Brewing Imperial Porter with Cherries at J Wells Brewing in Boulder, Part 2

On a cool Saturday morning I headed out to J Wells Brewing for our (Barley's Angels CO group) beer brewing session 2.

Jamie Wells and his assistant Nathan, were all ready at the brewery getting the water boiling in the 100 gallon tank. As the women trickled in the brewery, we started brewing the imperial porter. Jamie started us with measuring the grains, we used 6 different ones. Each one was weighed on a scale then dumped into the milling machine.  Jamie is a "dyi" person so he showed us the homemade grain miller, it's a wooden apparatus on wheels that grinds the grain.  Because of all the dust it produces, the milling is done outside. Some of the ladies helped Jamie with milling the grain outside and others talked to Nathan about the brewing process.

Weighing the grains.

Pouring the grains into the miller.

Outside watch the grains get milled.

Water was put in the mash tank and some of the ladies helped put the grains into the tank. Then each took turns stirring the mixture then it was the waiting game. After around 45 minutes or so the wort was transferred into another tank to boil. I didn't stay until the end but I assumed that after the boil it goes into the fermenting tank with yeast? Or is it pitch earlier? After all these years drinking beer, I still get that mix up. The cherries were to be added during the primary fermentation.  All in all it was a nice fall morning for brewing beer.

Adding the grains to the mash tun.

Stirring the mash.

Looks like oatmeal!