Ok so here is our first post. Yesterday a couple of the Beer Barons got together to make a “Dead Ringer IPA” from Northern Brewer. Here are my notes, photos and videos from yesterday’s brew.

1:50 – Start with 7 gallons in sparge tun

  • make a star-san solution
  • sanitize extra equipment (mixing paddle, hydrometer, hoses etc.)

2:13 – Water Temperature at 125°

  • shooting for 190° to heat the plastic mash tun
  • we want a primary mash temp at 160°
  • then the grain should drop the temp to 152°

2:30 – Water at 168°

2:40 – Water at 190°

2:43 – added 3.5 gal of hot water to the mash tun @ 190°

  • Waiting the heat up the mash tun and for the temperature inside the plastic cooler to hit around 160°
  •  We want the temp to hit 152° when we ad the grain

2:52 – Primary temperature reading of the heated mash tun

  • We are at 165°
  • Alex says this is good
  • The addition of the grain should cool the water temp about 10°

2:55 – The water temperature is 180°

  • We didn’t wait long enough for the first reading

2:57 – Side note — “Alex just realized that there is yeast at the bottom of a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale” It’s bottle conditioned.

3:06 – Mash tun water temperature @ 170°

3:09 – Mash tun water temperature still @ 170°

  • Alex is mixing the water with the paddle to drop the temperature

3:11 – Mash tun water temperature @ 165°

3:15 – added grains to the mash tun. Water temperature @ 165°

  • 11 lbs. Rahr 2-Rev
  • 1 lbs. Briess Carmel 40

3:19 – Mash temperature @ 150°

  • 2° off we might need to add hot water

3:22 – Mash temp @ 155°

  • we are good
  • no need to add water

3:40 – Mash temperature @ 155°

  • temperature holding strong

4:16 – Check the mash

  • start to raise the temperature of the sparge water to 180°

4:36 – Tried the wort

  • tasted sweet like honey but with a deep grain finish
  • took a cup of the wort for yeast proofing
  • cycled the wort 7 times

4:39 – started to trasfer the wort to the boil kettle

  • we are clearing the grain bed of liquid
  • then we are going to add the sparge water

4:50 – Sparge water temperature @ 185°

5:16 – Sparge done

  • Start to boil the wort
  • Wort starting temperature @ 140°

5:17 – yeast proof really going strong

5:46 – wort temp @182°

6:13 – Boil starts

  • Hops – added 1 oz.  Centennial Alpha 9.2%

6:52 – 40 mins into the boil

  • Hops – added 1 oz. Centennial Alpha 9.2%

7:02 – Added 1/2 teaspoon yeast nutrient

  • Wyeast Beer Nutrient Blend

7:07 – 60 mins into the boil

  • Hops – added 1 oz. Centennial Alpha 9.2%

7:15 – started the wort chiller

  • wort temperature @ 185°

7:27 – Wort temperature @ 90°

7:36 – Start transfer to carboy

  • temperature of the wort @ 90°

7:50 – Specific Gravity Reading

  • 1.70 @ 87°
  • we need to add water to drop the gravity

7:55 – Second specific gravity reading

  • 1.62 @ 87°
  • Still not quite 5 gallons but we hit the Original Gravity level in the recipe

 

8:00 – Aerate the wort

8:12 – Done

  • Done with all of the cleanup