So, finally gonna do an all grain batch tomorrow:
Belgian Pale Ale
11.2lb belgian pilsner, 0.75lb caramunich, 0.25lb biscuit--kent goldings hops, ardennes yeast
1. Took one Wyeast activator and put in 1,400mL of 1.40 wort on stir plate---recipe calls for 2 packets, did I make enough yeast?
2. at 1.65qt/lb I would use 20.13 (round to 20) quarts = 5 gallons strike water?
3. I am aiming for a mash temp of 152, so I would heat my water to around 165? (preheat mash tun with some boiled water for 10minutes?) (how much wort would you expect to run off from the 5gallons?)
4. adjust temp with boiled/iced water
5. Per Denny: consider 1-2g of gypsum since I have soft water
6. Let it sit for 60 minutes at the desired temp (any reason to check to see that all the grain is converted? if so, how do you do that? )
7. Drain all of the wort out into boil kettle then wash grains with around 4gallons of water at around 165 and collect as much as needed---pray that the gravity is right
8. I'm planning to use hops that are 6+ months old. They have been sealed and sitting in a freezer at around 34degrees. Is it ok to use them being that old? They're unopened. Did not want to pay more if they were still ok. Do I need to use more hops than the recipe calls for?
I really appreciate the help on this forum! I have a lot of questions here----