I've had success using a modified method of Death Brewer's and Reevy's. The three mini-AG's have been my best brews so far. I tried experimenting with some of Northern Brewer's cheaper AG recipes. I buy the recipe, extra yeast and 1 lb DME, then split the recipe in half. Their American Amber Ale is awesome, came out great for less than $20. Experimenting with a cheap recipe you may like is a no lose situation.
There are so many ways you can take this as well. My next purchase though is going to be a refractometer, so I will know instantly the gravity of my preboil wort. That way I can add DME if needed, and not worry about the efficiency. Hydrometers work as well, but the wort needs to be cooled, where as cooling a drop iss pretty quick.
And how are you pulling off $20 batches? Mine are hitting the upper 20's to lower 30's.
A small batch all-grain?
I rarely spend more than $20 for my 5 gallon batches. I found some maris otter malt for $.88/pound, though! Figure 10 pounds of base malt, maybe a pound or two of specialty grains for a total of $11-12, and then the hops. Hops are expensive now, but I have some in stock and rarely buy them.
Great tutorial DB! That method looks perfect for apartment dwellings, as well as those who want to brew indoors. Thanks for sharing this!
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this is a great explanation death brewer... I was thinking I would really like to get into the partial mash and all grain so I can really experiment with some different brews... one thing I was wondering though, how hard is it to formulate your own recipes? I know I can think of something I would like to brew and know what types of grain and hops I might use, but as far as the amounts... I have no idea.
it really helps to get some software like promash or beersmith to help you out. check out other peoples receipes on HBT, brewmonkey, the recipator and jamils recipes to get an idea of where you need to go.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rtockst
Also, I wanted to know, is the batch you described above a 5 gal batch? Whats the use of the larger pot for if you can top off when you put it in the primary? And you don't need stainless pot just for the mash right? the stainless is only for something that comes out of hops?
yes, it's a 5.5 gallon batch. again, if you can use more water for your sparge, do it. the larger pot is for head space. you don't want to boil 5 gallons in anything less than a 6 gallon pot.
if you want to do a full boil, and your stove won't boil as much, you could also split it up between multiple pots for the boil like i did for my RIS 08/08/08.
i'm not sure what you mean by the stainless. you can use any type of pot you want. i left my equipment locked at my friends house once and had a friend bring over a couple ceramic pots to use.
probably means a 1 or 2.5 gallon batch. i did a few 2.5 gallon batches with this method, too. that would be a good place to start with this AG method.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ApolloSpeed
And how are you pulling off $20 batches? Mine are hitting the upper 20's to lower 30's.
doing all-grain, simplifying recipes and buying in bulk will greatly reduce those prices. you'll also reduce cost with certain styles, IPAs cost a lot because of hops.
Ok, I see now how temps could be held long periods of time due to very small airspace. That would mean sizing the grain bill and amount of water to your pot would be pretty important.
I did a lot of removing the lid and stirring on my first AG stovetop attempt, I guess that explains why I had such a hard time maintaining proper temp.
I have a 6 gallon SS pot coming to my doorstep soon, can't wait to try it again like you demonstrated! Props.
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not with homebrewing, at least in my experience. i stir it maybe 2-3 times the entire mash.
i know it's continuously stirred in breweries (and i'm sure it helps) but stirring every 5 minutes on this scale would cause you to lose temp rather quickly.
what kind of efficiency are you getting?
It varies but, I would say about 75% on average.
I use almost exactly the same method as you with a few exceptions. I wrap my SS kettle in a layer or two of tinfoil that is loose on the sides. I find leaving this gap of air keeps it from dropping temp as fast.
I leave it on the stove top with the stove setting on its lowest. This will not heat water fast at all yet seems to minimize my temp loss. Having a warm bottom is also why I find it necessary to stir to minimize any burning/carmalizing. However, this is just my paranoia because the burner temp is very low.
Lately I have been brewing partial and half-mashes. I just had major surgery so going outside in the cold setting up my all-grain system is a no go. Instead I opt for this method and really see no issues. I do prefer extracting my own wort from grain as opposed to extract but, using at least 3 pounds of grain in a recipe seems to work. Ive done side by side comparisons to extract with steeping grains and partial mashes and find the partials attenuate lower and taste better.
If you are looking for a great partial recipe, check out the one I put together in the recipe section. It is modeled after Bells 2 Hearted but I find it way better than all the other clones out there.
Again, awesome tutorial. The pics here will help TONS of extract guys get into all-grain I am sure.
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