Advice on the most economical way to start all grain brewing

Hello, Ive been brewing from extract kits but want to switch to all grain. Theres no rush on my end I probably won't begin for a couple of months but I wanted to begin assembling the things ill need ( of course as cheaply as possible ). Now I have 3 plastic pales ,1 glass carboy , boiling pot, and all the effects i.e.,siphon tubes and what not. Any help is greatly appreciated.

Assuming a 5 gallon batch:


You'll need a kettle large enough to do a full boil, preferably with a lid (not for the boil but I put one on during chilling)

You'll need a mashtun. On the cheap I'd just make a zaptun like in Charlie Papazian's book. Below is a picture of my first mastun. Keep in mind you can make others on the cheap as well, the variations are limited to your imagination. I fly sparge but you may want to consider batch sparging with a cooler. Slightly (ever so slightly) more money than the zaptun but not much. Folks here will help you if you go that route.

You'll need a kettle large enough to heat your sparge water as well, nothing fancy.

A wort chiller is not mandatory but I'd highly recommend one. Make your own from copper tubing and some hose. Below is a picture of mine.

There are other things that will make brewing easier/more efficient but take it as it comes. This will start you on the cheap.

My very first mashtun:




My wort chiller:

http://hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/

A quick and easy overview of what you'll need.

Thanks that will get me started.

niquejim said:

http://hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/

A quick and easy overview of what you'll need.

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A great link. It is what I used the first time.

I also happened to invent out of necessity a few el cheapo methods for my first AG, take a look.
http://homebrewtalk.com/showthread.php?t=37176&highlight=kiddie+pool

While I applauded the cheap and easy Mash tun Craig photo'd.

In My humble Opinion you'd be much better off using a cooler even if you have to wait until you can afford one. Because you want to hold your temperture steady during your Mash, 2 plastic buckets just won't do a good job. And eventually you'll more than likely want a cooler for a Mash / Lauter tun. So I recommend you wait and do it right the first time.

Cooler aren't that expensive and the modifications you'd need aren't either. I think you'd be better off sticking with extract than making a poor AG.

Check out the Salvation Army or Goodwill stores for cheap coolers.

A large heavy duty piece of aluminum foil with holes punched in it makes a perfectly exceptable sparge arm replacement.

The boil pot and HLT can be one in the same so you don't really need 2 pots.

And if push comes to shove an Ice Bath will cool your wort although an immersion chiller is definately better.

Last but not least have some kind of paddle or long spoon just in case you get a stuck sparge.

Ahem!! Well it was 97 degrees out, that is why my bottleing bucket held the temp so well, but with a little ingenuity, you'll be alright. I also did the route 66 IPA which only called for holding the temp for 30 minutes. Most grains would be Ok for just 20(or so I have been told). But that beer turned out incredibly well. Bottling bucket and all.

Everyone has blankets in their house (I think that is a safe assumption) covering my mashtun with blankets is what I started out with for holding my mash temperature. I would not let holding temperature put off going all grain.

The main thing I'd consider is what style of sparging do you want to do and what size batches do you plan on? If people could mash grains and make beer thousands of years ago you can do it with limited resources too. I made great all grain beer with that mashtun and a kettle when I first started, nothing more. I was not sorry I made the switch from extract on my very first all grain batch and I have not looked back since.

Good luck and always remember this is easy stuff to do.

craiger_ny said:

Everyone has blankets in their house (I think that is a safe assumption) covering my mashtun with blankets is what I started out with for holding my mash temperature. I would not let holding temperature put off going all grain.

The main thing I'd consider is what style of sparging do you want to do and what size batches do you plan on? If people could mash grains and make beer thousands of years ago you can do it with limited resources too. I made great all grain beer with that mashtun and a kettle when I first started, nothing more. I was not sorry I made the switch from extract on my very first all grain batch and I have not looked back since.

Good luck and always remember this is easy stuff to do.

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Which would be a better insulator to wrap the bucket in, the flag or the constitution?(Lol, sorry, no dis-respect, I just couldn't help it)

Of course, if you have any flags lying around, you could burn them for warmth too.
But seriously I like the sentiment in your sig and I agree with the blanket thing. Sitting the tub by a lit fireplace may help in the winter if it is available. Where there is a will there is a way.

cheezydemon said:

Which would be a better insulator to wrap the bucket in, the flag or the constitution?(Lol, sorry, no dis-respect, I just couldn't help it)

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The flag bro, keep your mits off that constitution. It might take a couple though unless you have one of those car dealer ones.

