Why Not Start Home Brewing w/ All Grain Method?

That range is good for most ale yeast. It really depends on what you are brewing but seems like you have a sweet spot in your basement!

If you are confident I say go for it. Personally, I am glad I started out with extract so that I had some of the basic processed down before switching to AG. I feel like if I would have gone to AG right away it would have been a little over-whelming to me, plus I wanted to make sure it was a hobby I wanted to do in the long run. Going from no equipment to AG equipment will be quite an investment. But again, I say go for it if you have the confidence/resources to start with AG. Good luck!

My wife and I too started with all grain brewing. Worth it? You bet! Was her birthday request last year for a brewery. Built a Kal clone. We love the smell of grains mashing, followed by boiling wort with the hops added.

Got Palmer's book and 2 months later went straight to all grain. Been having fun ever since and using DME only for yeast starter.

Go for it. I find the mashing/lautering process to be an interesting (critical maybe?) part of the brewing.

jetmac said:

What I don't get is how people say it is more expensive to brew all grain.

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Seriously?

I didn't need a mash tun when I brewed extract. ~$60 for cooler and hardware.

I didn't need an 8+ gallon pot when I brewed extract. $100+ if you want a decent one with fittings.

I didn't need a propane burner when I brewed extract. ~$80, not including propane tanks.

I didn't need a wort chiller when I brewed extract. ~$60 minimum.

Granted, AG ingredients are cheaper, but you have a lot of amortization to do to make up the equipment difference with ingredients. After my latest upgrading binge, I'll probably never make up the difference!

But as they say, homebrewing to save money on beer is like buying a boat to save money on fish. A hobby should be about enjoyment, not about saving money.

In any case, the OP has already built/acquired most of what he needs, and seems motivated and enthusiastic, so I'm sure diving straight in to AG is the right thing for him to do.

First home brew in the fermenter. Started at 3:30. Finished at 11. I was a little she using the bayou classic at first. Only made one mistake that I noticed. When we were taking the SG measurement sanitized the graduated cylinder but not the hydrometer because we didn't think that beer was going back in the fermenter. But we didn't have enough in there and put the cylinder back in the fermented for more beer. So there might have been some mixing. Oops.

LandoLincoln said:

Water quality also becomes an issue when going AG, and that may require a goodly amount of research, if your water supply is iffy.

So if you go AG for the first time, consider using spring water until you find out if your local water supply uses chloramines and you send the water out for a water test to Ward Labs.

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I have an RO water filter system in my home.... I use that for my water. What do you guys think for an AG brew?

Here we go!! it's about to get BIG!!!



Peace. Love. & Beer!
CHEERS!

ASassyBeerChick83 said:

I have an RO water filter system in my home.... I use that for my water. What do you guys think for an AG brew?

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I'm still basically a n00b, brewing for less than a year, but I'm under the impression that some mineral content is good for the beer, and for the mash specifically.

I'm also aware that there are products that add the minerals you want.

I started with AG right from the start. I've brewed 20 batches to date and have only done one extract batch. I did an extract IPA because I thought it would be a lot easier. The beer was fine but I personally didn't find the extract process much easier. Once you have your process down for AG it's really straight forward.

fwiw, my tap water comes from a city managed well across the street from my house. The city claims that the well water is of high enough quality that they deliver it untreated. But I'm still installing sediment and carbon filtration for drinking/cooking/brewing water.

I will be starting with AG.
I broke my leg about eight weeks ago and as a craft beer lover with nothing to do so I started researching home brewing. I am the kind of person that doesn't like prepackaged processed foods and don't mind making things from scratch. To me that's what the difference seemed like. AG brewers have control over the inputs ! I spent day and night reading,watching ( Thank you Bobby love the YouTube's,) listening to basic brewing,and brewing network archives, plotting and planing. I started acquiring my equipment little by little and still have purchases to make and equipment to assemble. I am very excited and think the plotting and planning has been fun.

That said , I of course am talking to everyone that will listen about my plans, and some that won't listen. I have had two people that were interested in brewing too, and wanted links, advice ... In each case I suggested they start with extract. Why? I have had the time to do the research and think of the process in depth. I have space ( a whole extra little house on property that's just been deemed my brewery , it has a working fridge and running hot and cold water and a porch Oh, and before anyone gets the wrong idea, we are not rich ! We live on a farm and it's an old works cabin. If I was VERY limited on space , time , and funding ( the two guys interested are collage students) I have to think extract is the way to go. Also being young guys if they spend 100.00 bucks brew a few batches and move on to .... It's no big deal. I am middle aged and "hobbies" tend to stick a little better. If I make some mistakes it's o.k. That's how you learn. If I find that I am over my head I can back track and take Bobby's advice. I really don't think it's going to be a problem though. As has been stated over and over take your time and have a plan. Take good notes so you can find your errors .

Good Luck !

Maplehead74 - It's not difficult to find cheaper equipment to brew. Not a lot of cash under the mattress for hobbies. Here's my equipment list for all grain brewing aside from hoses, etc.

1) 5 gallon aluminum stock pot for brewing 3.5 gallon batches. 2) Ice bath in the kitchen sink cools to pitching temps. 3) Food grade plastic bucket for fermenting. 4) 5 gallon drink cooler with CPVC manifold for grain mashing. 5) Temperature controller for used chest freezer.

Good luck and happy hunting.

corax said:

Seriously?

I didn't need a mash tun when I brewed extract. ~$60 for cooler and hardware.

