All Grain Brewing Process in 20 Simple Steps

Original Post has been edited many times with input consensus
I have seen requests for the All Grain Brewing Process in a simple beginners format for those interested in making the switch or starting out. The process is partially calculated, opinionated, and sometimes overwhelming for someone trying to gauge interest. You will never know until you attempt, fail, and learn. The process below uses fly sparging (Steps 6. - 8.), batch sparging or BIAB are another option for rinsing grains (suggested link needed) EDIT:This guide is about pure process. I would encourage more research on cleaning, calculations, equipment and bottling/kegging (after fermentation options) because this is not a one size fits all process.

Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with a Brewing Company, it is just a username.

Equipment:
- 6+ Gallon Boil Pot with spigot [Recommend using 8+ to prevent boil overs, Stainless Steel is best but more $, aluminum requires prep (boil water in pot to create grayish fade aka oxide layer before use)]
- 10 Gallon Cooler Assembled Mash Tun
- 5 Gallon Cooler with spigot (Recommended for fly sparging only)
- 6/6.5 Gallon Glass Carboy (better bottle or bucket is a cheaper option)
- Carboy Rubber Stopper
- Immersion Wort Chiller
- 2 Food Grade Hose Line
- Electric Thermometer
- Hydrometer

Ingredients (Recipe will provide amounts):
-Grains [buy crushed/milled grains from LHBS and store airtight (Recommend not online)]
-Hops
-Yeast

Basically (Clean > Heat Water > Mash > Sparge > Boil > Hops > Ferment > Bottle/Keg)

#F = # of Degrees Fahrenheit
LHBS = Local Home Brew Store

1. Clean EVERYTHING that might come in contact with home brew
2. Heat the calculated amount of strike water to +15 degrees above the calculated strike water temperature (Optional: If chemical make up of water is unknown, use spring water)
3. Transfer Strike Water in to the Mash Tun (Research mash water PH or Optional: Add 5.2 PH Stabilizer to strike water to improve beginners efficiency)
4. Once water has cooled to the calculated strike water temperature (usually between 150F to 154F but be precise), Add grains to strike water mash tun while stirring water
5. Seal the cooler mash tun shut and allow grains to mash for the calculated duration (usually 60 minutes)
6. Heat calculated Fly Sparge Water to 185F
7. Transfer Fly Sparge Water to 5 Gallon Cooler and allow to the water to cool to just above 170F before sealing the cooler shut
8. Slowly Drain mashed water (or "Wort") to clean pitcher(Optional: sanitze as well) and add back to the mash tun cooler, repeat until the mash tun drains grain free
9a. Transfer the Wort back in to the Boil Pot slowly with as little agitation as possible (slower = better efficiency)
9b. While mash tun drains, Add 170F fly sparge water to the mash tun keeping the water level 2 inches above the grain level until empty
10. Heat Wort to a rolling boil (not full bubbling boil)
11. Add Hops to the boiling wort at the recipe's specified hop schedule time (monitor heat source and wort temp level to maintain boil but avoid boil over) (At the last 15 minutes of boil, evaluate final boil wort volume, if: LOW add spring water; HIGH increase temp; Optional: Add Irish Moss to improve beginners clarity at 15min), At the last 10 minutes of boil, Insert wort chiller in to the wort to disinfect
12. Remove boil pot from heat source and Activate wort chiller to begin cooling wort to under 70F
13. While wort is chilling, Sanitize Carboy, Food Grade Hose Lines, and Carboy Rubber Stopper
14. Transfer wort to carboy using food grade hose line, one side connected to the spigot of the boil pot, the other placed just past the opening of the carboy so the wort is splashing in to the carboy (aeration); be sure to take a hydrometer reading of the Wort for Original Gravity (OG)
15. Add calculated amount of yeast cells to the wort in the carboy and seal the top of the carboy with rubber stopper
16. Insert a food grade hose line in to the rubber stopper and put the other end in a cup of sanitize water to create a blow-off tube
17. Cover carboy with towels to keep safe from light
18. Ferment for 10-21 days (bubbling is 60+ seconds appart) and take hydrometer reading for Final Gravity (FG) (should be around 1.010 for completion)
19. Keg or Bottle your homebrew and allow 2 weeks to age (research equipment and process while beer ferments)
20. Drink your home brew!

Mash and Sparge Water Calculator:
http://www.brew365.com/mash_sparge_water_calculator.php
Yeast Pitching Calculator:
http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html
Alcohol By Volume (ABV) Calculator:
http://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/
How to Make a Yeast Starter
https://www.homebrewtalk.com/f39/how-make-yeast-starter-pictorial-76101/
Mash and Balance Value Calculator
http://www.tc.umn.edu/~rohw0009/homebrewing/calculator/bvcalc.htm
Grain Substitution Chart
http://www.brew.is/files/malt.html

Suggested Updrades:
-Yeast Starter
-False Bottom for Mash Tun
-Stir Plate
-Stainless Steel Spigots
-Kegging Equipment
-Aeration Kit/Stone

Cheers

Printable PDF:

View attachment All Grain Brewing Process in 20 Simple Steps.pdf

Here is a Pale Ale Recipe to try out by referencing to the instructions above.

