Sunday 10/19/15 - Oatmeal Mocha Java Stout Take 1
Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong. - Murphy
Brew Day - I spent half the day looking for a single burner as my new brew pot was too big to work on the standard conventional oven, the coils just wouldn't get the water hot enough to boil at 4 plus gallons. I drove to Home Depot as someone recommended the King Kooker but they only had them online, so i drove to Target, Sport Authority and Dicks Sporting goods, but to no avail. I finally landed at Sportsman's warehouse and they had what i was looking for, Finally! I found a Camp Chef High Output single burner cooker about 60,000 BTU's more than enough for what i needed. Great Price and they even gave me a veterans discount. I like this store.
Brewing - I moved my operations outside for the brew cycle, took all the ingredients i needed outside. I moved the Oats to one grain bag, and the Dark Chocolate, 2-row pale and Victory to another grain bag.
Meanwhile inside every utensil was sanitizing in another bucket...
Steeping - I brought the water up to 155 with my digital thermometer and it was reading off, i checked with my meat thermometer and a candy thermometer and they were all reading differently, this is frustrating. I turned down the heat but the pot started to boil, noooo! Tan-ins are being released into the wort....I tried to adjust but i just ended up turning it off and steeping while i figured out the burner. I got it to 155 again and turned it off but the good smell of the grains turned to a burnt smell, i think i may have had the bags too close to the bottom of the pot and there may have been a slight burn on the grain, that will affect the taste...45 min and i have Wort.
Boil - I added the water and started the boil process at 1550 and it only took a few min for the burner to bring 2.5 gal to rolling boil and then it started, i forgot my spritzer bottle and the foam started to make a break for it, i quickly brought the temp down with the lever on the burner, and thought i had it controlled, but as i started to add the LME, DME and Maltodextrin it boiled over, but i quickly turned the knob down so it wasn't too bad, not a lot of loss or cleanup. I think i will have it down on the next batch. The rest of the boil went well even after adding the Hops, it didn't boil over, the rest of the boil time went as planned.
Cooling down - My 20 Quart Pot fit in my sink but there was just enough room, i put in the stopper and put water first around it, then when it got warm, i removed the plug and forgot to put it back in, started the ice bath and run water on the ice and it all went down the drain. Not cooling fast enough, but i have the lid on trying to keep the bacteria out....Yikes! lifted up the pot put the drain in and put all the rest of the ice i had available including the ice rings around the pot to cool it down to 70 deg. Finally got it cooled enough to throw it into my fermenting bucket (actually my bottling bucket that i am using as a primary for fermentation) my Carboy i will use for a secondary.
Pitching Yeast - I pitched the yeast and all went well, i used my spoon to pat the yeast down below the bubbles so it would get started sooner, (and in all the excitement i forgot to take my OG reading) but all is well that ends well...i hope.
I put the bucket in place on the shelf in my utility room and it will set there for about a week plus a couple days and then i will transfer to my carboy, what an exciting misadventure in brewing. Good, Bad or Ugly this beer will be made.
stand by for Transfer to Carboy Day coming soon......
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