S I M M

1. Fill the steamer with hot water and plug it in.


2. Crush the grains (in another room, away from the brewing room).


3. Put the Steam Injected Mash Mixer (SIMM) into the Mash Tun and connect the steam line.


4. Open the steam valve on the SIMM to preheat the Mash Tun for 15 minutes.


5. Put 4 gallons of water in the Brew Kettle and heat it to the mash-in temperature.


6. Pump the heated water (one to one-and-a-half quarts per pound of grist) from the Brew Kettle to the Mash Tun.


7. Add the crushed grain to the Mash Tun.


8. Switch on the mixer on the SIMM and leave it running continuously through the entire mashing process.


9. Check the temperature of the mash and adjust it to the correct mash-in temperature (add cold water if it is too hot, inject steam if it is too cold).


10. Check the thickness of the mash and add more water if it is too thick. Be careful not to make the mash too thin because the steam injection will thin the mash further.


11. Check the pH of the mash and adjust to 5.3±. If the pH is below 5.3 add calcium carbonate (chalk), if the pH is above 5.3 add calcium sulfate (gypsum).


12. Follow the schedule of temperature and time steps and rests for the chosen recipe, using the following procedure for each step:
• Raise the mash to the appropriate temperature using steam injection.
• Let the mash rest at that temperature for the appropriate number of minutes, injecting steam as needed to maintain the correct temperature.
• Repeat for each subsequent step and rest.
13. About 15 minutes before the mash schedule is completed, put 7 gallons of water in the Brew Kettle and heat to 180° for sparging.


14. While the sparge water is heating, connect the steam line to the inlet of the Hot Liquor Tank (HLT) and open the valve to preheat the HLT for 15 minutes. Make sure the cover is on the HLT.


15. Reconnect the steam line to the SIMM and open the valve. Heat the mash to 168° for mash out.


16. Pump the 180° sparge water from the Brew Kettle to the HLT.


17. When mash-out is completed, switch off the mixer and remove the SIMM from the Mash Tun.


18. Recirculate the wort until it runs clear.


19. Start draining the wort from the Mash Tun to the Brew Kettle. The initial rate of runoff should be about 8 ounces per minute (it should take at least 15 minutes to drain off the “first runnings” to within 1” of the grain bed).


20. Check and record the specific gravity and the pH of the first runnings.


21. When the wort level in the Mash Tun is about 1” above the grain bed, begin sparging with water from the HLT.


22. Try to maintain 1”- 2” of sparge water above the grain bed at all times.


23. Slowly increase the sparging/runoff rate as the lautering process continues. Aim for about 8 ounces per minute at the beginning, and about 16 ounces per minute by the end.


24. Maintain the sparge water temperature in the HLT at 175°± during the entire lautering process, blast with steam to raise the temperature if it starts to cool down.


25. Check and record the pH of the runnings a few times during the lautering process, if the pH starts to fall below 5.3± add lactic acid to the sparge water in the HLT.


26. Stop sparging and close all valves when seven gallons of wort has been collected in the Brew Kettle, the sparging/lautering process will take at least 45 minutes.


27. Check and record the specific gravity and the pH of the final runnings.


28. Check and record the specific gravity and the pH of the total volume of collected wort.

© 2004-2007 Gary Spykman - page created 8/30/04 - last updated 2/12/07

Gary Spykman
47 Victoria Street, Keene NH 03431
phone: 603.352.5656
www.spykman.com
email: gary@spykman.com