texcan2000
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Bayou classic SQ14 propane burner on Amazon works well for me. Also on Amazon the Winware 40qt aluminum professional stockpot.
There are a few things that have been left out. This is my understanding as I'm about to make the jump to all grain here soon and have been reading as I'm guessing you have too. Braid vs False bottom. For your sparging if you batch sparge from what I've seen people use braids, if you're fly sparging a false bottom is typically used. That's purely nitpicking as I've seen every combination.
Second is the sparging temperatures. Depending on what you're brewing, type of grains, etc, etc you're initial temperature will vary. I've seen 148 to 155, again depending on the type of grains used (some grains are more refined than others. Take for example oatmeal stouts, if you use instant oats you can throw them right in your mash. But if you buy regular oats you have to cook them before adding them to your mash or else the sugars won't be to a state where you can extract the sugars. Granted that was long winded to get me to the temps. Your first batch will extract the simple sugars (easiest to get to) at the 148 -155 degree temp I mentioned earlier. The reason for the higher temps on the sparging...to break it down simply is to get the sugars that need a higher temp to be extracted. Sure you can by using the same temp but then you get into efficiency and that's a whole other discussion.
Third, as others have said...go big or go home. When I go I'm going to be getting at least a 15 gallon kettle for my boil kettle and then a 20 gallon kettle for my MLT with a 15 gallon HLT kettle. This will let me make big beers for 10 gallons because by the time you do a 5 gallon you might as well do a 10 gallon right? The other thing this would let you do is separate into two carboys and do different combinations, maybe using a different yeasts, dry hopping one and not the other, adding oak or bourbon, you get my point by now.
The only other thing I'd suggest is having sight glass and DEFINITELY a ball valve for ease of emptying in the boil kettle. That'll let you see just how much you've got. As for temp, I'd go cheap and easy and just throw a candy thermometer in. For the MLT if you're batch sparging just a ball valve. If you're fly sparging I'd suggest sight glass that way you can keep the MLT sealed and have a hose from your HLT feeding into your MLT to keep it at the right level. There are several designs around here.
All grain brewing can be a simple process, but you are over-simplifying just a bit. You have a few missed steps in there. A good place to start is by reading this. http://www.howtobrew.com/section3/index.html
Better yet, buy his newest edition. It's a great book and will come in handy as you progress through all grain.
Also, I would go with a 10 gallon boil kettle. The extra headspace is nice when you generally have about 7.5 gallons of wort in there to start the boil.
As an aside, you should never tell people that... otherwise before you know it, people will be trying to sell you this setup:I have plenty of money, and I want to make this as easy on myself as possible.
As an aside, you should never tell people that... otherwise before you know it, people will be trying to sell you this setup:
Kal
People may try to sell you more than you think you need.
Kal
As an aside, you should never tell people that... otherwise before you know it, people will be trying to sell you this setup:
Kal
The owner of Bavarian Brewing Technologies buys his ingredients from us, so on Sunday I got to go over to his house and look at his system. It's a scaled down version of a professional 60 bbl brewery, only it produces 20 gallons at a time. Describing it wouldn't do it justice, so I'm including a picture. The brewhouse is on the left, one of his jacked conical fermenters is in the center and two jacketed serving tanks are on the right. There's a little more information on their website: http://bavarianbrewerytech.com/
In case you're wondering the same thing I did, he says it would cost about $60,000 to build another one, at today's stainless prices.
Before I begin, yes I know that all my questions have probably been answered ad nauseam. I apologize, but I just want to make sure I've got everything in order before I go buying stuff.
I have been brewing extract for a year and half. I have a fermentation fridge, kegerator, 3 kegs, hydrometers, air locks, etc. Now I am on to the logical next step - All grain.
