Budget All Grain Setup

Would I be able to successfully switch to all grain brewing with an 8 gallon pot, a turkey fryer propane burner/base, a 10 gal MLT cooler, and a bottling bucket?

LOL

Would you guys have suggestions on a budget all grain setup. I dont want to take a leap into an expensive, elaborate setup until I know I'm going to brew all grain all the time.

If you have every thing to do extract already you could. If you don't have another pot you could use your 8 gal pot as a HLT and run off into a bucket.

I don't have much. Three pots, two MLTs, one burner and about seven fermenters.

That sounds like it should work....

Assuming 6.5 gallons or less batches...

Don't fear the AG monster... It isn't as mean as it sounds...

Good luck!

cool...sounds good

my local walmart carries 8 gal aluminum tamale steamers that work great as brew pots...$19.97

thanks for the words of encouragement guys! i'll let you know how it goes.

NoisufnoC said:

Would I be able to successfully switch to all grain brewing with an 8 gallon pot, a turkey fryer propane burner/base, a 10 gal MLT cooler, and a bottling bucket?

LOL

Click to expand...

That's pretty much my setup except I have a 5 gallon cooler with braid, rather than the 10..and my turkey fryer pot is 7.5 and not 8...but yeah.

The only thing you really need, outside of the above, if you don't have one already is a wort chiller, it is really hard to cool 5 gallons in a sink or snowbank rapidly..And you really want you ag brews to cool quickly so you get a good cold break.

My immersion chiller cost me 51 dollars at my LHBS.

Revvy said:

That's pretty much my setup except I have a 5 gallon cooler with braid, rather than the 10..and my turkey fryer pot is 7.5 and not 8...but yeah.

The only thing you really need, outside of the above, if you don't have one already is a wort chiller, it is really hard to cool 5 gallons in a sink or snowbank rapidly..And you really want you ag brews to cool quickly so you get a good cold break.

My immersion chiller cost me 51 dollars at my LHBS.

Click to expand...

+1 bazillion on this one... Best investment as a starting brewer...

That's pretty much what I use, I am still brewing on my stove.

got it, what style of chiller would you guys recommend? do you need a pump for a counterflow? or can you use gravity?

Just one of these copper immersion chillers you hook up to your sink or your garden hose is all you need starting out.



You can even make on yourself..there's pelnty of DIY tutorials oon here and the web.

Revvy said:

Just one of these copper immersion chillers you hook up to your sink or your garden hose is all you need starting out.

You can even make on yourself..there's pelnty of DIY tutorials oon here and the web.

Click to expand...

sounds good, i'm familiar with them...i just dont own one

I use gravity with my CFC... I also have an IC... Both are good... I would recommend a pump and ice water rather than using / wasting tap water for cooling...

Personally, I use this one because:

1. I am cheap...
2. It has worked well for me with both IC / CFC...
3. I am cheap...

IC can be utilized later down the road as a HERMS / RIMS coil in a HLT... I built a CFC because I found a great deal on copper tubing and wanted to DIY something for brewing...

+1 on the chiller... This from a dope who's been cooling 5 gal AG batches in the bathtub. Used a chiller at Homebrew Day event, was sold on it there. This was a small 3/8 chiller that brought the 5 gal down from a boil to under 80 deg in about 12 minutes. So I promptly went out and bought 50' of 1/2 copper and formed the coil around my argon tank. Besides the initial equipment, the chiller is a great investment that will save you time and give a good cold break.