All-grain recipes

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lambo1274

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As I'm waiting for my first brew to be finished in the bottle, I'm looking at recipe kits for the next one. I feel like I read somewhere that all-grain recipes require some different techniques and equipment from what I received in first kit. (This first one I brewed used malt extract and hop pellets.) Is this true? I'm only doing one-gallon batches at this point and some of the "(sm)All Grain Recipe Kits" listed on AHS look interesting.
 
Yes. All-grain requires that you have a way to mash the grains. Usually most people use a cooler to achieve this. You'll then need to sparge the grains, and the rest is as easy as boiling, adding hops, and cooling. Honestly, if you can make oatmeal you can do all-grain. Check out the all-grain section. I went all-grain for about $100 in equipment to start out.
 
Yes.

All grains require that you extract the sugars from the malt grains directly. This requires a different technique called mashing which involves soaking the grains in hot water and then rinsing and extracting your wort from the residual sugar waters. A different technique then adding syrup/sugar to water.

Once you get the worty sugar water, boiling it and adding hops is *exactly* the same though.

There are equipment, called a mash tun, dedicated to mashing but there are methods using simple equipment such as a grain sack and a method could Boil In A Bag (BIAB) in which you, er, boil in a bag.

Brooklyn Brew Shop specialises is 1 gallon all-grain ingredient kits using a pasta pot and a metal strainer and stove top mashing. Heres an example of a recipe they have which describes stovetop mashing. (Although I don't get the "consistancy of oatmeal" business. Mashed grains in my experience *never* have the consistancy of oatmeal.)

But you'll probably want to read up an "real" mashing or BIAB.
 
Yes. All-grain requires that you have a way to mash the grains. Usually most people use a cooler to achieve this. You'll then need to sparge the grains, and the rest is as easy as boiling, adding hops, and cooling. Honestly, if you can make oatmeal you can do all-grain. Check out the all-grain section. I went all-grain for about $100 in equipment to start out.

I went from extract to all grain for about $5.

I bought a nylon bag and starting doing BIAB.
 
I went from extract to all grain for about $5.

I bought a nylon bag and starting doing BIAB.

I'm talking about traditional mashing, not BIAB. For that you'd need a cooler, a conversion kit for the cooler, a chiller, and likely a bigger pot than what you start out with extract brewing. That's usually up around $100.
 
I'm talking about traditional mashing, not BIAB. For that you'd need a cooler, a conversion kit for the cooler, a chiller, and likely a bigger pot than what you start out with extract brewing. That's usually up around $100.

Right... but my point is that you can go to an all-grain method for less than $100.

BIAB vs. "traditional" brewing is talked about ad nauseum here... but it's nice to point out the options to newbies.
 
Right... but my point is that you can go to an all-grain method for less than $100.

BIAB vs. "traditional" brewing is talked about ad nauseum here... but it's nice to point out the options to newbies.

True. I like to give out advice with methods that I have experience with. :D
 
I believe the term is brew in a bag. You do not want to boil your grains. You only want to mash them at around 150F.

D'oh!!!! I knew that! I need my *COFFEE*!!!

I'm talking about traditional mashing, not BIAB. For that you'd need a cooler, a conversion kit for the cooler, a chiller, and likely a bigger pot than what you start out with extract brewing. That's usually up around $100.

I think the point was that all-grain need not be expensive. BIAB is a cheap and legitimate way to do all-grain. And for a one gallon batch you don't need the bag-- just a strainer (although a grain bag is nice).
 
If you are only doing 1 gallon batches, you probably have all the equipment on hand to do all grain. Most of the cost of all-grain startup is due to the increased volumes - eg 7 gallons+ of wort to do a 5 gallon batch. You need big kettles and some way to mash and sparge a good chunk of grain and then some way to cool it. For a 1 gallon batch, you could just use a couple cheapo grain bag, mash right in a pot, and just let the bag drain in a colander. The only real trick would be keeping the temp in the correct range with a small volume. The easiest thing would probably be to preheat you over and then just toss the whole pot in there. That should hold temps close for an hour pretty well.
 
Can I BIAG with a 5-Gallon pot? I am currently doing Extract 5-gallon batches with my in pot brews being around 4-gallons and topping off with an additional gallon of cold water. Can you BIAG and then top off with water or does this method call for a full boil?

I would do AG if it were this easy but as good as my extract beer is coming out I see no need (as of now) to purchase additional equipment and make a big switch. Thoughts?
 
Can I BIAG with a 5-Gallon pot? Can you BIAG and then top off with water or does this method call for a full boil?

It's not recommended but it's hypothetically possible. The thing is, you have to extract the *total* amount of all your sugars. And it's harder to extract x amount of sugar with 5 gallons of water than to extract x amount of sugar with 6 gallons. But what you can probably do is to increase your grain. However with more grain but less water you are likely to have even less efficiency and thus will need to up it even more. I don't know if there is a rule of thumb but I wouldn't be surprised if you had to double your grain.

With a 6 gallon pre-boil you only have to extract enough sugars so that your specific gravity is 5/6 of your target OG. With a 4 gallon pre-boil you need to extract enough that your specific gravity is 5/4 of your target specific gravity and you'll have to do that with *less* efficency.

