New Lesson Learned About Mashing (EDITED)

The new Mash Tun I built a few months ago works Great and we're still using the heck out of it! Last Sunday I was making a batch of spiced winter ale off a recipe I made up and mashed in my grain the same as I always do. Smelled wonderful, not to thick, to to thin, I had nothing to worry about.... or so I thought. after the sixty minutes were up, I opened the bottom valve to start recirculation before I started my sparge and all I got was a trickle. I had a stuck Mash. A VERY stuck mash. which brings me back to a question I asked someone about 3 years ago while reading an all grain recipe. "why do I always see rice hulls as an ingredient on all grain beers and never on extracts?" and if I would have remembered the answer while I was constructing this recipe I probably would have tossed in half a pound and not had my problem. What I had learned and since forgot is that rice hulls help separate the mash and provide the room needed for the water to run through, collect the converted sugars and make it to the bottom valve without turning into a solid mess.

We did finally get a flow started and got the 5 gallons of sweet wort out that we wanted but it took about two hours after everything. It was a simple reminder of how important cleanliness is and all those little things you may sometime forget while tossing together a recipe. The rest of the brew went great and the primary just finished so it turned out to be a nuisance and nothing else but if you have the ability to avoid it, I recommend doing to.

Weekly Brew Update

I just took samples from the four brews I have going to see how they're progressing, Both of the meads are still very young and even thought there's no real reason to taste them, it's still fun. And as the Master Brewer of my brewery, I deem it necessary to taste everything, often! The winter spice beer is coming along wonderfully and might get a bit more ginger and a second fermentation if it keeps maturing the way it is.  The cider has come up with a sour flavor I'm researching. I'm afraid I used too much orange peal for two long. Not positive it'll make the cut, I'm still researching a fix. I'm thinking I might do a Barleywine next, or at least that is the idea that the latest Zymurgy has plugged into my head. I've also been thinking about a Porter. Either way, I need to make up my mind soon, my spring baseball beer will take about two months, and if it's going to be bottled and ready by opening day, that leaves me the month of December to get one or MAYBE two more between now and then...

Until then,
Cheers!