Beer Questions

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Answer: No Problem David. A good Grain bag, and some Items you probably have in you kitchen already. Start by placing your crushed grain into a grain bag. Example: (2Lb. English 2 row, 1/2 Lb. Munich, 1/4 Lb. English Mild, 1/4 Lb. Crystal 10L.) Total of 3 Lbs. Start with a simple water calculation. For each Lb. of grain times it by 1.4 Quarts water. ( 1.4 x 3= 4.2 quarts water) If you divide that by Four, (4 quarts per gallon) it equals 1.05 gallons. Always round up, Approx (1-gallon Mash Water.) This is the amount of water you start with. Pre heat your OVEN to 150 Degrees.

In your brew pot add 1 gallon of water. On the stove top Heat the water to 158 Degrees. Remove the pot from the heat. The grains will cool the water approximately 6-8 degrees. Place the grain bag into the pot and make sure the grain is completely covered and saturated with the water. Place the pot COVERED into your oven. Set the timer for 60 minutes. (YOUR MASHING.) After 45 minute start heating approximately 1-1/8 gallons of water to 178 degrees. Keep this water to the this temp For SPARGING. Remove the pot with the grain after the hour time. Using a large strainer, colander, or hanging fry basket. Place the Grain bag into strainer device. Something the grain can drain from, while dripping into your brew pot. Very Slowly shower the 178 degree water over the grain bag. Dip out the 178 deg. water and pour it into a perforated spoon. Or something that will let the 178 deg. water shower over the grain. The temperature of the sparge water should be 168-170 degrees. The Dipping and pouring into the spoon will cool the 178 deg. water .(Your Sparging) Always do a slow Sparge. 35-45 minutes may be enough time for 3-4 Lb. of grain. The Sparge Water amount can be figured by adding the amount of mash water - plus - 1/4 the amount. (1-gal. M/W plus 1/4 gallon = 1-1/4 gallon) A little extra never hurts. It's easier to have it ready, than to need more and have to wait for it to heat. Also remember the grains will absorb some of the water. (approx 2 %) A starch test is done to make sure all those tasty fermentables are in the pot. After you have finished Sparging. Remove and discard the grains. Add your extract to the Wort and start the boil. The Sparging is the one item, that gives folks the problem. A easier method is. Take a solid bucket. Add the 10" False Bottom Assy. (Mash Tun). After you have mashed the grain. Pour the grain into the mash tun. Remove 2 quarts of the mash water from the bottom of the Mash Tun outlet. Pour it back over the top of the grain. This will compact the grain and give you clearer Wort. Add the Sparge Arm to the top of the mash tun. Using your bottling bucket. Pour the 178 degree sparge water into the bottling bucket. Attach a hose from the Bottling bucket to the Sparge Arm. Try to keep this length under 2 feet and use a clamp on the outlet of the bottling bucket for safety. Open the valve slowly, just enough to start the Sparge Arm to turn. Allow the water to JUST cover the grain. Open the Mash tun outlet SLOWLY. Allowing the Wort going out, to match the speed of the water from the Sparge arm coming in. Let the Wort flow into your brew pot. Your Sparging and Drinking your last Home Brew at the same time. Add your extract to the Wort and start the boil. See Section; http://www.weekendbrewer.com/grainequipment.html

Question: I am a beginning brewer and as such I have tried to gather as much information as possible. One thing that has stood out to me is secondary fermentation.
From what I have read it seems like a very helpful step in brewing beer relating to taste and color. However it also seems to go against one of the most important aspects of brewing exposing the beer to oxygen too soon. I am guessing from everything I have
read you simply siphon the beer from the primary to the secondary and make sure not to aerate. Seems simple enough. So what I was wondering is don't you run the risk of exposing the beer to oxygen anyway during the siphoning from primary to secondary? Is
this avoidable or am I just worrying to much about something that wont make that much of a difference? I look forward to your response. Thank you in advance.
John
Answer:

Your concerns are valid. But if done properly secondary fermentation will increase clarity and flavor.

1) The vessel that you are going to secondary in should ALWAYS be the size of the batch with the least amount of air space.

This is why the five gallon glass carboy is recommended so widely. With a narrow neck to reduce the surface area

2) When transferring your beer from primary to secondary. Transfer the beer BEFORE fermentation stops.

By transferring the beer when the fermentation slows. This allows the Co2 still being produced, to blow out any air that may be sitting on the beer in the secondary. Leaving a clean Co2 cap on the beer while it finishes. Always transfer the beer slowly so you do not aerate the beer and add oxygen into the solution. Fill from the bottom up or down the sides so you will not splash.

Question: Why is the Hallertau Mittelfruh so scarce. And will it be back or is it gone forever.

Answer: Hallertau Mittelfruh is the Classic German hops used by such companies as Budweiser-Budvar in the Czech Republic, and Boston Breweries in the United States. This hop crop is very limited and is purchased in advance.

AAU ( Alpha Acid Units) One Alpha Acid Unit is the amount of Acid contained in 1 oz. of 1% alpha acid hops.

For a Five Gallon Batch- Multiply the ounces of hops used for Bittering by there Alpha Acid Number. For Example: 2 ounces of Kent Golding Hops at 5% apha acid per ounce equals 10 HBU or 2oz. times 5 %(AAU) = 10 HBU

IBU ( International Bittering Units) To calculate Total IBU's from per gallon AAU's, first determine the approximate efficiency of hops isomerization. Hops boiled for 50 to 60 minuted will have 30% of the alpha acid converted. Hops boiled for 30 minutes will have 21% of the alpha acid converted. Hops boiled for 5 minutes will have 10% of the alpha acid converted. Example: First Hops Addition (60 min. boil time) of 1 oz. @ 5%(5 AAU's) x .30=1.5 AAU's

Second Hops Addition (30 min. boil time) of 1/2 ounce @ 5% (2.5 AAU's) x .21=.42 AAU's

Last Hop Addition (5 min. boil time) 1/2 ounce @ 3% (1.5 AAU's) x.10=.15 AAU's

1.5+.42+.15=2.07 (Total converted Iso-Alpha) divided by the number of gallons (5)=.414

Final Isomerized Alpha Acid Units=.414 To Convert this number to IBU's divide your final IAAU by .01335(one IBU) =31-IBU's the approximate number of IBU's in one gallon of your finished beer.

SRM ( Standard Research Method) Lovibond: SRM an Lovibond is mearsured on the same scale. American brewers use Lovibond to describe malts, while SRM is used to describe the color of the finished beer.

To predict the final color of the beer. Multiply the number of pounds of the grain or malt by the Lovibond of the grain or malt used. Then divide by the total of gallons of the wort.

Example: (14oz. crystal @ 55 lovibond plus 6 # Light DME @ 3.5 Lovibond) divided by 5 gallons. {(14/16)(55)+(6)(3.5)}/ 5=13.8 Lovibond

Multiply the gallons of your total wort to be fermented by 12. (5 gallons x 12= 60)

Divide the the sum of the above (60) by the last 2 digits of your specific gravity.

If your your starting gravity before pitching the yeast was 1.040. Then Divide by 40.

This number represents the amount of quarts used to prime your beer. This formula is the amount of Gyle used that would equal 5 ounces of Dextrose (Priming Sugar)

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