Getting in to All Grain

Hey, so I know most people do not start with all grain, but this is really where I want to start. I have put in countless hours reading websites, forums, and watching videos.

I was wondering if I could get some input on the equipment I will be buying (or not buying if you guys don't approve).

I may buy this kit from my local store, even though it is much more expensive. I would prefer to buy it there if I have the funds at the time.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000QGJTFU/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

I will use this cooler to make my mash tun

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000G68I84/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

This will be my boiler
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000BXHL0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

These three items come out $200 after shipping.

I am thinking I can get by with just the one boil kettle, or am I wrong?

I also need a propane tank and bottles (obviously). And I am going to make my wort chiller.


Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated.

(I really have been doing a lot of research, not just coming on here and asking for all the answers. Even though it may not seem like it. I have been looking in to brewing for about a month.)

my 2 cents

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/bottling/bottle-cappers/super-agata-bench-capper.html

the capper in the kit was not my favorite

this too.

http://www.northernbrewer.com/brewing/brewing-equipment/cleaning-chemicals-equipment/sanitation-cleaning/star-san.html

are you planning on using a manifold?

That capper looks legit.

And I will be making this for the false bottom
http://www.flickr.com/photos/jefflouella/2503988984/

I just did my first all grain about 8 days ago it was great i had fun doing it. Just do a crap load of reading before hand and am sure it will turn out great it did for me. now i just got to wait a few more weeks to bottle then taste the final results!! and good luck!! btw what part of l.a. are you located at?

Not saying that you won't be happy with the turkey fryer, but I wish I had gone straight to my large stainless kettle with drain valve and avoided the temporary purchase.

There is nothing wrong with baby steps. It's a long learning process and it is ok to learn how to crawl before you run.

1R1Sh,
How are you going to drain the kettle?
Also, $20 in shipping puts the basic kit at ~$110. How's that compare with the local homebrew supply?
If you like bigger, higher gravity, beers, maybe a larger cooler too.
Other than that, looks OK.

I just did my first all grain last sunday... used a 40qt turkey fryer and did it as a BIAB. the material to make the bag cost me $7 and made 2 bags plus a hops bag. no HLT, no MLT just a bag and a kettle. it's a very simple and inexpensive way to get into all grain.

JohnMc said:

1R1Sh,
How are you going to drain the kettle?
Also, $20 in shipping puts the basic kit at ~$110. How's that compare with the local homebrew supply?
If you like bigger, higher gravity, beers, maybe a larger cooler too.
Other than that, looks OK.

Click to expand...

A 30 qt. pot? That's what I use.....after chilling, I pick it up, pour back & forth between it & the fermentation bucket a couple of times to ærate, pop on the lid, plug in the airlock, and there you go. No drain necessary.

I made only 1 extract before I went all-grain and have made beer every other weekend since(11/2008). Started with a cooler for a mash tun and a 7 gal turkey fryer for a boil pot. Since then I made a direct fire RIMS.

JohnMc said:

1R1Sh,
How are you going to drain the kettle?
Also, $20 in shipping puts the basic kit at ~$110. How's that compare with the local homebrew supply?
If you like bigger, higher gravity, beers, maybe a larger cooler too.
Other than that, looks OK.

Click to expand...

Thanks for the response.

At my LHBS that kit is $154 (after tax).

Also that cooler is a 9 gallon cooler. That would not be enough?

And drain the kettle into the carboy? I was planning on dipping a bucket into the kettle and emptying the bucket into the carboy (using a funnel).

Mysticmead said:

I just did my first all grain last sunday... used a 40qt turkey fryer and did it as a BIAB. the material to make the bag cost me $7 and made 2 bags plus a hops bag. no HLT, no MLT just a bag and a kettle. it's a very simple and inexpensive way to get into all grain.

Click to expand...

I will definitely look in to this. Thanks

Will the quality be the same?

I started with all grain and have not had a desire to ever play with extract. I started with some thrown together 3-vessel pieces and made 3 gallon batches. I just got a turkey fryer with a 6.5 gallon pot, and am actually going to go backwards into BIAB brewing. It just seems simpler. The only concern seems to be a slight decrease in efficiency, but I'll cough up the extra 50 or 75 cents on additional grain to simplify my brew day.

I made my bag out of muslin and cotton thread. Using synthetic materials that aren't food grade just seems spooky to me, and in the cheese world muslin seems to be where it's at for a straining medium.

There is also the no-chill method, like BIAB it also comes from Australia. You dump your hot wort post-boil into a 5 gallon bucket and lid it. When it is down to pitching temp, pour it into your carboy (or preferably keep it in the bucket if you're like most), and pitch. No chiller needed, no wasted water, and no wasted time chilling. Supposedly there is a potential issue with DMS, but I've never tasted creamed corn in my beer.

I dont mind the extra work. I live in sunny Southern California. I will be doing the whole process outdoors. As easy as the BIAB looks, I really like the idea of all grain.

Can't give much insight on the all grain as I am a newbie myself, but I can say (fwiw) that the Bayou Classic is one fine piece of work! I went with the SP10 and a 5gal. SS kettle and it brought it to a boil in no time.....

bratrules said:

I just did my first all grain about 8 days ago it was great i had fun doing it. Just do a crap load of reading before hand and am sure it will turn out great it did for me. now i just got to wait a few more weeks to bottle then taste the final results!! and good luck!! btw what part of l.a. are you located at?

