Batch Number 4

Seriously, I hold faith that eventually this will get easier.

This is ONLY the 4th batch.

So today's "learning moments"...

I do double batches.  The grain can clog up the false bottom.  Next time, remove and COMPLETELY CLEAN OUT the false bottom.  I had to stir the entire hour of the mash, just to keep the false bottom clear.  AND YET, it sucked dry at one point and SCORCH! went the element in the RIMS tube.  Luckily, I just turned it off and no wort went over the scorch.  So- wort saved.

Oxygen lines can grow slime mold very quickly.  Do NOT let this happen to you.  I saw it as I was setting up the O2 for today, and fixed it.

No matter how "Oversized" your heat exchanger is, IT'S NOT.  Don't believe the hype.  For some mysterious reason, the heat exchanger has been chugging along for 4 hours and I'm at 80 degrees.  This is not good.  Must find solution.

Currently that has allowed batch 2, to mash for 4 hours so I'm PRETTY sure it's converted :)

Got here at 5 AM and it's 6 PM.  I'm going to send the 80 degree wort over to the fermenter to continue chilling, and lauter out batch number 2 so HOPEFULLY I can be home by midnight.  Probably not, but I hope so.

Still have
1) Mash out and bring up to a boil - 1 hour
2) Boil- 90 minutes
3) Chill - um.... 2 hours?
4) Transfer
5) Pitch yeast
6) CLEAN ALL THE THINGS - 2 hours

Maybe 2 AM.  We shall see.

UPDATE!

Well, the HX is performing as poorly as the first run.

I did realize that the reason the mash kept getting compacted is because, duh, pumping instead of using a grant.  So- this second batch will just be first runnings. YUM!

Also- the solenoid on the fermenter glycol jacket is stuck, closed.  So- no glycol.  This is quite a thing.  I have no other fermenter ready (not passivated yet) though I just thought of something- I can send it to the bright tank.  It's at 32, but it would at least be cold enough to hold for a day until I can get the solenoid fixed. That way the beer (and the day, and the precious grain) would not be lost. I can switch the solenoid from F3 to F5 and pump BACK to it.

Huh.  That may just work for now.  The next problem would be heating the wort back up from 32, to 65.  Glycol is very good at the chilling, but not so much at the heating. At least simultaneously. Interesting.  Another challenge.

UPDATE!!!

So I opened the Johnson controller up , and another one which was working, and compared the wiring.  MUCH easier than swapping solenoids.  BINGO!  There was one wire which was incorrectly connected to the board.  ALL FIXED!

And the reason the HX is going so slowly- probably- is because the HX is clogged with a bit of grain or something.  So I have to figure that one out (with some help from my friends, most likely...)

More learning. Good times. Good times.