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Author Topic: Getting Started  (Read 15680 times)

Offline weazletoe

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #30 on: April 20, 2011, 02:54:15 pm »
That cooler will be good. You'd have fewer problems if you mashed in a blue one, but nothing serious.

My first thought on looking at the picture.  That red will suck the efficiency right outta your mash.



I actually have a red and a blue mash tun. I get no less than 112% efficency every batch.  :D

EDIT : I'm thinkinh if I had the built in fish ruler, I could acheive such efficency that I could make beer with no grain at all.
A man works hard all week, so he doesn't have to wear pants all weekend.

Offline ckpash88

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #31 on: April 20, 2011, 03:11:58 pm »
Without a question Chuck Norris could
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Offline weazletoe

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #32 on: April 20, 2011, 03:14:57 pm »
You sir, are awesome!
A man works hard all week, so he doesn't have to wear pants all weekend.

Offline denny

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #33 on: April 20, 2011, 03:16:46 pm »
EDIT : I'm thinkinh if I had the built in fish ruler, I could acheive such efficency that I could make beer with no grain at all.

My efficiency is so good these days that not only do full kegs magically appear in my fridge, but I find a new bag of grain in the garage every morning!  ;)
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

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Offline ckpash88

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #34 on: April 20, 2011, 03:19:42 pm »
Well chuck has two bags in his garage
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By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the Universe

Offline denny

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #35 on: April 20, 2011, 03:40:46 pm »
Well chuck has two bags in his garage

and an entire brewpub.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline weazletoe

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #36 on: April 20, 2011, 05:31:44 pm »
EDIT : I'm thinkinh if I had the built in fish ruler, I could acheive such efficency that I could make beer with no grain at all.

My efficiency is so good these days that not only do full kegs magically appear in my fridge, but I find a new bag of grain in the garage every morning!  ;)

 You are the batch sparge king.
A man works hard all week, so he doesn't have to wear pants all weekend.

Offline ckpash88

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #37 on: May 10, 2011, 10:42:57 pm »
So I ended up going with the xtreme cooler and I am going to do my first batch this weekend.
does any know how many degrees above my target temperature the water should be for mashing (i think mashing is the right word) for a 70 quart coleman extreme?
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By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the Universe

Offline gmac

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #38 on: May 11, 2011, 06:09:17 am »
You'll probably have some trial and error for a while. I found out that I need to heat the cooler first and then add the grain or my temp would drop. I add about 22 quarts at 185 for 10 mins. That warms the cooler and gets my water to 170 or so. When I add my grain I end up about 156 but I keep my cooler in the garage so its usually fairly cool to start with. Others will have better ideas. It'll probably take you a few times to really dial things in.

Offline gmac

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #39 on: May 11, 2011, 06:14:44 am »
I should have added I'm using about 9 lbs of grain. If you are going for 1.100, you'll have more grain to heat up. You can always go at a medium water to grain ratio and add hot or cold if needed to get to temp until you see how things go.

Offline tygo

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #40 on: May 11, 2011, 07:58:13 am »
So I ended up going with the xtreme cooler and I am going to do my first batch this weekend.
does any know how many degrees above my target temperature the water should be for mashing (i think mashing is the right word) for a 70 quart coleman extreme?

If you're asking about how many degrees above your strike temperature you need to go to pre-heat the mash tun it'll be variable, like gmac says, depending on the ambient temperature, water volume, etc.  If it's cold I've found that 14-16 degrees extra isn't too high.  Even in spring/summer weather I'll usually go about 10 degrees over my strike temp.  If it's too hot you can always stir a little to bring it down.  If it ends up being colder than your strike temp then you have to heat it up which is a pain in the butt.

Clint
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Offline jeffy

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #41 on: May 11, 2011, 08:16:57 am »
There are calculators in cyberspace that can help you dial in the temperature.  I use the one at http://www.rackers.org/calcs.shtml
Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)
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Offline denny

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #42 on: May 11, 2011, 09:44:24 am »
So I ended up going with the xtreme cooler and I am going to do my first batch this weekend.
does any know how many degrees above my target temperature the water should be for mashing (i think mashing is the right word) for a 70 quart coleman extreme?

For me, approximately 15F over my mash temp works nearly every time.
Life begins at 60.....1.060, that is!

www.dennybrew.com

The best, sharpest, funniest, weirdest and most knowledgable minds in home brewing contribute on the AHA forum. - Alewyfe

"The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubts." - Bertrand Russell

Offline bluesman

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #43 on: May 11, 2011, 10:25:18 am »
You can target your strike water based on a given temp the first time and then adjust accordingly on the next batch. I like to keep notes so I can relate back to them on each successive batch. The actual strike temp can also very from season to season as the ambient temps change.
Ron Price

Offline ckpash88

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Re: Getting Started
« Reply #44 on: July 10, 2011, 01:28:57 pm »
So I am glad I got talked into the coleman xtreme. I did my first allgrain and it only dropped .5 degress in a hour.

So I have another store bought kit and it's set up to get 5.5 gallons into the fermentor but due to dead space in my kettle I lose 1 gallon. My question is I want 7.5 gallons preboil bot 6.5 like the recipes is calc for. Do I just add the extra gallon to the kettle and do the mash and strike amounts like the recipe says?
Vi Veri Veniversum Vivus Vici
By the power of truth, I, while living, have conquered the Universe