Jim's Beer Kit

Yes, it's the same tun and I am heating the water enough for the mash to settle at close to 66 after the grain is added. I'm tending to go for quite a thin mash, so I'd hope that channeling wouldn't be an issue, but how could I know? I'm batch sparging and I stir when I refill the tun.

I'm maintaining 66c as the wort enterers the tun, about 1 meter of silicone pipe after the kettle.

After about 200 brews using a simple insulated mash tun, I've switch to HERMS for the last half a dozen brews. The main change I can see is a massive loss of efficiency, requiring about 30% more malt. My heat exchanger is a cheap 1.7 litre kettle with a copper coil for the beer to circulate through ...

I've used this a couple of times: https://www.themaltmiller.co.uk/product ... rity-15ml/

If anyone would like the remaining half a bottle, you'll be very welcome to it?

Thanks Aleman - I think you've confirmed what I was thinking - lager malt, water treatment as for pale ale, lager yeast and the job's a good 'un?

interested to hear how it pans out.

Haha - pots and pans.

If I want to make a pale ale, I know I need to use some CRS and a few minerals - fine. If I decide to make a stout then I probably don't want the CRS, because of the acidity imparted by the black grains - that makes sense. But if I want to make a lager, I'm told I need to do different water. treatme...

I bought a REX C100 - it didn't have the 3 terminals for a PT100 - sent it back. Bought another REX C100 (more carefully) and it does have the 3 terminals and works beautifully. Lesson - there are a few different types of REX C100 and you need to ask questions of the seller.

Running a chugger pump, 60L tun with perforated false bottom, 11kg grain / 30+ litres water. I've so far had it fairly well throttled back and no problems. However, it takes quite a while to pump out into the boiler. Dare I consider working up to full flow or is that idea asking for a stuck mash?

Thanks. I decided to use a cheap kettle as the heat source and I'm measuring the wort temperature as the flow re-enters the mash tun. Seems ok so far.

I'm inclined to think your fermentation is properly complete.

Incidentally, I've used lactose in the past to make milk stout, I've found it becomes over carbonated after a few months in the bottle. It seems the lactose is not so much unfermentable as just slowly fermentable. Have you found the same?

You don't need a very big coil. I use one of these cask cooling probes in a 12 gallon batch and it's fine.
https://ssli.ebayimg.com/images/g/iuEAA ... s-l640.jpg

Does it matter if you have uneven temps in the HLT? The wort will pick up an average HLT temp and if some of the HLT is above mash temp, some below - so what. The HLT is a heat source for warming your mash, just like the element in a RIMS, which is obviously much hotter than the mash. Please tell me...

Mine clearly says you must use cold water, draw through 3 times over 30 minutes and the dilution is 50-75mL in 5L of cold water. So generic advice from a forum could be dangerous since different cleaners are obviously available. I find it cleans better with hot water. Most chemical reactions work b...

Has anyone perceived a benefit from oxygenating, or is it just a theoretical thing?