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Author Topic: First AG batch......  (Read 8753 times)

Offline dano14041

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #30 on: January 18, 2011, 03:57:11 pm »
This thread got me to thinking about my run off; so last weekend when I was brewing I timed it. It took about 15 min after vorluaf for the first runnings and about the same for the sparge. A total of 7 gal of wort was collected, in about 45 min start to finish. I then left the valve on my MLT open and collected another 0.75 gal while I was bringing the rest up to a boil.

I only needed the 7 gal, the rest was just to see.

My cooler isn't a Colman Extreme, and the drain is about 3/4" off the bottom so I prop one end up on a 2X4 to help lessen the deadspace. (I should have listened to the people on this broad and spent the extra $20 and got the extreme).

I never thought I had a problem, until now.  ;D
Did your runoff take longer than 45 min Oscar?
Tulsa, OK

Offline Mark G

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #31 on: January 18, 2011, 04:22:57 pm »
I brewed this morning and measured the runoff times. For the record, I have the 70-qt Xtreme with a stainless steel braid, and use a single batch sparge. Both the first runnings and the sparge runoff each took 6 minutes. I usually give it a minute or two with the valve about halfway open, then let it fly full blast.
Mark Gres

Offline malzig

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #32 on: January 18, 2011, 05:19:13 pm »
My cooler isn't a Colman Extreme, and the drain is about 3/4" off the bottom so I prop one end up on a 2X4 to help lessen the deadspace. (I should have listened to the people on this broad and spent the extra $20 and got the extreme).
You can fix that with a dip tube.  I use a round Rubbermaid cooler with a pretty high valve, but with a dip tube I leave less than a cup of liquid on the bottom of the tun.

Offline oscarvan

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #33 on: January 18, 2011, 09:01:33 pm »
Well, I have to make confession..., it was running at a rate that I GUESS would have taken a long time....45, 60 maybe more hard to say and I got drastic and did a little scraping around the screen which did speed it up. In retrospect I could have sat there and let it do it's looong thing.... But I didn't.

Either way, looking at the pictures earlier in this thread I KNOW my crush is a bit much, so I'm going to look there first. Will get to it on Thu.
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline malzig

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #34 on: January 19, 2011, 04:16:31 am »
I got to my crush by careful trial and error fine tuning of my mill.  It worked great until I got a new bag of malt that produced a lot of teig.  Then my runoffs slowed way down and I flirted with a stuck mash once or twice.  Malt conditioning made that same malt, w the same mill setting, runoff faster than I had before it started slowing down.

I'd bet that, since you are now on the edge of sticking, with malt conditioning you probably won't have to go through the trial and error of finding a mill setting that gives both good efficiency and good runoff.

Offline oscarvan

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #35 on: January 19, 2011, 07:42:51 am »
Thanks. Once again, the mill is fixed, but I haven't checked the gap yet. First thing tomorrow morning, or maybe tonight if I get in on time.
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline denny

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #36 on: January 19, 2011, 08:53:10 am »
Well, I have to make confession..., it was running at a rate that I GUESS would have taken a long time....45, 60 maybe more hard to say and I got drastic and did a little scraping around the screen which did speed it up. In retrospect I could have sat there and let it do it's looong thing.... But I didn't.

Either way, looking at the pictures earlier in this thread I KNOW my crush is a bit much, so I'm going to look there first. Will get to it on Thu.

Or get a different screen.  Based on what you said earlier, I crush finer than you, and don't have any issues.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline oscarvan

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #37 on: January 19, 2011, 09:08:34 am »
Well, I have to make confession..., it was running at a rate that I GUESS would have taken a long time....45, 60 maybe more hard to say and I got drastic and did a little scraping around the screen which did speed it up. In retrospect I could have sat there and let it do it's looong thing.... But I didn't.

Either way, looking at the pictures earlier in this thread I KNOW my crush is a bit much, so I'm going to look there first. Will get to it on Thu.

Or get a different screen.  Based on what you said earlier, I crush finer than you, and don't have any issues.

Good point. The screen is rather coarse....maybe it's a perfect fit for the little pieces....
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline dano14041

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #38 on: January 19, 2011, 12:51:24 pm »
I brewed this morning and measured the runoff times. For the record, I have the 70-qt Xtreme with a stainless steel braid, and use a single batch sparge. Both the first runnings and the sparge runoff each took 6 minutes. I usually give it a minute or two with the valve about halfway open, then let it fly full blast.

Wow! I can cut 30 min off my brew day if I fix my mash tun! That would be nice!

Thanks for bringing the topic up Oscar! And thank all of you for the advice!
Tulsa, OK

Offline oscarvan

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #39 on: January 20, 2011, 06:30:59 am »
OK the verdict is in........ The gap is fine.

Unfortunately my camera has no macro function so the pics suck, but you can get the idea. A slight misting with the spray bottle and the husks came out MUCH MUCH better....... So, this is a definite for the next batch which is TODAY.....10G of apa..... ;D

http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/Malt_miling.html
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline oscarvan

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #40 on: January 20, 2011, 04:37:02 pm »
Well, she's cooling down to pitching temps as we speak......it was a dream. Got up early to drive the 30 miles to Cabelas to pick up the 70qt Xtreme..(Walmart no stocky this time of year)...got home, modified it. Put the grains in a large plastic tub, and sprayed them as I was moving them around with my other hand. Ran them through the mill, and they came out just like the test batch this morning. In the 70X and, man it was a dream.....drained in 10 minutes at half throttle. Second filling, drained, all within a little over a half hour. OG on the button.......10G of the house APA in the buckets....... life is good.
« Last Edit: January 20, 2011, 05:09:01 pm by oscarvan »
Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline richardt

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #41 on: January 20, 2011, 05:37:20 pm »
Oscarvan,

So... to what do you attribute your sparging success? 

The shallower grain bed depth as a result of switching to the 70 qt (17.5 gallons) Coleman Extreme Cooler?
Malt conditioning?
Different Mill Gap setting?

BTW, did you use the same screen?

Offline malzig

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #42 on: January 20, 2011, 06:06:52 pm »
man it was a dream.....
That is cool.

Offline oscarvan

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #43 on: January 20, 2011, 06:22:07 pm »
Quote
So... to what do you attribute your sparging success? 

The shallower grain bed depth as a result of switching to the 70 qt (17.5 gallons) Coleman Extreme Cooler?

No, as this was a 10G batch instead of the 5G batch in the previous 48Q......grain bed depth about the same.

Quote
Malt conditioning?
Yes.......I'm pretty sure. The difference of a little bit of water sprayed on there is truly amazing as far as the resulting condition of the husks is concerned.

Quote
Different Mill Gap setting?
The fixed model, thus the same.

Quote
BTW, did you use the same screen?
Yes.

Wooden Shoe Brew Works (not a commercial operation) Bethlehem, PA
http://www.woodenshoemusic.com/WSBW/WSBW_All_grain_Setup.html
I brew WITH style..... not necessarily TO style.....

Offline dano14041

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Re: First AG batch......
« Reply #44 on: January 20, 2011, 06:44:21 pm »
This sounds like a good excuse for me to get an Extreme.  ;D
Tulsa, OK