Brew Type: All Grain
Style: Pale Ale
Brew Time: 4 - 5 weeks

Shopping list:
Malt:
14 lbs Pale Ale (2 Row)
11 oz (3/4lbs-1oz) caramel malt (60L)
Hops:
1 oz Chinook
3 oz Cascade
1 oz Citra
Yeast:
White Labs WLP001 or Wyeast 1056 American Ales

Schedule:
Strike Water 4.8 gallons at 165F
Mash at 152F for 60 minutes
Fly Sparge 4.5 gallons at 170F
Boil Time 60 minutes
1 oz Chinook at 60 minutes
2 oz Cascade at 15 minutes
1 oz Cascade at 5 minutes
1 oz Citra at 5 minutes
Ferment in carboy at 68F for 2 - 3 weeks
Keg at 10 PSI for 2 weeks or Bottle

2. Only need to sanitize post boil equipment.

3. No need to boil strike water

4. pH stabilizer is a waste of money

5. You must account for the temperature the grain will drop your strike water. The water in the tun should be stable at 160+ before you add the grain. It will drop to 150-155 degrees

7. No need to boil sparge water

8. Sparge water should be in the 180+ range to bring the bed to 165-170

9. No need to sanitize pre boil

10a. Hot side aeration is a homebrew myth.

10b. OG is the term for post boil wort gravity

13. Bring your wort to pitch temperature or below with your chiller. (60-70 degree range)

14. Aeration is good at transfer to fermenter

AnOldUR said:

2. Only need to sanitize post boil equipment.

3. No need to boil strike water

4. pH stabilizer is a waste of money

5. You must account for the the temperature the grain will drop your strike water. The water should be about 160 before you add the grain. It will drop to 150-155 degrees

7. No need to boil sparge water

8. Sparge water should be in the 180+ range to bring the bed to 165-170

9. No need to sanitize pre boil

10a. Hot side aeration is a homebrew myth.

10b. OG is the term for post boil wort gravity

13. Bring your wort to pitch temperature or below with your chiller. (60-70 degree range)

14. Aeration is good at transfer

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18. Airlock activity is not necessarily an indication for fermentation. The FG depends on the style you're brewing.

19. Proper carbonation rates and time are dependent on the style you're brewing.

Step 0 - Find out if your water supply contains chloramines. If it does, either use campden tablets to neutralize the chloramines or use bottled water. Your beer will taste horrible otherwise.

Step 14 is wrong. You want lots of agitation to the boiled wort. You have to re-introduce oxygen to the wort. Yeast needs oxygen to grow right. Take your buckets or carboys and shake them for a good 90 seconds to re-oxygenate the wort after boiling.

Step 17.5 - Clean everything before it gets all crusty. Will save a lot of time on the next brew day.

Step 18. Ferment for 10-21 days in a carefully controlled temperature environment. Get a thermo sticker for your fermentation vessel and make sure the vessel doesn't come close to exceeding the recommended fermentation temps. Most yeasts ferment well at around 62° F, but you should read up on the yeast that you choose. Take a hydrometer reading and then another one three days later. If the numbers are the same (usually around 1.010) then fermentation is complete. Bubbles don't mean anything. Don't trust them.

2. Only need to sanitize post boil equipment.

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Extra 5 minutes is worth it to me but I will make that optional

3. No need to boil strike water

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Boil/Heat whatever, just get it to the temp you want but I'll clarify
*Note, sometimes if I have the time I boil to sanitze the water

4. pH stabilizer is a waste of money

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Opinionated. I don't use it but suggest it for beginners to help with efficiency

5. You must account for the temperature the grain will drop your strike water

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I wrote calculated and put a calculator at the bottom to do so

18. Airlock activity is not necessarily an indication for fermentation. The FG depends on the style you're brewing.

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hence I noted take a hydrometer

19. Proper carbonation rates and time are dependent on the style you're brewing.

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These instructions are for beginners just starting or considering All Grain. They do not have a style yet.