It seems like a big step in my mind, but after talking with the guy at the LHBS today, I think I'm going to go for it. I have plenty of money, and I want to make this as easy on myself as possible. Here's my list:
1 propane burner
1 10 gallon igloo cooler
1 false bottom for said igloo cooler
1 8 gal (or bigger) brew pot with thermometer and ball valve
My understanding of the process is that I will put the (crushed) grain into a muslin bag and put it into the 10 gal. igloo cooler w/ false bottom. Then heat (5?) gallons of water up to 155, dump that water into the cooler, put the lid on and wait an hour, let some run out and then pour it back into the cooler (do this three times), then let it all run out into my brew pot. This is now wort. From there the process is the same as doing extract minus the extract, right? Bring to boil, add hops, wait 45 mins, add more hops, wait 15 mins, cool to 75ish, aerate, pitch, etc, etc. Is there something I am missing, or is it really that easy? Is there anything I need to look for when buying the equipment on my list (max BTU on propane burner, build quality of brew pot, etc)? I apologize because as I said, I know all the information is here in front of me, but it just seems like a lot - But when the guy explained it to me, it seemed pretty simple. Essentially the igloo cooler with the false bottom is a mash lauter tun, which is a mash tun and sparge bucket combined, right? I hear so many terms, I don't even know. Help me out here guys.
Ha! Funny that Denny was the last to post right before I linked his page. I didn't get pass the initial post...
I have plenty of money, and I want to make this as easy on myself as possible. Then your options expand Here's my list:
1 propane burner Good, get the biggest you can afford and can operate because you are soon going to want to do larger batches
1 10 gallon igloo cooler
1 false bottom for said igloo cooler
1 8 gal (or bigger) brew pot with thermometer and ball valve You definitely need a bigger brew kettle for five gallon 60 minute boils you will constantly fight boil-overs. You will not have enough volume if you want to do 90 minute boils, which I would recommend.
My understanding of the process is that I will put the (crushed) grain into a muslin bag and put it into the 10 gal. igloo cooler w/ false bottom.(With the false bottom you do not need the bag. This confuses traditional all-grain and brew-in-a-bag. If you want to use the bag then don't waste money on the false bottom.) Then heat (5?) gallons of water(it depends on your mash thickness. Most guys use 1.25 to 1.5 quarts per pound.) up to 155,This temperature will depend on how fermentable you want your wort to be--higher is less fermentable and lower is more fermentable) dump that water into the cooler,(Once again, this depends on what temp you are shooting for in your mash. with 155 water, if you dump it in with the grist, you will end up mashing somewhere in the 140's. For some styles this will be too low. You need to get a tool to calculate strike temps. I recommend BrewSmith.) put the lid on and wait an hour,(I stir mine every twenty minutes. Some don't.) let some run out and then pour it back into the cooler (do this three times), then let it all run out into my brew pot. (It depends on how you want to sparge or if you want to sparge. If you do fly sparging you will slowly run water into the top of the MLT while slowly pulling wort out below. This should take a long slow time and the top of the grain should be kept covered with water until the sparge is almost complete. If you batch sparge, you would run out your first runnings, add water at about 168 deg to the mash tun, stir, let sit for a few minutes, then vorlauf and run out the sparge water into your kettle.) This is now wort. From there the process is the same as doing extract minus the extract, right? Bring to boil, add hops, wait 45 mins, add more hops, wait 15 mins, cool to 75ish, aerate, pitch, etc, etc. (Hop rates vary greatly depending upon what you are making.) Is there something I am missing, or is it really that easy? Is there anything I need to look for when buying the equipment on my list (max BTU on propane burner, build quality of brew pot, etc)? I apologize because as I said, I know all the information is here in front of me, but it just seems like a lot - But when the guy explained it to me, it seemed pretty simple. Essentially the igloo cooler with the false bottom is a mash lauter tun, which is a mash tun and sparge bucket combined, right? (No, it is a mash tun and lauter tun combined. A sparge bucket would be the bucket used to deliver sparge water to your tun through either batch sparging or fly sparging.) I hear so many terms, I don't even know. Help me out here guys.
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