First all grain brew

[Broob]

I did my first all grain brew the other day and I thought I would share my experience as it was fairly ridiculous. I just got mash tun together and a 10 gallon brew pot. Average-size grain bill about 11 lbs or so. I had some free time in the evening so I thought I would do the brew. Took quite a bit longer to heat the strike water up than I thought so its already getting kind of late. I heated the sparge water up while the mash was going and it was ready right around the time the mash was done.

Now I've got about 7.5 gallons for my boil and man did that take a long time to boil. When the 60 min boil was done its already 1 am (I've got to work early the next morning). Now I've got about 5.5 gallons of 100 C wort and I realize I don't have a wort chiller!! The old stick the pot in an ice bath trick doesn't work well with that much liquid. I got it down about 15 degrees and its about 2 am and i am starting to panic. I said screw it and transferred to the fermenter and sealed it and I would pitch the yeast in the morning. At about 7 am the wort was still about 50 C! Now I've got a decision to make, pitch and take my chances or let it cool while I got to work. I pitched and crossed my fingers. By 8pm that night the airlock was going nuts and this morning is still going strong. I thought for sure I killed the yeast but I guess those little buggers are tough.

That was an crazy first all grain but I guess my next purchase is a wort chiller. Can only learn from my mistakes.

Steve

[jeffsmith]

If that happens again, just make sure your wort is covered and leave it until it reaches pitching temperature. There's a pretty good chance that you're going to end up with some pretty crazy off flavours pitching yeast at that high of a temperature.

[Broob]

Thanks. Yeah I'm not expecting it to be great. I read up on it and that's the consensus. If you didn't kill the yeast it will likely taste strange. Live and learn. I've made a critical error the first time I've done all of my brewing methods. I messed up my first Festa kit but then made a few really good ones. The same for my first partial extract and now my first all grain.

[CorneliusAlphonse]

Yeah just wait and see how it is I have chilled many batches by putting the pot in a tub of cold water - with tap temps this time of year it would take a few hours and a few changes of water for sure. Not the best method but it works

[HappyHopper]

lol sounds about the same as the night I decided to pick up that last few components and did my first all grain in -15C evening for my garrison competition batch.. wrapped up around midnight or so.