[morticaixavier]

10 Gallons didn't make it - thanks to a 120 minute boil, 20-something kilos of grain and related absorption and nearly a gallon's worth of absorption by the leaf hops, I only got 20 L out of the deal. measured OG was 1.115 - without adding any extract - so I'm pretty happy. Holy cow is this a thick sludge-y wort. It already has legs. We're using the hydrometer's share to make some chocolate cookies.

I am not so sure that I'll ever do a decoction again, at least not until I can get a better system in place for handling it. Or perhaps I will do it, but never again for an imperial stout.

What remains to be seen is if the 1L starter will be OK fermenting this stuff down. I'm going to get another starter going when I get home and pitch it at high krausen just to make sure they can do their job.

wow! only half what you were expecting? you should have run another 20l through the grain for a small stout. (small in this case probably would have been around 1.060) 

[phillamb168]

Well I totally would have, except it was already pouring outside (rain, that is) and at 7 PM I had no desire to stay out there any longer. Should I have? Oh totally, but there's always the next time.


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[morticaixavier]

Well I totally would have, except it was already pouring outside (rain, that is) and at 7 PM I had no desire to stay out there any longer. Should I have? Oh totally, but there's always the next time.


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I understand. I brewed on saturday night because it was pouring friday night when I had planned to brew. Saturday on the other hand was only occasionally rainy. wrapped up around 1:00AM. luckily the rain stopped before it was time to chill. man what I wouldn't give for an indoor brewing area.

[phillamb168]

Well I totally would have, except it was already pouring outside (rain, that is) and at 7 PM I had no desire to stay out there any longer. Should I have? Oh totally, but there's always the next time.


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I understand. I brewed on saturday night because it was pouring friday night when I had planned to brew. Saturday on the other hand was only occasionally rainy. wrapped up around 1:00AM. luckily the rain stopped before it was time to chill. man what I wouldn't give for an indoor brewing area.

Once we get the house built (in like three years...), I'm ordering a prefab shed to house all that stuff. I've looked at putting in an area in the newly-refinished attic but ventilation becomes a problem with my current gas system and I don't know how to justify spending another grand on MORE homebrewing equipment to the wife. But we'll see. Also when it's nice and sunny out, it's great to be brewing outside!