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You are here: Home --> Forum Home --> Brewing Forum --> Gear/Equipment --> Long hot brew day...

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mchrispen
Bastrop, TX
485 Posts


First brew day in about a month and half. Been down with horrible bronchitis and allergies. Definitely a challenge compounded by a new three way valve and whirlpool arm installed, and a malfunctioning RIMS element.

Couldn't get up early - so grained in around 8:00-8:30-ish (usually by 6:30 am). It was misting outside after a long night of thunderstorms and localized flooding. The humidity was oppressive. Then I noticed that I couldn't maintain temps... my thermocouple maybe acting up as well. So grain in at 154F to hit a strike of 148F. After stirring to break up dough, wound up low - at 136F. Suddenly the damned thing jumped temps from 146 to 156. That screws up alpha - so I added a few handfuls of 6-row to get some enzymes. Had to closely monitor direct firing, on and off for 60 minutes, then the ramp to 158F. At least that went better, but noticed black flakes floating out on the circulation - meaning scorching on the element. Then the mash compacted like concrete. Stopped circ, dug out the mash and reset the bed. Mashed out.

Sparge went reasonably well, but much cloudier wort than normal. Usually it's crystalline. Went with it, FWH in at sparge (Saaz & Magnum), and then screwed up my next addition. Dumped it into the bag at 60 rather than 30 - so pulled the whole bag out until 30, taking the FWH with it. Not sure that made much of a difference, but definitely a screw up. Was dizzy (still have an inner ear problem from the congestion) and sweating like nobody's business. Was about 8 glasses of ice water at this point and still dizzy. Rest of the boil went without incident.

So - decided to use the new whirlpool arm and three way valve - so about 15 minutes left in the boil, pumped out through the counterflow cooler back into the kettle for a few minutes to sanitize, then engaged the whirlpool. Fricking thing boiled up like crazy spilling foam over the top despite my anti-foam. Of course, the kettle dropped the boil quickly and it took another 5 minutes to get it back to rolling. Added my whirlfloc, 5 minute hops addition...

Finally my head broke free - suddenly rich malt and Saaz hops were in the air. But sweat rolling down my head, back and arse made me really dizzy. Cut the boil 5 minutes early and engaged the whirlpool for 15 minutes. Ran inside and started to strip down, drinking ice water. Ran out, cut the whirlpool, let it rest for 15 minutes. Inside again to cool off.

Returned, broke 2 bags of ice into my keg cleaner rig, setup to pump icewater through my chiller. Cracked the O2 system to oxygenate and knocked out. 45 lbs of ice, but my pump was too slow. My counterflow couldn't keep up. Knocked out to the conical (in a freezer) at just under 90F. Not good news.

Cooled down enough to do a basic clean up. Wort hanging out at nearly 90F and moved the starter into the freezer to temper. Got it all done - took a cool shower and rested. Seriously thought I was in trouble - good prep for the stupid hot summers here.

Lessons: I should check the element before brew day. I know its behavior and should have caught that. The three-way valve gets fricking hot - expected but hotter than I thought. AND I need high volume chill water flow through the counterflow chiller. Sucks to wait 6-7 hours to pitch yeast.




Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


That sounds like one of my brew days, man.  Still a rough brew day is better than none, right?



Posted 34 days ago.

mchrispen
Bastrop, TX
485 Posts


True.

Pitched late last night when the wort was under 54, it was sitting just under 50 this morning - so bumped it a bit.

Broke down the element today - it's fricking clean as a whistle. Checked it's heating capability - worked better than it should. I am wondering if I hallucinated or something. With the sinus's breaking loose, my ears popped a few times today - so definitely getting past this crap.

So planning another brewday later this week. Wish me luck.




Posted 34 days ago.

homebrewdad
Charter Member
Birmingham, AL
2480 Posts


Good luck!



Posted 34 days ago.

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