To anyone trying to take in all of this information, the above is what happens when you are doing your research. Brewing is an opinionated science. Follow the instructions and you'll make good craft beer. After about 10 batches start customizing and calculating more to become closer to a nano brewery.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

1. Clean everything that might come in contact with home brew
2. Sanitize everything that might come in contact with home brew
3. Boil the calculated amount of strike water to +15 degrees above the calculated strike water temperature
4. Transfer Strike Water in to the Mash Tun (Optional: Add 5.2 PH Stabilizer to strike water)
5. Once water has cooled to the calculated strike water temperature (usually about 150F to 154F), Add grains to strike water mash tun while stirring water
6. Seal the cooler mash tun shut and allow grains to mash for the calculated duration (usually 60 minutes)
7. Boil calculated Fly Sparge Water to 185F
8. Transfer Fly Sparge Water to 5 Gallon Cooler and allow to the water to cool to just above 170F before sealing the cooler shut
9. Slowly Drain mashed water (or "Wort") to a sanitzed pitcher and add back to the mash tun cooler, repeat until the mash tun drains grain free
10a. Transfer the wort back in to the Boil Pot with as little agitation as possible
10b. While mash tun drains, Add 170F fly sparge water to the mash tun keeping the water level just above the grain level until empty
11. Heat wort to a rolling boil (not full bubbling boil)
12. Add Hops to the boiling wort (monitor heat source level to maintain boil but avoid boil over) at the time specified in the recipe’s hop schedule, Insert wort chiller in to the wort in the boil pot during the last 5 minutes to disinfect (Optional: Add Irish Moss at the last 15 minutes of boil)
13. Remove boil pot from heat source and Activate wort chiller to begin cooling wort to under 95F
14. Transfer wort to carboy using food grade hose line with as little agitation as possible and take a hydometer reading of wort before boil for Original Gravity (OG)
15. Add the desire amount of yeast cells to the wort in the carboy and seal the top of the carboy with rubber stopper
16. Insert a food grade hose line in to the rubber stopper and put the other end in a cup of sanitize water to create a blow-off tube
17. Cover carboy with towels to keep safe from light
18. Ferment for 10-21 days (bubbling is 60+ seconds appart) and take hydrometer reading for Final Gravity (FG) (should be around 1.010)
19. Keg or Bottle your homebrew and allow 2 weeks to age (research equipment and process while beer ferments)
20. Drink your home brew!

Mash and Sparge Water Calculator:
http://www.brew365.com/mash_sparge_water_calculator.php
Yeast Pitching Calculator:
http://www.mrmalty.com/calc/calc.html
Alcohol By Volume (ABV) Calculator:
http://www.brewersfriend.com/abv-calculator/

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I'll only comment on some of the points:

2. You don't need to sanitize anything that comes in to contact to the water or wort prior to the boil.

4. pH stabilizer is crap.

5. The strike temperature should be calculated precisely (you gave a rather large range). The link you provided at brew365 gives the right calculation. You need to input the weight of the grains, ambient temp (grain temp), target mash temp, etc. This gives you PRECISE control over the mash temp, which can have a dramatic effect on the resulting beer. You oversimplified to say the strike temp should be between 150-154. That's pretty low, and way too low for a large beer that you want to mash high. Be precise, use a calculator.

7. You can't boil something at 185F. (at normal atmospheric pressure) Yes, it's a grammar thing, but let's use the right words. You're HEATING to 185F, not boiling.

12. To ensure that nasties on the chiller are boiled away, it should be added with at least 10 minutes remaining in the boil, not 5.

13. Why 95F? That's WAY TOO HIGH to pitch the yeast, yet nowhere else do you talk about proper pitching temps. As it reads, it looks like your advocating pitching as high as 95F - which is a good way to kill all your yeast.

Also, nowhere do you mention aeration of the wort prior to pitching. This is a critical step. Even shaking the fermentor is better than nothing.

14. OG is not measured before the boil. It's measured after the boil and after cooling, just before pitching.

16. Blow off tubes aren't always needed. Optional step.

17. Why?

18. Bubble intervals are NEVER a reliable way to determine if a fermentation is complete. ONLY a series of FG readings taken over multiple days can tell you if the fermentation is done.

19. 2 weeks is a nice starting point for bottle conditioning, but it's hardly universal. For many bigger beers, 2 weeks is just the start. For a wheat or IPA, two weeks is fine. In other words, conditioning time depends on the style.



So other than all that, good guide.

5. The strike temperature should be calculated precisely....

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This guide is about process not calculations. There are many other forums that go in depth on this

7. ....You're HEATING to 185F, not boiling.

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Just get it there, whatever,

12. ...should be added with at least 10 minutes remaining in the boil, not 5.

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Corrected

13. 95F - which is a good way to kill all your yeast.

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Corrected after more research

Also, nowhere do you mention aeration of the wort prior to pitching.

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Suggest something to add, don't just point out its missing

14. OG is not measured before the boil

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Already corrected that mistake

16. Blow off tubes aren't always needed. Optional step.

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True, but they always work, one blow off inside and you'll never go back which is likely for a beginner that overpitched

17. Why?

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10 minutes of sunlight and I've read even florescent light causes skunk flavors

18. Bubble intervals are NEVER a reliable way to determine if a fermentation is complete. ONLY a series of FG readings taken over multiple days can tell you if the fermentation is done.

