Moving from Partial-Mash to All-Grain: Tips, Suggestions, Warnings?

I've been doing Partial Mashes exclusively for a few months now, and the beers are getting better and better. In fact, my Wheat Doppelbock could easily pass for a good German example. So my next step, logically, is All-Grain. I'm thinking I'll start off with the "El Cheapo" mash tun: a cylindrical pic-a-nic cooler fitted with a stopper, a stainless steel water supply hose sheath, copper tubing, etc. Just like this. I thought I'd do the stepped mash like Papazian calls out in CJOH, as that's pretty much what I've been doing on my PM batches.

As I'm a sorta-newbie here, I'm just going on what Papa-Z and Palmer tell me to do. But if anyone has any suggestions, or warnings, I'm very open. What I can't do is spend alot of money on equipment yet, hence the el-cheapo mash tun. Maybe after the holidays, I'll be able to afford a grain mill or something.

So, fire away...

10 gallon cooler instead of 5. I wish I had done the same, but I wasn't planning on going AG quite yet, just doing partials. As it stands, I can probably get an OG of around 1.05 using just grain in the cooler, but since the beers I like tend to start out closer to 1.055 - 1.06, I have to supplement with DME. Not the end of the world - but I'd like, maybe just for selfish pride, to say that I'm truly doing AG instead of "mostly"-AG.

I like the guide here at > http://www.hbd.org/cascade/dennybrew/
If you are going to batch sparge then I would get a rectangular cooler of about 48 quarts. With all grain comes full boils so you will need a way to cool your wort. You will need an accurate thermometer, perferably one that is water resistant. I have 2 kettles, one for the wort and one to heat the water for sparging.

the_bird said:

As it stands, I can probably get an OG of around 1.05 using just grain in the cooler

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you can get a bit more than that with a 5 gallon. Ive stuffed 13.5 lbs into my 5 gallon. now granted to lid floats on top off the mash, and stirring is a pain.

But still, going with a 10 gallon off the bat would be the smarter route.

Good to know. I was all ready to buy a 5-gallon cooler. Any idea how cheap I can get a 10-gal for? Do they make 8-gal?

Home Depot just had their 10 gallons on sale for 38 bucks. Might check there first, being that I haven't seen them much cheaper.

Chimone said:

you can get a bit more than that with a 5 gallon. Ive stuffed 13.5 lbs into my 5 gallon. now granted to lid floats on top off the mash, and stirring is a pain.

But still, going with a 10 gallon off the bat would be the smarter route.

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Yeah, the 10 gallon would be what I would get. I just finished mashing 12 Lbs
of grain in my 5 gallon tun and it was almost max'ed out. Got a pre-pitch
OG of 1.060 in my fermenter.

You may be getting better efficiency than I (be hard not to). In any case, there's no real disadvantage other than marginally higher up-front cost to the bigger cooler, so you might as well go that route. Are you batch sparging?

yep, batch sparging. Allthough I will probably switch over to fly when I finish up my 10 gallon setup. It works for now, but with 10 gallons, thats alot of very hot water to be picking up and dumping in.

The heaviest 5g brew I've done in my 5g cooler gave me an OG of 1.072 with 12.5 lbs grain. There was room for more, but not much.

I use a false bottom rather than the SS hose. I think it gives better efficiency, but I could be wrong.

One word of warning. If you use the rubber bung, you really have to wedge it in firmly to prevent it being dislodged while stirring the mash.

-a.

Im also trying to get equipment together for an AG batch. I have a 48 qt rectanglular cooler for the tun, is that the best route? They are usually cheaper than 38 bucks also.

dcarter said:

Im also trying to get equipment together for an AG batch. I have a 48 qt rectanglular cooler for the tun, is that the best route? They are usually cheaper than 38 bucks also.

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I bach sparge and that is what I would recommend. You'llbe fine.

With AG the thing that helps me out the most is software.

I just picked up two ten gallon Rubbermaid round coolers at Sportsman's Warehouse for $39 each. Just ordered the rest of the components to add to the coolers for my first AG experience later this month. Starting with five gallon boils, but will quickly move to the ten gallon variety. Also have a 210,000 BTU Banjo cookers set to be delivered soon.

For Evan: I would suggest getting a threaded nipple and a ball valve for your flow control instead of using the bung. It might not as easy to do, and a lot of people ended up going with the a pre-made conversion, so maybe I'll change my mind and stick with the bung.

For dcarter: I went the hose braid and I batch sparge, works great. Took a little work to get a bulkhead together, the way I did I have a braid that goes around the bottom of the cooler, much like a manifold. If I had pics, I'd direct you to them, but sadly I don't

thebull said:

Also have a 210,000 BTU Banjo cookers set to be delivered soon.

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That's my birthday present, baby! My wife doesn't get exactly how cool those things are...

clayof2day said:

For Evan: I would suggest getting a threaded nipple and a ball valve

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Man... where do you shop...

Thanks Clay, I cant wait to get my first batch started!