Triple Decoction in pictures...

Bulin's Milker Bucket Brews

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Acid rest, warm water and malt, mash is neither hot or cold by feel. Since Decoction mash was brought about out of necessity, due to lack of accurate thermometers, won't be using one today. As long as I pull correct volumes(1 quart per pound of grain mashed at 1.75 liter per pound) there should be no way to mess this up other than scorching it.

Acid Rest...

IMG950219.jpg
 
Glad to see that as the temperature rose you switched to closed toe shoes.
 
Thanks Bulin! The pictures paint a thousand words!

Did you do temp checks to see if the old timer's method was actually putting you in ball park?
 
I wasn't going to, but the infrared said 120 after the first and 153 after the 2nd decoction was added. Should be in the ballpark. letting it settle a few minutes, just added sparge water. Then I'll settle a bit. drain the tun again and see what I get.
 
You can see the color of the grains have darkened a bit from the boiling in them pics a bit of melanoidin action. Looking good bulin enjoy.
 
Final gravity was WAY too high(1.60) boiled some "2nd runnings" off the mash and got it down to 1.054, volume was also way too low. Think I'm losing too much to both the kettle(probably 1/2 gallon of trubby waste) and boil off. Considering either a narrower kettle of a digiboil 65l.
 
Decoction is hard to guage with volumes sounds like some dilution mighta landed you about par.

Preboil gravity is what it is, been having issues with high gravity and lower than expected volume. Think my boil kettle is probably a less than ideal shape, wide and shorter vs tall and thin. Too much surface area for my batch sizes. Been running with the gas turned WAY down last couple brew sessions and it hasn't really helped. I've come to the conclusion that I have too much surface area for the water to get the losses much lower.

Also concluded that I don't care for carrying hot wort down steep old, semi rickety stairs to the basement.

So I ordered myself a birthday present...DigiBoil 6.5l. I'm already wired for 220(washer/dryer used to be in the basement where my brewing stuff is now) so it seems like a simple fix. I'll keep the burner and the smaller pot for decoction mashing in the future. The Digiboil will replace the big kettle and burner for everything else.

It should arrive day before my birthday next week. Guy ought to get something nice for his 45th, if he has to get it for himself...

I think I'll try this recipe again next time with Avangard Pils instead of Viking.
 
Happy birthday to you! New equipment is ways fun and well deserved when you've been working hard brewing.
 
Final gravity was WAY too high(1.60) boiled some "2nd runnings" off the mash and got it down to 1.054, volume was also way too low. Think I'm losing too much to both the kettle(probably 1/2 gallon of trubby waste) and boil off. Considering either a narrower kettle of a digiboil 65l.
All that boiling of decoctions is driving off water, too. You need to take the additional boil time into account.
 
All that boiling of decoctions is driving off water, too. You need to take the additional boil time into account.

It's not just this brew, been an ongoing thing. Been trying to sort it out as I tighten up my process control. Eliminating variables...as l have gotten more consistent, I have been trying to sort out a solution.

Seems at this point too much surface area for my batch size is the most likely culprit.
 

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