24 litres into the cube at 1.047, I had 25 and a bit, at 1.044 (with 72-ish% end-of-boil efficiency), so I am happy enough with that. It left enough wort to run into a sterile 700ml jar to make a starter with. Pitched into fermenter the next day, and tasted yesterday after 4 days - bloody fantastic! Only 25 sleeps till I can open a bottle....

So, while it was not at all a relaxing experience, I know it will be easier next time, because I will remember to print out the check-list and prepare my gear the day before....

Cheers

BD

[barrelboy]

With all that hard work I'd be drinking it now!

[rotten]

But at the end, where I was aiming for 24 litres into the cube at 1.047, I had 25 and a bit, at 1.044 (with 72-ish% end-of-boil efficiency), so I am happy enough with that. It left enough wort to run into a sterile 700ml jar to make a starter with. Pitched into fermenter the next day, and tasted yesterday after 4 days - bloody fantastic! Only 25 sleeps till I can open a bottle....

Congrats on your efficiency big dave, you learn something after every brew. Some brew days I still feel like a noob, swearing and cursing and carrying on.

25 days till you open a bottle, not likely in my brewery Is it bottled yet or still fermenting?
Cheers and many more brews to come

[big dave]

It is now 6 days in the fermenter. I suppose I could bottle tomorrow, and drink in a week or so, half-carbed....

Plan is two weeks primary, straight into a bottle, carb for two weeks and down the hatch. Prolly should stick with the plan.

I had envisaged a bit of sit-down-and-relax time with a 90 min mash and then a 90 min boil, but in the end I didn't even pull out a chair until I was running the wort into the cube. Having sorted out most of the process, I can see that the next one should be a more relaxed affair. Really looking forward to it. Enjoying the planning, searching, scaling.... Love the dark side!

[drsmurto]

You could drink it out of the fermenter if you chilled it (a touch, dont get crazy on me).

I call it quality control and by measuring the SG each time it legitimate (in my mind).

But then i do like warm, low carbonated beer.

[big dave]

Cool. I could pretend I was in the UK. Love the 8-10 deg hand-pumped real ales.

APA would probably shatter the illusion, but thats ok....