Actually I use this. I still use my little mashtun for 5 gal batches when I am throwing something together after work and don't have a long day to dedicate. I am not the most efficient because I rush the sparge but I can do a 5 gal batch in 3.5 hours including cleanup with both a 60 minute mash and a 60 minute boil.

You do prefer men though? Damnit!!!!Don't answer that. I am sorry, that wasn't PC. I like your sig and I am just in a jokeful mood. please forgive me. Nice handywork by the way! Is that an electric blanket? That would be a thought, only drawback is the minor risk of death by electrocution.

craiger_ny said:

...My very first mashtun:...

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Hey, don't knock it! That's a Zap-Pap (as in Papazian) tun!

I prefer my rectagular cooler set up, but that unit will do just fine if dollars are tight. Last I heard, Joe Formanek still uses a Zap-Pap and I wouldn't argue with his success. Where he spends his money is on quality ingredients. If he can't get then fresh or get exaclty what he wants, he either waits or brews something else.

Well I have a blanket , I'm also an amateur flag collector,and i even have about six coolers so that wont be a problem. I'm really only looking to do 5-10 gal. batches right now.

cheezydemon said:

You do prefer men though? Damnit!!!!Don't answer that. I am sorry, that wasn't PC. I like your sig and I am just in a jokeful mood. please forgive me. Nice handywork by the way! Is that an electric blanket? That would be a thought, only drawback is the minor risk of death by electrocution.

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I can "prefer" anybody one, twice if they are rich. Don't worry about being PC I am far from it (give me time, you'll see). But no it's not electric it is bubble wrap insulation wound to the shape of the mashtun. I actually have these pictures hosted to show guys on another forum (software not beer) how to get into brewing. My policy is to promote an environment that emphasizes the fact that it is easy to do so at the request of a couple of folks I threw a thread together there bulleting the process. This might give you an idea of the insulation situation. Electrocution does sound kind of kinky though I might give that a thought.

I use a round 5 gallon rubbermaid cooler for my HLT. It's 18$ at Wally World. For a mash tun I have also been using a 5 gallon rubbermaid but will be upgrading to 10 soon. Check the DIY section for the conversion. It has part numbers and everything.(Very easy to do). So for less than 80$ you can have an HLT and a small mash tun. If anything these two items are enough to get you going doing PM's. Then buy/make your chiller and get a Large brew pot.
Just make sure you can boil 6 gallons or more. You can always look for a cheap turkey fryer and you will have your HLT and a burner.

I got a turkey fryer on sale (xmas), and went to full boils doing extract while I slowly bought my other all grain equipment. I highly recommend doing full boils with extract if you're going to all grain anyways. It gets your technique of how to use the boiler down without changing a whole lot of your other processes. It also lets you shop around for coolers, waiting for them to go on sale.

craiger_ny said:

Everyone has blankets in their house (I think that is a safe assumption) covering my mashtun with blankets is what I started out with for holding my mash temperature. I would not let holding temperature put off going all grain.

The main thing I'd consider is what style of sparging do you want to do and what size batches do you plan on? If people could mash grains and make beer thousands of years ago you can do it with limited resources too. I made great all grain beer with that mashtun and a kettle when I first started, nothing more. I was not sorry I made the switch from extract on my very first all grain batch and I have not looked back since.

Good luck and always remember this is easy stuff to do.

Click to expand...

I'm not criticizing your mash tun as a matter of fact I admire your ingenuity.

Just trying to point out that coolers are more efficient at holding temp and with cool weather here it's fairly important. Especially if you have to brew outside.

Also just trying to point out that there are places to get coolers on the cheap.

Another place I forgot to mention is garage sales. You can easily pickup one for $5 or less and that might be a better use of your time and money. Sometimes trying to reinvent the wheel just isn't worth the effort.

Sometimes it costs more money both in the short run & in the long run to get too cheap especially if you end up buying a cooler because you are not satisfied with your home made device. It's one thing if you have buckets and insulation sitting around it's another if you have to go out and buy them vs just buying a cooler to start off with. Then there's also the consideration of what your time is worth in building such a device. If it's worth nothing to you or you consider your off time to be valuable is always a personnal matter.

One last thing I try to post with others in mind and not just the OP (original poster) as there may be 10 people who will read these treads to every 1 person that posts a question.

I converted an old 48 qt igloo ice chest that I had sitting around. Most people have one of these. I made a manifold for the top and bottom from cpvc pipe and use my $80 turkey fryer setup which came with an 30 qt pot as my hot water tank. My entire setup cost less than $100 and makes fantastic beer everytime.