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I noted to take an FG reading and I assume a beginner will oxidize their beer fooling around to much, its better to eyeball calrity when first starting. if the FG reading is way off when first opened, continue fermenting. I will make note tho

19. 2 weeks is a nice starting point for bottle conditioning, but it's hardly universal.

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Aware but again this just making a general guideline for beginners to work off of, I will provide more info

I welcome comments and suggestions to perfect this easy guide but keep it mind it is for first time brewers. Things like alkalinity, yeast starters, and dry hopping come later.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

I make homemade bread and yeast works best at 90-100F. I will look more in to this one

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Please do. We're not making bread, we're fermenting beer. Not all ale yeast are created equal, let alone lager, bread, etc. I'm all for helping the newbies out with generalized information... but there is a difference between general and flat out wrong.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

10 minutes of sunlight or florescent light and cause skunk flavors

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Care to share proof of this? If that's the case, then I guess everyone who brews outside, or transfers beer with their lights on has skunked beer.

I understand what you're trying to do and it is good. Brewing is most certainly an opinionated experience, and everyone can do things differently and turn out great beer. However, these points are not opinions, they are falsified pieces of information being portrayed as facts, and should be corrected.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

Extra 5 minutes is worth it and and you would leave grain residue from previous brew in mash tun?

Boil/Heat whatever, just get it to the temp you want
*Note, sometimes if I have the time I boil to sanitze the water

Opinionated. I don't use it but suggest it for beginners to help with efficiency

I don't know how many time I wrote calculated and put a calculator at the bottom to do so


hince i noted take a hydrometer

These instructions are for beginners just starting or considering All Grain. They do not have a style yet.

To anyone trying to take in all of this information, the above is what happens when you are doing your research. Brewing is an opinionated science. Follow the instructions and you'll make good craft beer. After about 10 batches start customizing and calculating more to become closer to a nano brewery.

Click to expand...

It's silly to sanitize a mashtun! Wash it out on brewday, so it's clean. Then put it away. On brewday, use it for brewing. Grain is crawling with lactobacillus- so you wouldn't do any good by sanitizing it and then putting grain in it anyway! So, you'd have to sanitize the grain, before putting it in your sanitized mashtun for it to even be close to helpful.

No need to sanitize water- it's sanitary, and then it's in your boil kettle.

Cool the wort to the proper fermentation temperature before pitching the yeast- generally 65 degrees or so for ales, for 50 or so for lagers.

PH "stabilizer" is a waste of money, doesn't improve efficiency, and usually has a negative flavor impact- plus it doesn't stabilize the pH anyway! (Not my opinion- this is fact.)

It's appreciated that you put together some steps, but frankly some aren't correct or needed. Saying that doesn't make me "opinionated" (which seems to describe people who don't agree with you, rather than being opinionated).

Making more steps than is necessary creates more stress and anxiety for a new brewer than keeping it simple would.

Care to share proof of this?

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I've read tons on this and there are numerous forums on why this is true based off tests that sunlight will cause skunk especially if you are dry hopping
Here are some few experiments I've seen

psorgatz said:

I did an experiment with beer in green bottles, left a bottle of beck's out in light over night, one in light for a half hour, and kept one covered in the box. Within the half hour, you could already pick up skunky flavors, the one left out over night smelled like a cypress hill concert.

Also noticed that its not just sunlight that skunks beer, but artificial light will do it as well.

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schematix said:

Surprising as it is it, it only takes a few minute exposed to direct sunlight to skunk a beer.

Try it for yourself. Buy yourself a 24oz can of Budweiser (or you're favorite lightly hopped macro brew) and pour it into a glass. Take a good sniff and note the lack of almost all aroma (specifically hop/skunk aroma). Leave it outside on a bright summer day for about 10 minutes and take a sniff again. Skunk!

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So you see, maybe all of us are wrong and you're right, just spreading word on what i've read

Yes help. Offer advice or suggestions. Don't stubbornly attack someone trying to help especially when there are so many opinions which you have just proved one of yours to be possibly incorrect as well. Forum wars get started over arguments on the simplest nit picking things. "FALSE!!" and "I've heard/read otherwise" is a huge difference.

Do you have a source for what schematix wrote (Budweiser in the sun)? I am curious about that, but I've seen far too many poorly-run experiments to believe this data without more background. I'm hoping it wasn't just warmer than the un-sun-treated sample, but again without seeing what exactly was done I don't believe it.

I will, however, try it myself.

By the way, I think I agree with almost everyone here: you, for attempting to help new brewers; the few major corrections (which could really just be noted in your original post); and the minor corrections for making it clearer (boiled vs heated). The only thing I don't agree with is the somewhat petty criticisms. We're all here to help each other.

