Please critic my brew day..

[beer1965]

Hi friends..

I made this brew today: https://www.brewersfriend.com/homebrew/recipe/view/943135/cream-of-3-crops-cream-ale

I'm not sure if the recipe is inputted properly. I warmed 5 gallons of campden treated water to 163, put it into my big orange cooler, added the grains into a grain bag inside the cooler (the mash tun is new and i had the wrong male connection for my metal bottom tube screen so went with the mesh bag to hold the gains). After an hour it was still at 150. I drained it out and it was almost immediately clear. But how clear is clear? I emptied the cooler. Then I added 3.5 gallons of 145 degree water to the cooler and drained it out.

I brought to a boil - had a heat break. Added the hops at 60 minutes. I had more boil loss than probably I should have. More like 2 gallons than 1.

I cooled it out on the deck with snow/ cold water. Took an hour to get it to 73. Pitched my yeast. Aerated and ended up with about 5 gallons in my carboy.

I'm not sure why I had so much trubb at the bottom or what I could do to minimize it.

OG before pitching yeast was 1040 to 1042.

Formula on this site tells me maybe not bitter enough. I have 1/2 ounce of willamet hops. Should I add at some point? I'm not looking to use a secondary.

 

[GFHomebrew]

Everything sound like you had a fine brew day there mate. Bitterness is achieved with your bittering hops so just adjust next brew if its not enough. CHILL it's going to be fine you done good.

 

[Bubba Wade]

I don't worry about the trub. It will style out quickly and get covered with a layer of yeast.

 

[beer1965]

I don't worry about the trub. It will style out quickly and get covered with a layer of yeast.

I'm going to try and salvage the yeast. It was a liquid one I added. Last few times it's been dry. So something new to try out.. Thanks

 

[beer1965]

I don't worry about the trub. It will style out quickly and get covered with a layer of yeast.

Thanks.. i know you're right.. trying to just let it happen to me.. Thanks

 

[Craigerrr]

I shoot for 5.5 gallons in the fermenter, and lose a 1/2 gallon to trub. It is what it is, don't think anyone ever made beer without trub!

 

[beer1965]

Thanks. Is there a way to control water volume lost during the boil?

 

[Bubba Wade]

Thanks. Is there a way to control water volume lost during the boil?

You can try to control the rate of evaporation by controlling the amount of heat that goes into the boil. But if I lose too much water during the boil, I just pour a bit of water in at the end to make up the volume. It's usually only a quart or two, and the hot wort certainly eliminates the possibility of bacteria. It also will pre-cool the wort a few degrees.

Often, the simplest solution will work.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

Thanks. Is there a way to control water volume lost during the boil?

In addition to lowering the boil vigor you could boil with the lid mostly on. Completely remove it for the last 15 minutes to get rid of DMS. I usually do this on windy days.

 

[beer1965]

Everything sound like you had a fine brew day there mate. Bitterness is achieved with your bittering hops so just adjust next brew if its not enough. CHILL it's going to be fine you done good.

In addition to lowering the boil vigor you could boil with the lid mostly on. Completely remove it for the last 15 minutes to get rid of DMS. I usually do this on windy days.

I tried that but the pot I'm using is on the small side and it started to boil over. I need to get bigger pot. what's DMS?

 

[Craigerrr]

I tried that but the pot I'm using is on the small side and it started to boil over. I need to get bigger pot. what's DMS?

You could just account for the high amount of boil off in your equipment profile. That does seem like an excessive amount of boil off though.

 

[GFHomebrew]

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAEegQIDhAI&usg=AOvVaw1vBi_-hJfpbn3USFYp-PdB
DMS

 

[Charlie W]

I shoot for 5.5 gallons in the fermenter, and lose a 1/2 gallon to trub. It is what it is, don't think anyone ever made beer without trub!

Beer1965, I do the same as Craigerr. As Bubba Wade said just add some to bring it up to the volume you are looking for.
I slowed my boil down to a slow rolling boil and am getting consistent boil off numbers now.
Congrats, you made beer! Don't worry, it'll be fine. Just keep notes that you can refer back to.

 

[BarbarianBrewer]

I tried that but the pot I'm using is on the small side and it started to boil over. I need to get bigger pot. what's DMS?

You'd put the lid (3/4 on) after the initial boil has reduced to a rolling boil. Meaning the foam and other hot break material has fallen back into the beer. Reduce the flame to reduce likelihood of a boil-over. You don't need a violent vigorous boil, just a good rolling boil.

This is from https://learn.kegerator.com/off-flavors-in-beer/ . It has good descriptions and solutions for many off-flavors.

 

[Hawkbox]

DMS is something everyone fears but in over 100 batches I've never had an issue with it, so don't panic about it. Harder boil will increase water loss, lower boil will reduce water loss.

What a lot of people do is put a known amount of water in the pot, bring it to the boil you are comfortable with, time it for 15 minutes, and then measure how much you boiled off. Multiply by 4 and you have a decent guestimate for what you'll boil off in an hour.

Don't worry to much if it isn't consistent, literally the humidity in the air can change your boil off.