German Brewing

Hey guys, since other systems are being discussed, I thought I would put this here. I am brewing this week on it again, but going to give the LODO method a go, using my DO meter to determine where I need to reduce or eliminate oxygen infiltration. I thought I would put this here to get input from you all on possible process improvements. I would like to point BM users to here if they are interested in advancing their game. If this is fair game, I might post another description for the GrainFather.

If you are not familiar with the system, it is a hybrid 3 vessel system, with direct fire capability on all tuns and a 1400W RIMs tube. It was designed with input and testing by Noonan, and presents many of the principles that are proposed here. Sabco, however, does a miserable job of supporting their brewers - so my blog has been focused, often, on supporting the basic principles of brewing on the 350. There was a major re-engineer 2 years ago that basically changed the HLT to prevent cavitation (when the HLT runs dry). They also changed the boil kettle to accommodate pellet hops and a simple manual whirlpool function. Otherwise, the computer and other functions are nearly identical. The vessels are all newly manufactured keggles. The MLT has a false bottom that I have augmented with a Jaybird false bottom stand filter. The BK is similar, but has a site glass, and I have modified it with a whirlpool arm. The dip tubes in my system all feed from the center bowl of the kettle, which with my modifications, turn trub and hop residue into a tight filter. Cold side, I use a highly modified Chill Wizard but with a convoluted counterflow chiller, pumps and a three-way valve that allows wort to pass through the chiller/knockout hose, or the whirlpool arm, or both. The system has two lids that can be deployed, one which I use during mashing. The other is usually on the HLT to help keep in the heat and reduce evaporation.

The RIMS function circulates hot wort from the dead space under the MLT false bottom, through the RIMS tube, the Little Giant pump, and back to the top of the mash. Their instructions state to underlet the dry grains, and finish by slowly pumping over liquor until you reach 1-2" of liquor over the mash. However, I preheat the strike water in the MLT, circulating to heat the entire system, otherwise I would need to grain in 20-25F over the strike temps, and let the temp fall into range (not acceptable). I plan to use a return hose or loc-line buried to the bottom of the dry grain, underlet until I see the mash float slightly, and then gently pump over under the mash till I hit my measured strike volume. I have added a second valve that lets me carefully control circulation speeds (you recommend a relatively slow circulation, where Sabco recommends a full speed circ, roughly 2 gal / minute). This process requires a coarse crush - so mash pH stabilization is slower than many systems, roughly at 20-25 minutes into first rest). Direct fire is used with the RIMS tube to ramp between steps at about 2F per minute (the system alarms if heating too quickly).

This generally means I gather my target sparge liquid volume and heat it during the mash in the HLT. After the mash is complete (usually a Hochkurz step mash), I drain into the BK enough to cover the end of my lauter hose, and then control output to match a very slow pump over from the HLT into the MLT. The input into the MLT flows into Loc-line positioned under the mash liquor to prevent splashing, slow enough to input a very slow spin of the clear water at the top of the mash bed. If the recipe uses FWH, they are added at this point, loose in the kettle.

I typically start the BK fire after collecting 5 gallons of wort to accelerate the time to break and boil. The lauter is usually about 45 minutes, and within 10 minutes of end of the lauter period, I am at first hot break. Another 5-10 minutes, full boil. This is where I start my boil timers, following the normal 60/30/15/5 and whirlpool additions (adjusted for the recipe, of course).

The system plumbing is tri-clamp (1/2") and I change the gaskets periodically when I note a leak.

It seems the likely spots for air ingestion is; HLT running dry (air will suck into the siphon and pump), any loose TC or bad gaskets, plumbing connectors to the pump and RIMS tube, and the air space exposure above the mash, liquor and kettle.

Am I missing something beyond the techniques of running off or pumping over eliminating splashing? Thoughts?

I'm not completely sure what your question(s) is (are), but I'll take a stab...

The dough-in is your nemesis, and the longer it takes you to get into the fermenter, the more you risk losing precious malt flavors. The principles are consistent, but application can be system specific. You always want to pre-boil more than you need, but make sure it gets a full dose of SMB to ensure protection during dough-in. Any residual SMB will scavenge DO in the HLT as you prep the next batch of water for sparging. This will ensure you do not run the pump dry. Inlets: make sure they are always below the water line. This eliminates splashing, dripping and anything that creates a thin film of liquid that can become oxygen saturated. Plumbing: tri-clover is the best out there. It has the most gasket surface are of any quick disconnect and will seal up tight. Headspace: this is tough. once dough-in is over, the next threat to wort is ingress from recirculation. Putting a lid on the vessel will at minimum create vapor pressure and force air out and minimizing air exchange into the headspace; a mash cap is optimal. Trust the SMB will do its job; that's why it is there.

Once you accept the cause of the problem, just consider any point where oxygen can be injected or any point where a film of liquid can pick up atmospheric oxygen. It will start to make more and more sense once you go through the process, asking yourself at every little step "will this introduce air into my system?". Then just correct the problem

Those were my thoughts exactly. Brewing this morning and realized I have no path to chill the strike water from the HLT. Going to have to boil and prep liquor in the BK, and use the CFC and pump to chill and move the liquor carefully back into the HLT. Not a big deal, just a shift in thinking. At some point I can plumb a chill loop into the HLT or just get a stainless immersion chiller to cool it. The latter isn't as elegant, but probably the safest bet.

For some numbers from this morning RE O2 saturation.
Water collected from RO; 3.45 ppm, after SMB and midway through heating, 0.3 ppm

Wait. did you add SMB before the boil? What do you mean by midway though heating?

I did, but to see how the dosage amount would reduce O2 in the standing liquor before heating. I gathered the RO last night, added the SMB after taking the first reading, then forgot. Was heating it to strike temps while contemplating the previous comment and realized I didn't check the DO after the SMB addition.

Today's brew day is a baseline (non-LODO) brew. Tomorrow I will attempt a fully LODO brew of the same recipe. Sorry, I should have mentioned that. I generally avoid splashing, etc. anyway. This brew will account for the extra sodium added by the MBS, and if IIRC the sulfites will be decomposed at mash and boil temps anyway.

I mentioned the partway through heating because that *might* have contributed to O2 reduction.

Ok, I'm still confused? Are you using the SMB dosed liquor to make your non-lodo beer today?

Hit me up on messenger tomorrow, and I would love to guide you through it, during brewday. That goes for anyone using LODO for the first time.

Will do - I need to have a coffee before I do anything it seems. I dove right in without having my revised checklist in front of me.

For what it is worth, this will have an identical water profile (considering the added sodium) to tomorrow's brew, targeting 30 ppm Ca in the mash.

I would recommend you flip flop them( the beers) so you don't end up dumping 5 gallons of beer and wasting the time(cause you will trust me).

As an FYI, please follow the guide to a T, yes adding SMB to your water before heating will knock out DO. But at the reactions rates of 5:1, so you are using your reserve SMB for something its not intended for. The Dough in the the critical point you need all the SMB you can for that.

So boil, slightly chill, add SMB, chill while recirculating to dough in temp.