What are you brewing?

[nzbrewer]

Since this is the most popular thread on the RealBeer.co.nz forum I thought I would start it here just to see what happens

[Mike Neilson]

Just Mashed in my KiwiBelgianIPA, and im going to brew this Indian Brown Ale, to get rid of my US hops, im getting a little bored of them to tell you the honest truth so im going to try use all NZ hops for a while.

Indian Brown Ale

80% Gladfields Pale Malt
12% Caramalt
5% Melanodin
3% Pale Chocolate

10Ibu US Cascade @ 60
25Ibu Columbus @ 60

50g Columbus @ 10
60g Cascade @ 5

20g Columbus @0
50g Cascade @ 0

30g Columbus 70g Cascade Dryhop for 5

London Ale III
1.070 - 1.014 7.3%Abv
60Ibu
Chalky, Chloridy Sulphaty Water

[jt]

so im going to try use all NZ hops for a while.

I'm waiting for your Green Bullet Brown Mike !

[Mike Neilson]

I will do an an Green Bullet Pale Ale aye?

[Patrick]

Brewing that late-hopped amber tomorrow morning (from the Mr Malty site) I am going to use all NZ cascade, 60g at 20, 50g at 10, 50g at 0. Should be interesting.

[Patrick]

Went very well, bit of a handful dealing with that much grain in BIAB but I managed it OK with some spillage. Ended up with 22L at 1060, having trouble maintaining mash temp - need to get a cake rack so I can use the burner while mashing. I have been making do by adding a kettle full of boiling water at the 30 and 60 minute mark of a 90 minute mash.

[JackoNZ]

How many degrees C are you losing over the 90mins Patrick?

[Patrick]

It dropped about 5 degrees upon mashing in which is a new record, must be the lower temperatures in the garage or something. Then it went from about 68 to about 65 in the first 30 mins, a kettle of boiling water brought it back to 68, then that repeated at 60 min.

[JackoNZ]

Hmm ok 5c is maybe a little high. I lost 3c on my brew last week. 40L kettle, 25L of water + 5kg of grain. I'm not worried about a 3c drop over 90 mins. Do you insulate at all and how big is your kettle?
I put a piece of tin foil over the mash, then lid, followed by a duvet wrapped around the pot, a sleeping bag over the top and a couple of thick blankets draped over all that. It seems to help. Biggest thing I've found though is that you lose less the more your kettle is filled. Hence why I now go 5kg grain+ 25L of water, seems to bring it close to the top with room to play with. Oh and I never open the lid until the end of the mash.

[Patrick]

Tinfoil over the mash - good idea. I use 28L of water in a 40L aluminium kettle. This grain bill was over 7kg. I just wrap an old duvet around it, sounds like more insulation is needed. How do you keep an eye on the mash temp without taking the lid off?

[JackoNZ]

ha! I don't until the end. The first few brews I used to check half way but I reckon opening the lid was probably losing me a degree or two and then it was difficult to heat the water back up with no cake rack underneath. Most of my mashes are 60 mins and I lose 1.5 to 2c over that hour, that really doesn't worry me, and I'd say it's more hassle than it's worth to try and heat up a degree or 2 when most of the mash is done in the first 20mins anyway.
Try more insulation and give a 60min mash a go without opening the lid up, see how you go.

[G S]

not sure what you guys do, but I also put the kettle down on a piece of heavy cardboard that's floating around the garage, and under that is a 10mm thick piece of polystyrene foam.
i put the lid on, wrap it up, and don't touch it for 60mins.
A grand total of 2 BIABs in 17litre kettle, so from my huge (not) experience:

1st one was 2.2kg grain, 10l water, started at 66C, 63C at end.
2nd one was 4.7kg grain, filled kettle to brim, from 68 at start to 66 at end.

As jacko says, reckon you lose more heat unwrapping, measuring, and attempting to add more hot water than you do just wrapping it well and letting it be.

[Patrick]

I think you are better off leaving it on the element, the big cast iron burner retains a lot of heat - so much so that it slows down the chilling process after the boil.