This was supposed to be a simple Pale Ale recipe that I could throw together and brew quickly (hopefully in time for a holiday bottling). Instead, it wound up being my first absolute brewing nightmare. First the recipe:
8lb 2row pale malt
2lb vienna malt
.5 lb crystal malt
Mash 152 60 min
Dough in with 3.5 gal water
At 5 qts 175 degree water
Vorlauf
Drain
Add 3.25 gall water stir
Vorlauf
Drain
1oz cascade 60 min
.5 oz cascade 30 min
. 25 cascade 15 min
.25 cascade 5 min
Cool, pitch yeast-dry, no starter, no need to reconstitute.
Target OG 1.051
I started with a stuck sparge, ok, not a problem, just tap on the hose a bit and stick a hanger through the ball valve assembly into the cooler. Nope, won't work, next, the false bottom falls apart in the tun, the nut holding the assembly together fell off as I was tapping. Quickly I dump the wet grains into another cooler (not set up as a mash tun)and proceed to begin fixing my mash tun when my neighbor walks over and begins to talk to me like nothing is wrong (he probably thinks this is all just part of the process, a messy one at that). I'm trying to talk with him and fix the tun at the same time, so I forget to blow out the hose/ball valve of grain prior to putting it all back together. I dump the grains back in and try again (obviously, the lines are now completely clogged with grain since the whole thng fell apart in the bottom of the tun)and I still am stuck. Dump again while talking with my neighbor who is now showing me pictures of his nephews brewery in Chambersberg,Pa (uber cool at the right time)and this time take the hose to the tun, blowing out the grain. Dump back to the mash tun and begin the sparge!! At this point I'm thinking to myself that my efficiency is absolutely screwed and even contemplated dumping the whole thing into the dead garden in the yard. Nope, I forge on, drain the kettle and go downstairs to grab my second sparge water. Come back out with the 185 degree water only to see my wort running out of the boil kettle onto the ground. Ooopps, never shut that valve prior to first runnings. So now, my strongest wort is gone (maybe 1/2 gallon) too!!! I sparge and empty number 2, then top off with a little water due to the loss. And begin the boil.
Boil 11:05am
. 5 11:35
.25 11:50
.25 12:00
I cool the wort and take a gravity reading. LOL 1.052, no lie. This is going to be interesting to see how this turns out. I pitch the dry yeast right on top of the wort and done.