Nice attempt I think overall the plan is pretty good. Biggest gut checks for me were also the idea of sanitizing the mash tun and pitching temperature.

On first point I think it is important that brewers understand difference between clean, sanitized, and sterilized. Pre boil gear needs to be clean, post boil gear needs to be sanitized (think wort chiller, transfer tubes, fermenter, air lock...), and none of these need to be sterile.

On second everything I've read recommends pitching at or near fermentation temperature. I guess if you are using dry yeast it is ok to hydrate in lukewarm water but pitching should be at fermentation temp.


Finally I think if it is for beginning all grain brewers you maybe should point out this is your process and their process may be different..especially if they batch sparge or BIAB. I like to have a checklist just like this for my own brew days, along with checklists of equipment to round up and where I keep it (some of my brew gear is in the kitchen, some in the garage....). I'd encourage new brewers to take your list and think through their own planned process and have their own checklist in hand before brew day #1.

Exactly what he said^^^

I listed my equipment and state its fly sparging. Maybe I should clarify. As far as cleaning, I would encourage brewers to read up on cleaning. I didn't want to go in to anymore depth. I am a bit over the top with cleaning but I personally don't mind the extra time. I'll clarify its optional as well.

I never said its the Bible. Merely a starting foundation. I want more home brewers and home brewing appreciation.

PS thank you explaining the yeast. 60-70F best pitching is an edit I will make.

Keep the input coming. Try to avoid criticizing the depth because I recommend first timers doing a little more reading after.

freisste said:

Do you have a source for what schematix wrote (Budweiser in the sun)? I am curious about that, but I've seen far too many poorly-run experiments to believe this data without more background. I'm hoping it wasn't just warmer than the un-sun-treated sample, but again without seeing what exactly was done I don't believe it.

I will, however, try it myself.

By the way, I think I agree with almost everyone here: you, for attempting to help new brewers; the few major corrections (which could really just be noted in your original post); and the minor corrections for making it clearer (boiled vs heated). The only thing I don't agree with is the somewhat petty criticisms. We're all here to help each other.

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I wouldn't even go so far as to call schematix anecdote a poorly run experiment. It's meaningless. No control. No methods. No procedure. No reproducibility. It's an anecdote, nothing more.

Which criticisms did you see as petty? All of them seemed pretty legit to me.

Has How to Brew by Palmer been removed from the Interwebs? I always thought that had a good intro to all grain. Why the devotion to 20 steps? Surely 10 steps would be better for newbies?

I ask because brewing isn't a process that should be constrained to a set number of steps. It makes for nice web copy but it doesn't answer the "why" process question that is at the heart of most new brewer questions. Ignoring or discounting the other commenters statements about PH stabilizer or sanitizing potable water doesn't help this product at all and the idea that a newbie is going to get ph stabilizer or even know how to use it is, I think, undermining the idea you started with to write an easy intro to all grain.

I was the first to reply here. I tried to keep its simple and not judgmental. After that there was a lot of piling on. Your attempts to justify your original post are not helping. The unkind bottom line is that you're not qualified to offer the type support you set out to do. I applaud you for trying, but you need to gain some experience before offering help to others. Your present attempt does more harm than good.

evrose said:

13. Why 95F? That's WAY TOO HIGH to pitch the yeast, yet nowhere else do you talk about proper pitching temps. As it reads, it looks like your advocating pitching as high as 95F - which is a good way to kill all your yeast.

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95 F will not kill your yeast. In fact, yeast love working around 90 F. If you read the directions on your packet of dry yeast, it actually advises that you rehydrate the yeast in 90 water. Yeast won't die until up around 120 F. They'll work furiously at 90 F, but will produce a ton of fusel alcohols and off-flavours.

Also, to the OP, yo'ure correct that sunlight will skunk beer in fairly short order (20-30 minutes). However, you imply that flourescent light will skunk it equally quickly, which is not true. If it were, I'd need to wear sunblock at work (we have all flourescent lighting in my office).

While flourescent lights do indeed emit UV rays, they do so at a rate several orders of magnitude lower than direct sunlight, to the point where they are not a threat to skunk your beer.

That said, I do keep my carboys covered with t-shirts.

AnOldUR said:

I was the first to reply here. I tried to keep its simple and not judgmental. After that there was a lot of piling on. Your attempts to justify your original post are not helping. The unkind bottom line is that you’re not qualified to offer the type support you set out to do. I applaud you for trying, but you need to gain some experience before offering help to others. Your present attempt does more harm than good.

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They'll work furiously at 90 F, but will produce a ton of fusel alcohols and off-flavours.

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Thank you for clarifying.

you imply that flourescent light will skunk it equally quickly, which is not true.

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I have read that blonde ales are affected by florescent and I meant to imply to not leave your carboy in florescent 24/7 which may not serve as a purpose. Anyone have more knowledge on this?

