This should be my last extract kit, assuming I don’t screw it up anywhere near as bad as the last one. I don’t like skunking beer enough to set myself up for that big of a fail, as to switch to all grain if I can’t do extracts isn’t going to work.
Right. The Gigawort is assembled, I need to get more bigger wrenches, with a minimum of drips, see wrenches. We’re plugged in and heating the water for a 20 minute steep of some specialty grains. I have my airlock, carboy, and hosing ready. The yeast has been located. Coffee is brewing. We’re doing this.
Water had been heating for about 15 minutes for 2.5 gallons from 65 to 125 so far. Not terrible. And it doesn’t turn the house into a sweltering day in the savannah.
11:12 hit 160. Grains steeping.
I’ve checked the temperature with a candy and a meat thermometer. The candy thermometer is the one that doesn’t match, which is kinda making me angry. What the hell is the point of a candy thermometer if it isn’t accurate. Accurate temperature is the only reason to buy a candy thermometer. TruTemp, I’m giving a very nasty look your way.
11:32 removed the grains and cranked the temperature to 218 per instructions for the Gigawort. Double checked the hopping instructions and realized something I never saw or thought of before. The instructions are calling for .25, .5 and .5 ounces of bravo, cascade and glacier hops respectively. They gave me 1oz packets. I’ve separated out these masses, roughly as I still need to get myself a drug scale, but I’ve never done that before. Another thing that probably caused every beer I’ve ever made to be a little funky.
11:50 its to 2:12 and water’s boiling. Adding malt and first hops.
Got Er3 and Er4 codes. These are dry running and thermostat codes. I’m making the assumption that some of the malt dropped directly on the thermostat, making it think it was running dry or had a thermostat error. This is a good thing it has these checks. It’s a bad thing I have it on my kitchen counter, I’m 5’6″, and I had to stir until dissolved and I could get it heating again. Still preferring it to a gas stove top. I should mark where the thermostat is, and make sure to add stuff a whee slower. Assuming all my assumptions are correct of course.
Back to 200 as of 12:06.
12:11, vigorous boil at 214. Using the lid at a jaunty tilt to contain splashing.
Note to self: get more length and sizes of tubing.
12:35 still a righteous boil with a beautiful smell. I love the smell of beer in the making.
Right on track, I added the dry pilsner malt.
Lid wasn’t jaunty enough. Had a baby boil over. Not too bad though. Caught it early and that’s why I had a damp towel on standby.
Added the last hops and gave em a quick stir at 1:10.
1:14 turned off the heater as I still don’t have a wort chiller, so dropping heat a touch early seemed like a good idea.
Heat dropping fast (ish). Leaving the unit plugged in so I can use it’s internal thermostat. I’ll check the temp every five minutes, or so, to get an idea going for how long it’ll take. I’ll use the weather report temperature for ambient, knowing it’s not right but close. I should think about adding some external monitors as well.
1:18 201
1:26 191
1:39 181
Hmm… This isn’t writing as hoped. Plan two, Go!
Transferred wort to my old kettle, and have gone through two sink fulls of tap water. Once more and I should be cool enough. While I’m waiting for that to happen, I’ve been cleaning up. 2:20 I’ll do the transfer to the carboy and pitch my yeast.
Done, clean and 3:00.
Need more hosing and a wort chiller.
Oh. OG 1.046