Starting the Pale Ale

Ingredients in order of add

Brewing day is arrived this morning.  I started about 9:30 getting set up.  I have found it useful to lay out what you need in order.  I have a tendency to get a bit distracted while brewing, especially while enjoying a beer during the process.  As this was a morning operation, coffee kept me in line.

It is also a good idea to keep your aromatic hops clearly separated from your bittering hops.  If you are using all pellets, it is easy to mess up and add the wrong one during the boil.

Brew pot on left, sparge on the right.

After the set up, time to get the water going.  This batch was a combination of grain and malt.  That means I need to "mash" the grains first.  Think of this like making tea.  You take the cracked grains and put them in a muslin or nylon bag.  Steep them in 150-160 degree water for about 20 minutes to release the sugars.  The heat from the water releases the sugars from the grain.  You can't do this in the boil as this added heat will release the tannins from the grain husk imparting bitter flavor in your beer.