Example. 11 lbs of grain with 6 gallons of water and 75% efficiency yields. 11*37*.75 = 302 points = 6 gallons at 1.051 which boils to 5 gallons at 1.061 OG.

20 lbs of grain with 4 gallons at 40% efficiency yields 20*37*.4 = 296 points = 4 gallons at 1.074 which boils down to 3 gallons at 1.099 which tops off to 5 gallons at 1.060.

And that's assuming you can get 40% efficiency with 20 lbs of grains and only 4 gallons of water which you probably can't. (That's only .8 qts per lb *including* sparging.)
 
Now my head is hurting. Theres a 99% chance I stick with extract for at least another year or 2.
 
Okay. No math.

When you mash you usually get a certain gravity that's good enough for your beer. I've you mash a lesser volume and top off, your beer will be too watery. Thus you have to extract much more sugar. Thus you have to have more grains. But as you have more grains and less water your efficiency will be much less so you'll need even more grains.


Another *year* or two? This is beer-making; not brain surgery. All-grain is simple and, if one wants to, one can be ready for it by one's third of fourth batch (or sooner-- or not at all if one doesn't want to). If you accept that topping off is not really a practical option one can make 3 gallon batches in a 5-gallon pot with no problems. Or you can do partial mashes with no problems.

Or if you have two five gallon pots you can mash in two pots. Or mash in one pot and sparge in another.
 
Actually, her's how I *should* have answered in the first place.

Can I BIAG with a 5-Gallon pot? I am currently doing Extract 5-gallon batches with my in pot brews being around 4-gallons and topping off with an additional gallon of cold water. Can you BIAG and then top off with water or does this method call for a full boil?

Yes, you can. But you will need to up your grain bill by 1 1/2 to 2 times to get extra sugar out of the grains to compensate.

Or you can to top off with not just water but also extract. This is called a partial mash.

I would do AG if it were this easy but as good as my extract beer is coming out I see no need (as of now) to purchase additional equipment and make a big switch. Thoughts?

Thoughts? I have three (in order of what I consider feasible)

1) partial mashes and
2) smaller batches (2 or 3 gallon batches) and
3) high-gravity/high grain bill (Increase your grain by 50%)
 
Now my head is hurting. Theres a 99% chance I stick with extract for at least another year or 2.

Don't wait, especially if you're doing 1 gallon batches. Get a nylon grain bag and try brew in a bag. It's really not hard, and if you don't like it, you're only out $5-$10. Ideally, you'd want at least an 8 gallon pot for a full 5 gallon batch. At that point, you have to consider an alternate to stove top since a bigger pot is harder to heat on stove top burners.
 
All grain brewing IS simple. With BIAB there is very little extra equipment needed. It adds some steps but they are easy, just plan ahead and pay attention. Other ways of doing all grain involve more equipment. You can start inexpensive or go bling! and spend big$$

Research it a little and get started!
 
As I'm waiting for my first brew to be finished in the bottle, I'm looking at recipe kits for the next one. I feel like I read somewhere that all-grain recipes require some different techniques and equipment from what I received in first kit. (This first one I brewed used malt extract and hop pellets.) Is this true? I'm only doing one-gallon batches at this point and some of the "(sm)All Grain Recipe Kits" listed on AHS look interesting.

I did extract for the first 8 months all the 30 gallons were good. I just switched ti all grain and i love it i can experiment and make something my own. I suggest going all grain
 
Ok say I want to BIAB, 5-gallon batch in one pot the way God intended. What size pot would I need?

I was just hoping to avoid additional costs but birthday coming up so someone else ca buy a new pot. Although my extracts have been good I'm tired of the LME and DME costs and want to branch out in the next 2-3 months. My next 3 brews are lined up but I would want to BIAG by fall.
 
Ok say I want to BIAB, 5-gallon batch in one pot the way God intended. What size pot would I need?

I was just hoping to avoid additional costs but birthday coming up so someone else ca buy a new pot. Although my extracts have been good I'm tired of the LME and DME costs and want to branch out in the next 2-3 months. My next 3 brews are lined up but I would want to BIAG by fall.

10 gallons would be my choice. Stainless is preferred over aluminum by most, although that point is often debated (mostly by people who use aluminum). You can spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy, name brand pot, or find one online for under a hundred dollars. You do get what you pay for, but only to a certain extent. Sometimes you're paying for a name(blichman), which doesn't really matter and won't make your beer any better. A decent 10 gallon stainless pot will get you down the road for many years, and is a good start for the other methods of all grain brewing.
 
Eman24dx said:
Ok say I want to BIAB, 5-gallon batch in one pot the way God intended. What size pot would I need?

I started with a 7.5 gal aluminum pot. It worked but I got sick of having to watch it like a hawk to avoid boil overs, so I upgraded to a 10 gallon stainless and it was worth very penny.

Like mentioned earlier, if your going to full boils you'll most likely need to get a burner, as the stove may not be able to boil 6-7 gallons.

Many people purchase a turkey fryer kit that comes with a propane burner and pot. The one I bought was $65 and came with burner and 7.5 aluminum pot.
 
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