Ugh - Great Brew Day but Big Problem

[ChuckGViolin]

I brewed my first BIAB today and everything went very well. Until I broke the hydrometer. It slid out of the case and shattered on the floor when I was getting ready to get a pre-boil gravity. Needless to say I have no idea what the ABV will be for this one, but assuming it ferments properly, it should taste good. I'll order another one along with the next recipe's ingredients.

The worst thing about it is, I wanted to see how my efficiency was for my first non-extract brew. I have no way of figuring that out now.

 

[Ozarks Mountain Brewery]

happens to the best of us, next time for sure, right?

 

[jeffpn]

I believe your efficiency is exactly as you predict.

 

[jmcnamara]

At least it wasn't in the wort?

I'm sure it'll be fine, gives you a reason to try it again

How'd you like mashing and sparging?

 

[chub1]

What a mistakatomaka
Did a similar thing a month back but with a thermometer.

 

[J A]

Been there, done that!

What was your recipe and procedure - mash temp/sparge volume, etc...? BIAB usually yields good efficiency, so you can estimate it pretty reasonably.
What yeast? Some will give really predictable attenuation and you can have pretty good confidence in your ABV based on the FG.

 

[Brew Cat]

I wouldn't call that a big problem. Will the beer taste better knowing the abv, I doubt it. Now you have another reason to brew again.

 

[GFHomebrew]

My first biab attempt was roughly low 70 efficiency chuck? I average 78% and above on some brews. But yea don't sweat it.

 

[Mark D Pirate]

you could keep a sample in the fridge , sealed in a glass jar to get an OG reading once you have a new hydrometer .
No fermentation can occur , gravity will not change .

I have a backup plastic hydrometer for the inevitable day i break my glass one

 

[ChuckGViolin]

How'd you like mashing and sparging?

It was no problem. I've actually brewed a couple of Brooklyn kits which are AG, but I enjoyed designing the recipe, measuring the grains, and doing a cold water sparge for BIAB. I figure my efficiency was at least 70% especially with 2 gallons of sparge water over the grains. The fermenter is bubbling away so I'm getting a nice temperature/yeast action.

Needless to say, I'm a BIAB guy now. Looking forward to the next one.

 

[Brew Cat]

70% is low for biab. Try sparge ing with warm water or do a dunk sparge. Plus why cool your wort takes longer to get to a boil.

 

[chub1]

70% is low for biab. Try sparge ing with warm water or do a dunk sparge. Plus why cool your wort takes longer to get to a boil.

I must say i have had far better results with dunk sparging

 

[Mark D Pirate]

Yet to try dunk sparging , if i had an extra kettle large enough to heat dunk water i'd probably be trying to run double batches !
For now i'm just using my old 20 l stock pot as my HLT and my stacked buckets as a sparge / drain rig , by the time my boil is starting i can add the extra wort

 

[Brew Cat]

Single pot dunk sparge process. Heat your mash water in your pot then stir in your grains and mash. When mash is done line one of your buckets with your bag and dump your mash in. Now heat your dunk water in your pot. Pull the bag and let it drain. Now put the grain bag in your kettle for your dunk sparge. Pull the bag add the first runnings and your off

 

[Mark D Pirate]

Hmmm that extra heating time would stretch my brewday out further , i'll skip this one but thanks for an alternative process

 

[jeffpn]

I heat a couple gallons to 170°F on the stove as I mash in my boil pot. Sometimes I forget to start heating my sparge water. If I remember, it doesn't add any time!

 

[Mark D Pirate]

I do same , I know exactly how long my stove takes to heat my sparge water so set a series of alarms , my brewdays are all planned out and pre weighed so I can get away with a few drinks while I brew

 

[jeffpn]

I only use a boil timer. I'm pretty good with being on schedule with everything, unless I have friends over. That can throw me off sometimes.

 

[Brew Cat]

I use two pots also I was just throwing it out there as a single pot alternative. I have a 20 gallon pot and I'm going to do some combination of a split mash because my tuns not big enough. I'm always playing around

 

[Mark D Pirate]

Make your

I only use a boil timer. I'm pretty good with being on schedule with everything, unless I have friends over. That can throw me off sometimes.

i make my friends work for the " free " beers , i have a few brew curious friends that have come to help me brew and some are even taking up the hobby like some sort of pyramid scheme ! ( without the ripping people off aspect )
I do get beer back for feedback and help them improve their own brews , some are showing drastic improvement !
I'm supplying cubes of wort and yeast starters to a space poor friend with just enough room for a fridge who is banned from the kitchen .
Better beer all round and another activity to share with friends