Click to expand...

Thanks for the advice. I live in the San Fernando Valley. What about you?

brentt03 said:

Can't give much insight on the all grain as I am a newbie myself, but I can say (fwiw) that the Bayou Classic is one fine piece of work! I went with the SP10 and a 5gal. SS kettle and it brought it to a boil in no time.....

Click to expand...

I cant believe how cheap it is. The pot alone cost that much at LHBS

1R1Sh said:

I dont mind the extra work. I live in sunny Southern California. I will be doing the whole process outdoors. As easy as the BIAB looks, I really like the idea of all grain.

Click to expand...

BIAB is all grain... its just a different method of mashing.. I was getting 77% efficiency which is on par with a traditional 3 vessel setup. the biggest advantage is less start up cost and less time.

Thanks for all the advice guys. I am going to look more into BIAB. It sounds like a great way to start. As much as I would love to do all of this outside, I guess I dont even need a propane burner. I am going to go to some local thrift stores and goodwill stores. Hopefully I can find a real cheap pot.

lol.. I did mine outside.. on a propane burner in a 40qt brew pot (turkey fryer). checkout http://biabrewer.info

1R1Sh said:

Thanks for the advice. I live in the San Fernando Valley. What about you?

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Am in L.A like ten mins from downtown the city is called south gate!! seem am the only homebrewer in this whole city lol

bratrules said:

Am in L.A like ten mins from downtown the city is called south gate!! seem am the only homebrewer in this whole city lol

Click to expand...

I had not even heard about brewing your own beer from anyone in LA. Then again I am still very young. Dont think many people my age brew their own beer. I really enjoying doing projects. And I really enjoy good beers. I think LA is more of a party type city where you go out and pay 10 bucks for a bottle of decent beer, or 20 dollar shots.

I am hoping that since I will be giving beer to all my friends for free, they will be buying me rounds when we go out.

I just recently heard about Eagle Rock Brewery. They have a bar in the front and brewery in the back. I want to go check it out. I guess on Sundays you can get tours of the brewery.

1R1Sh said:

I had not even heard about brewing your own beer from anyone in LA. Then again I am still very young. Dont think many people my age brew their own beer. I really enjoying doing projects. And I really enjoy good beers. I think LA is more of a party type city where you go out and pay 10 bucks for a bottle of decent beer, or 20 dollar shots.

I am hoping that since I will be giving beer to all my friends for free, they will be buying me rounds when we go out.

I just recently heard about Eagle Rock Brewery. They have a bar in the front and brewery in the back. I want to go check it out. I guess on Sundays you can get tours of the brewery.

Click to expand...

well its good to know there is other people in L.A enjoy this kick ass hobby i'll keep in touch with you bud its good to have some fellow brews out there btw where do you get your supplies?

Mysticmead said:

lol.. I did mine outside.. on a propane burner in a 40qt brew pot (turkey fryer). checkout http://biabrewer.info

Click to expand...

Thanks for the link. I registered, but it will not let me post or make topics. The more I research, the more I want to do BIAB, but it looks like it cost me more to setup.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000BXHL0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

This 30qt pot and fryer is only $60. But for BIAB I know I will need about a 40qt pot. The cheapest 40q pot I can find cost more then then the 30qt pot and the fryer.

I could probably just keep adding water to the kettle, but that would probably be a pain in the ass.

bratrules said:

well its good to know there is other people in L.A enjoy this kick ass hobby i'll keep in touch with you bud its good to have some fellow brews out there btw where do you get your supplies?

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I actually have not bought anything yet. Just getting in to it. I did go in to The Home Wine, Beer and Cheesemaking Shop in Woodland Hills, just to look at stuff. They were pretty cool in there.

1R1Sh said:

Thanks for the link. I registered, but it will not let me post or make topics. The more I research, the more I want to do BIAB, but it looks like it cost me more to setup.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000BXHL0/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

This 30qt pot and fryer is only $60. But for BIAB I know I will need about a 40qt pot. The cheapest 40q pot I can find cost more then then the 30qt pot and the fryer.

I could probably just keep adding water to the kettle, but that would probably be a pain in the ass.

Click to expand...

where there's a will there's a way... http://www.samsclub.com/sams/shop/product.jsp?productId=102996&variance=40+qt.

others have done the mash in the 30 qt and had a smaller 20 qt pot of hot water to do a dunk type sparge (dunk the grain bag stir wait 10 minutes and pull it out)

At my LHBS that kit is $154 (after tax).

Click to expand...

Ouch!

Also that cooler is a 9 gallon cooler. That would not be enough?

Click to expand...

For pretty much any 5 gallon batch, yes, but you'd be surprised how fast you might want to go to 10. Also, for a lot of rectangular coolers the lid space is counted as volume, but doesn't do much good for mashing. Still, you're safe for 5 gallons of a really big barleywine.

And drain the kettle into the carboy? I was planning on dipping a bucket into the kettle and emptying the bucket into the carboy (using a funnel).

Click to expand...

That'll work, as long as you sanitize the bucket. You can do as rico567 and lift the kettle. Or use a piece of copper pipe, a copper or stainless scrubber, some tubing and start a siphon as well. I was just curious about your plans.