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Someone had to make the wort you are brewing with and they are going to charge you for it. If you didn't buy extract and made your own wort how long until you recoup the cost of a mash tun?

corax said:

I didn't need an 8+ gallon pot when I brewed extract. $100+ if you want a decent one with fittings.

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You do need "a" pot. So you can't just say that is $100. You have to deduct thecost of the pot you have.

corax said:

I didn't need a propane burner when I brewed extract. ~$80, not including propane tanks.

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The SQ-14 is about $50

corax said:

I didn't need a wort chiller when I brewed extract. ~$60 minimum.

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You should have.

All in all, not a whole lot more money

I did the progression, extract to all grain. Glad I did now because I have a limited number of days I can brew. I brew two different batches on brew day. one all grain and one extract while I finish getting the first into the fermenter and clean up my mash tun, I make a quick extract beer.

All grain equipment is not that expensive. Things you need that you wouldn't need for extract: 1)mash tun..........that's about it. I built one using these forums for advice. With a thermometer, working braid, spout, etc. it cost me around 80$. If I can afford it you can afford it. I also got my 10 gal pot for free from asking around and checking craigslist and yard sales.

You don't need fancy equipment to make good beer, just knowledge.

That being said, if you go the all grain route first like I did, chances are you will screw up, many things. However knowledge is obtained from experience, so my suggestion is go for it. I'm a jump first kindof guy though....

Mojzis said:

All grain equipment is not that expensive. Things you need that you wouldn't need for extract: 1)mash tun..........that's about it. I built one using these forums for advice. With a thermometer, working braid, spout, etc. it cost me around 80$. If I can afford it you can afford it. I also got my 10 gal pot for free from asking around and checking craigslist and yard sales.

You don't need fancy equipment to make good beer, just knowledge.

That being said, if you go the all grain route first like I did, chances are you will screw up, many things. However knowledge is obtained from experience, so my suggestion is go for it. I'm a jump first kindof guy though....

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Mash tun or grain bag.

TimpanogosSlim said:

Mash tun or grain bag.

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Very true. Forgot about those. Which cut equipment costs even further.

I did the extract to BIAB to MLT progression, but looking back I really wish I had gone straight to BIAB if not to using an MLT... I can indeed see why people would want to ensure that it's a hobby they intend on sticking with before buying much more than what you need for extract via partial boils, though.

If I would have started with all grain brewing I would have quit immediately. I still remember the first batch we did on my electric stove...literally all we needed to do was heat the water, dissolve extract then boil hops, cool and add yeast. It seems so easy now, but back then we must have read the directions twenty times. Then we moved to partial mash and realized we needed some real equipment. Over 40 brews later we're now getting close to opening a micro brewery and I am very glad I started with extract brewing. There are those of you who are much more mechanically inclined, the engineer types, who may be able to jump right into all grain, but for the vast majority of people I don't think it would be a good idea.

I figure it's true that there's more that can go wrong with AG, because the mash requires some attention, but i don't think people are likely to completely fail if they are careful about it and read the instructions . . .

Bobby_M said:

I'm always asked if one should go straight to all grain (or if it's practical). I know you can but I always suggest a different approach. Start with a large boil kettle, like a 10 gallon that is ready to go for all grain. Get an immersion chiller. Figure out how you're going to pitch enough yeast and how you're going to keep the fermenter cool. Now... brew a batch of extract beer and prove to yourself that you can handle 6 gallons of wort from boil to ferment. If you can't master that portion of it, there's no reason to spend 4 extra hours manufacturing wort from grain. Spend a few batches getting used to full volume wort and clean ferments and THEN make wort from grain. It's a very logical progression.

Sorry, I really do think that there are just too many ways to fail starting fresh with all grain.

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Bobby M makes a lot of sense as usual.

I might have learned life old school.

Learning to swim my dad just threw me in with a grin.

Sink or survive, I'm sure he would've covered my side.

And if I sunk to the bottom, would have saved me from the tide.

Some people just learn better,

By jumping into the neather!

Why am the he!! am I trying to rhyme?

It just takes my mind off some troubling times.

Man, I did it again.

Bobby_M said:

I'm always asked if one should go straight to all grain (or if it's practical). I know you can but I always suggest a different approach. Start with a large boil kettle, like a 10 gallon that is ready to go for all grain. Get an immersion chiller. Figure out how you're going to pitch enough yeast and how you're going to keep the fermenter cool. Now... brew a batch of extract beer and prove to yourself that you can handle 6 gallons of wort from boil to ferment. If you can't master that portion of it, there's no reason to spend 4 extra hours manufacturing wort from grain. Spend a few batches getting used to full volume wort and clean ferments and THEN make wort from grain. It's a very logical progression.

Sorry, I really do think that there are just too many ways to fail starting fresh with all grain.

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I'll address this directly.

I started with a 1 gallon AG kit. It was easy.

Starting with a 5 gallon batch, I suppose i agree that if they don't have some line cook experience or something, they should probably be supervised by someone who's done it more than once.

I think its great going right to AG, I read a lot of posts that recommend proper planning, if you go to The Brewers Friend website they have a brew day check list, it's pretty detailed. I would also recommend using their brew log sheet so you can keep track of your brew days.

Go for it and don't look back. I did the same as you a jumped right to it. After reading a bunch of different resources and posts and even some horror stories I figured why not. As mentioned by others it is simply taking a recipe and adding ingredients. Sure there is more to it but people have been doing it for centuries. People seem to make it harder than it is. Make sure to take notes and get a game plan before going in. Have fun and it is awsome to poor your first pint and raise it for the first time.