Steeping Non Speciality Grains (Pale Malt)

[crowds]

For my next brew id like to bang the FG up a bit but still try to keep the cost to sub £20.
I do intend to go AG but need to get more kit (and a few more extract brews under my belt).

I have been using both the Beer Engine and Qbrew calculators and have noted that with the later you can select whether or not any added ingreidient is Extract,Mashed or steeped.

So what I have been thinking is maybe I can steep some crushed pale malt to use along side some DME.
I understand it will not provide as much sugar as if it were mashed, and indeed Qbrew lowers the final ABV if i switch from Mashed to Steeped.
But this (on paper) still works out to be a cheaper option than going all DME.

Can anyone forsee any problems with this ?

[OldSpeckledBadger]

If you could keep the temperature within the range 62-66C then you could extract a reasonable amount of fermentables from the pale malt. Effectively you'd be doing a no-sparge mash. But if you have the equipment to that then you have the equipment to do AG.

[crowds]

Thanks Osb,
I was planning on bagging the grains in muslin for the steeping as, while I do have a cool box, I have been barred from pimping it. So the ability to sparge or filter/strain is not there yet.
I shall be picking up a dedicated coolbox for a mash tun in a few weeks (http://www.decathlon.co.uk/EN/hard-cool ... -67876917/) but till then perhaps I could use the existing Coolbox with the grains in muslin bags and pour the post mash liqour into the boil pot direct.

Cheers,
Crowds.

[OldSpeckledBadger]

but till then perhaps I could use the existing Coolbox with the grains in muslin bags and pour the post mash liqour into the boil pot direct.

You should still be able to sparge with the grains in the bag.

[crowds]

Really ?
Thats interesting, perhaps I can do away with spraymalts altogether... in which case im in the wrong forum
It's good news and perhaps i can start AG a lot sooner than I thought.
However my boil pot is small and requires me to top up the FV prior to pitching.
So the mash and sparge water would be limited to the capacity of this pot which at 6ltr I think is way to small for AG (unless I aim for less than 5 gallons)
So I guess for now I will still have to use some DME.
What would you say is the highest Grain to water ratio I could get away with ?

Thanks again

Crowds

[OldSpeckledBadger]

At 6 litres, AG is probably going to be a lot of extra time for no extra beer Better get building a bigger boiler

[crowds]

Yeah, ive already got my eye on a 14ltr and a 20ltr stockpot on ebay (about £16 for the 14ltr and £28 for the 20ltr)

[OldSpeckledBadger]

Yeah, ive already got my eye on a 14ltr and a 20ltr stockpot on ebay (about £16 for the 14ltr and £28 for the 20ltr)

Still a bit small if you're planning to eventually do 5 gallon brews.

[crowds]

I was kinda hoping I might get away with toping it up

[OldSpeckledBadger]

I was kinda hoping I might get away with toping it up

You could do that. And brew to a higher gravity than needed then dilute in the FV. Starting off with a bigger boiler would be easier though.

[crowds]

Yeah, you know what. Screw it. I have been putting off building a dedicated boiler but I think it's time I got my Tesco boots on and hunt me a couple of el'cheapo kettles.
Add a little of This and I think it will end up better and cheaper than any stove top alternate.
The significant other will growl when she sees it but as long as I keep it locked up in the shed on full moons and non brew days she will spare my life and take an eye instead.

[OldSpeckledBadger]

My experiences of using a big stock pot on my very basic electric cooker quickly spurred me to build a proper boiler. Until recently, when I knocked up an IC, the stock pot has just been used as a vessel for cooling the wort in the sink.

[crowds]

The 6ltr is fine for dumping in a sink of ice but I guess I cant have a dedicated boiler without a means of cooling so an IC will need building at the same time otherwise id need to cool the wort in batches !

[aus069]

You could also place your wort into a 25lt water container and do a no chill. Leave it to cool overnight and then drain into your FV and then pitch your yeast. In fact if you are a bit time poor you could leave it in the container for a few days or even a week or two before draining it into your FV.

Brew Well
aus069

[Parva]

You could also place your wort into a 25lt water container and do a no chill. Leave it to cool overnight and then drain into your FV and then pitch your yeast. In fact if you are a bit time poor you could leave it in the container for a few days or even a week or two before draining it into your FV.

You can't leave cooled wort for "a week or two" between boiling it and adding the yeast! Throughout the whole process the stage between cooled wort and pitching the yeast is probably the point at which the wort is at its most vulnerable to infection. Overnight is one thing and many people do leave it overnight to cool but a week or two, no way.