What are you doing with homebrew today?

Transferring a crispy boi off of the lager yeast cake
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In a fit of self flagellation, I brewed a Roggenbier today. It was expected to be a long day, and it was.
I did a step mash to try and deal with the glucans better, used a tsp of beta-glucanase in the mash and about 1.25 - 1.5 # of rice hulls. The mash flowed well through the first 2 steps and about 15 minutes of the 145 temp range and then as conversion started getting serious, it started to slow. I went from the 140's to 152 for about 45 minutes, then 158 and 170 to mash out for about 10mins.

Everything was pretty linear until 158; I added .5# of chocolate rye at 152 and raised the temp. I wasn't expecting any serious contribution but that wasn't the big surprise. I let the malt pipe drain for about 10 minutes after the mash out, and had about 5.25 gallons in the kettle, meaning I'd need about 3 gallons of sparge water for my eventual 6.5 gallon post boil volume. I did the sparge quickly so as to keep the grains in the 170-ish temp range, 1 gallon at a time, and resuming the sparge when I could hear the draining slow. I took refractometer readings throughout and it just didn't make sense.

I lost practically no gravity at all during the sparge. My recipe needed 1.041 pre-boil, I was at 1.059 ( really 1.056, my refractometer is a touch optimistic ). Literally the same readings I got before the sparge. I took several readings. Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and finally acceptance. Ok, I'll sparge in another .5 gallons and let it drain for a bit.

I was targeting 8.25 gallons pre-boil, ended up with 9 gallons, finally saw a hit on the gravity at 1.046, really 1.043, which is close enough for government work. Boiled 60m, boiled exactly 1.75 gallons as expected, took the gravity and h*ly cr@p - right on the money at 1.059 - which is really 1.056.
Pitched in the tilt, let it settle and ... 1.056. I ended up with about 7 gallons in the 14 gallon fermenter. A little more than expected so I'm hoping to keg about 4-4.5 gallons in a 5 gallon keg and the remainder in a 2.5 gallon keg.
 
Did a 90 minute mash today for a Pre Pro Lager with 1/3 grits in the grain bill. Also reduced boil wattage to 2500(last couple brew have gotten hops into the steam condenser).

Efficiency was up a bit(80% brew house), wound up at target gravity(1.052) despite having an extra 1/2 gallon of wort in the fermenter.
 
Did a 90 minute mash today for a Pre Pro Lager with 1/3 grits in the grain bill. Also reduced boil wattage to 2500(last couple brew have gotten hops into the steam condenser).

Efficiency was up a bit(80% brew house), wound up at target gravity(1.052) despite having an extra 1/2 gallon of wort in the fermenter.
That’s a productive mash
 
I'm going to be kegging this weekend. I'm going to be checking some of my stuff in the garage tonight and probably freezing my ass off. It is going to literally freeze north and west of town tonight. I think I'm going to be just above it at the house. It ain't going to be very warm this weekend, except part of Saturday.
 
I'm going to be kegging this weekend. I'm going to be checking some of my stuff in the garage tonight and probably freezing my ass off. It is going to literally freeze north and west of town tonight. I think I'm going to be just above it at the house. It ain't going to be very warm this weekend, except part of Saturday.
14° F outside 49° in garage
 
So you just threw the grits in with the malt?
Yes, 5 minute grits will work in the mash, just don't seem to fully break down in my usual 60 minutes. Was thinking a cereal mash would kick it up a notch, but I guess just giving it an extra 30 minutes seems to work pretty good.

Either way the mash had a nice smell to it and I've got an extra pound of grits to have with eggs for breakfast,
 
Yes, 5 minute grits will work in the mash, just don't seem to fully break down in my usual 60 minutes. Was thinking a cereal mash would kick it up a notch, but I guess just giving it an extra 30 minutes seems to work pretty good.

Either way the mash had a nice smell to it and I've got an extra pound of grits to have with eggs for breakfast,
Doctor up some more and go out and get some shrimp:)
 
I'm going to be kegging this weekend. I'm going to be checking some of my stuff in the garage tonight and probably freezing my ass off. It is going to literally freeze north and west of town tonight. I think I'm going to be just above it at the house. It ain't going to be very warm this weekend, except part of Saturday.
Awwwwwww, muffin....
 
Pictures. Or it never happened.
I will make sure I take a few. Looks like it might be afternoon and snow will be over by then. Of course we canceled a game tonight based on a weather forecast and “advisory” so I’m not sure I even know what the weather will do.
 

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