First All Grain Fiasco

I picked up an 8 gal brew kettle and a 52 quart cooler with a drain plug last week in anticipation of attempting my first all grain brew.  On Saturday, I went by my local supply shop and bought the ingredients for a fairly simple Cream Ale, and, while there, asked a billion questions of the staff, as I usually do.  I was most concerned with not having any sort of screen for my mash tun but didn't feel comfortable spending any more on equipment at the time, so I decided to pick up a BIAB bag and try it that way.

Things seemed to go well with the mash in.  The cooler worked great and held a constant temperature.  Problems started with the sparge.  I'm guessing a little, but I think the BIAB work around in combination with my lack of experience is to blame.  After sparging I was short of my target volume by almost a half a gallon and short of my target SG (target = 1.040, mine = 1.025), so I boiled uncovered and got the OG back to 1.045 by the end, which was the target for the recipe, but in obsessing over the OG I completely forgot to add the Aroma Hops.

Then, I broke my siphon, dangit.  Also, my new brewpot doesn't fit in my sink, and I didn't have an emersion chiller, so I poured most of the wort, and trub , into my 4 gal bk and cooled it down with an ice bath, then transferred it all to my fermenter, pitched yeast and sealed.

The batch started bubbling within 12 hours and cranked away at an impressive rate for a good 48 hours, so, it's working, but I don't know what I'm going to end up with.  Since I forgot to add the aroma hops I'm planning to dry hop this batch once I transfer to secondary (something else I've never tried), unless someone convinces me that this is a horrible idea.  I'm also concerned about all the trub I was unable to separate so I'm planning to leave it in primary and secondary longer than I normally would in hopes of most of that settling out.  I've since tricked out my mash tun with a ball valve and tube kettle screen, constructed an emersion chiller, and replaced my siphon.  I want to try a Dunkleweizen this weekend and I'm hoping things go a lot more smoothly this time.

No matter how it turns out, you made beer!  I think the dry hopping is a good work around. 

I think it's going to be tasty.  How was your volume into the fermentor?  We're you a little short?

Hi Scott,

Yes indeed!  I sure was glad to see that lock popping the next morning.  I'm really curious about the dry hopping and would love some suggestions (duration, etc.).

Yes, I was short on volume at the end by about a half gallon, I think, but my volume includes all the trub I dumped in with it.  I dunno man, this was definitely a learning experience.

I think it'll be fine. don't worry about the trub, i transfer tons all the time and never have a problem even on beers that age for years. unless you plan on re-using the yeast, which with all that trub isn't ideal, I would wait till it is done, get it as cold as possible to get the yeast to drop and then dry hop in the primary at room temp for a week. maybe 1-2 oz or more if you want to go crazy

I sure hope so.  I suspect it will have all the right elements.  Thanks for the tip on the trub and the dry hopping.  I have an ounce of Amarillo and about a 1/4 ounce of Cascade lying around that I'm planning to dry hop with.

JinABQ said:

Hi Scott,

Yes indeed!  I sure was glad to see that lock popping the next morning.  I'm really curious about the dry hopping and would love some suggestions (duration, etc.).

Yes, I was short on volume at the end by about a half gallon, I think, but my volume includes all the trub I dumped in with it.  I dunno man, this was definitely a learning experience.

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If you're bottling, make sure that you use the proper amount of bottling sugar.  If you use the amount that you would have used for 5 gallons, it will be way overcarbonated!

Georg73 said:

Almost every time I make a new batch I learn something new, so there is no bad experience, just keep brewing.

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I can't argue with that, Georg.  Bought the ingredients yesterday for the Dunkleweizen I'll be brewing on Saturday 

I think dry hopping is a good solution for aroma.  You may also want to try carbonation drops in your bottles or prime dose from Northern Brewer. 

Ellismr said:

I think dry hopping is a good solution for aroma.  You may also want to try carbonation drops in your bottles or prime dose from Northern Brewer.

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Thank you, Ellismr, this will be my first time dry hopping.  I've been reading up on it a little.  Suggestions to dry hop in secondary rack for a minimum of 3 days seem to be the most prevalent.  I'm thinking I may dry hop for about a week prior to bottling.  Thanks also for the carbonation tips.  It kind of seems like cheating, though; Not that I'm above that 

Jin, From your description of your first brew, that was hardly a fiasco. Let me tell you about a fiasco ... 

Don't worry about the trub. The beer will clear and the trub will settle/compact greatly.

I've never used carb tabs and have only bottled-carbonated a few bottles in the last two decades; but, I've read a lot of forum posts reporting problems of over and under-carbonated beers using card tabs. Use a carbonation tool to calculate your priming sugar. There are plenty of posts describing the details.