aedocw

Recipes 

This last weekend I brewed an all-grain pale ale (the Tongue Splitter ingredient kit from northern brewer). It was my second all grain, and I used a 23qt pressure cooker and copper manifold to raise the mash temp.

Picasa Web Albums - Christopher - Beer Stuff

It was INCREDIBLY easy to hit my target temps, in fact the whole process was shockingly easy. I didn't spend very much money for my setup, and I feel like I can do just about any all-grain beer I want now.

Why don't more people do this? It seems perfect, you have no worry about scorching the grains, and I was able to raise the temp for mash out from 154 to 171 in .. I think 5 minutes? (I don't have my brew notes in front of me at the moment...)

I'm curious to hear other thoughts and experiences around using steam for brewing. Flyguy, Yuri and S.Coates(I think?) were the only people I'd seen talking much about this method. This seems like the perfect setup (and was easy to use on my stove top no less!), so why does it seem like an unusual approach?

-Christopher

Bokonon

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It's on my to-do list. I'll probably wait till I find another pressure cooker, I don't want to mess with the canner I use and my wife wouldn't be too happy if I messed with her smaller cooker

Malticulous

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Infusions are easy and I have been doing a lot of decotions lately. I don't see any reason to use steam.

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What's brewing

noisy123

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I have used Flyguy's setup for a while. I have had a lot of success with this method as well.

lordbeermestrength

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+1. I definately want to, but need a pressure cooker.

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Beer, happy Produce of our Isle/Can sinewy Strength impart,
And wearied with Fatigue and Toil/Can cheer each manly Heart.
Labour and Art upheld by Thee/Successfully advance,
We quaff Thy balmy Juice with Glee/And Water leave to France.
Genius of Health, thy grateful Taste/Rivals the Cup of Jove,
And warms each English generous Breast/With Liberty and Love!
(Rev James Townley, 1751)

joety

Recipes 

Ok, I looked at the pictures and still have no idea what the process is. Is this some sort of step mash?

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Conical 1 - Belgian Stout
Conical 2 - Empty
Carboys - American Original Pale Ale
Secondaries - Empty
Kegged: Resurrection Milk Stout, House IPA, Strong Golden Tripel Summer Ale,Through a Mild Darkly, Schwarzbier, Gulden Draak, Alpha King, EdWort's Haus Pale, BLC
Bottled: Oaked Bourbon Porter
Planned: Kolsch II
Now Open: My new 10 gallon Kal inspired RIMS brewery

Bernie Brewer

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I built a steam system and hated it. It took fooorrreeeevvveerrr to get up to temps. I built a direct-fire stand instead.

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I like to squeeze the nickle until the buffalo craps-mt rob

"Why don't we get drunk and screw?" Jimmy Buffett

SpanishCastleAle

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Although if handled properly it's probably not that big of a deal but there is an extra, real hazard when dealing with steam...although I don't think it's enough to NOT use it.

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Early brewers were primarily women, mostly because it was deemed a woman's job. Mesopotamian men, of some 3,800 years ago, were obviously complete assclowns and had yet to realize the pleasure of brewing beer.- Beer Advocate

gxm

Recipes 

I don't see the need with my style of brewing.
Sometimes I do a mash out, sometimes I don't, I haven't seen it as making much difference in the end beer.
Only reason (other than safety concerns) I can see to not do it is it is less energy efficient, assuming you have have left over boiling water at the end. Which isn't a huge thing, I'm sure you could use that water with your sparge.

noisy123

Recipes 

What size of brews are you doing BB? I could see my set-up (even with a 20 quart pressure cooker) not being able to do a 10 gallon batch.