brewing my first AG tomorrow - last few questions

[beesley121]

hi guys,

i brewing a hob goblin clone tomorrow. This is my first ever AG brew so im a bit nervous!!

i have a cople of questions still that need answering regarding mashing.....

1. I intend to batch sparge, how to i know how many litres of hot water to add to my first sparge and subsequent sparges??

2.how many sparges should i do 2 or 3??

3. The first sparge wil be a 90min sparge as per instructions. If i do a frther sparge or 2, how long should they be left before running the wort to the boiler??

4. What mash temp should i be aiming for??

5. I will be using nottingham yeast for this brew, should i make a starter tonight or should i pitch it straight in??

[drmick]

hi Beesley

I'm no expect but I followed Parva's method for batch sparging which is about half way down the following page (cut-pasted and posted by borodave I think)

viewtopic.php?f=2&t=19662&p=225407&hilit=parva#p225407

I've done three AG following this schedule and so far each one has come out within a point or two of the correct final gravity after the boil.

I'm sure the real experts will be along soon to clear up any other questions

Good luck with the brew,

drmick

[Dennis King]

Aim for 66-67c mash. Cannot help with sparge I`m a spinny

[DarloDave]

Yeah thats what I use, I actually have that paragraph saved, and each brew just change the figures so I know what I'm doing, getting easier now the more brews I do though.

[Parva]

hi guys,
3. The first sparge wil be a 90min sparge as per instructions. If i do a frther sparge or 2, how long should they be left before running the wort to the boiler??

I don't want to sound pedantic but thought I better correct you here in case you have any further queries and people don't realise what you're trying to say. When you add your water and grain and leave for 90 minutes, this is known as the 'mash'. When you add your first and second batches of water (as per the calculator linked above) this is when you are actually batch sparging.

The mash temperature you are aiming for is 62c - 68c and if it's a 90 minute mash you're better off getting nearer to 68c to allow for a little temperature loss during the 90 minute mash. When batch-sparging you're aiming to get the mash upto 75c - 82c. Don't worry too much if batch one only hits 71c or 72c, just proceed as normal and it'll all be fine. Batch 2 you should easily hit the target.

Regarding the yeast, just pitch the dried yeast straight in, it will be fine.

[Parva]

Hob Goblin is 4.5% or so, no need to rehydrate yeast or add other possible problems. Just chuck the packet of yeast in. People analyse beer brewing far too much sometimes and this puts people off trying it for themselves.

[beesley121]

how long should i leave the first and secound sparges before running the wort off into the boiler??

P.S the HLT is on now so its all systems go

[beesley121]

i asked the question and i hadnt realised i had gained more replies on this topic

maybe ill try looking next time

does anyone know where i can find the graph that was post on here a few months back?? it shows different mash temps and shows whats going 'on' (enzyme activity) in the mash

just got them mash on now and ive hit 68 which im well chuffed about. lets hope it holds well as this is the first outing for my mash tun

[Earth Titan]

5. I will be using nottingham yeast for this brew, should i make a starter tonight or should i pitch it straight in??

Having done about seven AG brews now, the only advice I would give is not to panic and to rehydrate the yeast before pitching. Gets it going much faster and less risk of infection as a result.

To rehydrate:

1. Cool a couple of tablespoons of boiled water to room temp.
2. Sprinkle over the yeast, cover and place somewhere warm (airing cupboard or similar) for about 15 mins.
3. Stir, cover and leave again for 15 mins.
4. Whisk, cover and leave until needed.
5. When your wort has cooled to pitching temp, draw off a small amount of the wort into the yeast, mix and pitch.

This can all be done while you are doing the boil or cooling the wort which will take hours if you haven't got a cooler.

[beesley121]

i may have a problem guys

my mash tun doesnt seem to be holding the temperature

it has dropped from 69 celcius (a per instructions) to 66 celius in approx 45 mins

ive read somewhere that a mash should not go lower than 65 celcius so im getting worried

ive got another 45 mins to go, should i add a couple of litres of approx 80 celius water to help bump up the temp??