MorrisBrewingCo said:

Your post above has no meaning other than express your hatred which no one cares about.

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No hatred, just the facts. If you had posted this thread as, "This is my process. What do you think?" there would have been open, constructive discussion. But your presentation was in tutorial form, and a good deal of it was flat out wrong. Backpedal and edit all you want, that won't change the original post. Or you could just admit you screwed up and move on. Nothing wrong with that.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

I believe editing the original post does actually change the original post. Fine I was wrong you are right about everything and anything (life,religion,beer,universe). We should worship this person and become more like her. Now please walk away now that you got what you wanted.

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I'm not sure if you realize this, but the entire thread now has nothing to do with your original post at all, however many times you edit it. You were given constructive criticism from knowledgable brewers, which you have largely dismissed. Perhaps you thought this was going to turn into one of those really cool internet threads with 5000 posts where lives and marriages are saved by your enlightened brewing advice. But the fact is that you've made 5 batches of beer, there are already plenty of sources of great information for beginners to learn from, and the way that you're trying to keep riding this thread is bizarre. And that's what the thread is about now, good sir. You've made a spectacle of yourself in front of God and the Internet. It's time to stop posting now.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

I believe editing the original post does actually change the original post. Fine I was wrong you are right about everything and anything (life,religion,beer,universe). We should worship this person and become more like her. Now please walk away now that you got what you wanted.

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Stop. Just stop. Hyperbole and self-victimization will get your nowhere.

I've openly changed the original post with all suggestions given but thank you. The information is for pure process as requested. When you tell someone first starting to look at the chemical make up of their water, its a huge barrier to entry. I've brew 30+ batches. My current procedure is a lot more complicated than the one I provided (this is a beginners forum). Negativity is unwanted. Suggestions are. Check your tone before someone else does. All threads stray from their original meaning on this website which you are progressively assisting. Please just suggestions on the original post and no more breakdown of how this conversation has developed or judgement of me (PM me if you really feel the need). Thank you.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

We should worship this person and become more like her.

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Now I know how Yooper feels. :cross:

MorrisBrewingCo said:

When you tell someone first starting to look at the chemical make up of their water, its a huge barrier to entry.

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If you don't, and their beer comes out tasting like band-aids or worse, and they don't know why, then they may get discouraged real fast.

Which is why a lot of people advocate using bottled spring water for their first few batches, especially if they're doing all-grain. It may not give them exceptional beer, but it will give them some decent beer at the very least. It would be AWESOME if we could make great beers and not worry about water chemistry, but that's just not the case.

Please don't take this as piling on, but more a critique of the process that you've outlined for new all-grain brewers. I have been brewing all-grain for the last five years and try to keep it as simplistic (and cheap!) as possible.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

Equipment:
- 6+ Gallon Stainless Steel Boil Pot with spigot ---- Good but 9 - 10 gallon is preferred
- 10 Gallon Cooler Assembled Mash Tun ---- Good
- 5 Gallon Cooler with spigot ---- Not Needed
- 5 or 6 Gallon Glass Carboy ---- Glass, Better bottle, bucket, does not matter
- Carboy Rubber Stopper ---- Good
- Immersion Wort Chiller ---- Good (There are other options as well for cooling)
- 2 Food Grade Hose Line ---- Depends on your particular setup
- Electric Thermometer ---- Preferred, but not entirely necessary if you have a thermometer built into your BK
- Hydrometer ---- Always good

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My particular critique with your set up is the additional 5-gallon cooler. Frankly, it's unnecessary. You can heat your strike water in your brew kettle, transfer to the 10-gallon mash tun, heat your sparge water, drain your mash runnings to a bucket, transfer your sparge water to the 10-gallon cooler, transfer the mash runnings to the brew kettle and start the boil, drain sparge runnings to the brew kettle, and you're off.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

When you tell someone first starting to look at the chemical make up of their water, its a huge barrier to entry.

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I'd suggest telling someone to blindy use "5.2" to improve their efficiency is way worse than just saying "if you're interested in water chemistry, read AJ's primer (posted by Yooper) in the brew science section. More advanced water chemistry matters can be learned by tinkering with the Bru'N water spreadsheet. Don't use "5.2", it is snake oil."

Here is the fatal flaw in what you are trying to do, which is respectable by the way,

You are trying to reduce a complex biological-chemical process into a good for all 20 step program. It's just not possible. There are way too many variables that a brewer must at least be familiar with to understand cause and effect. This is why there is extract. It eliminates much of the chemistry of all grain leaving only that of fermentation.

If what you are proposing was effectively feasible the likes of Bamforth, Fix, Daniels, Zaineshef, and MANY others would not have (had) lifetime careers based on it.

LandoLincoln said:

If you don't, and their beer comes out tasting like band-aids or worse, and they don't know why, then they may get discouraged real fast.

