Originally Posted by
Jason Roehl
Shawn, I think you're a bit confused on the terms. The kits I've been using come with unhopped Liquid Malt Extract and typically a pound or two of crushed grains, then a few ounces of hops. Heat water, steep the grains, dissolve the LME, boil, add hops, boil, add more hops, cool, pitch the yeast, etc. I'm wanting to switch to all grain, using the brew-in-a-bag method, which skips the sparging/mash tun setup, and uses a nylon mesh bag for the grains. I have a friend who swears by the method. Google it. The BIAB method will keep me alive, since I just ordered a new, heavy-duty, 10-gallon brew pot last night (~$175). I don't think I could get the rest of a sparging setup past my wife at this point and live to tell about it.
No, I wasn't confused. The kit you were using was exactly what I thought. The problem with kits as I see it, you get stale grains, hops, and yeast. But at least it's not a good selection If the fresh hops, pellets (I don't care for them, I use fresh leaf hops), and yeasts aren't kept cold, they rapidly deteriorate. Admittedly, I haven't seen many kits. But I am usually asked to coach a newbies' brew when they start down the hybrid / extract process.
I am glad you are moving on. Your approach with the grain bag will work. However, you really don't have good control of the temperature. Ultimately, you'll want that. But I did the bag (Grain Bags, not the brew bags - gag) for some time before going all grain. You can make excellent beer this way but it is harder to be consistent. Consistently good. A slow controlled sparge does make a difference. I hope you have a tap / fitting on the 10 gallon pot to move the liquids. Lifting and moving 80 lbs of hot water gets dicey.
There are four things to think about when making consistent, good beer: Ingredient quality, Sanitation, Record-keeping and Precision. When you sparge an all grain batch, depending upon the freshness and types of the malt and the grind (I try to use within 24 hrs of the grind), the precision of the mash / sparging water will ensure the Maltose is converted by the enzymes to the sugar distribution you are looking for. This can have a marked effect in the beer (when you get it right that is). Depending upon the sugars and the yeast, having control of these can help you to produce the right esters and fusel alcohols in the right proportions. The esters are an incredibly small volume / proportion, yet they are what drive the beers taste profile. As you proceed to become an excellent brewer you may find yourself forced to focus on the Biochemistry. Good beer - control and balance of the esters. Good luck! You are on the right track! Making alcohol is easy, making consistent, good beer is hard.
Last edited by Shawn Pixley; 08-29-2014 at 9:49 PM.
Shawn
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