Diary of a lockdown brewer part 3: vorlaufing, sparging and sucking

Diary of a lockdown home brewer: Part 3.

Last week we looked at how to do the mashing process during which my bucket had an unforgivable leak.

This next step is about getting your concoction ready for fermentation so that alcohol can be made.

As seen in article 2, the mashing involves soaking your grains in water in a bucket with holes in the bottom (for a sieve effect) that is placed inside a bucket with a tap.

Sparging: sprinkle water (max 80C) onto the grains and allow the liquid to drain out the bottom of the bucket into your bucket with the tap attached underneath.

Sweet liquid, called wort, can then drain out the bottom which we can use for vorlauf.

Vorlauf involves collecting the first bit of the wort that comes out after the mash, via the tap, and pouring it back on top of the grains. This method helps remove some of the grain particles in that first bit of liquid that comes out from the mash.

Then, it’s time to sparge.

Cut a large hole in one of the bucket lids (see article 1 for kit list) and put it on the bottom bucket. Then, balance the second bucket with the grains inside and the holey bottom on the rim of the lid. Sprinkle hot water - keep it at maximum 80C - over the grains and allow it to drain out below. This method, known as sparging, involves washing the last of the sugars out of the grains. We want as much of the sugars as possible because they’re important for making the beer its delicious boozy self.

Cut a hole in one of your bucket lids (I'll admit this isn't super neat). You're then going to put this on the tap bucket, and balance your other bucket on the rim to allow the liquid to drain out the bottom during the Vorlauf and sparge processes.

A wee reminder of these terms that aren’t exactly everyday vocabulary:

Mashing involves soaking the grains to the let enzymes break down starch into sugar

Vorlauf is recirculation of the liquid after the mash

Sparging is washing the remaining sugars out of the grain

Taking a reading using your hydrometer - the best way to do this is filling up a tall, narrow flask with the wort, let it cool to about 20-25C and put the hydrometer in. Make sure there's enough liquid in it to make it bob before you take the reading.

Wort is the liquid you are left with after these processes

As you can imagine, this was a right old sticky mess for me with my leaking tap. I think I lost about 4L in total during this step, but, given it’s my first brew, I’m not counting on an epic tasting beer so, the lesser the better I reckon.

Once you have sparged, attach your siphon tube to the tap and release the wort into a stock pot which you’re then going to bring to the boil. (Using a siphon helps limit the amount of oxygen entering the wort which is important – I’ll explain later).

Once the wort is at boiling point add in 18g of hops and leave uncovered.

Adding the spices - orange peel, star anise, cinnamon and ginger.

Be careful as it may foam and boil over when the hops are added. This happened to me and my innocent brew turned into a terrifying witch’s cauldron seething and spitting everywhere which inevitably made me scream.

It needs to boil for about an hour, so make sure you have enough gas.

At this point in the day I glanced at my watch. 2pm. A bit early for a beer, damn these dark winter afternoons. Tea break it is instead.

It’s definitely wise to leave a whole day aside for a first brew – quite a lot can go wrong, as we’ve witnessed so far.

Once the hour is up, remove the stock pot from the heat and take a gravity sample using a hydrometer – this guides us on the sugar level.

At this point, mine was at 52.

Put your non-rinse sanitiser solution into a spray bottle - it makes it much easier when cleaning kit throughout the brewing process.

If all goes to plan, I hope it drops to about 14 after fermentation. That will mean the yeast will have eaten most of the sugars and converted them into alcohol which is what we’re after. Otherwise, I’ll be serving up cold chocolate soup. Doesn’t quite have the same pizazz as gazpacho, does it?

Mix in the Christmas spices

Now, time to add the spices. I sprinkled in cinnamon sticks, two star anise, fresh ginger and orange skin.

When they’re in, it’s time to create a whirlpool using a spoon. Yes, a whirlpool. Once you’ve got a good spin going, sprinkle in the rest of the hops (20g). Have a little witch cackle if you like as you stir them in. Or don’t.

This technique helps the hops and spices settle to the bottom.

Then, let the pot sit for about 30 to 40 minutes before you transfer it back into the tap bucket for fermentation.

Which reminds me, my leaking bucket will not make it through a week of fermentation, there will be nothing left by the end.

While the wort was sitting doing its thing, I tended to the tap once again. For those who have just joined – the hole where the tap goes in is leaking (and no, duct tape didn’t work).

After a quick Google check, plumbing tape seemed to be the best option for sorting a leak. Spending lockdown in the middle of the countryside with no shops around has made this task a little more challenging, but I tried my luck with the neighbour. I hope it’s the only and last time I find myself running over to them like a headless chicken with a holey bucket shouting for help.

Mark was in. Thank God. Mark is one of those people who can just fix anything. I reckon he could fix the country. And, he had plumbing tape. After a quick wrap around the tap and many utterings of thank yous later I tested it and there was no leak. We’re back in business.

Clean kit

While your wort is sitting, clean your kit. Wash out and spray your tap bucket and siphon tubing with non-rinse sanitiser (pictured) - spray it as if it’s got Covid, honestly, because if there are bits of foreign bacteria floating about, you’ll have other things growing inside your beer that you definitely won’t want to be drinking.

Then, it’s time to transfer the wort back into the bucket.

Suck and pour

This next step can be amusing.

You need to put one end of the siphon into the wort and suck on the other. But not too hard because you don’t want to consume it (it’s not beer yet, remember). You need to suck enough until it’s almost reached your mouth, then pour it into the fermentation bucket. This technique stops you getting any of the dregs into your bucket.

It was impossible to keep a straight face and not inhale some of the wort while being given the instruction “suck until all the liquid comes out” on FaceTime by an experienced brewer who I called for help during this step. Slightly unsettling having someone watch you do it.

Unsurprisingly, the inevitable happened and I consumed some of the wort by accident which led to about ten minutes of choking and cursing.

Once all the wort is in the fermentation bucket, use your second bucket lid to close it. Stick your airlock in the top (details of airlock mentioned in article one) and make sure it has a bit of water in it.

Note - you don’t want oxygen getting in. Unlike humans, yeast hates oxygen. During fermentation, yeast will be producing a lot of Co2 to create a blanket around the inside of the bucket to stop any air from coming in.

Leave it to sit in a cool place until the liquid cools down to 20-25C, then, it’s ready for fermentation.

Next week’s article will be about fermentation.

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