Which is why a lot of people advocate using bottled spring water for their first few batches, especially if they're doing all-grain.

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Good point. I will add suggested use of spring water if the water chemical make up is unknown.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

I've openly changed the original post with all suggestions given but thank you. The information is for pure process as requested. When you tell someone first starting to look at the chemical make up of their water, its a huge barrier to entry. I've brew 30+ batches. My current procedure is a lot more complicated than the one I provided (this is a beginners forum). Negativity is unwanted. Suggestions are. Check your tone before someone else does. All threads stray from their original meaning on this website which you are progressively assisting. Please just suggestions on the original post and no more breakdown of how this conversation has developed or judgement of me (PM me if you really feel the need). Thank you.

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Here's a positive suggestion: Chillax. The criticisms given to the original post are valid and warranted to prevent misinformation. Good on you for editing the original and correcting the errors.

This site is full of experienced, knowledgeable brewers that are more than willing to address questions from newbies and offer corrections when they feel they're warranted. Nobody was initially trying to offer anything other than correcting some issues you had in your process. None of us get things 100% right 100% of the time, otherwise we'd never learn anything from this hobby and would all just wind up drinking coors light.

I didn't see anybody getting nasty with you, OP, until you opened that pandora's box yourself. So chill.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

I've openly changed the original post with all suggestions given but thank you. The information is for pure process as requested. When you tell someone first starting to look at the chemical make up of their water, its a huge barrier to entry. I've brew 30+ batches. My current procedure is a lot more complicated than the one I provided (this is a beginners forum). Negativity is unwanted. Suggestions are. Check your tone before someone else does. All threads stray from their original meaning on this website which you are progressively assisting. Please just suggestions on the original post and no more breakdown of how this conversation has developed or judgement of me (PM me if you really feel the need). Thank you.

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Oh, no, we won't do challenging via PM. That's not the way it works in a forum.

It's wonderful that you took time and effort to put together a step-by-step. But in order for it to be a quality resource, it needs to be correct and easy to implement and understand. If you don't want criticism, then don't create a "how to", as you'll definitely be challenged on information that may not be correct.

You are not being judged. We all grow as brewers by helping each other. None of us know it all, and we have expert and well-known brewers on this forum. They are still learning new things as well. For example, Denny. He practically "invented" batch sparging, and he's a well known member of the AHA governing committee. He's open to learning and hearing new ideas. There are several other experts who are known to have written books on brewing, and water. They are open to new ideas.

Anybody who "knows it all" generally doesn't know much at all, so it's always worthwhile to keep an open mind, for all of us!

Beginners shouldn't be taught incorrectly, as then they build on misinformation. It's always good to keep it simple, of course, but not at the expense of poor results!

Darwin18 said:

Originally Posted by MorrisBrewingCo View Post
Equipment:
- 6+ Gallon Stainless Steel Boil Pot with spigot Good but 9 - 10 gallon is preferred

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Agreed, I use a 9 Gal myself, I figured 6 is a good monetary wise for beginners, i can clarify more than 6+ if you think it would help

Darwin18 said:

- 5 or 6 Gallon Glass Carboy ---- Glass, Better bottle, bucket, does not matter

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I will add this

Darwin18 said:

- Immersion Wort Chiller ---- Good (There are other options as well for cooling)[/qutoe]true I will note

My particular critique with your set up is the additional 5-gallon cooler. Frankly, it's unnecessary. You can heat your strike water in your brew kettle, transfer to the 10-gallon mash tun, heat your sparge water, drain your mash runnings to a bucket, transfer your sparge water to the 10-gallon cooler, transfer the mash runnings to the brew kettle and start the boil, drain sparge runnings to the brew kettle, and you're off.

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I personally suggest a more showering the grain and keeping the water level slightly above the grains which requires another water container when the mash tun still has wort and the boil pot is collecting the drain. I guess I am missing how you sparge while you're collecting?

AZ_IPA said:

I'd suggest telling someone to blindy use "5.2"

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Telling and letting them know of another possible option is different. I will clarify that I do not use it and to read up on PH levels for information. Thanks

aiptasia said:

I didn't see anybody getting nasty with you, OP, until you opened that pandora's box yourself. So chill.

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I'll admit it was I was a little more defensive than I like to be but it was caused by people simply stating "No" "False" "Pointless" providing no suggestions which is pointless and rude. If you say "I've read otherwise and this is what I've know and use" is so much more productive.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

Agreed, I use a 9 Gal myself, I figured 6 is a good monetary wise for beginners, i can clarify more than 6+ if you think it would help I will add this

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I don't know if you've edited that yet (I'm having internet issues and am "lagging") but I would definitely do that. Since most 5 gallon batches start with 6.25-6.5 gallons of wort (sometimes more!), a minimum pot size would be 30 quarts.

