all grain question

im new to this home brewing thing, ive only brewed one extract brew but i want to go all grain, my pot is 5 gall, the recipe im a try is a 5gal batch but i need to collect like 6gal of wort, so here's the question, can i collect 3-4gal of wort into my pot,the rest i keep in a cooler, add hops and all that to the one in the pot, then add the rest of the wort when done?????? will that work????

metalbrewer said:

im new to this home brewing thing, ive only brewed one extract brew but i want to go all grain, my pot is 5 gall, the recipe im a try is a 5gal batch but i need to collect like 6gal of wort, so here's the question, can i collect 3-4gal of wort into my pot,the rest i keep in a cooler, add hops and all that to the one in the pot, then add the rest of the wort when done?????? will that work????

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NO.

You can however collect 3-4 gallons in you main pot and 2-3 gallons in a second pot and boil all the wort using two pots.

Welcome to HBT!

I'm afraid it will not work, however, all hope is not lost. There is a couple of alternatives. They are not as good as having a large enough pot, but improvisation is part of brewing.

You can boil your "extra" in another pot OR you can add small amounts to your pot as the water boils off.

you need to make sure to boil all of the wort (sanitation, protien coagulation)... that was why you got a "NO" in the previous response.

oh ok, thats what i was thinking, but wasnt sure. well im low on funds to buy a new pot, would i be able to boil half the wort tranfer to ferm. bucket, then boil the rest, add to ferm. bucket then cool down all at once??? sorry if these questions are dumb, im new

Do not worry about dumb question which yours are not. You can do it in two batches. You will have to split your hops so the bitterness comes out correctly and it will take a little more time but no reason you can't move forward.

Technically, you could. But IMO, you're making things way too complicated for someone who is just starting out. The more steps in your process, the more chances to make a mistake, and the greater the chances you end up with a poor final product.

If you've already done an extract batch and are satisfied with the results yet don't have the appropriate equipment yet to do an all grain batch, I'd recommend doing a few partial mash brews first. You're still mashing grains yet you can get away with your extract only equipment for the most part.

In fact, some of my best beers were my partial mash recipes. My first partial mash was light years ahead of my first all grain batch in terms of the end product.

So, rather than make your entry into all grain more complicated than it needs to be, I'd at least start with a partial mash or two with the equipment you have. You'll likely find you can make some amazing beer without spending any more money on fancy equipment. Then when you can afford the right equipment to do all grain you'll already be comfortable with the process and likely make fewer mistakes.

cool thanks for everyones input, you guys really helped

metalbrewer said:

im new to this home brewing thing, ive only brewed one extract brew but i want to go all grain, my pot is 5 gall, the recipe im a try is a 5gal batch but i need to collect like 6gal of wort, so here's the question, can i collect 3-4gal of wort into my pot,the rest i keep in a cooler, add hops and all that to the one in the pot, then add the rest of the wort when done?????? will that work????

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go get yourself a 7g pot ( minimum ). they sell them at academy for $20. it may cost $20, but it'll save hours ( and bad brews ), so it's worth it. when you're really ready to go all-grain, you can use the pot for mash water

Yes, you can do two boils and split up your hops and other additions equally. It's kind of a pain to do, but I do it anytime I make a 5 gallon batch.

lumpher said:

go get yourself a 7g pot ( minimum ). they sell them at academy for $20. it may cost $20, but it'll save hours ( and bad brews ), so it's worth it. when you're really ready to go all-grain, you can use the pot for mash water

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FYI: if you look on craigslist you can often find a turkey fryer kit for $20 or less (I just found one for free in my area).

They'll usually have not only a propane burner, but also come with an 8 gallon pot.