If you have brewed 15 batches of extract (and I have to assume that you used various amounts of specialty grains) then you know how to brew, you have some level of a system/process down, and the transition to all grain should not be that hard. All-grain brewing adds a little more time and effort to the start of the brew session, but the rest is the same as doing a full volume boil extract batch.
I think I am glad that I started all-grain brewing before the Internet. I had Dave Millers book and pretty much followed his advice. There are 1000 variables, 100s of different brewing setups and lots of people with opinions on what is best or the most important.
My general advice is: brew, learn, brew, learn, brew, learn keep brewing and never stop learning.
As mentioned, a big difference with all-grain is that you have more volume to deal with. You will need to heat up 8-9 gallons of mash and sparge water and then boil 6+ gallons (I shoot to collect 6.5 gallons from my sparge and boil that down to 5.5 to get close to 5 gallons in a keg). More power to heat and cool the extra volume is very helpful.
- Brent
P.S. An all-grain kit from someplace like Northern Brewer or Midwest Supplies is not a bad place to start.
P.S.S. I don't mess with mash pH.
I think I am glad that I started all-grain brewing before the Internet. I had Dave Millers book and pretty much followed his advice. There are 1000 variables, 100s of different brewing setups and lots of people with opinions on what is best or the most important.
My general advice is: brew, learn, brew, learn, brew, learn keep brewing and never stop learning.
As mentioned, a big difference with all-grain is that you have more volume to deal with. You will need to heat up 8-9 gallons of mash and sparge water and then boil 6+ gallons (I shoot to collect 6.5 gallons from my sparge and boil that down to 5.5 to get close to 5 gallons in a keg). More power to heat and cool the extra volume is very helpful.
- Brent
P.S. An all-grain kit from someplace like Northern Brewer or Midwest Supplies is not a bad place to start.
P.S.S. I don't mess with mash pH.