When I first started, I got a turkey fryer with a 30 quart pot, and it was just big enough. I avoided boilovers, most of the time. It works well for beginners, because while it's not ideally large enough, aluminum turkey fryers are cheap and the minimum size for a 5 gallon batch.

I would also recommend moving step #2 down the line a lot, to step #14, to be done either while the wort is chilling, or after, as having it sanitized hours before using it means contamination can occur since grain is a bit source of contamination for lactobacillus. Most homebrewers use "wet contact" sanitizers, which means that it's "good" as long as the surface is wet with sanitizer, so it needs to be done just before using it.

MorrisBrewingCo said:

I personally suggest a more showering the grain and keeping the water level slightly above the grains which requires another water container when the mash tun still has wort and the boil pot is collecting the drain. I guess I am missing how you sparge while you're collecting?

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Batch sparge is just that, you pour a batch of water on the grain, vorlof a few quarts and then let it run till empty. Then do another batch, rinse, and repeat if necessary.

Homebrewers historically have fly sparged because that's what the big guys use, but in our volumes it just introduces more complexity to the process. Large brewers can't cost effectively batch sparge because of the time and effort it would take, fly sparging is much more cost effective in volume. Our 5-10 gallon batch sizes negate that need.

Honestly, a BIAB system is the best way to get into all grain brewing and avoids all the other issues involved with liquid transfer in sparging and has a decent efficiency for our size batches. A difference between 65% efficiency and 80% efficiency is going to be measure in lb and half lbs of grain, not hundreds and thousands of pounds like a large brewery.

One other correction I'd make is on the fly sparge process. I wouldn't add 185 degree water to the HLT and let it cool. That doesn't make logical sense to me. First, the mash out is done. That addition is missing in these steps. THEN the sparge starts with 170 degree water. If not doing a mash out, batch sparging would probably be a better way to go or at least increasing the sparge water temperature to denature the enzymes and stop further conversion.

I'd suggest a larger fermentation vessel than a 5 or 6 gallon glass carboy, bucket, etc.

Your typical 5 gallon batch is going to have ~5.2-5.4 gallons of volume (if you want a packaged volume of 5 gallons).

At least a 6.5 gallon carboy, or better yet, a ~7 gallon bucket. No sense losing any beer through the blowoff tube.

AZ_IPA said:

I'd suggest a larger fermentation vessel than a 5 or 6 gallon glass carboy, bucket, etc.

Your typical 5 gallon batch is going to have ~5.2-5.4 gallons of volume (if you want a packaged volume of 5 gallons).

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Good point. Also consider how you'll be aerating. I use a Fizz-X rod on a drill, and it works up quite a lather of foamy head on the wort, sometimes even coming all the way up to the neck of the carboy.

Then consider that you need to leave room for adding the yeast itself. Probably not a concern if you're just rehydrating a packet of dry yeast (200 mL?), but if you're using liquid yeast and have done a starter, and it's a high-gravity lager, you could have upwards of a quart of yeast to fit into the carboy.

I wouldn't even consider anything other than a 6.5 gallon carboy as a primary fermenter.

Personally, I would list the batch sparge process for beginners.

IMO there are way too many variables and personal process options to make a simple step-by-step listing. No matter what you show, someone will have a very good reason why that is wrong and you should do it differently.

In fact, now that I think about it, even batch sparging isn't the simplest way. Brew in a bag is way simpler and cheaper.

Yooper said:

I don't know if you've edited that yet.

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forgot but its up now

Yooper said:

turkey fryer with a 30 quart pot

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I opted out of aluminum because I had the money but I agree a great cheap beginner option. Can you go in to prepping the aluminum for brewing (heard from a LHBS one time boil water for 2 hours)

Yooper said:

I would also recommend moving step #2 to step #14

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good point

mmb said:

Batch sparge is just that.....
Honestly, a BIAB system.....

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Can someone whose is much more knowledgeable on those two topics go in to your process/methods for both, I can simplify in the original post and then you can make sure it checks out because I would like beginners to know the various sparging methods but I do not want this to become a comparison of which one is better, they can decide that.

AZ_IPA said:

I'd suggest a larger fermentation vessel than a 5 or 6 gallon

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I will add this

kombat said:

Also consider how you'll be aerating. I use a Fizz-X rod on a drill, and it works up quite a lather of foamy head on the wort.

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I will add an aerator to the list of upgrades. Can you go in to a more basic way for aerating as well?

kombat said:

yeast starter

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I use them but that pictorial thread does a better job, I'll throw that link down at the botton, I did add the yeast pitching calculator so beginners refrain from under-pitching

Thank you all for input. This thread has become very productive and it is all thanks to a community effort.

Thanks to the OP!! He/She put lots of time into their post, and I for one found it helpful.