Making Wort
It’s been a while since I made beer, perhaps as long as a year. Since I haven’t thrown any parties this year I didn’t have any deadlines in which I needed beer by some date or another and it takes me personally a long while to go through five gallons of beer.
But I ordered supplies a while back, to long ago really they may not be in prime condition anymore but I cleaned and sterilized the equipment and boiled up some wort. This should make decent hefewiezen once it ferments.
Despite making a conscious effort to not fill the pot with too much water I failed and the wort overflowed as it seems to do every time I make beer. So the problem is I forget I rinse the grains. My making beer is a called extact with grain (vs just extract or all grain), the first few steps are to boil a couple of gallons of water and then steep grains in the water for about half an hour.
I remember not to put to much water in the pot but completely forget that once the steeping happens I will be rinsing the grains to get all of the grainy goodness. Which leaves me with too much water. When I add the dry malt extract I don’t have enough pot.
As the DME is dissolving it leaves a thick froth on top of the wort and as it starts boiling, over the edge it goes. Once the boil starts going and the DME is dissolved in the water and some of the liquid is boiled off there is enough room but I have to baby it for like half an hour before I can get all the DME into the wort.
But no matter I followed Charlie Papazian’s admonishments and relaxed and had a beer.
Wort is now made and safely stored in the plastic fermenter. Next weekend I’ll move it to the glass.
I think it’s time to replace some equipment through. I think I’ll order the makings for the infamous bourbon stout tomorrow. At the same time get new air locks and rubber stoppers and probably some hoses.