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by James Yeager -- Winterville, NC
This is based on the instructions HBA sends out with their cooler systems....I've adjusted them based on my own experience and added pictures in order to help others make the jump to All-Grain brewing without the intimidation or fear of what is often thought of as a complicated process.
All-Grain Brewing is really a very simple process. Below I have provided the steps as well as some pictures to help take the mystery and intimidation out of the process.
I have tried to go one step further on these instructions and actually add temperatures of water and amounts when I can, but realistically, ProMash or BeerSmith are great tools that will do most of your calculations for you.
Keep in mind that the instructions below are for 5 gallons. If you are brewing 10, simply double the amounts.
The first step is to gather your grains, measure them out, and crack them. You may be able to get your LHBS to do this for you, but if you want to save a lot of money brewing, you’ll need to buy your grain in bulk (1 sack will make you about six 5 gallon batches, or three 10 gallon batches), which will require you to purchase a mill of some sort.
I use an unadjustable Malt Mill with a drill (instead of hand cranking). What you are looking for is for the grain hulks to be broken, but not ground.
If your water requires it, remove chlorine from 6-7 gallons of water by filtering, boiling (15 minutes), or agitating and allowing to stand overnight.
Heat (or cool) the 4 gallons of water to 165-170F. Transfer 1 (170F) to 1 1/2 (165F) quarts of water for every pound of grain into your mash tun. Adjust as necessary. This is one of those steps where ProMash is an awesome tool….click on the “Strike Temp” button and enter the numbers and it’ll tell you how hot to get your water.
You may also wish to adjust pH by simply adding gypsum to your mash water (pH should be 5.0 to 5.5….the grains will help acidify the mash at this stage). My pH is about 7.4 or 7.5 and I’ve never had to adjust my mash pH….even with a simple pale ale my mash pH was 5.1. Feel free to skip this step if you water’s pH isn’t higher than 7.5.
HBA’s mash system consists of a mash pad, a false bottom. The false bottom lays concave on the bottom of the cooler (like a dome) so that wort can collect under it. The mash pad lays on top of the false bottom.
I suggest adding your water to your mash tun first, and then slowly stir in the grains (make sure there are no dry spots). The inside of the mash tun actually has quarts and gallons marked on it, so if you have 20lbs of grain and are using 1qt/lb, you know you need to fill the tun with 5 gallons of water.
When you have thoroughly mixed the grains and water, verify the mash is at 150-155F (numbers above target 153F). Lower mash temperatures (147-150F) will provide a more fermentable wort with less body and more alcohol while higher temperatures (155-158F) will provide a less fermentable wort with more body and less alcohol (maltier).
Cover the mash tun and allow to rest for 60-90 minutes. You may verify conversion with an iodine test. Take a small sample from the mash, avoiding any husks (which can cause a possible false positive reading). Put the sample on a white saucer (not paper) and add a drop of tincture of iodine. If unconverted starch is present, the iodine will react and turn deep blue/black. If conversion is complete, the iodine will remain red.
As you reach the end of the mash rest, fill your sparge vessel with water (175-185F after filling), attach the sparge arm, and mount it on top of the mash tun (all valves closed). You should adjust your sparge water pH (preferably before heating) if it is required. Your sparge water should be at a pH of 5.3-5.5 (you will likely need lactic acid to achieve this….use sparingly!).
Open the valve(s) on the outlet of your mash tun and drain some of your sweet wort into a small saucepan (while making sure not to expose the grain bed – you may need to open the sparge vessel valve to do this). Recirculate the sweet wort by pouring over a spoon or saucer into the grain bed (this will avoid disturbing the grain bed and avoid splashing).
When the sweet wort runs clear (no longer cloudy and no signs of husks), begin sparging. Sparging leaches the fermentable sugars by replacing the sweet wort with water to avoid collapsing the grain bed. This will require some fine-tuning to match the inlet and the outlet flows….observe levels frequently to match flows. The mash bed should be covered with approximately 1/2 inch of liquid at all times (less than that may collapse the grain bed and cause an stuck sparge).
Continue sparging until you have 6-6.5 gallons of wort in your boiling kettle.
Boil for 30 minutes….during this time, you can begin measuring out your hops.
Add your hop additions according to your recipe.
Use a chiller or ice batch to chill your wort to 70-80F, pitch your yeast and aerate (shaking the fermentor works). Ensure that your wort is not left in the light nor allowed to ferment outside of the yeast’s preferred temperature. Note, fermentation will generate 3-5F (or more) of heat, so 65F is just about the right ambient temp for most ales.
Jim’s Notes:
- I suggest you get a water profile from your water supplier
- I never worry about chlorine, but my water doesn’t require it
- You can start heating up your sparge water about 30 minutes into the mash
- The above is for fly sparging (batch sparging can be done, but will result in lower efficiency – add some additional base malt to compensate if you do this)
- PH strips are difficult to read….pH meters are expensive….check the water report to see if it’s an issue for you
- Fly sparging should be no less than 45 minutes. I usually shoot for 60-90….the slower you sparge, the higher your efficiency
- If the wort coming out of the mash (into the kettle) turns clear, quit sparging (you’re not getting any sugar at this point and there is a possibility of tannin extraction….which is nasty). If you don’t have enough wort for your batch, you can always top up.
- Hops bags are really good when using pellets
- Get a bucket of sanitizer going….you’ll need it throughout the brew day
- Make sure you get a starter going a few days before brew day (if at all possible)
Good luck on your first AG!
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HBA All-Grain Recommendations: |
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 10 Gal. Complete Mashing System
All you need for the mashing and sparging part of a 5 to 10 gallon all-grain brewing process. Includes 2 10-gallon Rubbermaid coolers - one fitted as a Mash Tun and one fitted as a Hot Liquor Tank, 1 4-foot section of 3/8 polyethylene tubing, 2 bottling spigots (mash spigot equipped with special insert), Phil's 12" Phalse Bottom, mash filter pad, and Phil's 10" Sparger. (For a complete brewing system you will also need a brew pot large enough to boil 5 to 10 gallons (plus head space for boilover protection) and a propane or natural gas fired cooker.)
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Abbey Normal Belgian Ale
(advanced all-grain kit):
Abbey Style Ales cover a lot of ground in terms of strength, color, and flavor. They can vary from 6 to 11% alcohol. They can be pale to dark brown. Hops rarely play a dominant role so the flavors generally range from sweet to spicy to earthy. The use of pure Belgian Candi Sugar aids in giving this beer its authentic Belgian character. Medium amber in color, medium to full bodied with a malty/spicy aroma. Liquid yeast is strongly recommended with this recipe. (Starting Gravity: 1.075-1.080) (Finishing Gravity: 1.014-1.020) (Approximate Alcohol Content: 7.8-8.3% by volume) (24 IBU)
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Big Ben Barleywine
(advanced all-grain kit):
Classic English Barleywine. Huge body, malty flavor result from exceptionally high original gravity. Copper to medium brown in color, this style has an obvious warmth from the alcohol content so you'd better tuck this one away for some extended aging. 2 stage fermentation is strongly recommended.
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Chappaquiddick Ale
(advanced all-grain kit):
Chappequiddick Ale is a Boston style ale that is characterized by a malty body and medium bitterness with a very clean finish devoid of yeast characteristics. It will be medium to dark amber in color. A refreshing ale with the hues leaning towards tan. An excellent session beer! (Starting Gravity: 1.042-1.048) (Finishing Gravity: 1.007-1.013) (Approximate Alcohol Content: 4.0-4.5%) (35 IBU)
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