All Grain Brewing
January 31, 2011 by
Filed under Home Brewing
All You Want To Know About Medical Cannabis Seeds
Author: umeshjoy
Cannabis is a type of flowering plant that has three species in its family. The species consist of Cannabis sativa, indica and ruderalis. The flowering plant is placed into a number of uses ranging from medicinal, industrial and recreational use. The plant is grown for Cannabis seeds which like other plants demand appropriate maturing in their growth process.
The seeds come in various strains such as the white widow, caramelicious, big bud, super skunk, Aussie blues, easy rider, Light of Jah, California Skunk, Durban Poison, Purple Power, and Haze amongst other strains. Regardless of whether the seeds will be grown indoors or outdoors, they need similar conditions for growth. Water, heat, air, light and nutrients are some of the conditions which promote the seed's growth. These conditions are crucial to promote growth and depriving the plants of any the factors halts the plant's growth and may result in the eventual death of the plant. Growing the plants is a science which needs the proper amounts of exposure to light and the provision of adequate nutrients, carbon dioxide and water and providing the plants with a consistent level of the essential factors of growth results in optimum progress.
The plants are highly utilized in the medical arena to develop drugs used to treat various illnesses. The plant's use for its medicinal value dates back to the 2700 B.C era, when Shen Nong, a Chinese emperor, documented the plant's medicinal potentials. The plant as a medicinal drug is used to treat illnesses ranging from seizures, asthma, depression, pain, poor appetite, muscle spasm, insomnia and nausea among other ailments. The drug has also been documented to have potential in the alleviation of menstrual and labor pains both in ancient times and the present. Some of the properties found in the plants which improve their potential for medicinal use include their Cannibol (CBN), tetrahydrocannabivarin (THCV), Cannabichromene (CBC) and Cannabicycloc (CBL) compositions. Plants with high CBD levels are known to induce sleep when used medically. THC levels are normally higher in most Cannabis sativa plants as compared to CBD levels. The Indica plants are best used for pain relief.
Although the plant's use for recreational purposes remains contentious, its use in the medical arena is widely accepted. There have been advancements in analysis when it comes to the use of Cannabis seeds for therapeutic purposes; however marijuana laws still hinder the realization of the plant's full potential through analysis. It is advised that you must seek medical guidance before using the plant for medicinal purposes.
What is different about all-grain brewing, as opposed to other types of brewing?
This comes from another answer I received. I am starting to brew my own beer, and ‘all-grain’ brewing seems to be a step (or two) up from where I am. I am searching on the internet but am finding conflicting info. Thanks in advance.
(Sorry I meant “what is the DIFFERENCE, not different)
Basically, in all grain brewing you are not using extracts to create the wort, you use grains/malts.
Typically this is done by letting the crushed grains sit in hot water (about 150 – 160 degrees F) for an hour or so. This will convert the starches in the grains into fermentable sugars, thus creating wort (this process is known as “mashing”). From that point, the brewing process is exactly the same as extract brewing.
See here for more detailed info:
http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/index.html
How difficult is it to move to all-grain brewing?
I’ve been brewing for a little while now, and I’ve made 5 batches so far using partial-mash technique. What are some of the techniques involved in all-grain brewing, and how much harder is it to do in terms of time involved and difficulty of the process?
All grain brewing really isn’t more difficult, it’s just more time consuming. And you need more equipment. The hardest part for me was getting a grain mill, and since I was already in a brew club, I just borrow one when I need to brew and it doesn’t cost me anything except a few brews at most. I always did extract with specialty grains, and was making great brews, then one day I went to set up an ingredient order, and noticed my local homebrew shop had a wrong shipment of grain and was selling 55lb bags of 2-row barley for about $30. Did some research, and realized I could make a lot of beer with that, or spend the same money on just extract and specialty grains for one batch. So I made myself a mashtun, bought the grain, borrowed a grain mill, and haven’t really looked back.
If you’re already doing partial mash, then things aren’t going to be much different for you, just on a larger scale and with out the extract base. Instead you used crushed 2row, 6row, pilsen or other base grains and just mash them to malt. The other only difference is with your boil, you should have a larger pot (and good burner) so that you can boil down your wort. When all grain mashing, your “extract” is lower in sugar content than concentrated DME or LME. So it sometimes helps to boil it down a gallon or so.
For the most part, I’d say it’s not a difficult process, it gives you more options to play with (which aren’t so scary once you do it), it saves money, and can be a lot of fun. On the downside, you need more equipment, it takes more time to brew, and with more options, there’s more worries and need to pay close attention.
Lastly, If you’re really enjoying your home brewing hobby, as with most hobbies, you want to get a little more advanced and be a little more challenged. If you don’t go to all grain now, you will eventually. It is inevitable.
All Grain Brewing – Is it worth the effort? How long does it normally take from start to pitching the yeast?
Just curious if I want to go down this road. I’m intrigued about some of the recipes I’ve made with a mini-mash combined with a malt extract kit.
For me it is worth the effort. I can only say for you that it may be. You expressed some curiosity with it and this may the signal, “you got the bug.” Once bitten by the “all grain” bug many people never or rarely do extract again. Perhaps it is because we feel closer to the brew, more like a brewer. More control on malt character, alcohol, mouth-feel-gravity, etc. I only do extracts now when time is limited.
All grain brewing which involves the mash & sparge procedures can take 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours for an infusion mash and perhaps double that for a decoction. This includes heating your water for the strike or doughing-In (adding grist to the hot water.) Other than this all other times (boil, cooling, are the same as with an extract brew.
So, I would say approx. 4-6 hours for an infusion mash and 5-8 hours for a decoction mash from beginning to pitching. {Decoction mash is really only for Pils and a couple other Continental Lagers. And then you would want to get a 4 or 6 row malt from your supplirer. Many people use a two-row variety which would greatly reduce decoction mash times. But the method is worth at least a try.}
I recommend you find an all grain brewer to work with him/her to discover if its for you.
Enjoy…